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October 12, 2024 by Shinefy

YouTube Marketing Strategies: Best practices to observe and boost your brand


In the world of digital marketing, there are a multitude of platforms for you to choose from, such as Facebook, Instagram, or even your own website are great places to invest in. But having a YouTube channel might just be the best place to promote your business online.


We all love video. We love to go to the movies, we love watching the videos people post on social media, we love streaming videos so we can keep up with shows, and we love going down rabbit holes on YouTube.

People love video as much as we do, so it’s important to implement video as part of your marketing strategy.


What is Youtube Marketing?


YouTube Marketing is the process of promoting your business on YouTube through videos and ads. Since video is an extremely powerful medium, YouTube is growing faster than any other platform out there. It is the second most visited site in the world after Google. So if you want to diversify your traffic sources or even just get your business in front of your target audience, YouTube marketing is the answer.


YouTube marketing is highly competitive but extremely rewarding if done right. Simply creating a channel and publishing videos is not enough. Brands need to strategically approach the process of planning, producing and distributing content on the platform to see tangible success.

1. Create and Brand your Youtube channel


Setting up your your brand on the platform is the first step to YouTube marketing. This is where you’ll publish videos, create playlists, respond to comments, view analytics and more.

But creating a channel is not simple. You also need to brand it properly to establish consistency and generate brand awareness.


Customize these elements on your channel so it’s aligned with your branding style guide:

  • Profile Picture

  • Banner Image

  • Channel Description

  • Social Links

  • Channel Trailer

  • Custom URL


Also, make sure that your video thumbnails, titles and descriptions are all on-brand, even if you need to optimize them for SEO purposes. You can create a branded thumbnail template based on what works for you, and keep all future thumbnails consistent with that design.

2. Define your Audience


The second step is to know who your videos are for. Not all potential customers are watching your videos on YouTube, in order to find out who makes up your target audience on the platform, you should consider the following factors:

  • Are they Males or Females ?

  • What's their age range ?

  • Where are they located ?

  • What languages do they primarily speak ?


Don't forget to check your audiences’ interests to create engaging videos:

  • What kind of content is your target audience currently watching ?

  • Which channels are they subscribe to ?

  • Why are they on Yourube in the firrst place ?



You should try mixing social media market research, analytics and social listening to understand your audience. Looking into their problems, questions and behaviors, especially in terms of online video consumption is also a start.

Build an audience persona to visualize your target audience and keep it in mind every time you create a video for your channel.

3. Conduct a competitive analysis


The best way to spot recent trends is by identifying the channels your audience is watching and learn from their efforts. Don't forget to find keywords and understand the interests of your audience. A competitive analysis also helps you set realistic goals and benchmarks for video performance.

Here are a few tricks to analyze your competitors on YouTube:

  • Look into thei subscriber count and follower growth to understand where you stand in the comparison.

  • Check out their channel in order to study the types of videos they're publishing. Use this as an inspiration for your own videos.

  • Study their top videos and engagement rates to see how their viewers are engaging with their videos. Use this to understand the types of videos your audience might want to see.

  • Don't forget to go through their posting schedule to see how often you should post.

  • Check out how they’re engaging with their audience.

  • Look through their thumbnails to see what drives clicks. Check out their most viewed videos to see what stands out about the thumbnail.


Additionally, try to locate content gaps your brand or channel can fill. There may be dozens of video opportunities your competitors are missing out on. Take advantage of those keywords or topics before they catch up.

4. Create quality Youtube video content


There are billions of videos on the platform and not everything is worth watching. Users have to sift through the noise daily to find meaningful content on the platform. This is also why YouTube’s smart algorithm favors some videos over others.

To stand out from the rest, you need to consistently create high-quality videos that viewers love watching and engaging with.


Here are a couple of essential steps that will assist you on your video creation:

  • Research audience pain points and analyze trrending keywords to get an idea of what videos people want to see. Social listening is a great way to identify topics and discussions that your target audience is engaging with.

  • Check out their channel in order to study the types of videos they're publishing. Use this as an inspiration for your own videos.

  • Study their top videos and engagement rates to see how their viewers are engaging with their videos. Use this to understand the types of videos your audience might want to see.

  • Don't forget to go through their posting schedule to see how often you should post.

  • Check out how they’re engaging with their audience.

  • Look through their thumbnails to see what drives clicks. Check out their most viewed videos to see what stands out about the thumbnail.

5. Experiment with Youtube Shorts and other Features


With short-form video content being all the rage, features like YouTube Shorts are a must-use for marketers. This feature supports quick content viewing and boasts vertical-style videos to appeal to mobile users.

Use YouTube Shorts to reach mobile-first audiences and drive more engagement for your brand. Shoot videos up to 60 seconds long in vertical format, and creatively use the built-in audio, text and filters to make your videos stand out.


YouTube recommends these short videos to users in their feeds. Plus, there’s a dedicated Shorts tab where you can scroll through an endless selection of Shorts.


So creating Shorts is a great way to boost your reach and engagement on the platform.


Don't forget to leverage other features like live streams, premieres and 360 videos to consistently deliver unique video experiences to your audience. YouTube regularly introduces new features to drive engagement on the platform. Stay on top of these updates so you’re always first in line to use them for your YouTube marketing.

6. Optimize your video with SEO


YouTube SEO is an often overlooked aspect of video marketing on the platform. But it’s crucial for your videos to show up at the right time. Otherwise, your videos will get lost in the sea of unwatched content and stay there for good.

Optimizing your videos starts at the beginning of the video creation process - when you think of the idea for your video. Conduct keyword research to find the right topics and angles for your videos. Then, optimize the following elements when publishing on YouTube to maximize visibility:

  • Titles and descriptions: Use primary and secondary keywords naturally. You can also translate your video titles in multiple languages to reach a global audience.

  • Thumbnails: Browse top videos and identify which thumbnails perform well for a particular keyword. Thumnails with faces, expressions, and text often stand out from others and drive more clicks.

  • Tags: Add relevant words and phrases to tell both Youtube and viewers what your video is about. While tags are less important than they used to be, they cana still impact your search rankings.


YouTube’s algorithm also favors videos that see more engagement. Promote your videos on other platforms and forums to get more views and give them an initial push.

Also, link to your video from other videos on your channel using cards and end screens. Lastly, don’t hesitate to ask people for likes, comments and shares. You’ll be surprised at how effective proactively reaching out can be.

7. Actively engage with your audience


YouTube marketing is all about building an engaged subscriber community. And interacting directly with your audience is a great way to do that.

Respond timely and nicely to the comments on your videos. Take audience questions seriously and answer them quickly to resolve any issues. Don't forget to create interactive video content on YouTube to engage with your audience.

8. Attract more Youtube subscribers to your channel


Subscribers are the bread and butter of all YouTube channels. The more subscribers you have, the more exclusive features you’ll be able to access. Plus, YouTube’s algorithm is likely to rank your videos higher if you have more subscribers.


Create problem-solving content that meets audience goals to get more YouTube subscribers. Ask people what they want to see on your channel and keep your promises. People subscribe to channels they’re getting value from and want to see more of.


You could even jump in on the latest discussions and trends to create timely content. This is a great way to draw in people based on what they’re currently paying attention to.


Don’t forget to add a call-to-action to every video, encouraging viewers to subscribe. Sometimes, viewers may not even realize they’re not subscribers because they watch your videos religiously. Check out the following Evernote video where the speaker asks people to subscribe to “see more videos like this.”


Make sure to optimize your videos for YouTube search so that they’re prominently visible in relevant search results. This will help you drive more clicks and viewers, which will then bring in subscribers.


Also, promote your videos outside of YouTube to widen your reach, and build relationships instead of pushing out one-way content.


Finally, stick to a consistent publishing schedule so subscribers know when and how often to expect your videos. Consistency is the key to YouTube marketing success. While creating and editing quality content takes time, make sure you have a posting schedule and stick to it.


Having a proper publishing schedule makes it easier for you to plan your content and schedule videos ahead of time and set expectations for your subscribers. YouTube channels with consistent publishing are generally favored by the algorithm as well.

9. Use Youtube ads to drive targeted traffic


Running YouTube ad campaigns can help you reach a wider audience, drive traffic to your website and deliver personalized messaging to your target audience.



YouTube supports five types of ads:

  • Bumper ads: These are short, non-skippable ads that run before a video starts.

  • In-stream ads: These can be skippable or non-skippable, and run at certain points throughout your videos.

  • In-feed ads: These are video ads that show up in places of discovery such as the mobile homepage, search results page or next to related videos.

  • Masthead ads: These are ads that run prominently at the top of the YouTube Home feed.

  • Outstream ads: These are mobile-only ads that show up across various placements on Google video partners.


Be careful about your goals when running ads on the platform. YouTube ads are not meant to replace your organic strategy, but to boost it. Also, views acquired from ads don’t contribute towards monetization revenue.

10. Try to partner with Youtube Influencers


There are millions of creators on the platform with thousands of loyal subscribers. Brands can partner with YouTubers in their niche to promote their products and services in creative ways.

Some popular types of YouTube influencer marketing campaigns include:

  • Unboxing videos

  • Product reviews

  • How-tos and tutorials

  • Day-in-the-life vlogs

  • Contests and giveaway


Regardless of the type of campaign, the key to success is working with the right influencers. This is one of the trickiest parts as it involves a balancing act between reach and actual influence. It doesn’t matter if an influencer has millions of subscribers when only a handful of those subscribers will be interested in your product.


Make sure to find an influencer who can reach your target audience even if they have just a few thousand subscribers. Start by using the right industry keywords to run a search on influencer marketing tools. Then narrow your search using relevant filters related to follower size, audience base, location and more.


You can also check out our more detailed guide on how to find the right influencers to better understand the process.


Sometimes, influencers on YouTube may not even be individuals. You can even partner with a team of creators behind a specific channel. For instance, Netflix partnered with the Cut channel, which has 12 million subscribers, to promote its new film “Atlas.”

11. Monitor your Youtube analytics


Tracking YouTube analytics helps you identify your best and worst performing videos. You can use it to understand what type of content resonates with your audience and which factors impact video performance.


You can access the platform’s built-in analytics in YouTube Creator Studio. Track metrics like views, subscribers, watch time, audience retention, traffic sources and devices. Also, analyze audience demographics and interests.


Knowing this helps succeed on the platform and create an effective long-term strategy. It also helps you focus resources where they matter.

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