YouTube Marketing

YouTube marketing: A complete guide for your brand

YouTube has more than 2.5 billion active users per month, making it the second-largest social media network globally. However, there are other reasons why organizations should consider integrating YouTube into their overall social marketing plan besides its substantial user base.

Consumers are increasingly using YouTube for product research, education, and amusement, according to recent Sprout Social statistics. Through platform marketing, your company can improve relationships, raise brand awareness, improve SEO, and attract high-converting customers.

This post will explain what YouTube marketing is, why it’s crucial, and how to use tried-and-true methods to execute it successfully.

What is YouTube marketing?

The process of advertising your company, goods, or services on YouTube is known as YouTube marketing. YouTube is mostly used by marketers in three ways:

• Create original videos: YouTube is primarily a video hosting platform. Publishing high-quality videos is key to succeeding on the platform.
• Partner with influencers: There’s a reason brands spent over $600 million on YouTube influencer marketing in 2021. The platform is an excellent place to work with creators and build credibility in your niche.
• Run video ads: 70% of consumers say they’ve bought a product after seeing it on YouTube. Running ads on the platform can deliver high returns for your brand.

Additionally, YouTube is the second-biggest search engine globally. On the platform, however, ranking is very competitive.

YouTube has almost 5 billion videos, and 500 hours of new content are added every minute. Gaining visibility requires knowing how the YouTube algorithm functions and customizing your content appropriately.

Why is YouTube marketing important?

One thing is evident from the most recent YouTube statistics: both consumers and advertisers adore videos. Videos are twice as likely to be shared with friends and family than other kinds of information, according to research.

And there’s no better place to leverage video content than on YouTube, where people watch over 1 billion hours of video daily.

There are numerous advantages to YouTube marketing for your company. Investing in YouTube should be your top priority for the reasons listed below:

1. Reach a large audience: There are a ton of active users on YouTube. You may increase your exposure and traffic significantly by collaborating with well-known content creators in your field and regularly publishing high-quality material. Even better, you can reach a global audience with YouTube. The platform is accessible in more than 100 countries and 80 languages. Content targeting for a worldwide audience is made simple with features like auto-translated captions.
   
   
2. Improve search visibility: Although YouTube is a powerful search engine in and of itself, it’s also a terrific way to increase your Google visibility. Video carousels are becoming a common feature on a large number of Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs), with over 94% of the films coming from YouTube. You may select relevant themes, match search intent, and optimize your films for improved search engine rankings by conducting keyword research on Google and YouTube.
3. Increase brand awareness:One excellent resource for building brand awareness is YouTube. 90% of consumers worldwide use YouTube to research new products and businesses, according to Google. Disseminating material such as product evaluations, explainers, how-to videos, and video advertisements can aid in increasing brand awareness. Additionally, you may make your audience more receptive to and memorable to your brand by employing strategies like visual branding and brand voice consistency.
4. Build trust and credibility:The most reliable social media site for product research and purchases is YouTube. YouTube is a terrific place to start if you want to establish trust for your brand.

   Among the many methods you can demonstrate how your product can address problems are live demos, hands-on reviews, visual tutorials, video testimonials, and brand storytelling. Creating partnerships with other creators in your niche can also help you gain the trust of prospective clients.

5. Drive sales and traffic: Your bottom line can benefit from YouTube marketing. Indeed, according to 81% of marketers, their company’s sales have improved as a direct result of video. YouTube provides marketers with a plethora of opportunities to sell things through its shopping tools, which include cards, end screens, channel stores, and tagged products.
   
   
6. Generate leads: Another useful technique for lead generation is YouTube. To entice visitors to join up, you may use tools like lead form advertisements in addition to sharing webinar previews and online course trailers. In the descriptions of your videos, you may also include links to landing pages and lead magnets. To increase visibility, post your films on various websites or social media networks.
7. Make extra revenue: In addition to complementing your current marketing plan, YouTube has the potential to generate income for your company on its own. Channels that satisfy the requirements of the YouTube Partner Program are eligible to monetarily monetize their videos, with earnings determined by the quantity of views and interaction. To find out more about how to make money on YouTube, read our page on monetization.
   
   

YouTube marketing strategies and tips:

Although competitive, YouTube marketing can be very profitable if done correctly. It goes beyond just setting up a channel and posting videos. For brands to have real success on the platform, they must approach the process of organizing, creating, and sharing content carefully.

See how to maximize your YouTube marketing approach in three minutes by watching the video below (be sure to watch for the unexpected resource at the end).

The tried-and-true best practices listed below can help you maximize YouTube marketing and use the platform to propel business growth.

1. Create and brand your YouTube channel: The first step in YouTube marketing is to create a channel, which is the online “home” for your business. You may upload videos, make playlists, reply to comments, check analytics, and do a lot more things here. To start a business YouTube channel, use this method.

However, merely setting up a channel is insufficient. In order to create brand recognition and develop consistency, you must also correctly brand it.

Make these changes on your channel to ensure that it follows your branding style guide:

• Profile picture
• Banner image
• Channel description
• Social links
• Channel trailer
• Custom URL

Even if you have to optimize your video thumbnails, titles, and descriptions for search engines, make sure they are all consistent with your brand. Based on what functions best for you, you can make a branded thumbnail template, and you can stick with that look for all upcoming thumbnails.

Are you looking for a YouTube banner that doesn’t require additional design resources? Check out our free social media templates tool with free YouTube banners that you can download and add to your channel today!

2. Define your YouTube audience:

Before you start creating content, know who your videos are for.

Not all potential customers are watching your videos on YouTube, so find out who makes up your target audience on the platform.

• Are they males or females?
• What’s their age range?
• Where are they located?

Additionally, consider your audiences’ interests to create engaging videos.

• What kind of content is your target audience currently watching?
• Which channels are they subscribed to?
• Why are they on YouTube in the first place?

Gain insight into the issues, concerns, and objectives of your target audience by combining social media market research, analytics, and social listening, particularly with regard to online video consumption.

Build an audience persona to visualize your target audience and keep it in mind every time you create a video for your channel.

3. Conduct a competitive analysis:

Identify channels your audience is watching and learn from their efforts. This is important for spotting trends, finding keywords and understanding audience interests. Analyzing the competition also helps you set realistic goals and benchmarks for video performance.

Scrutinize competing videos and dig deeper into your competitors’ strategy. Understand what’s working for them and what’s not. Use that to fuel your own YouTube marketing strategy.

• What does their posting schedule look like?
• How are they engaging with their audience?
• What type of videos do they publish?
• What do their thumbnails look like?

Moreover, find content gaps your brand or channel can fill. There may be dozens of video opportunities your competitors are missing out on. Take advantage of those keywords or topics before they catch up.

4. Create quality YouTube video content: Not every one of the billions of videos on the platform is worth seeing. Every day, users must sort through the clutter to locate relevant material on the network. This explains why certain films are prioritized above others by YouTube’s clever algorithm.

To stand out, you need to consistently create high-quality videos viewers love watching and engaging with. Check out these YouTube video ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

Research audience pain points, analyze trending keywords, and practice social listening to find topics and inspiration for your videos. Also, use good quality equipment, build a powerful story, and invest in editing and post-production to make your videos look professional.

5. Experiment with YouTube Shorts and other features:

YouTube Shorts is a recent feature that lets you leverage the power of short-form video — the latest short-form video marketing feature for quick content viewing and increased mobile usage.

Use YouTube Shorts to reach mobile-first audiences and drive more engagement for your brand. Shoot videos up to 60 seconds long in vertical format, and creatively use the built-in audio, text and filters to make your videos stand out.

Also, leverage features like live streams, premieres and 360 videos to consistently deliver unique video experiences to your audience.

6. Optimize your videos with SEO best practices:

One part of YouTube marketing that is frequently disregarded is SEO for videos on the platform. However, it’s essential for arriving on schedule. If not, your videos will become permanently lost in the vast ocean of unwatched content.

Starting with ideation at the outset of the video producing process is the first step towards optimizing your videos. To determine the best subjects and perspectives for your films, do some keyword research. Next, in order to maximize visibility while publishing on YouTube, optimize the following elements:

• Titles and descriptions: Use primary and secondary keywords naturally. You can also translate your video titles in multiple languages to reach a global audience.
• Thumbnails: Browse top videos and identify which thumbnails perform well for a particular keyword. Thumbnails with faces, expressions and text often stand out from others and drive more clicks.

• Tags: Add relevant words and phrases to tell both YouTube and viewers what your video is about. While tags are less important than they used to be, they can still impact your search rankings.

YouTube’s algorithm also favors videos that see more engagement. Promote your videos on other platforms like social media and forums to get more views and give it an initial push.

Additionally, use end screens and cards to link to your video from other videos on your channel. Finally, don’t be afraid to request likes, comments, and shares from others. You’ll be shocked at the impact of taking proactive measures to reach out.

7. Actively engage with your audience:

The key to successful YouTube marketing is developing a community of active subscribers. And one of the best ways to achieve that is to communicate with your audience directly.

Quickly (and politely) address any comments left on your videos. Respond to inquiries from the audience promptly in order to address any concerns.

To communicate with your audience, make interactive YouTube videos as well. For instance, do webinars and live Q&A sessions, release behind-the-scenes material, and release videos that your audience may view in real time.

8. Attract more YouTube subscribers to your channel: The lifeblood of any YouTube channel is its subscriber base. You’ll be able to access more special features the more subscribers you have. Additionally, if you have more followers, YouTube’s algorithm is probably going to rank your videos higher.

To gain more YouTube subscribers, produce content that solves problems and aligns with the objectives of the audience. Inquire about the preferences of your audience for your channel and honor your word. Consumers subscribe to channels that provide value and those they would like to see more of.

Additionally, advertise your films on platforms other than YouTube to increase your audience and foster connections rather than distributing one-way content.

Lastly, maintain a regular posting schedule so that viewers will know exactly when and how often to expect new videos from you. The secret to successful YouTube marketing is consistency. Although producing and refining high-quality material requires time, be careful to plan and adhere to a posting schedule.

Establishing a consistent posting schedule not only sets expectations for your subscribers but also facilitates the planning of content and video scheduling in advance. Consistently publishing YouTube channels are also typically given preference by the algorithm.

9. Use YouTube ads to drive targeted traffic:

You may reach a larger audience, increase website traffic, and target your audience with personalised messaging by running YouTube ad campaigns.

YouTube supports three types of ads:

• Bumper ads: These are short, non-skippable ads that run before a video starts.
• In-stream ads: These can be skippable or non-skippable, and run at certain points throughout your videos.
• Overlay ads: These are non-video ads that appear as banners or text on top of or below your videos.

When using the platform for ad running, consider your objectives carefully. YouTube advertisements are supposed to support, not to replace, your organic strategy. Moreover, views obtained through advertisements do not count toward monetization income.

10. Partner with YouTube influencers:

On the platform, there are millions of creators and thousands of devoted users. Companies can collaborate with YouTubers in their specialty to find innovative methods to market their goods and services.

Does it work? 70% of marketers believe so!

Here are some ideas for YouTube influencer marketing campaigns:

• Unboxing videos
• Product reviews
• How-tos and tutorials
• Day-in-the-life vlogs
• Contests and giveaways

Prior to collaborating with creators, decide on a budget and utilize influencer marketing resources to focus your hunt for the ideal brand partner. To expedite the process, communicate creative briefs, set clear expectations, and include creators in the planning stage.

Make sure to schedule product delivery in advance and monitor campaign performance both during and after to make necessary adjustments to your next plan.

11. Monitor your YouTube analytics:

Monitoring your YouTube statistics enables you to determine which of your videos are performing the best (and worst), what kind of content appeals to your audience, and which particular aspects affect video performance.

YouTube Studio gives you access to the platform’s integrated analytics. Monitor data such as views, subscribers, duration of view, audience retention, and the devices and sources of traffic. Study the interests and demographics of the audience as well.

Understanding this facilitates platform success and the development of a winning long-term plan. It also facilitates resource concentration where it counts.

YouTube marketing tools:

Sprout Social

All-in-one social media management tool

With Sprout Social’s suite of YouTube management tools, you can improve your video strategy. They consist of (but are not restricted to):

• Scheduling and publishing video content on your channel
• Tracking video analytics and insights related to your audience
• Practicing YouTube listening to find conversations in your niche
• Managing YouTube comments within the Smart Inbox, next to your other social profiles

Even better, Sprout provides a single dashboard for managing all of your social network accounts. Link your account to WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and LinkedIn to simplify social media management for all marketing platforms.

Canva

Channel and video branding tool

Canva is an online design tool that enables you create customized visuals for your videos and channel. Use and edit templates for YouTube thumbnails, profile images and banners. You can also add unique intros and outros to your videos using the service.

VidIQ

Video marketing and analytics tool

For YouTube creators, VidIQ is a specialized video marketing intelligence tool. Its features include performance data, competitor analysis, keyword research, daily video ideas, optimization suggestions, and suggestions for optimization. You can easily access the application with its free Chrome extension.

Ahrefs

Keyword software tool

Ahrefs is a well-liked SEO tool for site inspection and keyword research. Additionally, the website provides a YouTube Keyword Tool that allows you to look up hot phrases across 170 countries. View comprehensive reports including search traffic, clicks, queries, and other information for each keyword.

Grow your business with YouTube marketing

YouTube is one of the best platforms for brands investing in video marketing. With billions of users and sky-high engagement rates, it offers marketers a golden opportunity to connect with their audiences.

Ready to dive into YouTube marketing? Don’t forget to keep track of your progress and pivot your strategy as needed. Read our article on video engagement metrics to keep an eye on the most important YouTube benchmarks for your business.