YouTube is soon to turn eighteen, and in its short lifespan, the platform has undergone thousands of changes.
Its popularity has steadily increased and shows no signs of slowing down, thanks to its ability to keep up with the evolving needs and preferences of users and content creators.
As expected, 2023 has brought with it exciting changes in the technology space, and YouTube is no exception.
The social media platform has introduced changes that will impact how users discover and engage with videos, as well as how YouTubers create, share, and promote their content.
In other words, YouTube in 2023 is different from YouTube in 2022. What does this mean for you?
You need to fine-tune your video marketing strategy to take advantage of new opportunities and overcome the challenges that the platform presents.
The good news is that you’re not alone. As the saying goes, two heads are better than one. Today, we will discuss YouTube marketing strategies and tips that will prepare your campaign for 2023.
1. Create Videos for the Audience and the Algorithm
We don’t want to keep you waiting for the top tip: to succeed on YouTube, you need to make video content that satisfies both your audience and the YouTube algorithm.
With millions of channels covering every topic under the sun, your first priority is to identify your angle – what sets you apart and makes your content unique.
A clear understanding of your business, marketing goals, and target audience will help you identify your approach.
Once you’ve determined your approach, the next step is to understand the likes, dislikes, and needs of your target audience. This will help you choose the types of video content that will interest them.
Remember, some users visit YouTube to learn, some to understand, and most, probably, to be entertained. Choose the types of video content that align with your business and marketing goals.
The first few seconds of your video, which act as a hook, are absolutely crucial. You can capture your audience’s attention with a compelling script and engaging visuals.
Once you’ve hooked them, maintain the same level of engagement throughout the video to keep them interested until the end.
It’s also crucial to keep your videos concise and to the point. Most videos fail to make an impact because they are too long. How many times have you searched for a video on YouTube that answers a question you have only to click away because it takes too much time getting to the point? Working closely with professional video editing companies like Veedyou Media can help you avoid this mistake.
It’s not enough to simply satisfy your audience. The YouTube algorithm plays an equally important role in the success of your content.
In fact, you need to convince the algorithm before you can get to your audience. Here are five ways to optimize your videos for the YouTube search engine:
- Write great video titles and descriptions. Include keywords in both places and add timestamps for long-form videos.
- Post videos on YouTube regularly and publish them when your audience is most active on the platform.
- Create custom thumbnails that attract attention. Use your logo, add a smiling face, or include red arrows, circles, or large text fonts to grab attention.
- Use closed captions in your videos. YouTube can’t understand video content, but it can read closed captions. Adding them is a great way to optimize your video in the eyes of the algorithm.
- Add effective calls to action that increase traffic, leads, conversions, likes, shares, and comments. Even if your video is great, there’s no harm in requesting viewers to take action. Keep your CTAs simple, clear, and concise, and place them in one or more places in the video.
2. Go Big on YouTube Shorts
Short-form content has become increasingly popular in recent years, thanks to the popularity of apps like TikTok and Instagram Reels.
Noticing this trend and people’s shorter attention spans, YouTube introduced its own version of short-form videos, called YouTube Shorts.
Since its launch, YouTube Shorts has seen billions of daily views. So, why should you use it?
- For starters, creating videos for Shorts requires minimal equipment – just a decent smartphone camera.
- Additionally, these videos are easy to consume on the go, don’t consume much data, and can be enjoyed anytime, anywhere.
- Marketers can also record and upload multiple videos at a time, edit them with video editor software like Canva and select music from a vast library of tracks.
Tips to effectively use YouTube Shorts:
- To effectively use YouTube Shorts, optimize the title and use custom thumbnails.
- Start with an attention-grabbing opening, and jump straight to the point.
- Avoid overcrowding the screen and tailor the tone and style of the video to suit your target audience.
- Finally, use Shorts to answer questions that your audience may have.
In short, YouTube Shorts is a great platform to create bite-sized videos and tailor your content to the shorter attention spans of viewers.
With its user-friendly features and growing popularity, Shorts can help you reach a wider audience and engage them with your content.
3. Team up with Influencers
The advent of social media has given rise to a new breed of celebrities. Gone are the days when individuals had to be an athlete or a movie star to amass followers.
On YouTube, partnering with influencers to market your brand or product to their subscribers has become an effective strategy.
This way, you gain access to a new audience, and their word and message will have a greater impact than yours.
Collaborating with YouTube influencers becomes even more crucial if you have recently started a YouTube channel.
By teaming up with established content creators on the platform, your channel, brand, and product will gain massive exposure.
There are several ways to collaborate with YouTube influencers, such as:
- Creating a video featuring one or more influencers.
- Requesting them to use or showcase your product or service in their videos.
- Sponsoring them to promote your product or brand in their content.
- Making them the face of your brand through brand ambassadorship.
- Running giveaway campaigns where your product is given for free to followers who participate in such contests.
Tips to increase your chances of success with influencer marketing:
- Perform competitor and audience research to identify the right YouTube influencers.
- Work with influencers who share a similar audience as you.
- Collaborate with both small and large influencers.
- Use influencers to add freshness and variety to your content offerings.
- Try your best to return the favor when an opportunity presents itself.
YouTube influencer marketing is an effective strategy for gaining access to a new audience, and collaborating with YouTube influencers can significantly boost your channel, brand, and product exposure.
4. Invest in YouTube Ads
YouTube is the perfect platform to promote products and services through video content, particularly as more people in the United States watch videos on YouTube than on television.
While a channel with a strong organic reach can be effective, YouTube advertising can broaden your audience even further.
The increasing importance of video content and marketing means investing in advertising can lead to faster and better results.
In 2023, YouTube stands out from other social media platforms because it is popular among all age groups and generates a response from all customer demographics.
Businesses of all shapes and sizes advertise on YouTube, including many Fortune 500 companies.
YouTube earns around $10 billion in revenue from ads each year, and two-thirds of all respondents in a survey found YouTube ads to be more relevant than television ads.
YouTube Shorts, which uses portrait mode or vertical video, deliver around 20% more ROI per dollar than landscape videos. Plus, YouTube’s latest policy on the monetization of Shorts will increase its reach and status as a marketing medium.
Advertisers on YouTube benefit from various opportunities for targeting, along with ad campaign optimization and analytics features that make their job easier.
Tips to boost your YouTube Ads performance:
- Consider which of the four main ad formats best suits you: video discovery ads, bumper ads, skippable in-stream ads, and unskippable in-stream ads.
- The ad format(s) chosen should be tailored to your business’s budget and marketing campaign.
- Define the purpose and goals of the ad campaign. Whether you want the viewers to share their email addresses, visit your landing page, or purchase a product – the design of the ad and strategies will depend on the purpose and goal of the campaign.
- Experimenting with different ad types and formats can help determine the most effective strategy.
- Defining the target audience’s demographic profile, pain points, buying behavior, interests, and more can help businesses develop customer personas to tailor their messaging for your video advertising.
- Finally, using storytelling and emotion to engage an audience can make ads more impactful, regardless of their length.
5. Fast Track Your Campaign with Marketing and Management Tools
Enhance your YouTube marketing efforts in 2023 by utilizing marketing tools to streamline your workload and amplify your social media campaigns.
Whether you’re a novice promoting a small business, or seeking to grow a larger operation through YouTube marketing, you can find the right social media management software to fit your specific requirements.
These tools can aid you in research, content creation, scheduling posts and videos, and tracking campaigns, brand mentions, and a range of other social media metrics.
Nowadays, there is no room for complacency in SEO and marketing, especially in ecommerce. There are tools that provide product data enrichment services to all types of businesses. For instance, they make sure the content is well-optimized, created in a jiffy, and add value to your campaign.
Ultimately, your needs and preferences should dictate the marketing tool you use. Here are some tips for finding the best software for your YouTube marketing needs:
- Compile a list of all the features you’ll need from the marketing software and divide them into negotiable and non-negotiable features.
- Explore management tools with features that match your list. Rather than just one or two, gather five to seven options after reviewing product descriptions and customer feedback.
- Further, narrow down your list based on software pricing and your budget. Determine if the software is a one-time investment, a recurring expense, or free. Also, note whether you’ll need to pay for new features in the future.
- Determine whether you want the software primarily for YouTube marketing or for managing all your social media accounts. If it’s the latter, examine the integration capabilities of the marketing tools.
- Since you’ll be granting the social media marketing and management tool access to your accounts and sensitive data, ensure that you review the security features before making a decision. Additionally, make sure the software vendor offers robust customer support.
Final Thoughts
With more than 2.5 billion users, YouTube has become a crucial marketing platform for reaching and engaging with potential customers.
As you contemplate your next marketing strategy, your competitors may already be establishing their presence on YouTube.
Time is of the essence. By implementing the five points mentioned above, you can provide your content with the best opportunity to achieve your YouTube video marketing objectives.
