Inbound marketers love to share content. Many love producing videos even more. And why wouldn’t they? Videos serve as entertainment, as little breaks during the workday, as tutorials for learning, and, of course, as great internet marketing tools. In fact, the average YouTube user is on the video-sharing site for 15 to 30 minutes per day. 

And while the online world preaches the importance of being open and sharing content with everyone, there’s nothing wrong with a little exclusivity. We saw Google+ slip into the social networking world by having an elitist aura by only allowing users who were invited to sign up. The results? The media was publishing headlines about this invitation-only process for days. People were posting status updates on Facebook asking for others to send them the special request. Basically, it worked.

While generating that level of hype is a special scenario (it is Google, after all), inbound marketers can create similar exclusive environments by taking advantage of the oftentimes overlooked "unlisted" YouTube video option. An "unlisted" video does not appear in search results, in your YouTube channel, or any other public space. It can only be viewed by people who are given the direct link, which can be shared with anyone.

Here are 5 ways to easily leverage this type of exclusive content sharing into your video marketing.

1. For Thank You Videos

How strange would it be for a visitor to navigate to a company’s YouTube channel that displayed a specific thank you video in its channel that is targeted to a certain segment of its audience? That video wasn't necessarily targeted toward the user, and it may result in confusion. If you’re sending visitors a personalized and customized thank you video (awesome targeting tactic, by the way!), whether it’s for completing a survey, participating in an event, or anything worth thanking them for, try using an unlisted video. Email the link to certain segmented groups. It might brighten their day, make them feel appreciated, or, at the least, show them you made a genuine effort to personalize your messaging to them—not just anyone who happened to stumble upon your company's YouTube channel.

2. For QR Codes

QR, or quick response, codes are another effective tool for which to leverage unlisted videos. Using QR codes as a mobile marketing tactic can be a unique marketing tactic, and if you decide to use this marketing tool and link to a video, make that video an unlisted one. That way, you can promote the QR code as a secret video for the eyes of those who dare to scan the code and be redirected to wherever the code takes them. Oh the suspense! At least that way customers know there’s some worth in scanning the code and that it’s not just a link to a company website, but rather a link to an exclusive video that can’t be seen by simply searching YouTube.

3. For Video Quizzes

Video quizzes involve two parts: question and answer. But before we delve into the two, what the heck can you use video quizzes for? Video marketing involves, like all inbound marketing, engaging customers. Try creating a video campaign that integrates video quizzes. Perhaps you want to pose questions about something related to your industry, or in some cases, your product. Be sure to make the quiz fun and interesting. As for the answers, include them in separate, unlisted links—meaning those who fill out the quiz can’t simply search for the answer on YouTube. Participants will have to finish the quiz in order to get the answer. Try using an incentive for getting a certain number of questions right, which will make these participants want to complete the quiz. 

4. To Add CTAs

Now of course we know that one mistake you definitely want to avoid in your video marketing is forgetting to include calls-to-action. And how pestering is it to upload a video on YouTube and have people stumble upon it before you're done adding the proper links and CTAs! When your video is uploading, save it as unlisted right away to add the finishing touches to your video. Once it’s absolutely ready to rumble, you can then resave it as a public link.

5. To Test Versions

Similar to above, it’s equally as irking to upload a video and then realize the version you exported from your editing software was not in the right format, size, etc. This can happen often when your business lacks a professional producer or editor. As a workaround, try saving the file in a couple of different formats and uploading them simultaneously—it takes a while to upload each video, and it’s a pain to upload, fail, re-upload, and fail again. Major womp womp. So upload a few, save them as unlisted, and then choose whichever works the best as the one you keep and resave as a public link.

How else can you leverage exclusive video content in your marketing efforts?