Is YouTube the right fit for your brand?

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When it comes to social media platforms, fewer are bigger or more significant to the digital landscape than YouTube. The global platform that allows users to upload, play, and share videos revolutionized the internet. Without YouTube there might not be TikTok, maybe no Netflix, and definitely no troubled pop prince by the name of Justin Bieber.  

It’s not only a super influential platform, it has the audience many of us can only dream of. To give you some context right off the bat, here are 7 things you need to know about YouTube: 

  1. As of 2023, there are more than 38 million active YouTube channels out there

  2. YouTube has 2.5 billion logged-in monthly users

  3. Around 90% of YouTube watch time comes from mobile devices.

  4. YouTube is the world’s second-most visited website & the world’s second-most used social platform.

  5. People watch more than a billion hours of video on YouTube every day

  6. 122 M daily active US users

  7. 81% of U.S. adults use YouTube

Beyond the sheer scale and reach of the platform (and the audience it brings) there are a few other benefits worth considering. First, as a subsidiary of Google, the platform is highly searchable and with a little SEO optimization promises to connect your content to the audience searching for it (if titled and tagged correctly.) Furthermore, the platform is a fantastic place to reach Gen Z, 96% of Gen Zers, born between 1997 and 2012, watch YouTube. Finally, YouTube is a fantastic place to build community and loyalty as audiences look to gather around shared affinities like beauty, fashion, gaming, etc. Joining these already thriving digital spaces can act as a catalyst for growth and networking as your brand slowly builds its own micro community on the platform.

Sounds like an amazing place for your brand right? Well… not so fast. It’s not all fun & click-baity thumbnails. While YouTube has limitless potential, it also requires a significant resource investment to get it right. Building an organic community is a slow process that requires consistency and commitment to engaging with top creators and the audience. Unlike TikTok or Instagram, apps that have tools for content creation baked into their platform, YouTube requires much more production, editing, equipment, and time to create high quality content. Video production and editing is expensive and takes a lot of time.

But when a brand nails it, the results are stunning. In looking to the top brands on YouTube, their strengths fall into a few categories:

If you have the appetite to compete on YouTube, let’s say you’re inspired by Lego (or one of the other top branded channels), you have a creative (team) in mind to produce your content, and you’re ready to start thinking about your YouTube plan, we’ve got you covered. 

Here’s how to make YouTube work for your brand: 

  1. WORK BACKWARDS FROM HEADLINES: Strategically titling videos not only peaks viewers’ interest but is vital to set expectations for the content. In planning your content, think about attention-grabbing headlines that align with your brand to brainstorm video ideas. SEO is a YouTuber’s best friend. Views of videos with variations of “beginner” in the title increased more than 50% between March and July 2020 and daily views of videos with “home office” in the title increased 210% in March 2020. Include keywords and phrases like “fixed” or “how to” to increase the chances the content is returned in search results (ex. The 7 Things I Hate The Most About YouTube & How to Fix Them - juicy yet informative)



  2. MAKE COMMUNITY, NOT VIEWS, THE GOAL: On a platform like YouTube with its superstars, trending page, and ever-present hope of virality amassing views is tempting. However, as a brand sheer volume of views alone are not an effective success metric. Instead, focus on building a community and setting key success metrics in accordance with that goal (subscribers, comments, etc.)  



  3. LEAN INTO SHORTS: That said, views (read: eyeballs on your content) are always helpful in raising awareness. Right now, YouTube Shorts, the platform's fledgling TikTok competitor is helping to supercharge creator growth for early adopters who are using it as a way to court new viewers. If you’re already using Instagram Reels or TikTok, repurposing the content here as well is a great, low-lift way of optimizing growth. 



  4. DON’T SELL, ENTERTAIN: Your videos should prioritize entertainment over hard selling the product. While the hard sellthis may be an effective strategy as a means of educating potential customers already interested in the product, it may alienate viewers who are averse to straightforward advertising. Instead, think about how to connect with the audience generally and find a way to work your product in organically to create positive associations. 



  5. OR, MAYBE JUST SELL: However, if the idea of a YouTube strategy based on organic engagement is not feasible for your brand right now, consider ads. 70% of viewers bought from a brand after seeing it on YouTube. While you may not have the bandwidth or resources to devote to a dedicated YouTube strategy, it's still a viable advertising platform and ads are a great way to dip your toe in the water. Furthermore, YouTube ads targeted by intent have 100% higher lift in purchase intent than those targeted by demographics making it a great platform to reach your audience based on affinity. 

Not everyone can take on the resource-heavy YouTube behemoth, but if your brand can pull it off, you’re bound to see results. 




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Need To KnowMelissa BlumComment