YouTube is a force. It’s the second-most popular website in the world, after its parent company, Google.com.
With thousands of hours of new content being added every second, it’s a powerhouse boasting 10X the users of Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime combined. Many brands even generate extra revenue every quarter by monetizing their YouTube channels.
There are umpteen possibilities for growth on this platform, and yet, it’s free to start a channel. Here are 6 strategies for how to best leverage the world’s largest video-sharing community for your brand.
1. Use videos to drive traffic to your website
Think of each video as a “mini website.” Not only does your content live primarily on YouTube itself, it is also indexed inside Google’s search engine pages.
Videos that build brand awareness with a strong call to action will help convert viewers into visitors - and oftentimes, you don’t need millions of clicks to move the needle. It’s about the quality of your visitors, not the quantity.
2. Focus on YouTube
Brands often assume they need to be present on every platform to achieve full coverage or reach. But in reality, the most effective brand outreach specifically targets where their audience lives. Not all platforms will suit your needs or make sense to invest in just to “check the box.”
Compared to other platforms, YouTube-specific content suits this reality perfectly. While it does require a higher cost and upfront investment, YouTube audiences actively search with specific results in mind (as opposed to passive scrolling on Instagram/Twitter). It’s where your super fans live.
3. Be consistent
Consistency matters for successful growth on YouTube. You want to make the time viewers spend on your channel a habit. Make sure to appease the appetites of those super fans.
The best way to stay consistent is to create a schedule that outlines when to upload new videos and considers a frequency of posting designed around an audience’s typical schedule. At least 2x a week is a good starting point.
Don’t forget, consistency isn’t just about cadence. You should also be consistent in your brand’s messaging, tone, and aesthetics across all digital footprints. Involving a strong storyboarding process and development partner can help get you there.
4. Engage subscribers
The best way to organically grow your social media reach is to interact with subscribers and commenters, both on your own and other channels.
This is the most manual and time-consuming part of the job. But, if done consistently, it’s the highest pay-off to jumpstarting and retaining subscribers.
Meaningful interaction can be as simple as liking your followers’ videos and comments. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and have conversations with your viewers.
Content marketing in the age of social media is all about giving and receiving feedback, and a seemingly minor gesture such as tagging a user or doing a shout out goes a long way to establishing brand loyalty.
5. Learn as much as possible about your audience
Use customer development interviews, market research, social media, and industry reports to learn everything you can about your target audience.
Comparing metrics like Youtube Analytics with Facebook and Instagram Insights, Twitter Analytics, or Google Analytics may reveal which platforms give you the most engagement.
But more importantly, you want to hone in on your viewers’ genders, interests, locations, ages, and more to better serve up content that fits their needs and captures their attention.
Social listening tools are a great way to stay on top of online conversations about your brand, even if you’re not being tagged.
6. Analyze and Optimize
If your Brand has an active YouTube channel, you’re already sitting on a goldmine of content. Just observe it and amplify what’s working.
A few data-driven tweaks here and there can vastly improve your channel’s performance and reach significantly.
Strategies such as thumbnail testing and headline keyword optimization can help your channel’s videos rank higher in the search algorithm and bring in new views to your existing content library.
Because YouTube’s algorithms are always changing, it’s best to work with experts like Little Dot Studios to help manage your channel’s progress.
This Thought Leadership piece was written by Crystal Lee, Post Production Coordinator at Little Dot Studios.
