How to Use YouTube for Marketing
Today’s guest post is by Jill Kurtz, who created Kurtz Digital Strategy to create winning digital marketing strategies for small businesses. Her expertise includes websites, social media, email marketing and search engine optimization (SEO).
If you think of YouTube only as a place to post videos, it is time to think again. YouTube is the second–most-visited website and has the second highest volume of online searches. Those stats alone are worthy of the attention of any marketer.
YouTube has over 2.6 billion monthly active users. YouTubers watch a lot of content and spend more time there than with video on other social channels.
The latest Pew Research data finds that 81% of Americans use YouTube and it is one of only two platforms to have statistically significant growth since 2019. Google data shows that 68% of people use YouTube to answer questions.
Think Quality Over Quantity
YouTube marketing requires a quality over quantity strategy. Create content that will be interesting for a longer period.
YouTube is different from other social media platforms because it isn’t a content feed. As a content library, people are able to access information easily that was posted weeks, months or years ago.
Videos that offer valuable content have the opportunity to rank in search and be viewed for a much longer period than Facebook or Twitter.
To post a video for sustained access:
- Reduce the number of uploads into one or two high-quality videos
- Use effective thumbnail images
- Optimize content for search
Capitalize on Relationship Marketing
YouTube is a great place to build your brand – the look and feel, the tone and the voice. Users will be able to see the body of your work in one place. You have a great opportunity to establish a lasting impression.
Use videos to establish your subject matter expertise. Create value in your brand for your target market by answering their questions and addressing their interests. Use the platform to build trust in your brand over time.
Focus on Your Niche
YouTube promotes videos to only some of your subscribers first, then to more of your subscribers, then to non-subscribers whom YouTube has identified as having similar viewing behavior as your subscribers.
If your market is clear, YouTube will do the work of finding new people for you. This won’t work if your messaging – and therefore your target viewer – is too broad or not clear.
Have a clear value proposition and consistently deliver on that. This doesn’t mean that you should never try something new or get stuck in a rut. The key is to understand your target audience and to have a focused message.
Monitor Metrics
YouTube Studio offers metrics that will help you gauge the impact of your effort there.
- Click-Through Rate, how many people click to watch your video
- View Velocity, how fast your video gets views once you make it public
- Average View Duration, over 50% of the total video length is ideal
- Watch time, how much time people spend watching your videos overall
Leverage the Latest
As with every social channel, options change. User interests and expectations also evolve over time. Be sure your YouTube marketing strategy grows over time as well.
Make YouTube a central part of your effort to engage with your target audience and to be discovered. People are just waiting to discover you there!
