Is your company name secure on YouTube?

Is your company name secure on YouTube?

Is your company name secure on YouTube?This might sound like a repetition of domain name registration but it is just as important. YouTube video content has to live in a channel which is usually the same name as your username. A channel address is in the format www.youtube.com/username and is used when linking to all your YouTube videos from an external site as well as being displayed prominently withinYouTube.

Hopefully you already have a Google account and a YouTube channel setup in your company name, if you don’t then its a good idea to reserve it ASAP and add some basic details to help viewers return to your website. As video becomes a larger part of online marketing, your identity on websites such as YouTube will become increasingly important.

Often businesses are using personal YouTube accounts for video and this is generally not a good idea. There is a risk that you might confuse personal and business activity, with likes, comments and viewing history mixed between business and personal use. This might provide the wrong message to potential customers.

If you can’t register your exact name you may have to compromise slightly, consider adding UK to the end or using a shorter form of your name if possible. You should not use trademarks of others or select a name that is disconnected from your normal activity. If someone else is using your trademark, you have to first attempt to contact the current channel owner and resolve through private messages. YouTube do offer to assist if you don’t get anywhere, however this is not something to rely on.

Once you have your user/channel name reserved you need to make sure you keep it. To do this you need to log on at least once every six months, you need to watch videos whilst logged in and ideally upload your own videos. Inactive accounts that are considered to be name-squatting will be closed and the name released.

With video marketing providing huge benefits for business, it is unlikely that your YouTube channel will go unused and properly setup should add value to your online presence.