I've been reading lots lately about how small businesses can best use YouTube in their online marketing efforts and I'd like to share some useful things I've learned. First, statistics indicate that 4.3 billion videos are watched per month on YouTube. That's a viewership that many marketers find too enticing to ignore. At the same time - and perhaps a major factor in YouTube's growth - the cost and time required to produce a video is now well within reach of nearly every business.

Does this mean everyone needs to run out and create a video to jump on the bandwagon? Not necessarily. Like all forms of social media, it's best to stop and think about what value you have to offer before jumping in, as content that's strictly self-promotional isn't likely to get much viewership.

So what do YouTube viewers like to watch? Topics that work best on YouTube tend to fall into one (or more) of 3 categories:

News. Both viewers and search engines (YouTube has its own search engine) gravitate towards what's new. If you have real news - a product announcement, an upcoming event, a new offer, etc. - consider announcing it on YouTube. You can get double mileage by also attaching your video to a press release and posting it on PRWeb. It doesn't need to be a glitzy or expensive video production - just interesting and informative. And like any news announcement, tell a story and you'll generate much more interest.