5 Ways to Improve Your YouTube Marketing Strategy

5 Ways to Improve Your YouTube Marketing Strategy

Are you using subtitles as part of your YouTube marketing strategy? You should be, as well as these other tips.

I’ve written a lot about YouTube and how the supply chain should be leveraging it as a marketing tool. Of course, I don’t recommend just creating videos at random and throwing them up on your channel. Like any content or platform, you should approach YouTube strategically.

Here are some tips for optimizing your YouTube marketing strategy.

5 tips to improve your YouTube marketing strategy

1) Do the groundwork.

It may seem like a bigger-than-necessary investment of time at the front end, but doing your research is often “one of the most undervalued aspects of content marketing,” according to Forbes contributor AJ Agrawal.

This means getting a grasp of the existing landscape before you publish your content. Look at others in your market, and what works or doesn’t work for them.

2) Create “content buckets.”

“YouTube marketing really comes down to picking a few key areas where you feel you can deliver true thought leadership, entertainment, or some kind of value, and then mass-producing content that falls within those larger buckets,” says Agrawal.

“Buckets” refer to the broader categories your content falls into. For example, if you’re looking to create awareness about the role you play in a larger supply chain structure, one bucket might be education. Once you start organizing your thinking this way, generating quality content that falls within your larger strategy gets much easier.

3) Create a standard for your content, and stick to it.

Agrawal points out that one of the most important keys to building a loyal audience is consistency. This can be a challenge when it comes to posting quality video content, since it requires an investment of time and resources.

But it’s crucial that you “set the tone from the beginning and let your audience know what to expect,” including what kind of content you’ll be posting, and how often your audience can expect to hear from you. Once you’ve done that, stick with the promises you’ve made.

4) Use subtitles.

People are increasingly watching videos on their mobile devices in public, without the sound on. Taking this small step means that, rather than bypassing your content because they can’t hear what’s being said, people are paying attention to your videos no matter where they are.

5) Collaborate.

Content marketing at its very core benefits tremendously from collaboration. “One of the most effective ways to get your content disseminated, shared, and ultimately seen is by collaborating with other people who have audiences as well,” says Agrawal.

Collaborations are beneficial for everyone involved, particularly when you chose your partners strategically. If they share a similar audience, it boosts exposure for both parties, as well as boosting credibility within your industry.

Tell us about your YouTube marketing strategy.

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Facebook/Cambridge Analytica Scandal Furthers Distrust, Twitter Cracks Down on AI Usage, and More Social Media News

Facebook/Cambridge Analytica Scandal Furthers Distrust, Twitter Cracks Down on AI Usage, and More Social Media News

Also in social media news March 2018: Snapchat allows branded content ads; Facebook is testing Messenger Broadcasts; and Twitter tests prioritizing news tweets.

With the increasing popularity of automation tools and chatbot technology, social media platforms are working to regulate how brands are reaching their target audiences. Trying to ensure that users aren’t being inundated with spam posts or fake news, Twitter, Facebook and many others are coming out with stricter rules and regulations. This could mean extra work for smaller brands trying to keep up with the latest changes to make sure their content is getting as much reach as possible.

But there are real benefits to using automation tools, especially when it comes to social media management. Facebook, for example, is testing a new Messenger Broadcast that would help smaller businesses, which don’t already utilize chatbots, blast messages to users that have started a conversation with their Pages. These small but helpful updates will allow companies to have a greater reach without extra work for their marketers.

Here’s your social media news for March 2018.

Facebook/Cambridge Analytica scandal furthers distrust

Facebook issued yet another apology to its users after news broke that a quiz app developed by a Cambridge University researcher leaked personal data from about 50 million people in 2014. Political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica, which was affiliated with President Donald Trump’s 2016 election campaign, allegedly used the data to create psychological profiles to influence voters. Users responded with a #deleteFacebook campaign, in which those angered by Facebook’s mishandling of the data are encouraging widespread removal of all Facebook-associated apps, including Instagram and WhatsApp. Fronetics is staying on top of this situation and will continue to provide social media recommendations in light of such reports.

Facebook ends Explore Feed

Adam Mosseri, head of Facebook News Feed, announced plans to discontinue the Explore Feed on the website in early March. Facebook introduced Explore Feed in October as, essentially, a second News Feed that acted as a dedicated place for Pages. User feedback showed that “Explore isn’t an effective way for people to discover new content on Facebook,” and actually made it harder for users in test areas to access important information.

Twitter cracks down on automation and bot usage

Twitter released a new set of rules and regulations that prohibits developers from using Twitter automation and bot programs to simultaneously post identical content from multiple accounts. It also bans users from performing actions — such as likes, retweets, or scheduling tweets — from multiple accounts. “One of the most common spam violations we see is the use of multiple accounts and the Twitter developer platform to attempt to artificially amplify or inflate the prominence of certain Tweets,” writes Yoel Roth on Twitter’s blog.

YouTube adds new live-streaming tools and features

YouTube introduced a new chat replay feature that unfolds exactly as it did when the video was streaming live. Users can now watch videos that originally aired live and follow the conversations that took place alongside of the video, even after the live stream is over. This new feature supports YouTube’s mission to add “ways to watch live videos and interact with your community in real time.”

Facebook tests messenger broadcasts

Facebook is testing a new messaging tool directed at small businesses that haven’t jumped on the chatbot bandwagon. TechCrunch reports that Messenger Broadcasts allow companies to blast a message to anyone who has already started a conversation with them in Messenger. The new tool is currently being tested among a small percentage of Pages in the U.S., Mexico, and Thailand. Facebook hopes to turn the messaging tool into a paid product for small businesses and limit the number of messages that can be broadcast to cut down on spam.

Twitter test makes news the first thing users see in the timeline

Twitter recently confirmed a test of a news reel that would put news highlights at the top of users’ feeds. According to BuzzFeed, Twitter will select news items to appear in boxes at the top of the timeline. Twitter says the test is designed to “highlight the platform’s bent towards current happenings” while making news easier to find. This test comes in the aftermath of Facebook also trying to prioritize news events over Pages, while also fighting increasing fake news.

Snapchat allows branded content ads

Snapchat will now allow publishers to share branded content among the articles and videos they post. “Starting now Discover publishers are allowed to distribute branded content within the Snap Ads that run in their Publisher Stories,” a Snapchat spokesman said in an emailed statement. Snapchat Discover generated more than $100 million in ad revenue for its media partners in 2017, and this latest update will hope to boost even more ad sales.

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Infographic: Social Media Statistics Your Business Needs to Consider When Publishing Content

Infographic: Social Media Statistics Your Business Needs to Consider When Publishing Content

These social media statistics are important to keep in mind when planning out your content marketing strategy.

A strong social media presence is key to successful marketing in 2018. Social media is simply unavoidable these days.

So, you jumped on board and you’re posting and tweeting. You’re creating content. You’re learning about search engine optimization and how to improve your rankings. But you’re still not reaching the audiences you were hoping to attract. What’s going wrong?

When you are posting on social media could be as important as what you’re posting.

Timing is everything, and that statement especially holds true when it comes to posting content to social media. If you are sending out your message and nobody is there to see it, you are that proverbial tree falling in the forest; you did not make a sound. Your post had little to no impact.

So, even if you are putting in the time and effort to craft informative blog posts, tweets with just the right message, or Facebook posts that inspire more than just page likes, you still are not getting the most exposure you can out of social media.

We have done our homework when it comes to the best times to post on social media. And the truth is there is no “one size fits all” answer to when you should post. There are general guidelines that differ for each site. But in general, it’s important to keep your target audience in mind when deciding where and when to post.

Here are some social media statistics that you need to consider when deciding when to post your content.

Social media statistics your business needs to consider when publishing content

social media statistics

(Made with Canva)

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YouTube is Helping with Branding, LinkedIn is Creating Geofilters for Your Corporate Events, Facebook is Giving Out Background Details, and More Social Media News

YouTube is Helping with Branding, LinkedIn is Creating Geofilters for Your Corporate Events, Facebook is Giving Out Background Details, and More Social Media News

Also in October’s 2017 social media news: Vimeo is getting in the live streaming game, Instagram doubles its ad dollars, and YouTube will be taking over America’s favorite past time.

While the fall season has many of us wrapped up in blankets with flavored lattes, social media sites are spicing things up in lots of other ways.

Shopping for the holidays just got easier thanks to Instagram. YouTube is taking over Major League Baseball. Twitter is making those Throwback Thursdays way more convenient. And Facebook wants us all to know you can’t judge a book by its cover.

Here’s your social media news for October 2017.

Instagram Expands Shopping Capabilities on the App

Instagram is teaming with Shopify to create the capability for brands and retailers to sell products directly from their Instagram accounts. Shoppers will be able to click on the experimental tagging links and purchase products directly through the app. Instagram is working overtime to have 500,000 retailers available for the upcoming holiday season, including Black Friday and Cyber Monday. “Discovery is at the heart of the Instagram experience. Together with Shopify, we are enabling new ways to turn discovery into exploration, allowing Instagrammers to find new things from brands they love and businesses to find opportunities to build relationships with these valuable customers,” Instagram said.

YouTube Named Presenting Sponsor of the World Series

YouTube is working overtime to promote its live TV service by becoming the presenting sponsor of the MLB World Series. Kelly Merryman, YouTube’s managing director of content partnerships in America, said in a statement that the deal serves to underscore the kinds of popular sporting events that are available on YouTube TV. The multi-tiered deal serves as the first national ad campaign for the video platform and will include national TV ads, on-air mentions during each game, in-stadium branding, and more.

LinkedIn Tests Geofilters for Events and Conferences

LinkedIn is testing the ability for users to tag events and conferences with location-based filters, taking a page from Snapchat. As part of the platform’s new native video tools, LinkedIn is giving conference attendees the opportunity to add dedicated event frames to the videos they create while attending such functions. The illustrations are styled like conference badges, with the user’s profile photo in the right-hand corner. The badges also indicate the user’s role (such as a speaker, panel member, or attendee).

Facebook Tests Publisher-Information Button on Articles

Facebook is experimenting with adding a publisher-information button to articles shared in your News Feed that will provide additional information about the author and context around the article without having to navigate away from the site. The test was born out of feedback from the Facebook Journalism Project, which the ‘Book launched to ensure the credibility of content shared by its users . By creating transparency around publishers and their content, Facebook says its helping users to make more informed decisions. “Helping people access this important contextual information can help them evaluate if articles are from a publisher they trust, and if the story itself is credible,” wrote Facebook.

Twitter Adding a Bookmarking Tool

Twitter has announced its plan to add a new bookmarking tool to its app. The “Save for Later” tool will allow users to save a tweet to read later on. The feature’s impending launch was first unveiled on Twitter itself, naturally, when Head of Product Keith Coleman announced that a new way to save tweets was in the works as a result of a company HackWeek project dubbed #SaveForLater.

Vimeo Launches Live Streaming Platform

After acquiring Lifestream, Vimeo is launching its own live-streaming platform called Vimeo Live. The new platform will allow users the ability to create, edit and distribute live events. The paid membership is promoting better viewer engagement, speedy support, and in-depth analytics to track your progress.

Instagram Grows by 100 Million Users in Four Months and Doubles Advertisers

Instagram is having a pretty good year. It has reached over 800 million monthly users, with 500 million daily active users. This is a 100-million-user increase since April. And the platform’s growth doesn’t stop there. Instagram also reported it has 2 million advertisers. “Time spent watching video on Instagram is up more than 80% year over year, while the number of videos produced per day has increased by 4x from last year. With the emergence of innovative mobile video formats, like Instagram Stories, business are finding more opportunities to connect with their audiences, whether on the go or in the moment,” wrote the Instagram Business Team on its Business Blog.

YouTube Debuts New Ad Tech Tools for Brands

YouTube is making it easier for advertisers to get in front of their target audiences. Marketers can now reach potential customers based on their searches and the videos they’re already watching with four new ad tech tools:

  1. Video Ad Sequencing, which allows advertisers to create a video funnel that moves users through a planned sequence of video ads;
  2. Director Mix, which automatically customizes video content for different audiences;
  3. Custom Affinity Audiences which allows advertisers to define audience targeting based on users’ YouTube searches;
  4. Neilsen’s Matched Panel Analysis, which allows advertisers to measure the impact of video alongside other Google campaigns on offline sales.

The video site is hoping to make it easier to create a relationship between what advertisers have to offer and the people that are interested in those offers.

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Facebook Launches “Watch,” Apple’s Back on the Horn, and More Social Media News

Facebook Launches “Watch,” Apple’s Back on the Horn, and More Social Media News

Also in September 2017’s social media news: YouTube gets a new look, and LinkedIn adds a native advertising network.

With fall officially in swing, social media platforms have turned up the heat. During the month of September, Facebook has launched its original video content tab and begged music executives for the ability to download songs. YouTube reworked its mobile app and came out with a fresh, new design. LinkedIn introduced us to its new Audience Network. And Instagram just got easier to troll at work. Here’s this month’s social media news.

Facebook Watch Makes Its Appearance on Profiles

Facebook has officially rolled out its new Watch tab, which allows users to subscribe to original video content. The tab was available to a test audience in August, but is now open to all users in the U.S. on mobile, desktop and Facebook’s TV apps. Facebook is hoping to boost ad sales through the new content and create one more reason for people to continually check back in on their newsfeeds for content they can’t get anywhere else.

Apple Unveils iPhone X

On the heels of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus release is the newest Apple must-have: the iPhone X. The X introduces a new wraparound screen and Apple’s cutting-edge technology, Face ID.  Face ID is enabled by the TrueDepth camera and projects and analyzes more than 30,000 invisible dots to create a precise depth map of your face. This will allow users to access Apple Pay by simply looking into their screen. The phone also includes powerful new augmented reality features. At a press conference, the tech giant demonstrated high-fidelity visuals placed dynamically in the real world, viewable through the iPhone’s camera lens.

YouTube Unveils New Logo and Features on Mobile App

YouTube continues to evolve with its growing popularity. Recently, the video site came out with a sleek new design. The new logo and icon are cleaner, more flexible, and better designed for a multiscreen world. YouTube has also added speed up and slow down features to playback and the ability to browse new videos while viewing video content. YouTube is hoping these changes will continue to increase user engagement and usability.

Instagram Moving to Your Desktop

Instagram just launched instagram.com, allowing users to view Stories on their desktops. Soon, users will be able to create and post Stories to the website from their phones, as well. “Stories has quickly become an important part of the Instagram experience — over 250 million people use it every day to see what their friends are doing in the moment. Now we’re excited to bring stories to people who use Instagram on the web.”

LinkedIn Introduces New Audience Network

LinkedIn has launched its new LinkedIn Audience Network, “a native advertising network that enables you to reach even more professionals with your ads by placing your Sponsored Content on high-quality, third-party publishers across mobile and desktop.” The new network was created to help businesses increase their marketing footprint, cut budgets, and expand their content’s reach. LinkedIn assures marketers that it has “taken measures to ensure brand safety within [its] recently launched LinkedIn Audience Network,” such as vetting partner publishers to verify that they meet its advertising guidelines and regularly monitoring campaign activity on the network.

Twitter Adds Team Managements Feature

Now your colleagues can keep their Twitter passwords to themselves. The social media app just launched a new team management feature, called TweetDeck Teams, which allows multiple people to login to the same account without sharing passwords. The new feature divides users into three categories: owner, administrator, and contributor, and gives various levels of functionality to each category.

Facebook Artificial Intelligence Training Bots to Mimic Emotions

Facebook’s AI researchers are working to introduce the first robots that can replicate human emotion through subtle facial expressions. In newly released papers, the researchers discuss their overall success with their efforts and the affects this could have on videos in the future. These researchers are hoping the bots will one day improve the avatars in virtual reality.

Facebook Offers Hundreds of Millions for Music Rights

Facebook is offering up cash — and lots of it — to music producers and creators so users can legally include songs in videos they upload to the site. Reports indicate that Facebook has offered hundreds of millions of dollars to make the deal happen. Music owners have been negotiating with Facebook for months in search of a solution, and Facebook has promised to build a system to identify and tag music that infringes copyrights.

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