I often tell people I have two degrees. The first is the marketing degree I got from UW – Whitewater. The 2nd is my degree from the University of YouTube.
My first job in marketing was as a generalist. It was my job to do all the projects that were odds and ends that the others on my team didn’t have time to work on or know how to do. This meant I became our video and photo editor, social media coordinator, event planner, content writer, and so many other things all rolled into one position.
The problem? I didn’t start with experience with any of these things. For example, I had never in my life even opened photoshop before the age of 24. Like… not once. This meant I needed to learn and learn quickly in order to keep up and do my job effectively. That is where YouTube jumped in.
I mean YouTube isn’t a big secret. As a matter of fact, YouTube’s search is the 2nd most used search tool in the world. Millions of people go there every day to figure out how to fix their lawnmowers or tie a tie, but for some reason, there is still a huge stigma against using it for learning skills for business.
Sure, I am a little older and wiser now, but let me let you in on a little secret… We still use YouTube… A LOT. Pretty much every day actually. The world of social media and content is always changing, which means we are always learning.
So who are some of our favorite marketing YouTubers?
Peter McKinnon
Peter McKinnon is someone that I stumbled on a few months back when I was trying to learn more about effective photo editing. He drew me in right away with his fun personality and ability to explain things in a very simple way that made learning photography a far less daunting task. His channel features all sorts of videos from vlogs about projects he is working on, to lessons about photo editing and videography. You’ll find yourself stuck in his channel for a while watching him edit people’s photos and seeing him explain the difference between your phone camera and a $3,000 DSLR. Check him out!
Miles Beckler – Search Engine Optimization & Facebook Ads
Miles Beckler has been our go-to guy for a lot of things over the last year or so. He is known for killing it with Search Engine Optimization and his YouTube videos, but he absolutely kills it with Facebook Ads too. What’s awesome about Miles is that he breaks down everything he’s doing and goes step by step. He explains exactly why he’s doing what he’s doing and he’s creating at least 3 different videos each week. If you’re looking to get your business more exposure, this is your guy.
Gary Vaynerchuck – Content & Social Media
Gary V is an obvious choice. Most small business owners and entrepreneurs have probably heard of him, read one of his books, or at the very least, seen one of his motivational videos.
I get it, Gary is NOT for everyone. If you are not a fan of the occasional F-bomb or having your headphones blown out from time to time, you might want to look elsewhere. However, if you can get past that stuff and watch some of his longer videos, you will find a lot of really good information about social media and content creation. His DailyVee videos give you a peek into his day-to-day, and his client meetings are filled with practical advice for businesses big and small. Gary is always on top of the latest trends and does a really good job of making sure those who take his advice are always looking for one thing – where the attention of people is.
In a world where things are always changing, you need to always be on top of your game. YouTube allows you to always have the latest and greatest information at your fingertips and learn things from experts across the world.
So get out there and learn! Knowledge is waiting for you!