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Three Common Traits of Small Businesses Excelling at YouTube Channel Management

As short-form video content takes the spotlight, many companies are diving into platforms like YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels. 📹

Over the past year, we've encountered numerous businesses taking on this challenge using Videostew. After analyzing various case studies, we’d like to share the key success factors we've discovered. 🤓

Simply put, the strategy of 'doing Shorts because they are trendy' isn’t enough to achieve great results. On the flip side, companies successfully running video channels on platforms like YouTube share three common traits:

1. Choose a Core Format That Fits Your Product

Unless you're a consumer goods company, you're likely selling niche products to a specific customer base. If you find yourself asking, 'Will the material from our product be entertaining to the masses?' and the answer is 'No,' then short-form videos may not be your main focus. We'll delve into this more later. 🤔

2. Clearly Define the Target Audience in Your Marketing Funnel

Whether you're trying to reach potential customers who are unaware of your brand or aiming to enhance relationships and trust with those who already recognize it, a clear goal must come first. While it's possible to naturally reach customers at other stages, prioritizing and concentrating on your main target audience is crucial. 🎯

3. Professional Content Planning and Consistent Updates

Successful companies invest considerable time and effort into content planning and production. Even potentially dull content can engage potential customers through creative expression. By using editing tools like Videostew, they save time and focus on improving content quality. This trend is quite evident. 🎥

The Basic Mindset for Approaching YouTube

One common feedback we receive from corporate users of Videostew is all about “productivity.” Using conventional editing tools like Premiere would have taken much more time, but Videostew allows users to save time, which they can then dedicate to planning or enhancing quality.

Before diving into how these companies operate, let’s revisit the definition of content marketing. Content marketing is the activity of building trust and relationships with potential customers by providing valuable information.

Traditionally, blogs, Facebook, and newsletters were the main channels, but now the focus has shifted to YouTube, where potential customers gather, leading to an increased interest in attracting audiences through video platforms.

The Harmony of Product Features and Short-Form Content

Our potential customers range from those who have never heard of our brand to those who are already aware of it.

Earlier, we mentioned that companies jumping on the YouTube Shorts bandwagon without success didn't understand the synergy between their product features and Shorts. Their content marketing efforts were not aligned with this understanding.

Let's illustrate with an example. Typically, if you're a B2C consumer goods brand, short-form content can pack a powerful punch. That's because the products we handle are inherently popular with the masses.

Short-form content consumers primarily seek entertaining content that brings joy, information, and emotion. Even a glance at YouTube's data shows that the majority of popular channels fall under the entertainment category.

We start with the public appeal of our products aligning well with consumer needs. If you're aware that Shorts are exposed to non-subscribed viewers, you'll understand the value of posting content aimed at audiences unfamiliar with our brand in the marketing funnel.

It's the perfect blend of product popularity, reader interest, and content format.

The Power of Long-Form Content Harnessing Search Traffic

However, not every company's product enjoys the aforementioned popularity. This is even truer for B2B companies, and for us as well. After all, AI video editing isn't something that can become a popular consumer good.

But that doesn't mean you should abandon a major platform like YouTube. Companies targeting niche audiences can focus on creating long-form content. In fact, YouTube also serves as a top-tier search engine. For more on YouTube SEO, please refer to the post on how the Videostew team manages YouTube SEO.

Customers are searching YouTube for the information they want, and by driving traffic through these searches, we can form relationships with them and move on to the next step. This is where long-form content comes into play.

Brand Channel Management Strategy Connecting Long-Form and Short-Form

So, how can we leverage YouTube Shorts, which are all the rage these days? Using Shorts as a gateway to drive traffic to long-form content can be an effective strategy.

You can insert a link in your Shorts video that connects to related long-form content. Therefore, placing a CTA at the end of your Shorts video encouraging viewers to move to the long-form video for more detailed information is a smart move.

Even existing subscribers aren't always shown the main videos. This is because the YouTube algorithm selects recommended videos based on individual interests and engagement levels.

However, by using Shorts as a tool to drive traffic to long-form content, you increase the likelihood of exposure to customers who are already engaged. This can lead to increased engagement from these customers, which in turn sends positive signals about our channel.

Ultimately, this can improve the overall metrics of the channel. Moreover, it increases exposure opportunities even to new potential customers who may not yet be aware of the brand.

In summary, the step-by-step implementation process of a strategy that organically links long-form and short-form content is as follows:

1. Consistently archive long-form content optimized for SEO, focusing on keywords with high search demand.
2. Extract highlights or curiosity-piquing segments from the long-form content to create short-form videos. This contributes to increased engagement from existing subscribers.
3. Through short-form videos, enhance the engagement metrics of the entire channel, and expand exposure opportunities to potential customers with low brand awareness.
4. Convert newly acquired potential customers into channel subscribers and loyal customers.

Conclusion

Video platforms like YouTube have now become key channels for brand marketing. However, instead of jumping into the short-form content trend just because it's popular, it's crucial to thoroughly analyze the characteristics of your products and your target audience first.

For B2C consumer brands, a shorts-focused strategy can be effective when three conditions are met: the product's popularity, the interests of potential customers, and the alignment with the nature of short-form content. On the other hand, companies targeting niche markets should aim to capture search traffic with SEO-optimized long-form content, using shorts as a supplementary tool.

No matter what type of company, succeeding in running a YouTube channel hinges on having a content planner with expertise who consistently updates quality content. This becomes much easier with the support of efficient editing tools like Videostew.

Properly leveraging YouTube means accumulating brand assets. By setting long-term channel management goals and continuously creating content optimized for your target audience, you can achieve meaningful results.