Being the third most visited site in the world is not an easy task. YouTube ranks just behind the giants of Google and Facebook as the most visited websites on the internet. This comes as no surprise. The power for people to capture themselves through video is easy enough for a 3-year-old to manage, but how do brands and organizations leverage YouTube to their advantage?
Old Spice’s YouTube brand channel.
According to YouTube, 72 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute, which equates to 3 billion hours watched each month. These types of numbers are mind-boggling and the ripple effect reaches far outside of YouTube itself. More than 500 years of YouTube videos are watched on Facebook and 700 videos per minute find themselves on Twitter.
No doubt a powerful tool, but most brands upload their TV spots, or try to think of something so funny and outrageous hoping that it will be the next “viral video.” Unfortunately, this is very difficult to achieve on YouTube. While this can happen, you have better chances of taking the money you spent doing this and doubling down at the nearest casino.
Companies such as Old Spice, Red Bull, and Go-Pro have found that YouTube can help drive exposure, but they are the few that have found success. Almost all companies find themselves spending a lot of money with little to no results, thus deeming it as a marketing failure. To avoid complete and udder failure here are five starter tips for marketers and brands to follow:
1st – YouTube is its own platform; content should be unique and should be well thought out.
2nd –Make sure that you promote your video(s) through YouTube using Google platforms. Spend money to help get some eyeballs and help leverage your plan.
3rd– Make sure that you plan your strategy ahead of time. Are you looking for views or do you want people to take action?
4th– Consider using YouTube celebrities (people already on YouTube that have thousands to millions of views and subscribers) for brand integrations and product placements.
5th– Ensure that your YouTube plan fits well with branding and other marketing strategies; YouTube can help you leverage your current and future goals within social media.
Success on YouTube can be very challenging, but using these basic tips can help you get on the right track. YouTube is a platform that allows you to target the audience you want, which keeps advertisers coming back. If you’re nice to YouTube it will be nice to you.