YouTube. You probably consume content on it, but have you added it to your business marketing mix? Should you?

To help answer this question, we are taking a close look at YouTube – user statistics, marketing statistics, pros and cons that may help you decide if its time for your business to jump on the YouTube bandwagon.

In other posts from this blog series, we have focused on other social media platforms and why you might consider each one in your business marketing plan –  Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Pinterest is covered next.

Consider YouTube

Would it surprise you to know that YouTube is the 2^nd most used search engine in the world! That’s right! Only Google, who owns YouTube, is used more. It is also the most significant video search engine in the world, and in 2018, it was the most downloaded app for iOS, according to Apple. It beat the number of downloads for every other social media platform!

If this isn’t enough to make you rethink YouTube for marketing, consider the following.

YouTube User Statistics  

• 1.9+ billion monthly active users worldwide – as of June 2018 (Source)
• 85% of all internet users in the U.S. watch video content monthly (Source)
• 62% of YouTube users are male / 38% female
• Breakdown of U.S. internet users by age who use YouTube: (Source)
  • Age 18-34 → 95%
  • Age 35-44 → 90%
  • Age 45-54 → 85%
  • Age 55-64 → 79%
  • Age 65-75 → 66%
  • Age 75+ → 51%
• The average user consumes 40 minutes of YouTube content per day (Source)
• 60% of people prefer an online video platform to live TV (Source)
• By 2025, half of the viewers under 32 will not subscribe to pay TV (Source)

YouTube Marketing Statistics

• 80% watched a YouTube video at the beginning of their shopping process (Source)
• 50,000+ years of watched product review videos
• YouTube users are 3X more likely to watch a video tutorial than a product’s written instructions (Source)
• 94% of video marketers say video has helped increase user understanding of their product or service (Source)
• 84% of marketers say video has helped increase their web traffic (Source)
• 81% of marketers say video has helped generate leads (Source)
• 41% of marketers say video has helped reduce support calls (Source)

Your customers are likely turning to YouTube regularly to find answers to their questions. Do they see you there?

YouTube as a Business Platform – Pros 

• YouTube is the 2^nd most visited website on the internet (Source)
• YouTube is the largest video search engine in the world 
• YouTube videos, unlike posts on other social platforms, are searchable
• Video results rank text-based results in SERPs
• According to Think with Google, digital videos are the new form of window shopping
• YouTube is ideal for product how-to videos, reducing support calls

The fact that video results reside above text results in a Google query gives an advantage to those businesses that have met customer needs via YouTube.

YouTube as a Business Platform – Cons 

• Video intimidates many small and medium-sized businesses
• Start-up costs for audio/visual equipment and editing software
• Learning curve
• With over 300 hours of video uploaded every hour, there is lots of competition

We suspect the biggest roadblock to adding YouTube to your marketing mix is threefold – intimidation, learning curve, and anticipated costs. But this needn’t be. Instructional resources are available to help get you started (perhaps check out YouTube), and equipment can be kept minimal at the outset (likely you have a phone that can capture quality video in your pocket, though we do recommend you supplement your phone’s audio).

You’ll have to decide if the pros of YouTube outweigh the cons for your business.

13 Tips for Using YouTube

If you choose to expand your marketing mix to include YouTube, you’ll want to get the best results possible from the platform. The following tips will help get you started:

1. Consider your business goals first and make videos to further these goals.
2. Brand your channel and all videos you create.
3. Make a plan and write a script – don’t just wing it.
4. Use video to answer user questions about your product or service.
5. Consider videos that demonstrate your business’ core values.
6. Use 16:9 aspect ratio – this is the norm on YouTube.
7. Audio matters – don’t shortchange this.
8. Record in short clips – makes the editing process more manageable.
9. Optimize your videos for SEO – including keywords, titles, and complete metadata.
10. Engagement matters for SEO, so ask for comments and engagement.
11. Don’t forget a Call-to-Action.
12. Videos under 2 minutes long get the most views – may be wise to start short.
13. Track your video results – know what’s working best and duplicate it.

YouTube can be beneficial, primarily when used well. Though we don’t recommend jumping in willy-nilly, we also don’t think fear should keep you out. Know that your efforts will improve with practice. Research your competitors to see how they are using YouTube; you may discover how you can do it better.

Are you Ready for Your Mulligan? 

If you find it makes sense for your business to partner with a content marketing professional, our team at Mulligan Management Group will welcome the chance to sit down with you and discuss your needs. Visit our website www.mulliganmanagementgroup.com, email us at info@mulliganmanagement.com, or call De-de at 330-472-7673.

Mulligan Management Group  www.mulliganmanagementgroup.com  is a digital marketing agency located in Hudson, Ohio. Our team of professionals helps our clients build their internet presence and expand their authority online.

Our services range from website design and development to professional content creation, to social media strategies and implementation. We also offer to consult in all functional areas.