Remember back in the summer when YouTube launched its suite of products which aims to let SMBs produce professional-looking video adverts without having to pay out big money? Well, the good news is that these offerings are now available in the UK (to begin with, this was a US and Canada-only thing).
The main element of this initiative is the YouTube Director for Business app, which is now available to download on iOS devices in the UK (an Android version is apparently close to hand, and to be honest we're surprised it hasn't been made available yet – after all, it is Google's own mobile OS).
The app requires no filming or editing expertise to use, offering a range of templates (there are now over 130 of these) to get you started quickly, and easy-to-follow instructions to help you polish your video ad.
Once the video is finished, the app will automatically upload it to YouTube, and the user can speak to a Google AdWords expert if they want further help to set up and refine their advertising campaign.
Pro filmmaker for hire
There's a second service available for those who wish to spend a bit more, called YouTube Director onsite, which arranges for a pro filmmaker to come over and shoot, then edit, your video ad. But you can only avail yourself of this if you're prepared to spend at least £350 to advertise your clip on YouTube.
Said filmmaker will help with other parts of the process such as writing the script for your video, but the other catch is that onsite is only available to small businesses in two UK cities right now: London and Manchester.
That may well expand to other major cities soon (when launching in the US, the service was available across six cities).
Alice Mansergh, Director of Google Marketing Solutions for UK and Ireland, commented: "With the YouTube Director App we want to make it easier for businesses everywhere to be able to find new customers and engage with their audience through high quality videos. Now, small companies can tap into the power of video advertising and content marketing, and therefore compete with larger brands on the world's biggest online video destination."
- We've got a whole raft of tips and tricks for YouTube beginners
