A Guide To YouTube Marketing

How To Leverage The Brain’s Perception Capabilities With Video Ads

Every self-respecting marketer knows that video is more engaging than text. That’s almost a given!

And well, when you put this statement next to some facts from the world of neuroscience, it’s no wonder marketing experts are saying, “video has never been THAT HOT!”

This is no wonder, though, because the brain processes video 60,000 times faster than text, and over 90% of the sensory information transmitted to the brain is visual.

This means that if you want your prospective customers’ attention and engagement then you MUST use videos as a core part of your marketing strategy.

And frankly, what is a better way to do that, than the good ol’ video platform we know as “YouTube”?

Here’s Why YouTube WORKS!

Yeah, you might have heard it – YouTube ads are expensive. And that’s true!

But have you ever thought about the fact that it may be expensive for a reason?That reason is that, well, it works!

Why does it work the way it does, you may ask? Well, it’s very simple – For starters, it is a huge, popular, trustworthy platform where people spend a good chunk of their wake time, DAILY.

With more active users on the platform comes more potential eyeballs for your ads.

And, you guessed it – More highly active users on a trustworthy platform means… Better conversions!  So think of YouTube advertising not as an expense but rather as an investment in your business. You invest in data to see what works and what doesn’t so that you can double down on the things that work. This is how you scale your business.

How To Approach YouTube Marketing

Yes, the above-said does make sense, and it is true, but that doesn’t mean YouTube will give you sales, automatically. You have to still put in the work and follow a specific process and do good on your creatives. So how is it that you can approach YouTube marketing, even as a complete beginner? Let’s find out!

Create A Channel (Duh!)
Okay, so this is the obvious first step…to do YouTube marketing, you need a YouTube account.

But you have two options here… you can either open a YouTube channel with your Google account, or you can open a brand account.

So which path should you take? The brand account, of course, and this is why.

Say you were to open a YouTube channel with your personal Google account, only you will be able to log in.  With a brand account, however, multiple users can log in… and that’s not all. You also have the option of opening multiple YouTube channels.

Granted, you may not need all the options provided by the brand account, to begin with, but remember, your business will grow! So why not be ready and anticipate your excellence?

Research Your Audience

It pays to understand who you will be marketing to… Don’t you think? This is exactly why you should invest time and effort to research your audience. You get to find out more about their demographics. For instance… Did you know that over 80% of YouTube users are between 15 and 25 years old? And that’s not all. Up to 70% of YouTube users view content on their mobile phones! So now you understand the age range and the devices that your audience is using, you can use this to create the perfect YouTube ads. Simply put, try to find out as much as you can about your chosen demographic. And to help you with all this, there is the analytics tab at your service. It allows access to metrics such as watch time and other stats.

Don’t ignore the comments tab!

Why you may ask? Well, this is a gold mine of information about what your viewers prefer and think about your content!

Do Your Competitor Research!

So, here’s the thing, audience research isn’t the only research you’ll be tasked with! You’ll also need to find out about the competition. Just like in every other market space, YouTube is highly competitive. But where to start? First off, pick your five or so most significant competitors. You can do this by searching for your type of content and seeing which channels come up first.

Take a look at their subscriber count and the number of views that their videos get.

Now read their titles and find out the keywords they are using. Don’t forget the good ol’ comments sections to see how their viewers are engaging with the content.

Time to use the trusty business acronym SWOT! Identify the competitor’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.

By the end of the exercise, you will know exactly what works and what doesn’t. You can then use this on your content.

Your competitors won’t know what hit them!

What Are Your Top Competitors Doing?
Competitor research is one thing, but it is equally important to find out exactly how they do what they do.

Go through your competitor’s content and be in tune with how you react to them. What makes you interested, what makes you want to come back for more?

As you go through several videos, you are likely to start noticing patterns.

And it’s not just about the competitors. You can also view trending videos. Ask yourself questions about those!

Such as… What is common about them? Do they have a host? How long are they? How’s the video quality? Are they formal, or are they shot casually?

These are some of the important answers that you can find and later use to improve on your own content!
Optimize Your Videos!
So you know how search engines like Google rank websites using algorithms? It’s a similar thing with YouTube.

Through titles, descriptions, and keywords, YouTube ranks content and makes it easier to find by the right audience.

But there’s one more thing to YouTube… The recommendation algorithm!

It looks at a user’s browsing and subscription information to recommend similar content.

Now that you are aware of the algorithms, how do you use them to your advantage?

Start With A Powerful Title

Your title should include the keywords that users type in to find your type of content.

You can find the right keywords to use on YouTube analytics or on Google Ads.

Keyword placement in the title matters. Place them in the front part.

Do not however forget to ensure a short and easily readable title that will not be cut off when users are searching for your type of content.

A Powerful Description

…is of utmost importance. Just like in the title, it requires the use of keywords.

Ensure keywords are in the first part of your description. Utilize them naturally and never let the description sound spammy.

The first 300 characters are visible to readers so ensure you offer a brief description of your entire video on there.

A Great Thumbnail

So you likely thought that the first thing people see notice on YouTube is the title, right? Wrong!

It is actually the thumbnail. Here you have a chance to build anticipation as soon as users see your content.

But how do you create a powerful thumbnail?

Well, you can ensure that both your thumbnail and the image work in tandem. Your thumbnail should describe what viewers see on the image.

Ensure a high resolution of at least 1280×720 pixels for your thumbnail.

Like Share and Subscribe!
Remind viewers in all your content to do this.

Ever wondered why many YouTube content creators are always asking you to like, share, and subscribe… Well because it works!
Uploading The Videos
So you’ve created your content, the next step is to upload it on your YouTube account.

But there’s more to uploading than most realize. First, you have to create a schedule.

Most users now view YouTube as a source of entertainment, so much so that it has replaced television.

So what does this mean for a content creator?

It means that viewers expect regular uploads on a predetermined schedule.

To maximize your views and increase subscriptions, here’s a simple trick.

Go to your YouTube analytics and find out if there is a specific time that experiences a high number of views.

Use this time to upload your content.

But human is to error, or so it’s said, right?

Personal engagements may prevent you from always uploading at the same time and remaining consistent.

All might seem dommed…might!

With scheduling tools like the Content Studio or Hootsuite, you can ensure that your viewers have something to look out for next time!
Optimizing Your Channel
So, we looked at optimizing your videos so users can better find them. Now let’s take a look at optimizing your YouTube channel.

This makes it easier for viewers to find your channel and translates into more subscriptions.

Where to begin, you ask? Well, your profile…that’s where! Make sure it’s complete.

Your channel will have a logo, icon, or photo. Make sure these are in high resolution.
The same is true for your channel art and channel banner.

Speaking of the banner, did you know that you could use it to provide viewers with extra information?

You can add your social media links to your banner and also include a few other helpful links.

Then there is the channel description. The about tab is where you tell viewers what your channel is about and what they can expect.

Remember to use keywords here as well.

Want to know how you can make your channel stand out? Create a channel trailer!

Short videos that give viewers a sneak peek into the type of content they’ll find in your channel.

Captions and translations are important. Why?

Because, well, over 60% of views are likely to come outside of your native country!

Use analytics to find out where your viewers are located and translate to their native languages.
Leverage YouTube Advertising
Now here’s a different way to reach out to users who may be interested in your content. And I know what you are thinking – how does advertising get you more views and subscriptions?

Well, for starters, people respond more to online video ads than TV commercials.

Income YouTube ads. The different types include:

Ads that users can skip and show during a video.
Ads that users cannot skip and show during a video
Overlays and banners are also known as non-video ads
Video discovery ads/in-display ads

Simply put, ads are an excellent way to promote a product, your business brand, or an event.
Hire An Influencer!
Partnerships are a proven way to get ahead in YouTube. Imagine tapping into someone else’s following to market your business….that is where YouTube influencers come in.

They offer you a chance to expose your brand to a larger audience. But it doesn’t end there.

Did you know that over 60% of YouTube users would rather go with the advice of their favorite Youtuber than with a TV commercial?

Yeah, working with influencers works!

The trick here is to let them do what they do and not get involved with controlling the partnership.

Trying to be part of their game will quickly be noticed by the followers and will make efforts pointless as they will simply not convert.

So much for trying to get your brand noticed.

Remember that followers trust the influencer, so let them take their word for it as you sit back and enjoy the fruits of your partnership.
Monitor And Adjust
If only there was a magic formula one could use to guarantee success on YouTube.

Sorry to break it to you…there isn’t one!

What you can do though is test out different strategies and find out how each is performing.

Then you can cut out the unsuccessful methods and double down on the ones that actually work.

With YouTube Analytics, you can find out how your content is performing.

Every time you upload new content, monitor these factors:

Subscriber increase or decrease
Traffic sources
Changes in audience demographics
Devices used i.e TV, desktops, or mobile

Use these metrics to make improvements.
Final Thoughts
We hope this guide has been helpful, and we’ve provided you with some useful tips to get started on your marketing journey.

If there is anything else we can help you with, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us, either via email or a call at 970-812-7030 or [email protected]

Happy marketing!