Optimize YouTube Marketing Strategy: Which Video Suits Your Channel The Most?
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YouTube is the home for online videos. Most of us go to the site or app to find our favorite music videos, tutorials, viral memes, and even award-winning short movies. With more than 2.6 billion active users, YouTube has quickly become an ideal channel for marketers to expand their reach and attract more eyeballs.
But, the opportunity comes with a challenge. Now that YouTube has become the go-to video platform, it’s easy for your videos to get lost. Not to mention that users are pickier and more selective than ever– those mediocre, all-same videos are not appealing enough to grab their attention.
So, how can you make sure your videos will stand out and achieve the result that you want?
The answer is: knowing which types of videos are best for each stage in your YouTube marketing strategy. By understanding what users want to watch at each point of their purchase journey, you can produce content that speaks to them directly, leading them one step closer to becoming paying customers.
Optimizing YouTube Marketing Strategy: Why?
As the second-largest search engine in the world, YouTube provides a huge opportunity for businesses to reach their target audiences.
And it’s not just about putting your videos out there and hoping for the best. A well-thought-out YouTube marketing strategy can help you:
Generate leads
Increase brand awareness
Promote your products or services
Build customer loyalty
Drive traffic to your website
In other words, an effective YouTube marketing strategy can help you achieve your business goals.
Optimizing here doesn't always mean that you make all the videos you create YouTube-algorithm-friendly. It also means understanding the types of videos that work well at each stage of the customer journey and creating content that meets those needs.
The Customer Journey: Which Videos Suit Your Channel the Most?
For marketers creating a YouTube channel for business purposes, it’s important to understand that not all videos are created equal. Providing users who are also potential customers with diverse videos at each stage of their purchase journey is essential to success.
After all, some types of videos are better suited for specific stages of the customer journey than others.
Here’s a look at the different stages of the customer journey and which types of videos work best at each stage.
Awareness Stage: Educational Videos
The first stage of the buyer’s journey is Awareness. In this stage, potential customers realize they have a problem or challenge that needs to be addressed.
Your goal at the Awareness stage is to introduce your brand and help them understand their pain points. Many businesses use pre-roll ads to reach users at this stage, but the best type of video to achieve this is an educational video. This could be a:
Company overview. This type of video will help new visitors understand what your company is all about, who you are, and what you can do for them.
Product demo. If you’re selling a physical product, create a video that shows how it works and the benefits it provides.
Explainer videos. Explainer videos help your audience understand the industry they’re in and how your product or service fits in.
Whatever form it takes, your goal is to provide valuable information that will help viewers understand their problems and that your brand can offer a solution.
Since potential customers have just discovered your brand, they are still far from making a purchase, so don't push too hard on a sale.
Consideration Stage: Customer Testimonials and Reviews
Once viewers are aware of their problem, they move on to the next stage: Consideration. The Consideration stage is where potential customers research their options and compare different solutions. At this stage, your goal is to build trust and show that your brand is the best solution to their problem.
Customer testimonials and reviews will be your best friend at this stage. This could take the form of:
Customer testimonials. Hearing from people who have actually used your product or service is one of the most effective ways to build trust with new viewers.
Reviews and unboxing videos. If you have great reviews on your product page, turn them into a video! You can also do unboxing videos to show viewers what they can expect when they receive your product.
User-Generated Content (UGC). UGC is a great way to show that your brand has a loyal following and happy customers. You can use social media to curate UGC or even create your own hashtag to encourage customers to share their photos and videos.
While customer testimonials and reviews are effective in building trust, avoid using too much "salesy" language. Remember, viewers here are still in the research stage and are not ready to buy just yet.
Decision Stage: How-to Videos
The final stage in the buyer’s journey is Decision, in which potential customers decide whether or not to make a purchase. At this stage, your goal is to close the sale and get viewers to take action.
The best type of video to achieve this is a how-to video. This could be:
A how-to guide on using your product or service.
A tutorial or training videos on how to do something related to your industry.
A "day in the life" video that shows what it's like to use your product or service.
By providing a helpful guide on how to use your product or service, you can increase the chances that viewers will take action and make a purchase.
Wrapping up
You’ll likely upload quite a bit of content on YouTube before you start seeing real success. The best way to figure out which types of videos are right for your channel is to understand the purpose of the video itself and at what stage of the buyer’s journey the videos are meeting your audience.
Once you have a firm understanding of these two things, you can start creating videos that will help you achieve your marketing goals. And don't forget to track your progress with analytics so that you can continue to optimize your YouTube marketing strategy.
Author
Andre Oentoro is the founder of Breadnbeyond, an award-winning explainer video company. He helps businesses increase conversion rates, close more sales, and get positive ROI from explainer videos (in that order).
Twitter: @breadnbeyond
Email: andre@breadnbeyond.com
LinkedIn: Andre Oentoro