Marketing

Can you get more from YouTube? Part 1

YouTube is known as a social media platform with an emphasis on video content, but behind that modest description is the second-largest website in history. It alternates as a video platform, educational outlet, livestreaming service, and more, giving your audience a variety of reasons to go to the platform. B2B marketers have a great opportunity to maximize their presence on the service. The real question is how.

Vertical sat down with digital marketing strategist Jodell Cox to discuss this dynamic social media platform. This is the first of two articles that outline best practices for B2B marketing teams to maximize benefits of YouTube.

Approaching YouTube as a Platform

“How you engage your audience is where YouTube differs from traditional B2B spaces,” Cox says. “In addition to the focus on video, YouTube is more about building a following. Compared to LinkedIn, there’s less of a focus on making connections and more on being a resource.” Many viewers won’t even like or dislike a video, much less comment on it. Direct audience interaction is still possible (and strongly recommended), but don’t expect that interaction to match what you do on traditional B2B platforms according to Cox.

Before clicking that “Sign up” button, you should first confirm you can commit to growing a YouTube channel. Cox notes that success on the platform comes from consistent, high-quality uploads, so you’ll need time and resources available. Once you’ve confirmed this, start planning in earnest by considering what audience(s) you want to reach.

“If you’re targeting professionals, note that their interests span beyond traditional B2B spaces like LinkedIn,” Cox says. “Since YouTube’s userbase is so large, you can reach a variety of audiences in a number of different ways. Think of it as a new strategy for expanding your business while keeping your brand fresh for your existing customers.”

When assessing what content you’ll post, as with any social platform, there may be pressure to chase new trends. This works well for social media like TikTok and Instagram, which favor newer posts, but is ill-advised here. “On YouTube, you would get more mileage out of building an evergreen portfolio as opposed to trying to be in each of the viral moments,” Cox says. “An evergreen portfolio is a collection of videos that remain relevant and valuable to viewers long after they are published. They are timeless topics.” There is a line between quick trends and genuine innovation, though, so if something new feels like it will still be relevant after an initial wave, don’t hesitate to cover it in a video.

“Think of [YouTube] as a new strategy for expanding your business while keeping your brand fresh for your existing customers.”

And of course, you need to understand the recommendation algorithm. The idea of “beating the algorithm” is often thrown around in these discussions, which frames the algorithm as something to be conquered. But if you’re focusing on the long game, it’s better to think of using the algorithm, not fighting it. One way to do that is by treating YouTube not only as a social media platform, but something else entirely. “YouTube is a search platform that appeals to the current age of visualization,” Cox says. “Your strategy should be to create content your audience is searching for.”

This framing of YouTube as a search engine is key to navigating the platform. When searching on YouTube, a viewer is unlikely to visit the second page of results and will instead select one of the top videos—user behavior seen on Google, Bing, and every other web search engine out there. Whether a YouTube search was for a music video or cooking how-to is irrelevant; the truth is that accessibility and convenience are major driving forces behind viewer behavior. The same goes for non-searched recommendations like those on the homepage and video sidebars. For B2B marketers, understanding this is crucial when envisioning how your audience will discover your content.

“YouTube is a search platform that appeals to the current age of visualization. Your strategy should be to create content your audience is searching for.”

Of course, YouTube will not organically recommend your videos if the algorithm doesn’t believe audiences will watch them. To get closer to those top spots, you need to optimize your content for visibility. We’ll cover that topic in the second half of this feature, “From Concept to Results.”

To develop your B2B YouTube strategy, remember these five points:

1. Strategize building a following, not making connections; envision new ways to engage your audience.
2. YouTube is a way to reach new audiences and expand your existing market, but it requires resources and a unique approach.
3. Focus on creating a portfolio of content that will stand the test of time. Avoid transient viral topics.
4. Think of YouTube as a search engine and use the algorithm to provide answers your audience is searching for.
5. Understand that when your audience is on YouTube, they are motivated by accessibility and convenience.