Understanding YouTube Marketing Techniques
As a YouTuber or aspiring YouTube channel owner, you're probably aware of the importance of marketing in growing your subscriber count and views. But do you know why YouTube matters so much and what the basics of YouTube marketing are? Let's dive in.
Why YouTube Matters
There's no denying the impact and influence of YouTube in the digital age. With over 2 billion monthly active users, YouTube is the second most popular website in the world, only surpassed by Google. It's also the second largest search engine, making it a valuable platform for reaching a wide audience (Source).
According to Hootsuite, 72% of American internet users regularly browse YouTube, with a whopping 77% of people aged 15-35 using the platform. Plus, YouTube isn't confined to just English-speaking countries; there are over 100 localized versions of YouTube around the world. This means that no matter what your target demographic is, there's a good chance they're on YouTube.
Moreover, the average internet user spends 74 minutes daily watching YouTube videos (Hootsuite). That's a lot of potential screen time for your videos and a lot of opportunities to reach viewers with your content.
YouTube Marketing Technique Basics
At its core, YouTube marketing is about using YouTube's platform to promote your videos, grow your audience, and increase your influence. This can be done through various strategies, from optimizing your video titles and descriptions for search (see our guide on YouTube video SEO) to running YouTube ad campaigns.
One of the unique aspects of YouTube is the ability to monetize your content. YouTube allows content creators to earn money through a variety of methods including advertising, channel memberships, merchandise shelf, Super Chat, and YouTube Premium revenue. But before you can start earning, you'll need to apply to the YouTube Partner Program and meet the partner requirements.
It's also important to note that successful YouTube marketing goes beyond just getting views. It involves interacting with your audience, using YouTube's features to your advantage, and constantly improving your strategy based on your performance and feedback from your audience (check out our guide on YouTube marketing strategies).
Now that you understand why YouTube matters and the basics of YouTube marketing, you're ready to start exploring the many marketing techniques that can help you succeed on YouTube. Let's dive in!
Successful YouTube Marketing Case Studies
When it comes to successful YouTube marketing techniques, there's no better way to learn than by studying the masters. Let's take a look at three successful case studies: Bellroy's value-based bidding, BlendJet's ASMR approach, and Adidas' video ad sequencing.
Bellroy's Value-Based Bidding
Bellroy, a company that specializes in sleek, smart wallets, saw significant success with their YouTube marketing techniques. By implementing creative best practices and value-based bidding, they achieved a whopping 162% increase in sales.
Value-based bidding is a strategy where you set your bids based on the potential value of a new customer. This approach ensures that your ads reach the people who are most likely to become customers. Bellroy's successful use of this strategy highlights the importance of understanding your audience's value when setting up your youtube ad campaign.
BlendJet's ASMR Approach
BlendJet, a portable blender brand, experienced substantial revenue growth and return on ad spend by incorporating an unconventional approach in their YouTube marketing. They utilized oddly satisfying ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) videos for advertisement, which are known to be highly engaging and popular among YouTube viewers.
This inventive approach to YouTube marketing demonstrates the power of creating unique, engaging content that resonates with your audience. It's not always about traditional ad formats; sometimes, thinking outside the box can lead to the most significant growth.
Adidas' Video Ad Sequencing
Sportswear giant Adidas managed to grow their brand awareness by a remarkable 33% using video ad sequencing. This YouTube marketing technique involves showing your audience a series of ads in a specific order to tell a story or convey a particular message.
Adidas' success with this approach underlines the importance of storytelling in marketing. By creating a sequence of ads that tell a compelling story, you can engage your audience on a deeper level and build a stronger connection with your brand.
These case studies serve as inspiring examples of how innovative and strategic use of YouTube marketing techniques can lead to remarkable success. Whether you're a beginner or an expert YouTuber, these strategies can provide valuable insights to help improve your own youtube marketing strategies. Remember, the key to successful YouTube marketing lies in understanding your audience, being creative with your content, and making strategic use of YouTube's features and tools.
Essential YouTube Marketing Techniques
When it comes to mastering the art of YouTube marketing, there are a few key techniques that I find particularly useful. Here are three that I consider essential: optimizing video titles and descriptions, understanding the importance of thumbnails, and interacting with your audience.
Optimizing Video Titles and Descriptions
Video titles and descriptions play a crucial role in YouTube SEO. These elements help the YouTube algorithm understand what your video is about, potentially increasing its visibility in the "suggested" column alongside related videos (Hootsuite).
Your video title should be under 10 words for optimal performance in YouTube's search results, with around 60 characters being the sweet spot. This is because only the first 60 characters show in search results (Hootsuite).
When it comes to descriptions, be sure to include relevant keywords. But remember, it should still read naturally and provide value to the viewer. For more tips on optimizing your YouTube video for search, check out our guide on YouTube video SEO.
Importance of Thumbnails
Never underestimate the power of a good thumbnail. These images are the first thing viewers see, and they can significantly impact click-through rates. An attractive, attention-grabbing thumbnail can draw viewers in, increasing views and engagement.
But remember, a thumbnail must accurately represent the video's content. Misleading thumbnails can lead to a high bounce rate, which could harm your video's performance in the YouTube algorithm. For more tips on creating effective thumbnails, check out our guide on creating the perfect YouTube video thumbnail.
Interacting With Your Audience
One of the most effective YouTube marketing techniques is simply interacting with your audience. Responding to comments, liking viewer feedback, and fostering a sense of community can encourage viewers to subscribe, share your videos, and engage more deeply with your content (Source).
Remember, YouTube is not just a content distribution platform; it's a social platform. The more you interact with your audience, the more you'll be able to understand their needs, preferences, and feedback. This can help you create more engaging content, improve your YouTube marketing strategies, and grow your YouTube subscriber count.
These three techniques are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to YouTube marketing. But by starting with these fundamentals, you'll be well on your way to growing your channel and boosting your YouTube views.
Leveraging YouTube's Features for Marketing
As a YouTuber, it's not just about creating great content. You also need to understand how to leverage YouTube's features to maximize your channel's potential. I'm going to talk about three key features - monetizing with ads and memberships, the power of collaboration, and utilizing YouTube's ad targeting options. All of vital importance for practicing successful YouTube marketing techniques.
Monetizing with Ads and Memberships
YouTube offers multiple ways to earn revenue from your channel. This includes advertising, channel memberships, merchandise shelf, Super Chat, and YouTube Premium revenue (YouTube Help).
You can enable ads to be displayed on your videos and earn a share of the revenue generated from those ads. This is a great way to earn passive income from the views your videos receive. For more information on how to enable ads on your videos, check out our YouTube advertising guide.
Channel memberships offer another way to monetize your channel. This feature allows your viewers to join your channel for a monthly fee and receive perks in return, such as exclusive content or badges. Learn more about channel memberships and the YouTube partner requirements on our website.
The merchandise shelf feature allows you to display your official branded merchandise directly on your YouTube channel. This is a great way to promote your brand and earn additional income. Check out our guide on YouTube monetization for more details.
Lastly, Super Chat offers a unique way to engage with your viewers and earn money during live chat sessions. Viewers can purchase messages that stand out and get highlighted during your live chat. Read more about YouTube live chat and how to make the most of it.
The Power of Collaboration
Collaborations can be a powerful tool in YouTube marketing. They not only help you reach a wider audience but also enable you to deliver fresh and engaging content to your viewers.
Take the example of Coca-Cola. They focus on creating a personal and emotional connection with their audience through emotional storytelling and paid collaborations with famous celebrities. Their Share a Coke campaign aimed to promote shared happiness by encouraging people to share their Coke with others. They also collaborate with celebrities who are well-known in specific countries, reflecting the geographic location of their audience.
Another example is GoPro. The majority of their videos are user-generated, offering real experiences and insights to their potential customers. They also engage their community through challenges, such as their Million Dollar video marketing campaign (VideoWise).
Utilizing YouTube's Ad Targeting Options
YouTube's ad targeting options allow you to reach a specific audience based on demographics, interests, and viewing behavior. This can be a game-changer for your YouTube marketing strategy as it lets you show your ads to people who are most likely to be interested in your content.
Ahrefs, a SaaS company, uses YouTube marketing to create engaging video content related to SEO and content marketing. They have a subscriber base of 418k and each video generates thousands of views. They also strategically interlink relevant videos to drive traffic from one medium to another (VideoWise).
By understanding and leveraging YouTube's features for marketing, you can greatly enhance your channel's potential and boost your YouTube subscriber count and YouTube views. For more tips and advice, check out our guide on YouTube marketing strategies.
Improving Your YouTube Marketing Strategy
Now that you're familiar with the various YouTube marketing techniques, it's time to focus on improving your strategy. Remember, the key to success on YouTube is consistency, learning from competitors, and creating engaging content.
Consistency Over Frequency
When it comes to posting on YouTube, I can't stress enough the importance of consistency over frequency. Maintaining a regular posting schedule is more crucial than uploading videos constantly. Consistency can help you avoid creator burnout and ensure that you stay on your creator journey long enough to see tangible results (Hootsuite).
So, whether you decide to post daily, weekly, or monthly, stick to your schedule. Your subscribers will appreciate the reliability, and it will help increase your youtube views and youtube subscriber count.
Learning from Competitors
The beauty of YouTube is that it's a community full of creators who are constantly innovating and trying new things. As part of your YouTube marketing strategy, make it a habit to learn from other successful YouTubers in your niche.
Observe their video styles, how they interact with their audience, the keywords they use in their titles and descriptions, and the kind of thumbnails that they create. You can then incorporate what works into your own videos, making small improvements with each new upload (Hootsuite).
Engaging Content as a Key Element
Finally, never forget that producing engaging content is the heart of any successful YouTube marketing techniques strategy. No matter how well you optimize your video titles, descriptions, and thumbnails, if the content itself isn't engaging, viewers won't stick around.
Make your videos interesting, informative, and entertaining. Experiment with different content formats, such as tutorials, Q&As, or behind-the-scenes footage. Remember, your goal is not just to attract viewers, but to keep them watching until the end. The longer they stay, the more likely YouTube's algorithm will recommend your videos to other users, boosting your youtube video views.
By focusing on these three areas – consistency, learning from competitors, and engaging content – you can continually improve your YouTube marketing techniques strategy. Remember, YouTube success doesn't happen overnight, but with persistence, creativity, and the right techniques, you can grow your audience and make your mark on the platform. For more tips and strategies, check out our guide on youtube marketing strategies.