What started as a novel idea by three PayPal employees in 2005 and an audience of 30,000 has since skyrocketed to two billion users worldwide today and become the second most popular social platform. Like many adolescents, YouTube has grown up somewhat and is trying out new things and directions.
Web design company Go Globe reported last year that more than 78% of marketers feel YouTube is the most effective video marketing platform. Yet, only 62% utilize videos (9% small businesses) on YouTube according to social media firm Buffer. The good news is that YouTube recently added a number of features that will assist astute marketers even more in 2020.
What’s New?
For sales occurring during live streams, YouTube will highlight these sales in the chat room with alerts for brands using Teespring. Marketers can use this opportunity to encourage loyal customers to show off their support and share it with their friends, so offering incentives would increase this potential.
Another new YouTube feature is Creator Mixes. The new algorithm not only recognizes what visitors have already seen, but also prioritizes upcoming content based on known consumer interests. Promoting videos aimed at consumer interests and inviting people to check out the new videos can help drive more traffic and sales.
Updates to YouTube Studio will soon allow brands to tailor the look and feel of their channels. These will give marketers the opportunity to further customize their branding. Although no date was announced, marketers would be wise to not only prepare for this but also get plans ready to publicize the same with their customers. Any messaging should be tailored to fit with consumer interests.
Another soon-to-be-implemented feature will allow YouTube video creators to organize and sort their videos into chapters that customers can access. Marketers will be able to insert timestamps beginning with 0:00 on each video which must have at least three chapters. This feature will make it easier for visitors to view the latest videos without having to remember whether or not they’ve already viewed it.
Other Tips
Continue to use compelling titles for the videos. Having or acquiring consumer data on those keywords that most appeal to consumers can make a huge difference in being discovered during searches. When possible, titles that describe what viewers can expect as well as those that are shorter are better. Inform consumers what they can expect to see and get out of watching the video. How will they benefit from it?
Brand the brand’s channel beginning with the logo. Also, be sure to place links to the brand’s social media and web sites. When highlighting a particular product, insert self-branded overlays. It will help retain viewers.
As good as a video may be, it means nothing if viewers don’t act after seeing it. Be sure to add a call for action that’s concise and clear. If the video is the first of several steps for consumers, ensure that the next steps are clearly spelled out.
Make videos shareable and encourage viewers to do the same. Add them to SlideShare presentations and other platforms like Twitter, Pinterest, Scoop.it and Facebook, and be sure to use Reddit to garner more YouTube views.
Utilize resources like YouTube APIs to create badges that can be published on the brand’s website. This will not only heighten visibility but also help drive traffic to YouTube. Consider leveraging the videos beyond YouTube and into other social networks by investing in programs like SE Ranking and/or Boosterberg.
Partner with other content creators. It not only helps expand audiences but can also increase subscriptions. Engaging with the audience via comments empowers them, especially if it can be determined what else they may be interested in seeing in future videos.
Gearing Up
These tips, along with the new and soon to be added changes in YouTube, afford marketers an excellent opportunity to connect several times with customers about these exciting benefits. Each newly added highlight offers a chance to connect with consumers and reignite any excitement starting now or as soon as possible.
Be sure to measure YouTube progress by investing in programs like Social Blade which not only track the channel’s size and audience. It can also identify others who have a similar audience.