Don’t Ignore The World’s 2nd Largest Search Engine

Why YouTube Helps Your Digital Marketing Efforts

We all know that Google is the king of search engines. While some may still use Yahoo or Bing to browse online, most consumers go straight to the big kahuna, Google. But there’s another search engine that’s sometimes underestimated, and it’s the second-largest in the world.

You may not recognize it but it’s actually YouTube. With over a billion users, hundreds of millions of hours of video are streamed every single day. Digital marketing using videos can be one of the most effective marketing strategies you can use.

Marketing plans from days past relied heavily on billboards, radio, magazine ads, and TV commercials. While these still have their place in marketing, you can’t ignore the internet. Internet advertising offers a much more targeted approach to consumers.

And today, with consumers being somewhat overexposed to the media, you shouldn’t just shoot out ads blindly—you need to meet your customers where they’re at. And where are they? Well, for starters, YouTube.

Why Video Marketing?

Video advertising on YouTube is more effective than television advertising because the target audience is generally more engaged. Millennials are more than twice more likely to focus on videos on their smartphone than watching ads on their TVs.

The possibilities are endless. Our smartphones go everywhere with us (even to the bathroom). They’re at home on the couch with us at night. They’re on vacation with us, helping us navigate the busy streets of a new city.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

At peak selling hours, you could be spending loads of cash to get in front of the wrong audience. One of the largest search engines in the world is also the largest “cable network,” so to speak. With most content uploading ability available for free, you can get in front of a much larger audience for much less advertising cost. Even better, that audience is more engaged.

How many of us have complained about a spouse / significant other / roommate watching YouTube videos on their phone while we’re trying to watch something on TV? The fact is that an overwhelming majority of people use multiple screens at once. And with what we know about engagement, they’re typically more tuned into the small screen in their hand than the TV you’re trying so desperately to watch.

So for businesses to only sink ad dollars into TV commercials is not the best practice. If your target consumer is on two screens, you need to be on two, too.

We live in an age of instant on-screen gratification. When you don’t know the answer to a question, a quick internet search will give you an immediate answer. When you’re quoting a funny video clip, and your buddy’s never seen it, you can find it in a few seconds and share.

That trend spills over in the way younger viewers prefer to view video content. I’ve had lots of friends and family members cancel their cable subscriptions in favor of instant streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney +, etc.

What Can You Do?

There’s only one thing you can do; Get out there. Make meaningful content available. Know your audience, and give them what they are looking for. Your videos don’t have to be fancy or cost you a fortune to create. A phone camera could do the trick if used correctly!.

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