2020 saw a wave of changes in digital content consumption. The pandemic created an enormous spike. New channels saw a 95% spike in 2020 (source elitecontentmarketer). In India, in 2019 there were 271.9 Mn Youtube viewers and this was projected to grow to 308.7Mn in 2020 (source: emarketer)
Music Videos like Despacito took just 154.4 days to reach 2 Bn views. Adele's - "Hello" took only 87.4 days to reach 1 Bn views. T-Series music curations had 146 Mn Subscribers and 116 Bn views. The Cocomelon Nursery Rhymes Channel had 92.1 Mn subscribers & 75.20 Bn views (source socialblade).
It is needless to say that Youtube is popular, content creation is truly king and highly profitable but also that it is a competitive space and it is going to take time, effort and money for businesses that are just starting to leverage Youtube and digital video content to grow.
Well, Rome wasn't built in a day and with the following tips, it should make the journey, highly rewarding and worth the effort.
So, how should a brand begin or go about leveraging youtube and digital videos to grow their business?
Its foolhardy to appeal to everyone. Instead identify a specific audience that will find value in the youtube content you intend on creating. Whether its tech reviews or anything else, create your niche - not just with your audience but also with your content.
Predictability
Creating a scheduled video release pattern will not only help the youtube algorithm keep track of your videos but will also show them to your audience (new and existing subscribers).
Quality of Content Vs. Quality of Production
Unless you already have a good production budget and can produce slick videos, it is more important to get quality content in place first. Find a fertile topic that you can create content around, then break up the topic into smaller bite sizes that you can create content around. Ensure that your content is Inspiring and Motivating so that viewers can derive value and want to share your content with their friends and family.
Viral Myth
Creating content that is guaranteed to go viral is almost an impossibility however, there are some best practices that businesses can use to tip the myth in their favour
Most viewers will leave after watching 10 to 20 seconds of your video. By the 60 second mark it is likely that you would have lost more than 50% of your viewers. Break your content down in smaller bite sizes and keep it short and sweet. Surprise your viewer with the most important information within the first 15 seconds and then get into details. Powerful images, Catchy Headlines, Strong Value Propositions and Clear Call to Action will help viewers derive value from your content. Remember KISS (Keep It Simple, Silly).
Viewers want to be entertained. Viewers want content that warms their heart and spirit (humour, emotional, sensational etc). Ensure that your video content is happily entertaining and within your brand's tone of voice. Brands need to ensure that the viewers identify with the characters and the story plot. Leveraging plot twists and visual effects will make your video content more likeable and shareable.
Inspiration can come from current trends and popular memes however ensuring that the video is in sync with the brands message and speaks in the same viewer language will help the viewer want to share your video content.
Viewers like a steady rhythm (a steady timing). We breathe at a steady pace, our hearts beat to a predictable rhythm etc. Developing and maintaining a consistent rhythm in your storytelling ensures that viewers understand your message and nothing is lost or confusing.
Monetisation
There are many ways to generate revenue from your video content. Be it via Brands Sponsoring you or Selling Merchandise or Paid Membership or Crowdfunding Projects or Consultation & Coaching or Licensing or monetisation from Google Adsense or Affiliate Marketing... Monetisation will come over time.
Conclusion
Customer Experience Journeys cut across mediums (offline and online) and have multiple touch-points. For a business to be successful with it's video content, it requires the brand to step into the shoes of it's customers; understand and empathise with their wants, needs and desires apart from investing time, effort and money to be effective.
Related Reading: Creating Iconic Music to deliver better stories, Viral Marketing, Customer Centricity, How Influencers marketing actually accelerates growth and sales
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