YouTube, the second most popular search engine worldwide, was thought to have “eaten” 80% of all internet traffic by 2019. YouTube is an important tool in video marketing. To reap the benefits of Youtube, businesses need to develop a content marketing strategy. These are some tips to help you optimize your Youtube video content strategy.
We are now in 2019, and what does 2019 hold for us?
- 400 video minutes go to YouTube each minute, while YouTube users watch over a billion hours of video content every day.
- YouTube has over two billion users monthly. 68% of these users watch videos to assist them in making a purchase decision.
- YouTube ads get viewer attention 83%of the time. Users are three times more likely to read a tutorial or guide video.
It’s time to get a YouTube channel and start creating videos for your audience. When creating your marketing strategy, think of video content and optimize it accordingly to get the best results.
When creating your marketing strategy, think of video content and optimize it accordingly to get the best results.
These are five steps that will help you optimize your YouTube content strategy.
1) Make Sure You Understand YouTube Algorithms
In 2012, YouTube’s only relevant metric for popularity was view count. Later, YouTube added machine learning to its recommendation system. The platform emphasized content quality and monetization in 2018.
YouTube is now fighting with “borderline content”, and says its algorithms work to help viewers find the videos they desire to see. In other words, YouTube has evolved into a neural network that uses user behavior to rank videos in search results.
Your YouTube marketing strategy success depends on how you balance content for people and optimization for engines. This video by Destin Sandlin, Smarter Every Day, will show you some useful tips about manipulating YouTube’s algorithm.
YouTube algorithms are constantly evolving and have little in common with Instagram or Facebook. You must:
- Regularly create and upload videos
- Use organic search to your advantage
- React to the YouTube bumper ads trends by following these links
- Before it’s too late, respond to market changes
- Remember to think about the audience, but also that you are working with a machine.
2) Set Marketing Goals and Learn about Your Audience
Make sure to understand the goals of your YouTube channel before you create a content strategy. What channel do you require?
- Are you trying to build your brand’s image and popularize it?
- Are you planning to sell products and services via YouTube?
- Are you looking to enter new markets?
- What worries you about monetization?
- Or do you simply want to entertain the audience with entertaining videos that educate and entertain them? It’s a great way to earn their trust and loyalty.
Analytics can be used to gain insights
Your marketing goals will greatly influence your YouTube content strategy. You should also get to know your target audience to create the right content.
You can find tons of information about your audience in the Analytics tab on YouTube. Here you will find valuable information about your audience (views, average watch times, interaction rates, interaction rates), as well as quantitative insights into their behavior (view count, average watch time, and interaction rate) such as age, gender, the device they use, etc. ).
This is a great way to determine if your video content is reaching the right audience. If your YouTube channel is brand new and you don’t have any quantitative or qualitative insights, feel free to browse the competitors.
These channels will allow you to see what your audience likes and how they react to it. You can also “steal” their tricks for optimizing your own YouTube content strategy.
3) Create a Content Plan for YouTube
After you have defined your goals, you will need a content strategy to create content for your YouTube channel. Google states that “before you make videos, create content plans to ensure your content meets your brand’s goals and engages your audience.”
No matter what your marketing goal is, your video content should cover every stage of a sales funnel. It should attract users and engage them. Nurture them. Convert. A well-structured content plan will allow you to communicate the right message to the right audience.
Decide the content you want to share first. Are they brand videos? Vlogs? Are you going to create DIY guides or how-to videos? Are you planning to include commercials in your videos?
Next, calculate how many video types you will need for your channel. Then determine how long each content asset will take to make. Do you want to create it yourself? Or will you work with video producers? Final costs for your video content (both in terms of time and money) should be arranged.
Finally, create the publication schedule and structured content plan. This is where Trello, CoSchedule, and other editorial planners can be of great assistance.
4) Optimize Your Every Video for Better SEO and Engagement
Now, the best part: YouTube is a search engine. You can use advanced SEO to increase views and gain an audience.
Use keywords to optimize titles, but ensure they are relevant to your video topic. Click baits are not something that people like. The YouTube keyword tool will help you select the best keywords for titles. Closed captions and subtitles are advanced options for YouTube SEO.
You should also include keywords in your video description. Your video description should be clear and concise. Don’t forget to add a link to your website or social media accounts. You can also add relevant hashtags (up to 15).
This tutorial will show you how to write helpful video descriptions.
Tag a video with the most popular keyword variations to make it easier for people to find it and watch it. Relevance is important again: YouTube still uses watch time as a primary metric to determine if the content is valuable. It is better to have 100 5-minute views than one million ten-second views.
After uploading your video, make sure you categorize it. Select the relevant category in “Advanced Settings” to make your video appear in other lists and reach more viewers.
also defines the best time to publish your videos. What time is your audience most active Remember that videos only get maximum views within 48 hours of publication. YouTube will consider your content more important if it gets more views during this period.
A thumbnail is the first thing that users see when they view your video content. Make a thumbnail of each asset to make your content stand out. You can use tools like Fotor, Snappa, and Crello to create colorful and brandable thumbnails.
You can increase your YouTube viewership by using cards, watermarks, and end screens. Consider using them to promote your content. Don’t forget to include other calls to action for viewers to interact on your channel.
Be creative
Ask them to sign up, including social media links, or links to your landing pages at the end, and many other things.
Last but not the least, more than 70% of YouTube watch time is from mobile devices. Mobile viewing is a great way to keep your audience engaged.
5) Promote It Like a Boss and Analyze the Results
Videos and engaging content are great. Promoting your videos is key if you want them to be seen by the audience.
Cross-promotion and YouTube advertising are two options. You can search for the most relevant channels based on keywords within your niche and find the ones with the most subscribers. Then pitch them your video content.
You might consider working with social media influencers. Reach out to them to discuss what you have to offer and ask them to share your content with their followers if they are interested. Make sure you send videos to your subscribers.
Do not forget to analyze and monitor the results!
YouTube Analytics and Google Analytics can be your tools here. You can see the performance of your channel and adjust your content strategy accordingly to get even better results.
Spend some time reading comments. It’s the best way for you to see what your audience thinks about your videos and to learn what topics they want to cover next.
