Is YouTube social media? The short answer is yes! It’s also a popular search engine, and we explain how you can utilise it in your business.
Social media has become an integral part of our lives. We use it to connect with friends and family, share videos and pictures, and consume news and information.
That being said, you probably didn’t think YouTube is considered to be a social media platform, but it is! YouTube is not only a video-sharing platform, but it is also treated as a social media platform.
Just like Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram, users can like and comment on videos and subscribe to channels, and it’s just as interactive as the other leading platforms.
Did you know YouTube is also the 2nd most used search engine, after Google!
Here are some other YouTube statistics:
- It is the second most popular social media site
- The highest share of users are aged between 25-44 years, constituting 44%
- More than 35.6 million adults in the UK use the platform
- By 2019 it was suggested there were 3.01 billion YouTube videos, up from 1.3 billion in 2012
- There are 1.9 billion monthly active users globally.
With all these figures, YouTube is definitely not something to shy away from.
How can you utilise YouTube?
Now knowing that YouTube is a social media platform (used by more than 35.6 million adults in the UK) and it’s also a popular search engine, how can you utilise it in your business?
- Define your goals
Before you start to make any content, it is important to clearly define the purpose of why you are using YouTube. Whether it’s to educate, entertain, inspire, or promote your business, setting goals and specific objectives will help direct and guide your content creation.
- Use consistent branding
Using consistent branding across your YouTube channel, including your logo, any channel art, and video intros, creates a recognisable identity for your business. Try to also keep it in line with the branding you use for other marketing activities, so it stays consistent and distinguishes you from other content creators. Make sure the social media handle is also relevant to your business, you should use your business name or an abbreviation of it, so it makes it easy to remember.
What is a social media handle? A social handle is a unique public username used on social media platforms to represent a specific user or account. You can usually see them with a ‘@’ symbol beforehand.
- Create quality content
Once you know the type of videos you want to create, investing time and effort into producing high-quality content is vital. Use professional equipment where possible, and make sure you focus on creating videos that add value to your target audience.
As YouTube is also used as a search engine, making sure your videos align to the questions and concerns people have it important to being seen.
- Engage with your viewers and users
Just like on Facebook and Instagram, when someone comments on your post, it’s beneficial to respond, as this builds a personal connection. Try to encourage viewer interaction by responding to comments on your videos. This can be anything from asking for feedback to asking for suggestions.
Opening that line of communication fosters a sense of community and strengthens the bond between you and your audience.
- Collaborate with others
We love collaborating, and it’s even part of our Common 10 Marketing Model!
You can form alliances with businesses that have a different service offering but serve the same target audience – these are called non-competing businesses. Collaborating like this means you can reach out to a broader audience, and prospects are more likely to convert because they’re coming from a trusted creator.
- Promote your channel
You have all these wonderful videos on your channel, but it’s no good if no one knows about them and your channel!
Using the help of other social media platforms, you can promote your YouTube channel. You can do this by posting teasers, behind-the-scenes footage, or snippets of videos. Make sure also to use relevant hashtags.
- Optimise for SEO
As you know by now YouTube is also a search engine, and just like Google, it has its own search algorithm. Make sure to optimise the videos with appropriate titles, descriptions, and tags. This will help improve your visibility in search results.
Keyword research is imperative if you want to be seen on the first page of Google. Need help? Get in touch with Growth by Design!
- Consistently upload videos
Just like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter, you must also regularly upload content to YouTube. This maintains audience engagement and establishes a sense of reliability.
Creating a content calendar can help to know when and what you will be posting, and to stay consistent!
Is YouTube social media? How can Growth by Design help you.
Hopefully, now you understand YouTube’s importance and significant impact on your business, when used correctly!
Our friendly Growth by Design team has the know-how and experience to ensure that your YouTube channel is successful, whatever goals you set out to achieve. To learn more, give us a call today on 01444 810530.
