In the history of marketing, the most popular marketing spots are the places where the most people can be found, be it the town square, the bazaar, the train station, the airport, MySpace, YouTube, or Twitter.

There are more than 75 million videos on YouTube, for example, and when these videos go viral they register millions of views per video. And while many authors know how to use YouTube to share videos with family and friends, very few know how to harness the power of YouTube to make money, promote themselves, connect with customers, grow their business, and sell more books.

I am using YouTube in every possible way for all my clients. I truly see opportunities for every type of client I represent, including authors, doctors, lawyers, business people, and even charities.

In fact, I used YouTube to help Angel Acres Horse Haven Rescue make it to the “Top 10” in a $1 million shelter makeover contest sponsored by Zootoo, a website for animal and pet lovers. As part of his effort, I asked Mike Ball, who, in addition to being an award-winning columnist, is an accomplished musician, if he would be willing to write and record a song that could be used in an online video and for public service announcements. . That emotional song with the pictures of the horses helped Angel Acres in his online voting campaign.

Another client, Mr. Duey, a school teacher who uses music to teach children math, science and history, is also having great success with his video. Called “Mr. Duey Fractions,” it’s featured on Teacher Tube, which is like YouTube but for teachers, parents, and students. The “Fractions” video we promoted is now one of the top ten most viewed videos of all time on TeacherTube with 567,000 views. You know you’re good when kids at your school ask a teacher for an autograph! The exposure has led to CD sales, media coverage and other exciting opportunities for Mr. Duey and record label Kaas Records. As I write this, Mr. Duey is finishing up filming a new series of videos that tie his musical talents to a new “book-like” product…I can’t tell you what it is, but it came about as a direct result of that. video!

Another very successful application for YouTube videos is through video book trailers as part of a book marketing campaign. In an effort to get publicity for the book for my author clients, we will be creating a book trailer about the book. A book trailer is like a movie trailer in that it allows someone to preview a book both visually and through audio. A video book trailer brings the book to life and gives the potential reader a sneak peek at the contents. Then we’ll post that book trailer on YouTube and…this is the best part…we’ll add it to over 41 additional video sites online for even more exposure.

One of the great benefits of a book trailer is how it improves search engine rankings for an author’s main website, allowing them to carefully select the keywords and titles that drive traffic.

How can a booktrailer help? A couple of months ago, we got a great article for one of my authors at The Patriot Ledger, just outside of Boston. First, they published a photo of the author holding his book. They mentioned upcoming book signings I asked him to host after we had this story confirmed so he could capitalize on PR.

The Ledger also included a link and screenshot of the book trailer video we produced for YouTube. The best part? ABC-TV CH-7 in Boston then saw the article and trailer for the book, realized it was a good visual story, and went to the author’s house and filmed his own story. It really proves my point that “PR begets PR, the more you get, the more you get!”

You can view an example of book trailers we’ve created on the Westwind Communications YouTube channel at: [http://www.youtube.com/thebookpublicist]

There are a lot of ins and outs when it comes to YouTube. If you really want to use it, I suggest you buy a new book, How To Make Money With YouTube, by Brad and Debra Schepp. In this detailed guide, the authors reveal specific steps to harness the power of YouTube for profit. The Schepps offer detailed, easy-to-understand instructions on everything from shooting and uploading videos to fundraising and marketing, building buzz, and how to get your videos noticed.

They are also based on the humorous “Will it blend in?” from an infamous company. video that brought thousands of new customers to your website. You’ve probably seen it. A guy in a lab coat mixes everything from food to iPhones in his blender, proving just how powerful the blender really is. The book is packed with valuable advice and practical tips that allow readers to maximize their earning potential on YouTube.

One of the most valuable features of How to Make Money on YouTube is the real-life success stories of video marketers who used the site to launch successful consulting businesses. One notable success story is from my own firm on Mr. Duey mentioned above. The bottom line: Create a book video trailer and put it up on YouTube right away and use it to promote your book online. You can’t go wrong.

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