Reach New Audiences with YouTube Marketing

If you want to reach new audiences with your video content, you might as well do it on YouTube, the largest video platform in the world.

With 1.9 billion active monthly users, YouTube attracts all kinds of consumers, including those looking to blow off some steam, solve a problem, watch original programing, or learn more about a particular issue or topic. In fact, over 90% of 18-44-year-old American internet users watch videos on YouTube.

If you want to win over new audiences and drive traffic to your website, learn how to create an effective YouTube marketing campaign with compelling original videos.

Advertising on YouTube

With so many different people using YouTube, it’s no wonder that so many advertisers and creating and uploading content to YouTube. Here’s what you need to know about advertising on YouTube.

Who’s Using YouTube

Before you start marketing on YouTube, you need to get a sense of who’s using the platform. YouTube users tend to skew younger, including Generation Y, Millennials, and Generation Z, helping you reach consumers with the most buying power.

But YouTube collects most of its traffic overseas. Just 15.8% of YouTube users are from the U.S. The platform attracts the most visitors from the U.S., Japan, India, Russia, and China.

Both men and women use the platform regularly, helping you reach a wide swath of consumers with varied interests.

Different Kinds of Ads

There are two kinds of ads that appear on YouTube.

When you first pull up the platform, you’ll see a large banner ad across the top. This is what’s known as a discovery ad. You can insert a still image or a video at the top of the page. Once you’ve researched your target keywords, your ad will appear when YouTube users search for a particular term or phrase. You can target new users, previous customers with news about your business, or promote your next video.

You can also have your video ad play before a piece of content based on these keywords. This is what’s called an in-stream ad. You only pay for the promotion if the user clicks through on the ad after a few seconds or watches the full 30-second ad. This guarantees that YouTube users are watching your video content.

Choosing the Right Keywords

Just like SEO for Google, you can target certain YouTubers based on what keywords they use to search for and discover new content.

YouTube is the world’s second-largest search engine and it’s the second-most trafficked website behind Google. You can apply the same SEO tactics to your YouTube marketing campaign – with a few key exceptions.

Get a sense for how users search for content on YouTube. Enter generic words into the search bar and see what kinds of phrases appear in the auto-fill section and plan out your target keywords accordingly.

How to Create Effective Video Ads

Recognize the Viewer’s Need

Just like SEO, get a sense of what these users are looking to get out of their time on YouTube. 70% of millennial YouTube users watched a YouTube video to learn how to do something new or learn about something they’re interested in.

Here are three ways to think about your YouTube video ads:

  • Educational

If the user is looking to learn about a topic, they’ll probably search for particular subjects just like they would in a library. They might user search terms such as “comic book history”, “war in Syria”, or “best science fiction movies”.

Clearly, this person is looking to expand their mind and absorb new information. Use these kinds of search inquiries to share valuable industry-specific knowledge with your target audience.

  • Problem-Solving

YouTube tutorials are some of the most watched videos on the platform. You’ll find everything from “how to change a tire” to “how to potty train a dog”.

This user is looking to solve a particular problem. Educate these users on how your products can make a difference in their lives and help them accomplish their goals. If someone’s searching for gardening tips, send them an ad featuring your landscaping products.

  • Entertainment

But plenty of YouTubers are also looking to turn off their brains and enjoy some adorable cat videos.

From the heartbreaking to the hilarious, YouTube likes to keep its users entertained. Send ads to these kinds of viewers if you have a great story to share or you have a great sense of humor.

There are so many ways to market on YouTube. The platform attracts all kinds of users, so you’re bound to find users that are interested in your products and services. Use these tips to get your YouTube marketing campaign off the ground in 2019.

If you’re still not sure where to start, attend an influencer marketing summit to learn how to create shareable videos that rack up millions of views.