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When it comes to promoting your company or brand on social media, it’s hard to ignore the power and reach of YouTube. By some estimates, 72% of all U.S. internet users watch videos on YouTube, and the number of views that a single viral YouTube video can get has the potential to dwarf that of any other social media platform.
Getting started on YouTube can sound difficult, especially if you’re not used to being in front of the camera, but there are a few tips that can get you on your way.
#1: Analyze your competitors
In business, the key to success is competitor research, and it’s no different in the world of YouTube videos. Before getting started, it’s worth checking out what your competitors are doing. How many videos are they putting out each week? How many views are those videos getting? And what types of content seem to resonate the most with viewers?
Once you’ve answered these questions, the task of creating new content will be a lot less daunting. For example, if your competitors are only putting out one video per week, that means you won’t have to worry about creating new content daily. And you might discover that the preferred content of many of your customers is simply a quick, weekly summary of what’s new in the industry. You can also see what your competitors are doing in terms of the cover art they are using, the types of calls-to-action they are using within the videos, and any unique special effects or artistic touches they are using to make their videos come alive.
#2: Optimize your channel
Another big key to success is optimizing and updating your channel constantly. YouTube provides a wealth of information and data to get you started, and you can instantly hone in on possible areas of improvement. For example, if you find that people are not watching your videos to the end (a key metric used by YouTube to determine whether a certain video is worth recommending to others), you might consider ways to improve view length. One tactic might be to announce the winners of a new contest or promotion at the end, not the start, of the video, just to keep people watching until the very end.
#3: Experiment with new content formats
One new content format that is performing well right now is YouTube Shorts. This is usually just a 15-to-30 second video. In fact, the maximum length of a YouTube Shorts video is just 60 seconds. But there’s a lot that you can do in those 60 seconds. You could, for example, highlight a new product launch, promote an upcoming company event, or provide a brief summary of a current news item. But whatever you do, make it fun. YouTube Shorts is a direct response to Instagram Stories and TikTok, so the video should trigger some kind of emotional response from the viewer, even if it’s just a laugh. This shorter-form video content, which launched in September 2020, is definitely changing the YouTube marketing game.
Conclusion
When you combine all three of these marketing tactics, it’s possible to come up with a winning YouTube strategy. Just remember to analyze your competitors regularly, adapt to new conditions and trends, and be willing to experiment with new content formats. As long as you are constantly coming up with new ways to optimize your channel, you can keep your YouTube marketing strategy fresh and relevant for your fans and followers.
