Promotion on YouTube in 2023: how to bypass algorithms and break into the top on the popular platform?

Strategies for promotion are similar in nature, but they are implemented differently on different platforms. Today, YouTube is one of the most attractive platforms for advertising. As of 2021, there are 31 million YouTube channels, and this number is gradually increasing. But how can you stand out in the sea of content and make it to the top, surpassing your competitors? To do this, you need a well-crafted strategy. In our article today, we will discuss what this strategy is based on and which metrics are the most important.

The likelihood of creating a meaningless video and becoming popular is small. Successful content on YouTube that is watched by a large number of viewers can be divided into three categories:

The probability of recording a meaningless video and becoming popular is low. Successful content on YouTube that attracts a large number of viewers can be divided into three categories:

1. Education (webinars, instructions, documentaries, product reviews, book reviews, etc.);
2. Entertainment (music, vlogs, travel, comedy, dance, drawing, etc.). This is a very unpredictable niche. Even if you have an idea of what works and what doesn't, success in this area provides far fewer guarantees than in education;
3. Self-promotion - this is a video format in which you only talk about services related to your business. Such content is intended for a limited audience. Most likely, the viewers have already become your customers. If you want to scale your business with a limited budget, it is worth providing customers with valuable information and creating a loyal community out of them.

Here's the translation:

• Make regular uploads (from once a month to twice a week);
• Focus on key metrics: average watch time, click-through rate, and views;
• Choose the right titles, thumbnails, and content to increase these metrics;
• Follow the traditional funnel strategy for YouTube marketing:
• Top of the funnel: brand awareness.

When it comes to promoting on YouTube, the first efforts of successful channels were focused on organic reach. Essentially, this involves using the right keywords and tags. Many channels reach out to popular users for help in exchange for compensation or a barter, if the product is worth it. The advertising possibilities are endless. Promote video ads on your Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, Google, and even on YouTube pages.

At this stage, you're targeting people who are already familiar with your brand but haven't yet made a purchase or used your services. Use social proof to your advantage by conducting interviews with your customers, creating podcasts, and focusing on your brand's mission in your videos. Show what the main idea is and what kind of emotions it represents. Remember: if people are emotionally connected to your brand, you have a better chance of gaining their trust. Marketing on YouTube requires optimizing your video content. Focus on three parameters that YouTube takes into account before deciding whether to promote your content: average view duration, click-through rate, and views.

If your content has a high click-through rate, watch time, and you are receiving good feedback about the video, you have found your niche and have been able to hook the audience.

The algorithm is quite generous, and there is a chance to quickly climb up. However, as with everything in this world, it becomes increasingly difficult to stay in trend as your YouTube channel develops. Sometimes it is worth introducing innovations. Try to persuade subscribers to join your email newsletter and other social platforms. These are effective ways to get as close as possible to your audience. If you have already achieved success, invest in tools that will make your video more professional, such as Adobe, Premiere Pro, Lightroom, and so on.

YouTube analytics offers numerous metrics that can help develop YouTube marketing strategies. While there is a lot of information available, pay attention to these metrics:

Shows how many times a video has been clicked compared to the total number of impressions. You can improve CTR by creating compelling thumbnails and titles. For example, if you're a hair salon owner creating content related to haircuts, a video thumbnail displaying "before" and "after" images will receive fewer clicks and engagement. This is because the audience has no reason to click on the video as they've already seen the result. Other thumbnail tips include using faces when possible, avoiding lengthy text, ensuring thumbnail content is in the video, and looking for YouTube channels catering to your audience to draw inspiration for your thumbnails.

Shows how long the viewer watched the video. This is directly related to the quality of the video. With a vast amount of content available, the viewer can easily switch to one of many similar videos if they become disinterested or bored. Therefore, it's important to choose video titles and previews that make people want to watch and understand what the video is about. Keep the viewer intrigued and don't immediately answer all their questions; gradually reveal information throughout the video. Avoid making overly lengthy introductions and jump straight into the main information. The key is to satisfy your audience. Don't be afraid to create 30-minute videos if you're providing value and keeping the audience engaged.

Optimize all text elements with keywords - titles, descriptions, subtitles, and tags. This will make it easier for viewers to find you through search and help YouTube understand what you represent. This will increase the number of views. Additionally, by selecting keywords in advance, you'll know which topics interest your audience and create videos based on those topics.

When a user searches for something, they rely not only on the search function but also on the suggested videos. Therefore, they'll scroll through the home screen or look in the "related" section, which is displayed after watching a video on that topic. The user will be interested and click if they understand that the video will offer something interesting and useful.

Also, we recommend reading our previous article to learn more about optimizing videos on YouTube. Now, let's talk about how to keep viewers engaged and searching for more content.

Take the time to sort your content, divide videos into different playlists, and create YouTube cards.

Playlists are great because viewers are more likely to watch all the videos in them, even those that didn't become popular. Create multiple playlists and divide them into different categories to see what's more interesting. YouTube cards are pop-up windows that appear when a video is played. The image above shows the types of cards. If a viewer likes a video, provide another one that delves deeper into the topic or is simply similar to it.

When viewers comment on your videos, respond to make them feel valuable. This gives them a reason to return to your channel to learn more and comment on other videos.

Having more comments not only helps the algorithm rank your video, but also provides valuable feedback from viewers. This is especially useful when your channel is new because more feedback = building a direct understanding with your audience.

Over time, you'll start buying ads because if you don't, your competitors will always have an advantage. We all know how effective this can be. For example, if you're watching a camera review, there may be an ad for camera accessories in the corner of the video.

Newcomers are likely to try to minimize marketing expenses, and that's fair, but as you grow, you'll need more investment.

Well, just like Instagram and Facebook have stories, YouTube joined the parade by adding shorts.

YouTube Shorts are vertical format videos up to 60 seconds long. They're designed for mobile users, who make up about 3/4 of YouTube visitors. Take advantage of this feature to reach users on different devices.

YouTube offers expanded opportunities for organizations that prefer content marketing. The reason for this is the wide audience and convenient promotion technologies. To fully market through a YouTube channel:

To achieve success, patience and a lot of attention to the project will be required. Only in this way will it become popular and allow for effective sales of goods and services. Invest time and effort into organic growth on YouTube. This is a laborious process, but to understand YouTube marketing, study the platform inside and out. This will increase the chances of making money with it. And when it comes to advertising, make sure the first 5 seconds capture the audience's interest. This is the time it takes for the viewer to skip the ad or decide to stay longer. Make the audience watch the entire video. Growing on the platform is incredibly difficult, but if you are consistent and follow a well-crafted YouTube marketing strategy, you will see how it significantly impacts your business's development.