Photo by Ryanrules95
A number of large companies and organizations have channels on YouTube. Few have utilized the video sharing to it’s fullest potential, but The Home Depot (HD)Â just might be an exception.
Take a peek at other major businesses like Borders, Dunn Brothers (franchised) or Gateway… where are their YouTube channels? Right now, those businesses don’t have one. For all the reasons why they don’t- money, time, overall lack of resources- one could argue that – customer and employee engagement and interaction is invaluable.
If you visit The Home Depot YouTube Channel you can see that they are following some great social media rules.
1. Great content – Without this, it doesn’t matter if you paid $100,000 for a video production. If you don’t say anything and are rambling on- no one will care. The Home Depot has over 100 uploaded videos and only 6 commercials and no specials or promotions blasting anywhere that I could find. This displays that they are shooting for great content to educate their customers versus getting them in a store for a buy one get one free wrench set.
2. Remain consistent –  HD has been uploading videos to their YouTube Channel for over a year and you can see that they make updates about once a week. If you are already spending money on commercials and recruitment videos, why not make those viral? You need to remain consistent, let your viewers know that you will be there with new and relevant content in a timely manner. As a retailer you prepare for seasons prior to their arrival, same thing online. Tell the consumer what’s coming, don’t make us look for it ourselves because we will find it somewhere else.
3. Diversify - this is a tough one, but The Home Depot shows that it can be done. They stick to their mission which is ‘home improvement’ but they branch out into their new products, seasonal issues and topics like- winter home heating tips and ‘how to decorate your Christmas tree‘. Their ‘how-to’ videos are some of their most viewed videos coming in third-Â How to install or replace a toilet.
4.  Transparency -  One of my favorite parts of Home Depot’s channel is the fact that they have a series called ‘Behind the Apron’- videos focused on recruitment. They interview current employees but also talk about the difficult parts of the job. I’ve seen videos for companies that only talk about the sunshine and roses -not HD. They are upfront that you will be on your feet for eight to nine hours in some roles, while others will require cold calling. This transparency is valuable, especially in the field of social media.
5. They are real- Now, what does this even mean? Their online videos aren’t overly produced or glamorous. They are straight forward, honest and educated. If you are looking for do-it-yourself tips and you see someone like you explaining how to add decorative painting to a room, you’ll typically feel more comfortable getting information from them. Real people help people, not the spokespeople. They are reserved for the screens and super-bowl ads.
These are just a few items that The Home Depot does well. What are you doing to be active on YouTube?
Tags: Channels, Home Depot, youtube
Hi Kristina,
I just wanted to take a quick second to say thanks for the kind words in your post. I work here at The Home Depot on our Social Media team and I can tell you we are definitely working hard to continue to add value to the conversation, so that’s for taking note. Should you ever have any suggestions for improvement, don’t hesitate to let us know.
Again, many thanks!
Nick
@nickjayres
Hi Nick,
It’s great to hear from the people behind the success! I’m sure that keeping something like this up to date is not the easiest task. Also, support for social media from a major organization like The Home Depot probably wasn’t the easiest either. Do you all have benchmarks that you shoot for? How do you guys (for lack of a better phrase) ‘show your worth’?
Thanks for the engagement and keep up the great work at The Home Depot!
I think this is the site that i have to bookmarked, many thanks !
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[...] be on your feet for eight to nine hours in some roles, while others will require cold calling. This transparency is valuable, especially in the field of social [...]