Digital marketing – Could YouTube be your ultimate playbook for success?

Want to get the most out of your YouTube channel? Katrina Bell shares her top 7 expert tips for maximising your presence on the platform and turning it into a powerful tool for growth.

YouTube has turned 20 years old, but for too many brands it remains a mysterious side-shoot of their online marketing activities.

Over 20million videos are uploaded daily according to YT. This giant statistic could easily make you believe your brand’s voice will not be heard by the right people, but here are the 7 heavenly wins that prove that’s not the case. 

1. Choice is more important than the algorithm
Unlike TikTok, which feeds you more of what it thinks you want, YT is a click and watch, decision platform. So the user decides what they want to watch, which is why you really need to be precise about what content your potential viewers need and want. Time spent on ideation is more valuable than time spent cutting your footage. What are you for? 

2. Study what works in your niche 
You need to hit something called the CCN Fit. That stands for the Core audience, the Casual audience and a New audience, all at the same time. When plotting your content these are your goals and every single video has to qualify. But if you’ve worked out your groove, that isn’t impossible. 

3. Thumbnails are a big, big deal
Just look at the peculiarity that is the landing page for content by Mr Beast if you  have a strong stomach. As viewers, we all gravitate to the video with the most considered thumbnail. And one good video can easily be a multiplier to your other content if the thumbnails promise a similarly curated type of content. Small details matter. What’s hot? Questions, comparisons and answers.

4. Communicate with your community
Fans of your content are a de facto focus group. What they comment on and like are your quality-control benchmarks. Are you on the platform regularly replying, asking questions of how things went, how did we help, how we can be of help again? What would you like to see? With all social marketing, if it’s not a dialogue, you're missing out on invaluable feedback and inspiration.

5. Reconsider your approach
You may need a YT Bootcamp to restart your approach. Begin with paying attention to titles, thumbnails, video resolution quality and consistency. Now is as good a time as any to lay down your in-brand rules. A shopping list, as it were, of must haves in every piece of content. If it doesn’t have it, it’s not ready to post.

6. Do a deep dive into what works
Your niche, your vertical, already has a tonne of content available to watch and review. And it’s all free. The success rate is right there on the video in terms of likes and engagement. Who is doing it well? Then do those things. Watch absolutely everything in your vertical and be a critic. What colors do they use, what is the tone, what don’t you like and why? Spend an hour a week with your team watching them. It’s time well spent.  

7. You don't have to go it alone
Who in your space can you collaborate with? YouTubers are the original influencers and many of them are native, experienced marketers of themselves. You can piggy back into not just their fan base, but also their savvy. It isn’t always reaching their followers, but getting help to find yours.