Established in 2005, YouTube has become the premier platform for video-based marketing, making it indispensable for many Australian businesses. Yet, as algorithms continue to evolve, aspiring creators often find themselves puzzled over what works and what doesn’t on the world’s biggest platform for long-form video content. This article offers a comprehensive guide on how local businesses can successfully leverage YouTube in 2024 to achieve their marketing goals.
Why YouTube Is Essential For Businesses In Australia And How It Differs
Before starting with video marketing, it’s worth considering: With a variety of popular apps and services out there, what makes YouTube the better option compared to alternatives like TikTok?
Without a doubt, other rising platforms like TikTok have made a significant impact and are becoming increasingly important in marketing. However, YouTube and TikTok serve different purposes and audiences. While TikTok thrives on short, fast-paced content, YouTube embraces long-form content, which is crucial in an era of decreasing attention spans. This results in significant demographic differences. TikTok is predominantly used by a younger demographic, which, while vibrant and engaged, often lacks the purchasing power of YouTube’s slightly older audience.
YouTube’s user base includes a broader age range, encompassing young adults to middle-aged viewers who generally have higher disposable incomes and are more likely to make purchases influenced by the content they consume. This is an important factor to consider when deciding on which platform to focus your marketing efforts and how to approach it.
Understanding The YouTube Algorithm In 2024
Whereas back in 2005, YouTube primarily operated as a search-based platform where subscriber count was the key indicator of success, by 2024, the platform has become algorithm-driven, with the focus shifting to video views and watch time. Subscribers, as valuable as they may seem, are no longer the primary measure of success; instead, overall viewership numbers and watch time hold greater importance.
YouTube’s algorithm analyses viewers’ reactions to videos, comparing them against competing content across every niche, and provides creators with deep insights into how their videos are performing relative to others.
To truly harness the power of YouTube, understanding and utilising the data provided by the platform is essential. Each video reveals critical metrics like average watch time, attention span throughout the video, and moments where viewers are most engaged. When these insights are properly analysed and acted upon, they foster continual improvement.
How To Master Your YouTube Niche
- Choose Your Niche:
This is crucial for every platform, but especially for YouTube. As YouTube focuses on long-form content, the niche of your channel should be an area of expertise or passion that keeps viewers returning for more content on their favourite subject. Branching out into other niches too soon can negatively impact a new channel. For example, a new real estate channel should not branch out into DIY home repairs right away, even though these two niches might seem related. It’s important to focus on a single niche first, and once you’ve built a steady viewership, you can consider expanding into related areas. - The Story Arc of Your Video:
Creating a compelling story arc in your video is vital to keeping viewers engaged from start to finish. Here’s a simple framework to follow:
- Hook (First 10 seconds): Capture the viewer’s attention right away with an intriguing question, surprising fact, or bold statement. Keep it concise and within 10 seconds.
- Introduction (Next 15 seconds): Briefly introduce yourself and the video topic, setting clear expectations for what the viewer will gain. Keep it short and direct, as most viewers prefer to get straight to the point.
- Content Delivery (Main part of the video): Present the core content in clear, manageable sections or steps. You can incorporate visual aids, on-screen text, and engaging graphics to maintain attention, though this isn’t always necessary depending on your audience. Generally, younger viewers tend to prefer more visual elements, while older audiences (millennials and up) are often comfortable with a more ‘classic’ editing style.
- Engagement Points: Incorporate prompts for viewer interaction throughout the video. Encourage comments, ask questions, and suggest viewers like and subscribe. It’s best to include these prompts mid-video, once viewers have had enough time to decide whether liking and subscribing is worth it.
- Outro (during the end screen): End with a personalised message, thank the viewers for watching, and include a call-to-action for either checking out links to your business or watching a related video from your channel, which can be displayed on the end-screen element. This encourages viewers to jump directly from one video to another – a great social signal for the YouTube algorithm.
- Thumbnail:
The thumbnail for your YouTube video is the first impression for every viewer, so it should be as simple and easy to understand as possible. It works in tandem with the title and should spark curiosity or excitement without necessarily revealing the “secret”. Thumbnail creation is an art in itself, but generally, try to:
- Be aesthetic: Analyse competitor thumbnails that are being recommended and design yours with clear, appealing geometry that isn’t overloaded with elements.
- Use contrasting colours: Try to have one dominant colour (e.g., a red background) and a maximum of two sub-dominant colours (e.g., a yellow car and a green tree).
- Include bold text: Use text with a bold but not clickbaity statement or solution. The most commonly used colour for text on YouTube is white.
- Feature a face or person: Depending on your niche, include a face or person to make the thumbnail more relatable.
It’s perfectly fine not to be a graphical genius, but certain aesthetic principles should still be followed. You can either analyse competitor thumbnails that are being recommended to you – the fact that they are recommended proves they achieve a reasonable Click-Through Rate – or hire a professional thumbnail creator with good reviews on freelancing platforms.
- Title:
Video titles should always be the extension of the thumbnail and vice versa. If the thumbnail suggests a solution, the video title should reinforce it without raising an additional question. Keep titles short, simple, and logical. Simple English is often more advantageous than complex sentences. For example:
- Simple English: “How to Fix a Flat Tire Fast”
- Complex English: “An In-Depth Guide to Rapidly Repairing a Punctured Tire”
- Thumbnail + Title Click-Through-Rate:
If you’ve chosen a good combination of thumbnail and title, it can lead to a high click-through rate (CTR), which is essential, as, along with factors like watch time, it helps your video reach a wider audience. A decent CTR for YouTube videos usually falls between 2% and 10%. This range is quite broad, with various factors such as video length, topic, title and thumbnail quality all influencing the rate.Since we naturally all strive to be the best we can, aim to get your CTR as close to 10% or higher as possible. This is a solid foundation for giving the algorithm the opportunity to recommend your video to a wider audience. The recommendation system is competitive. Since there are only limited spots for video recommendations, videos with the highest click-through rates likely have the greatest chance of being featured. - Description and Tags:In the past, tags and the description were key elements for YouTube to understand what a video was about. Today, the advanced algorithm practically watches and listens to the video itself to determine the appropriate target audience. As a result, tags and the description are no longer as relevant. However, it’s still a good idea to include a concise summary in the description outlining what viewers can expect from the video, in case they read it. This is also a great place to add links to your business or reference sources mentioned in the video.
- Stay Engaged:
Engagement with your audience doesn’t end once the video is uploaded. Actively participating in the comments and via community posts can significantly boost viewer loyalty and engagement. Here are some key strategies:
- Respond to Comments: Engaging with viewer comments, particularly in the first few hours after publishing a video, is crucial. This not only fosters a sense of community but also encourages viewers to reply to your comments, which can lead them to revisit the video and rewatch parts of it. This interaction sends a very positive social signal to the YouTube algorithm, potentially boosting the video’s visibility and recommendation rate.
- Pinned Comments: Write a comment yourself and pin it at the top of the comments section to highlight key information or that invites viewers to reply. For example, ask for their thoughts on the video or pose a question related to the content. This not only increases interaction but also boosts the video’s visibility in the algorithm by fostering community engagement.
- Community Posts: Community posts on YouTube are a separate entity from your videos and offer the perfect way to share behind-the-scenes content and updates. A standout feature of the community posts tab is the polling option, which can significantly transform a channel. Polls and community posts are also pushed out to non-viewers if the post is relevant to them and has high engagement, leading to new viewers discovering your channel and potentially becoming subscribers.Most importantly, it provides you with a glimpse into the future. Imagine being able to determine which title or thumbnail people would prefer to click on – polls make this possible, allowing you to ask and receive direct feedback and choosing the right thumbnail and title for your next video.
Poll Question Examples:- “Which topic would you like to see next? Vote now!”
- “Which title would you rather click on? Vote now!”
- “Which thumbnail fits this title best? Vote now!”
- “How many of you use the software ‘X’? Vote now!
- Consider Influencer Marketing:
For individuals or businesses that don’t have the time or resources to become full-time YouTubers themselves, influencer marketing is a powerful alternative. By collaborating with established YouTubers who already have a loyal and engaged audience, businesses can tap into pre-warmed target groups.
This approach not only saves time but also leverages the credibility and reach of influencers to promote products or services effectively. Additionally, influencer campaigns can be highly targeted, focusing on niche markets or specific demographics, ensuring that the message resonates with the right audience. The trust that influencers have built with their followers often leads to higher conversion rates, making this strategy an efficient and cost-effective solution.
How To Collaborate With Other Australian Businesses On YouTube?
For Aussie businesses looking to collaborate, there are two main options: you can either contact YouTubers directly via email or work with a talent agency. Many Australia-based agencies specialise in representing Australian YouTubers and can assist in finding the right creator from their portfolio. This approach not only saves time but also makes the selection process more efficient.
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Leo Glantschnig
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- How To Leverage YouTube For Marketing In Australia - August 14, 2024
