by Jerome Mouton The more I speak to agencies and brands, the more I realise few of them get YouTube. To prove my point, the majority of videos uploaded by brands in South Africa generally get fever than 1 000 views on average.
Too corporate
The reason for this epic fail is that, instead of asking what does your target audience watch on YouTube, commercials or “behind the scenes” content are uploaded that look and sound way too corporate — most definitely not the type of content consumed on the platform.
A recent study done by Pixability shows that top 100 global brands are increasing investment in video marketing (see graph). You need to wake up — your YouTube channel needs the REV factor to stand out and engage your unique audience: Relevant + Entertaining + Valuable.
Engaging
People consume entertainment, so YouTube content had better be entertaining and engaging. The most successful YouTube strategies are the ones that are putting consumers’ needs first. Evidently, abroad they have been doing it longer and some are getting it right.
To quote Bozoma Saint John, Pepsi’s head of music and entertainment marketing, “We have to find ways to create content that folks want to see. That can’t be done in a sort of one-time-only type of scenario.”
So, if you are a petroleum brand, you should be putting out exclusive motoring content; videos from motoring events and how-to videos (not done by many brands in SA) are both hugely popular forms of content. What about reviews of new releases? Last year, the Toyota 86 was the top search term in the Google Zeitgeist motoring section, yet no one is leveraging that info to connect with its target audience.
Use the platform personally
It would also help if the decision makers actually use the platform and see what types of content are trending and being consumed. Brands struggle to catch up with all this activity.
Remember, you need to choose a topic that your core target audience is passionate about — brands that are winning on YouTube realise it’s about providing customers with info they’re looking for. Content should be used as a proxy to create better customer experiences.
Redbull has established itself as a valued resource in the extreme sport market; it owns that category. Go look at its YouTube channel — it’s attracted more than 2.8 million subscribers!
Do research
Know what your target market is searching for; do research to see if there is a big enough demand for the videos you are planning to produce. The goal of the videos? Get views!
So, to wrap up, produce content that matters to your community and has value for the end user. The key is in understanding what consumers truly want and providing it for them. The brand will demonstrate that it believes in something that the target audience cares about.
With a unique audience of over 3 million viewers on YouTube, it’s simply not good enough just to have a presence. Brands must standout; the easiest way is turn your branded YouTube channel into a resource hub.
“A smile on someone’s face”
And remember this takeout from the Gen C YouTube Audience Study: “For me something is shareworthy if it puts a smile on someone’s face or it’s something that would be used to strike up conversation…”
Jerome Mouton is founder and creative director at 34 South Media, a video-content agency specialising in branded entertainment. He contributes the monthly “YouTube Views” column, focusing on YouTube marketing, best practice and viral videos, to Marklives.