YouTube isn’t all cute cat videos and failed singing auditions (not that there’s anything wrong with those). YouTube is now the second-largest search engine in the world. Daily views total more than 5 million videos spread across 1.9 billion active users. That’s an incredible resource for B2B, B2C, and SaaS marketers eager to showcase their brand in new and exciting ways.
Video Platforms are Poised to Obliterate Traditional TV
It’s not news that people are eagerly cutting the cord and switching from live TV to streaming services, but did you know that 60% of people already prefer online videos to television as well? If you want to reach people ages 18 to 49 years old, you increasingly better off doing it on YouTube, where you can create and curate your own content rather than relying on a 30-second spot during someone else’s show (though that’ll still be an option, more or less).
Source: Think with Google
Videos Offer Increased Engagement
The whole goal of marketing is to compel consumers to take action. Whether that looks like buying, subscribing something, or something else entirely depends on your specific campaign, but whatever your aim, video is the ideal medium.
Both B2B and B2C efforts can benefit from engagement-boosting video content:
- Conduct product demos showing how you stack up against the competition, the basics of operation, basically anything that would sell viewers on the value of your product. In 2018, an impressive 70% of millennial YouTube users searched the platform to learn how to do something new. That makes how-tos and lectures just as useful as those demos.
- Tell a story. People love a good narrative. It can be all about your brand, your inspiration, or the people who help make your company so awesome. The important thing is that you’re sharing something intimate and personal with the world — that’s what makes them feel connected, and connection breeds loyalty.
- Vlogs are a little more complicated in that they’ll work much better for some brands than others. This tends to be a more fruitful, authentic approach for B2C brands targeting a younger demographic, but it could also work for SaaS companies
There are more creative ways to reach out, too. Red Bull has totally smashed the competition by using extreme sports and a live music series to snag the attention of millennials. Volvo produced “The Epic Split feat. Van Damme”, a video of perennial favorite Jean-Claude Van Damme being, well, himself. It got more than 61 million views. Not bad for an aging action star doing the splits, and it turned out to be an ingenious way to market Volvo trucks
Source: Mashable
Professional Talent Matters
Here’s the thing: YouTube isn’t exactly a secret. Competition is fierce, and there are far more channels and advertisers flooding user devices than you can possibly imagine. How can you hold your ground and, even better, stand out? It starts with using a professional team to shoot, edit, and promote your videos. If you make it and no one sees it, it just doesn’t matter. If you make it badly and someone sees it, that’s even worse.
Some 92% of sponsored video views can be traced back to individual creators and influencers. There’s a reason by B2B marketers are reaching out to those people to create even more branded content — if you’re smart, you let the experts do their thing. You can sit down with your smartphone and tape your take on why SaaS is so awesome, or you can let people who already have a following and experience on YouTube work their magic.
Not quite sold? Check this out:
- TrueView ads boost user engagement tenfold
- Almost half of B2B tech buyers will make a purchase based on video content
- More than 75% of Fortune 500 execs are making their purchasing decisions with the help of YouTube too — this isn’t just for B2C and millennials anymore
Source: Google
Truth is, all the tips in the world can’t adequately prepare for a media landscape that’s constantly changing. What YouTube is today isn’t necessarily what it will be tomorrow. Navigate that shifting terrain poorly and you could easily lose your footing. To best capitalize on YouTube’s extensive possibilities, reach out to our team here at Aliste. We’ve got ideas.
