Make YouTube work for you in 2022 — and beyond!

Posted by Anya Sleezer << back to blog

Last Updated on October 11, 2022

YouTube rules the world of user-generated video content. Yes, even if users aren’t willing to pay for “YouTube Premium” (a running gag among Instagram memers), the free platform continues to dominate, with no signs of slowing down.

YouTube is leveraged by both big and small companies. And, for that matter, no companies at all. Many people have managed to make themselves celebrity millionaires based on their YouTube content. Meanwhile, some multinational corporations will produce epic commercials that barely register 100 views.

Why do these influencers and content creators know that many global companies with huge media budgets don’t?

Easy. They produce content people want to watch.

No, that doesn’t mean your oil and natural gas company or financial advisory firm should start producing “milk cart challenge” videos just to be trendy or viral. The damage to your brand’s reputation (not to mention your physical health) is not worth it.

You can stay true to your brand values and succeed on YouTube by focusing on the most powerful “A” word in modern marketing: Algorithm.

YouTube is owned by Google, after all, so it’s no surprise the platform also relies on a sophisticated, ever-evolving algorithm.

Following the platform’s algorithm and staying on top of trends is crucial. But as always, it always comes back to the quality of your content.

Don’t know where to begin? Before you watch a video on “How to succeed on YouTube,” follow these tips to ace YouTube SEO in 2022.

Tell Stories Well.

We’re starting here because it’s that important. YouTube places a premium on quality storytelling. But your goal isn’t to “go viral” — it’s to tell your story to your target audience. So start with what we know works: Why do you do what you do?

People relate to multi-billion dollar, global brands like Apple and Nike because they know their values and can relate to them. These brands inspire people to become the best that they can be (via buying their products, of course). Tell stories that help your audience relate to your brand and determine how your company can fit into their lives.

See What’s Working.

If your brand already has a channel, take some time and study the “most popular videos,” videos with high audience retention rate, and especially channels that rank well on relevant keywords to your industry. Yes, we’re telling you to scope out the competition, just don’t blatantly rip them off.

Study what distinguishes them and their channel in the same niche/category. Leverage this data and devise a video strategy around it, with respect to your audience’s interest. But when you’re reviewing “most popular videos” or videos with a high retention rate, remember that whatever ideas you get from them, it has to be relevant to your brand. Nobody wants to see a cat video with a healthcare CEO. Okay, maybe they do, but are they likely to trust you or take you seriously? We think not.

How To Rank.

At the end of the day, YouTube is a search engine (remember, they’re owned by the world’s biggest search engine, Google). Which means there’s not a three-step formula to fame and fortune, but there are tried-and-true tactics to harness the power of your videos.

Optimize Title & Description: Use relevant keywords in your video titles and descriptions. To increase your opportunity at ranking, make sure you include copy with keywords in the following categories.

Title
Thumbnails
Description
Transcripts
Translations
Tags
Links
Call to action

Don’t leave a section blank, but don’t “keyword spam” either. Make sure your keywords flow naturally in your copy.

Promote relevant videos: If the viewer has watched your video until the end, they are probably willing to watch other videos on your channel. Use end cards to keep viewers on your channel and engaged with your conent.
Select a Good Thumbnail: Rule of thumb: Use great thumbnails. They’re so underrated, and yet so useful. Thumbnails catch the viewer’s eye even before the title. Don’t just select a random thumbnail. Put some thought into which image from your video best conveys the video’s content in a compelling way.
Call To Action: What do you want your viewers to do? Don’t forget to tell them! Besides sales-related messaging within the video (e.g. sign up at www.yoururl.com), remind viewers to Like and Share your video and Subscribe to your channel. Best practice: Drop your CTAs at the beginning or end of the video (or both), but not in the middle. It stops the flow of the video, and is more likely to be ignored.

Trends and best practices come and go — having a marketing expert on your team is always the best way to go.

If your video content and YouTube strategy needs some love, level up with Levo!

Anya Sleezer

Anya Sleezer is the owner of Levo, a full–service marketing agency, focused on helping companies from all industries who are concerned with their marketing results, traffic, branding, advertising, or websites.

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