Youtube #1 in Unique VisitorsLast month, YouTube surpassed Facebook in terms of unique visitors – making it the largest social media site out there.
Most brands have caught on to the importance of producing effective YouTube content as part of their marketing mix, but last month’s news is just one more reminder of how powerful a marketing tool it can be.
Of course the eternal struggle comes when actually trying to execute an effective content strategy. Luckily, YouTube has taken much of the guesswork and research out of the equation with “The YouTube Creator Playbook for Brands.”
This comprehensive strategy guide can help jumpstart and refine your content strategy and we highly recommend taking a deeper look.
The Key Takeaway
One of the lessons from the playbook comes in the intro to the “Ten Fundamentals of a Creative Strategy on Youtube.”
The section leads off with this statement: “Approach your content as a YouTube creator would, and take advantage of the creative approaches most commonly employed by YouTube’s top channels.”
This is one of the best golden nuggets of advice within the 100-slide playbook. Learn from those who have already mastered the formula and then find opportunities to build on it!
A Best-in-Class Example
The Fine BrothersOne of the most effective YouTube content producers out there is a pair called The Fine Brothers, which is comprised of brothers Benny and Rafi Fine.
Their flagship production is a series of reaction videos in which they show kids, teens, elders and “YouTubers” (like themselves) videos and tape their reactions. After showing the video they will then ask a series of follow-up questions, cleverly designed to give us the best reactions possible.
With some crafty, editing the final product becomes a quick-hitting, hilarious and insightful piece of content. The result: over 9 million subscribers and nearly 2 billion views!
The Fine Brothers’ “react” series was chosen as our example because it's not only the perfect archetype for an effective content campaign but also serves as a treasure trove of social insights. Think of it almost like a series of focus groups!
Why Are Reaction Videos so Popular?
1. Audience Engagement Paired With Trending Topics
Each week, The Fine Brothers audience is asked to provide suggestions for the following videos in the comments section. As a result, this drives traffic and discussion, giving the audience a sense of ownership and belonging that they (we) crave.
What better way to ensure you are producing the content an audience wants to view? Of course businesses might be more limited in the content they can produce but this takeaway is still valuable.
2. We love opinion
Let’s face it, we all love to share our opinions. We love to contradict, agree with and scrutinize the opinions of others.
With react videos, you get the whole package.
3. Collaboration
The Fine Brothers shrewdly chose “YouTubers” as their 4th reaction group. The YouTubers are some of the most popular content producers on the site and their participation draws in audiences from all corners of the online video hub. Be sure to keep an eye out for ways to use collaboration to bolster your content marketing on Youtube.
As an example, check out this recent video where The Fine Brothers asked elders to react to Google Glass.
The Bottom Line
Video is increasingly becoming the preferred method of content consumption and this is especially true for millennials. Luckily, there are many tools and case studies out there to help you produce effective YouTube content.
Stay tuned for next week's follow-up post where we will delve deeper into the topic of YouTube content and look at which brands are leading the pack.
Have a brand in mind? Leave us a comment with your suggestion! They might show up in the next post.
