Brand Marketing vs. Performance Marketing
Should you prioritise building a strong brand image or focus mainly on driving immediate sales? Let’s address this question today…
YouTube is the second largest search engine after Google (who also own YouTube!), but people do not put the same effort into optimising their presence on the platform compared to Google.
Videos are a great way of informing people about your brand, and they engage the senses more than static posts. While static posts can be overlooked or forgotten, videos capture viewers’ attention and foster potent emotional responses. People are compelled to want to share, comment on, and enjoy them.
Video content has a high conversion rate and is becoming more and more popular, making it the preferred marketing medium. Every day, more than 122 million people use YouTube, and 1 billion hours of content are viewed worldwide. In addition, almost 70% of YouTube users use the platform to research potential purchases.
Your aim with YouTube should be to make your content more bingeable. Set up your channel in a manner where people can see everything at a glance, and use compelling titles and thumbnails. (It works – ask David Dobrik.)
Look at streaming platforms for inspiration, like Netflix or Amazon Prime – they have their content so neatly organised that it encourages viewers to continue watching. You finish one movie, and another one pops up based on your interests. Remember that if someone is willing to watch one of your videos, it’s likely that they will want to watch more. So, make it accessible for them.
In the vast pool of viewers on YouTube, how can you make yourself visible? Below are a few tips and tricks that will help you catch people’s eyes more easily.
Before you start optimising your channel, have a look around at your competition and try to understand their channel structure. What are they doing well which you can also use for your benefit? What are they not doing well which you can do better? While it’s beneficial to look at what others are doing, don’t copy anyone.
Many people work very hard at coming up with interesting video titles with the correct keywords in them, but they often forget to add keywords into their channel name. To catch people’s attention in your niche, you must have a relevant keyword in your channel name. For example, rather than naming your channel “Sarah Smith”, try naming it “Digital Marketer Sarah”, “Books Reviews by Sarah”, “Dancer Sarah”, and so on, based on your industry and content. This will give your channel an extra boost. It will also make it easier for viewers to understand what kind of content they can expect from you at a glance.
Google’s advice for conquering YouTube is to make your titles, tags, and video descriptions work for you. Metadata gives YouTube more information about your videos, so it plays a very important role in the optimisation of your channel.
How often do you watch a movie without knowing what it’s about? Production houses spend millions of dollars making the perfect trailer that will compel people to watch their movies. On YouTube, you have to do the same (without spending millions of dollars, of course). Also note that YouTube does not run ads on channel trailers (the exception is if your video has been claimed by a third party, so be careful to only use copyright-free content).
Here are some tips for your trailer:
Making a channel trailer might feel like hassle but remember, it’s essential for the growth of your subscriber base and your business.
Optimising the layout of your channel makes it easier for everyone to access your videos. Rather than lumping videos into one big grid, YouTube gives channel owners the option to design their own feed, and you can create different versions for new subscribers and returning viewers. For new subscribers, you want to your channel trailer to be featured so that they are intrigued and want to subscribe. For returning subscribers, you want to boost videos with low engagement, so I would suggest adding a video that is not doing very well so that it gets the push required. (Don’t worry – YouTube will not show viewers the videos that they have already watched.)
To change your featured video:
The most important aspect of your channel is its branding, which is often called the channel experience. If you want longevity on YouTube, you have to provide viewers with a good channel experience. For example, WatchMojo uses a strict template for the videos they post, which helps them stay consistent while building their personal brand. Once you watch their video, you cannot forget the iconic introduction where they say “WatchMojo”, and the same goes for the channel Cocomelon. Here are a few things that you should look into if you want to create the perfect channel experience:
You are creating videos for a particular viewer, and you have to keep them in mind with every little thing that you do. Ask yourself – is this the kind of content they would like to see? Don’t work on the basis of what you think will work but with what you know will work based on solid data. Also, remember that to become successful on YouTube, you have to be consistent, and you cannot leave your viewers uninformed – for example, if you need a break or there are delays in production, let them know what to expect. If you can, give them a behind the scenes view of how you produce videos, as this can be very exciting. Ultimately, be transparent and open with your audience as they are the ones who decide your future on the platform. They should be the most important factor in every decision you make regarding your channel.
Video is one of the best ways to communicate with your audience directly and give them an authentic glimpse of what you, your business, or your clients are up to, in addition to being entertaining. There is a lot of competition on YouTube, so you must ensure that you are doing every little thing you can to improve your chances of success.
The process of creating videos and keeping up with a tight upload schedule is not easy, and I would recommend getting all the help you can. Click here to see how my team and I can help.
Should you prioritise building a strong brand image or focus mainly on driving immediate sales? Let’s address this question today…
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