University

Three Common Traits of Small Businesses Running Successful YouTube Channels

With short-form video content becoming the trend, many companies are diving into YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels.

Over the past year, we’ve met many companies taking on this challenge using VideoStew. By analyzing various cases, we've identified the key factors for success that we’d like to share.

Simply put, just because 'shorts are trending' doesn’t mean you’ll achieve good results by just creating shorts. Conversely, successful companies running video channels like YouTube have three common characteristics.

1. Choose a main format that matches your product’s characteristics

If you're not a consumer goods company, you’re likely selling niche products to a specific customer base. In other words, if your answer to the question, 'Will the content from our product be interesting to the general public?' is 'No,' then focusing on short-form videos might not be for you. We’ll explain this in more detail later.

2. Clearly define your target audience in the marketing funnel

First, determine if you are trying to reach potential customers who are completely unaware of your brand, or if you aim to strengthen relationships and trust with those who already recognize your brand. While it’s possible to naturally expose your content to customers at different stages, it’s crucial to prioritize and focus on your main target audience.

3. Professional content planning and consistent updates

Successful companies invest significant time and effort in content planning and production. Even potentially dull topics are made engaging through creative expression, encouraging participation from potential customers. Tools like VideoStew help save time, allowing companies to focus on improving content quality.

The basic mindset towards YouTube

The feedback we consistently receive from our clients using VideoStew in their companies is all about “productivity.” While traditional editing tools like Premiere can be time-consuming, VideoStew allows you to save time, which can then be allocated to planning or enhancing quality.

Before diving into how these companies operate, let's revisit the definition of content marketing. Content marketing can be defined as the activity of building trust and relationships by providing valuable information to potential customers.

Previously, blogs, Facebook, and newsletters were the primary forms of content marketing, but now the focus has shifted to YouTube, where potential customers are gathered, leading to an interest in marketing activities on video platforms.

The Harmony Between Product Features and Short-form Content

Our potential customers range across a wide spectrum, from people who have never heard of our brand to those who are already aware of it.

As mentioned earlier, companies that jumped on the YouTube Shorts bandwagon just because it’s trending didn’t see great results. This is because their content marketing activities were conducted without properly understanding the synergy between their product features and Shorts.

Let’s take an example. Generally, for B2C consumer brands, short-form content can be very powerful. This is because the product range itself has mass appeal.

Consumers of short-form content primarily seek entertaining content that provides joy, information, or emotional impact. According to data released by YouTube, most of the popular channels fall under the entertainment category.

First off, we start with our product's popularity perfectly aligning with consumer needs. Knowing that Shorts are exposed to non-subscribed viewers, we post content targeting those who have no awareness of our brand within the marketing funnel.

This ensures the perfect trifecta of product popularity, reader interest, and content format alignment.

The Power of Long-Form Content Leveraging Search Traffic

However, not every company's product enjoys the aforementioned popularity. This is especially true for B2B companies, including ours. AI video editing is not exactly a mainstream consumer product.

But this doesn't mean you should abandon YouTube as a major channel. Companies targeting niche audiences can focus on creating long-form content. After all, YouTube also functions as a top-tier search engine. For more on YouTube SEO, please refer to the post on how the VideoStew team handles YouTube SEO.

Customers search YouTube to find the information they need. Through search-driven traffic, you can establish relationships with customers and move to the next stage. This is where long-form content comes into play.

Brand Channel Management Strategy Linking Long-Form and Short-Form Content

So, how can we effectively utilize YouTube Shorts, which are all the rage these days? A smart strategy is to use Shorts as a gateway to long-form content.

You can insert links in Shorts videos that direct viewers to related long-form videos. Therefore, placing a CTA at the end of a Shorts video encouraging viewers to check out the long-form video for more detailed information can be very effective.

Even existing subscribers don't always see the main video. That's because YouTube's algorithm selects recommended videos based on individual interests and engagement levels.

However, using shorts as a weapon to drive traffic to long-form content increases the likelihood of exposure to already engaged customers. This can lead to increased engagement from those customers, which in turn sends positive signals about our channel.

Ultimately, it can improve the overall metrics of the channel. Furthermore, it can increase the chances of being exposed to new potential customers with low brand awareness.

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

Conclusion

Video platforms, including YouTube, have now become a core channel for brand marketing. However, instead of jumping on the short-form content bandwagon just because it's trendy, it is crucial to first closely analyze the characteristics of your product and target audience.

For B2C consumer brands, a shorts-focused strategy can be effective when three conditions are met: the product's mass appeal, the interests of potential customers, and the nature of short-form content. On the other hand, for companies targeting niche audiences, it is advisable to secure search traffic with SEO-optimized long-form content and use shorts as a supplementary means.

Regardless of the type of company, the key to successfully running a YouTube channel is to have a professional content planner consistently update with high-quality content. This task becomes much easier with the support of efficient editing tools like VideoStew.

Properly utilizing YouTube means accumulating brand assets. If you set long-term channel operation goals and continuously create content optimized for your target audience, you can achieve meaningful results.