The Power of YouTube In-Stream Ads in Interruption Marketing

YouTube in-stream ads (i.e., the commercials that play before, during, or after other YouTube videos) have a knack for making real estate agents local celebrities—in a good way! The agents I coach often get recognized by strangers, friends, and family who spot their ads and can’t help but mention it. These ads act as a powerful pattern interrupt, making people stop and take notice.

In a way, it’s reminiscent of the old-school local TV commercials that created a bit of a “celebrity effect” by mixing local content with national programming—where viewers weren’t expecting to see something proximate and familiar. Unlike other online ads, YouTube ads don’t blend in—they stand out and capture attention.

So if you’re looking for a cost-effective way to achieve high recall and win attention in your local market, YouTube in-stream ads are a definite way to go.

Now, you might be asking how to run these types of ads. Click here for detailed steps on how to set them up and integrate them into your marketing strategy.

Quality Over Quantity: A New Era in Social Media

Social media has long been a game of who can post the most, urging us to create non-stop. But, there's a hint of change in the air. While the race to post often hasn't slowed down, we're starting to see signs that lasting, quality content might begin to take center stage:

• TikTok is testing videos up to 15 minutes, allowing creators to dive deeper into their content.

• Instagram is experimenting with longer runtimes for Reels, testing the waters for more engaging content.

• LinkedIn has updated its algorithm to better showcase “evergreen” posts, ones that maintain relevance over time and can continuously engage new audiences.

These changes hint at a broader shift toward quality, reminiscent of what we've learned from YouTube. On YouTube, the expectation for quality has always been higher due to its long-form content nature. Viewers investing time in a longer video expect it to be worth their while, setting a precedent that more social platforms seem to be acknowledging.

This shift in platform strategies brings to mind YouTube's long-standing approach. On YouTube, the expectation for quality has always been higher due to its long-form content nature. Viewers investing time in a longer video expect it to be worth their while, setting a precedent that more social platforms seem to be acknowledging.

Could this be the dawn of a new era in social media, where the focus shifts from how much we post to the impact and longevity of what we post? (I honestly hope so!) How do you see this affecting your content strategy?

Real Estate Marketing on YouTube: How Skippable In-Stream Ads Can Help You Stand Out and Generate Leads

In the real estate space, you know that building relationships is flat-out essential to your business. What’s more, you wanna be top-of-mind for potential clients and have them view you as the definitive trusted local expert. That's where YouTube’s Skippable In-Stream ads—i.e., the commercials that play before, during, or after YouTube videos—come in as an insanely powerful tool to scale-up your brand. Lemme explain…

Create Top-of-Mind Awareness:

Skippable In-Stream ads allow you to showcase your brand (i.e., Y-O-U!) to your target audience. In terms of targeting an audience, Google Ads has powerful audience segmentation functionality whereby you can target, for instance, homeowners in your town, in-market buyers, folks planning a move, etc. It’s mind-boggling!

By using these ads, you can get “stage time” in front of potential buyers and sellers on repeat! When they're ready to make a move, they'll be more likely to think of you because they've seen your ads repeatedly and feel like they know you. That’s the power of video!

Drive Frequency of Views:

Frequency of views is another significant benefit of Skippable In-Stream ads. As potential clients keep seeing your ads repeatedly, they'll begin to feel more familiar with your brand, and your name will start to stick. In human psychology, that’s known as the Mere-Exposure Effect, a phenomenon whereby customers begin to favor the familiar, so to speak.

Real estate is a know/like/trust, relationship business. The more they see you, the more they'll like you and trust you as an expert in the field. It's an effective way to keep your name in front of potential clients and position yourself as a knowledgeable professional.

Showcase Your Knowledge/Competence:

End of day, customers are ultimately hiring you for your knowledge and skills. Skippable In-Stream ads provide an opportunity to showcase your expertise and build trust with potential clients. So, for instance, create insightful market update videos and then run them as In-Stream ads targeting local homeowners. It’s a way to generate listing appointments over time. Video content like that helps to position you as a knowledgeable professional and thus, creates consideration for your agent-brand.

Monthly market updates, neighborhood tours, and/or advice on buying and selling a home are just a few ideas to get started. When clients see that you know what you're talking about, they'll be more likely to trust you with their real estate needs. Showcase your expertise, stay top-of-mind, and grow your business.

YouTube for Real Estate: Unleashing the power of YouTube to reach high-intent customers

YouTube is more than just a social media platform; it's a search engine that can help businesses reach high-intent customers.

Unlike social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram, where users browse feeds somewhat aimlessly, YouTube users are purpose-driven. Generally speaking, folks go to YouTube with a specific search query in mind—which means they are actively seeking solutions to their problems. 

By creating informative and engaging video content that aligns with what potential buyers and sellers are actively searching for on YouTube, you have the opportunity to capture the attention of those who are already in a high-intent state, and thus, primed to take action.

To make the most of YouTube for your business, consider the following tips:

1. Create engaging video content that adds value to your target audience—that addresses their problems, goals, and so on. Make sure that your videos are informative, relevant, and visually appealing.

2. Optimize your video content for search engines. Use relevant keywords in your video titles, descriptions, and tags to ensure that your content is discoverable by your target audience.

3. Consistency is key. Post videos regularly to keep your audience engaged and interested in your business’s content.

If you’re ready to (massively) level-up your YouTube strategies in 2023, make sure to watch the full video here:  https://www.tomferry.com/marketing/ep-54-6-tips-for-youtube-views/

The full training goes in-depth about YouTube’s algorithm, breaks down a couple case-studies of real estate agents and teams crushing-it on YouTube, and shares 6 optimization secrets to dial-in your videos to rank higher in YouTube search.

YouTube’s got a lot to offer in the way of marketing your business… so don’t miss out on the opportunity.

YouTube Shorts are now Ranking in YouTube Search Results

Youtube Shorts has a leg-up on vertical-video rivals like Instagram/Facebook Reels and TikTok videos. What is it? In a word: SEARCH.

Now, I’m not saying Reels and TikToks shouldn’t remain a focal-point 🎯of your video and content strategy. I’m just saying… YouTube Shorts has something worth looking at more closely.

In its truest sense, YouTube is more of a search engine than a social network. The primary mechanism for consuming content on a social network, for instance, occurs by way of scrolling through feeds.

However, on YouTube, content is mostly discovered through search – which explains why long-form videos have historically performed so well on YouTube. It’s because if a viewer goes searching for a specific video to watch versus it just magically shows up in a feed… then, presumably, there’s a greater willingness to watch that video for longer.

Another perk of search-based video discovery is that your videos can keep on ranking in the search results for a long, long time – versus with social networks, they distribute through the feeds and then after that, they’re no more than an afterthought 💭.

Well guess what… YouTube Shorts—on desktop and mobile—are now ranking in search results pages‼️

In fact, when I look at my own channel’s performance insights, YouTube Shorts have become my most-viewed videos (without diminishing the performance of my long-form videos). What’s more, the bulk of the viewership is discovering my videos via YouTube Search—not from the Shorts feed (as would’ve been expected).

And, here’s the cherry on top 🍒:  my top-performing Shorts were posted over a year ago‼️ Search is like a fine wine 🍷 that gets better with age!

So… here’s my advice:  start making search-optimized YouTube Shorts and customers are gonna find your business.

Free PDF Download:

15 “search-ready” video titles for Youtube Shorts ⤵️

Do YouTube Shorts Hurt Long-Form YouTube Videos?

Can YouTube Shorts hurt the performance of your long-form YouTube videos?

From the get-go, lots of established YouTubers suggested having separate, “Shorts-only” channels as a safety measure to insulate against any possible algorithmic side-effects of Shorts. That advice was, in my opinion, highly prudent — after all, Shorts were brand new.

Notwithstanding, Search Engine Journal recently published a Q&A with a YouTube representative that offered some new guidance. Here are a few highlights I noted:

1. YouTube maintains entirely separate viewer watch histories of Shorts versus traditional, long-form videos. So, in other words, the Shorts you watch don’t have any algorithmic influence on what long-form videos YouTube may or may not recommend to you — and vice versa.

2. The rate of growth for channels producing both long-form and short-form videos outpaces channels only producing long-form videos. So, mix it up, basically.

3. The primary reason to start a separate YouTube channel isn’t to sequester Shorts from long-form videos; it’s simply to ensure that a channel’s videos align around a specific interest shared by its intended audience.

If you wanna give the full article a read, just type the LINK into your web browser:  https://bit.ly/Shorts-Algorithm.

YouTube Shorts are Ranking (and Getting “Evergreen” Views) in YouTube’s Search Results

Vertical Video📱is most definitely on trend:  TikTok videos, Reels on Instagram and Facebook, YouTube Shorts, etc.

One of their perks is a relatively high coefficient for going viral—sometimes tens-of-thousands, hundreds-of-thousands, or even millions of views!

However, that’s not necessarily enough by itself.

Instagram and TikTok, for instance, are working to improve their respective search 🔦tools to give users additional means to discover new videos and content. Otherwise, it’s all up to the feeds.

But YouTube’s already been there and done that 😏.

Lately, in fact, my most viewed videos on YouTube have been Shorts. What’s more, the way in which viewers discovered them was predominantly via YouTube Search. Videos that only get views in a feed, for instance, run their course in about a day-or-two and then essentially vanish without trace. Videos that rank in search results, on the other hand, well—they could last indefinitely. Case in point… my top-viewed Shorts were published over a year ago! 

All that to say: over-index on YouTube Shorts!

5 YouTube Tips-and-Tricks to Boost Video Performance (for Realtors, 2022)

YouTube is a gift that keeps on giving 📈. When you post a video on FB or IG, for instance, it’ll get nearly all its lifetime views in the first day or two as it circulates through the feeds. But after that:  it’s crickets 🦗

On YouTube, however, a well optimized video will amass views for days, weeks, months, or even years into the future. It’s a snowball effect! Fundamentally, the more people watch your video, the more YouTube promotes it—in the search results, explore pages, recommended next videos, and so on.

#TomFerry coaching member, @the.real.brad.mccallum, for instance, averages 22 minutes of cumulative watch time EVERY minute that passes—24 hours-a-day, seven days a week 🤯 Now, for starters, Brad’s videos are amazing—so it’s no surprise that they perform well. But besides that, if you analyze his top 10 videos in terms of most views month-after-month, for example, you’d notice many of the same videos make the list over and again. Why? Because on YouTube, it only get’s better w/ age!

Hence, it’s mission-critical to properly optimize your videos when uploading! Swipe through the images above for FIVE practical tips and PLEASE tag someone in a comment who could benefit from this post 🙏

1. Keyword-Rich Video Title: YouTube is a search engine. Search engines analyze “keywords” in a searcher’s query in order to rank the most relevant results. The title of your video is critical to its SEO. Use tools like TubeBuddy or VidIQ to assist or just start typing phrases into the search bar and analyze YouTube’s suggestions. Point is, whatever search term you want your video to rank on, that keyword (or phrase) needs to be in your video’s title.

2. Vocalize Your Keyword(s): YouTube listens and transcribes your videos. In other words, the platform knows the words you are (or aren’t) saying and can thus analyze whether or not the actual substance of your video aligns with the keyword(s) in its designated title. So... make it super easy for YouTube! Say your keyword(s): at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of your video.

3. Embed Video Chapters: YouTube is practically the only platform where long-form videos still prosper. Naturally, long videos tend to have more content packed in than short ones. Consider adding timed markers (like a table of contents) in the description of your video. Simply Type, “00:00 - Introduction” or “02:34 - First-Time Home Buyers” and it'll divide your video into chapters. This’ll give your video extra chances to rank on more search phrases.

4. Optimized Filename: This one’s super easy! Before you upload your video to YouTube, modify its filename to support your keywords. If the auto-generated filename is something like “1234567890.mp4,” rename it to something like “First-Time-Home-Purchase-2022.mp4.” Remember, YouTube is a search engine, so the clearer you are about your target search term or phrase, the greater YouTube’s confidence in your video’s relevance.

5. Clickable Thumbnail: Once published, your video may appear in the search results page, the Home feed, the Explore tab, the Subscriptions section, as a recommendation, or elsewhere. Whether or not prospective viewers click to watch your video is conclusive evidence of its relevance. If they click, great–if they don’t, YouTube may curb its reach. Your video’s thumbnail (i.e., the viewable image associated with it) is the primary factor to entice viewers to watch.

6 YouTube SEO Tools for Realtors

#YouTube is more of a ꜱᴇᴀʀᴄʜ-ᴇɴɢɪɴᴇ than a ꜱᴏᴄɪᴀʟ-ɴᴇᴛᴡᴏʀᴋ—meaning, viewers are prone to discover your content in YouTube's search results versus scrolling through feeds, like w/ other social sites.

In a way, it’s as if viewers are literally seeking out your videos:  they’ll watch for longer and tend to demonstrate higher levels of intent/interest concerning your video’s subject-matter (e.g. “real estate in ____”).

On the flip side, though, it’s a lot more competitive to get discovered on YouTube—which is why you need an SEO tool to optimize your uploads for maximum reach and performance.

Swipe through the images to review a short list of services to dial-in your YouTube SEO strategy. (Personally, I use @tubebuddy—there’s a link to it in my bio.)

Who’s putting energy/effort into growing on YouTube in 2022? Comment below ⤵️

Rank Top-of-Page in YouTube Search: The "Queue-Jumper" Campaign

Here’s how to ensure your next video ranks in the top position of YouTube’s search results. I call it, the “Queue-Jumper”—as in, “cutting the line” to outrank competing videos that might normally show above yours in a given YouTube search.

For example, imagine making a video titled, “Pros and cons of moving to _____,” for instance. Odds are, a bunch of other related videos with more SEO-juice than yours are probably holding the top-ranked positions in the search results. And the trouble is, if your video doesn’t rank on the first page of results, then, for all intents and purposes, it’s invisible.

Now, before continuing on, this is a tactic intended for a fully-optimized video uploaded to your channel from which you’re expecting (or hoping for) strong organic performance — as in, lots of views for an extended period of time. And by optimized, I mean (at minimum) (A) keywords in the title, (B) tags to support those keywords, and (C) a super-clickable thumbnail.

I’ve said it before:  YouTube is a search engine; not a social network. So—YouTube 101—the fundamental objective is to identify the search terms and phrases used by would-be customers and to then make videos to supply their searches. It’s a simple concept.

To conduct YouTube keyword research, try using a tool like TubeBuddy, MorningFa.me, or vidIQ, for instance.

**Sidebar:  I’ve compiled a list of 15 Search-Ready Real Estate Videos Titles for YouTube. Click HERE to download.**

Unfortunately, as I said before, ranking is easier said than done — especially when you’re up against more established creators. And if your video isn’t near the top of the search results, it’ll flounder and struggle to get views—which is, of course, the entire point.

Despite all that, however—if you want to elude the algorithm—then consider running a YouTube Video Discovery ad. Here are step-by-step instructions:

1. Visit ads.google.com to get started.

2. Click to begin a “New Campaign.”

3. Choose a goal—whatever you want.

4. Under “Campaign Type,” select “Video.”

5. Tap “Next” to continue.

6. Name your Campaign and disable all network placements except for YouTube Search Results.

7. Set your bid, budget, and start/end dates for your ad.

8. Navigate to the “Keywords” box. Enter the keywords (i.e., the search phrases) you want your video to rank on!
   **Heads up: this is the main ingredient of the tactic!**

9. Finally, copy-and-paste the link (from YouTube) to your designated video and press GO!

Presto! Rank top-of-page, get views, and build your brand — with YouTube video discovery ads!

4 YouTube (TrueView) Ads for Realtors to Run in 2021

YouTube is an ideal advertising platform. Here’s why:

1. It’s the second-most popular website on the planet 🌎—runner-up to its parent company, Google. What’s more, by extension, it’s also the second-most utilized search engine here, there, or anywhere.

2. Amongst video-streaming apps and sites, it holds the top-spot by a sizable margin in terms of total watch-time. You might’ve heard TikTok recently unseated it, which isn’t actually the case. TikTok is indeed number-one in terms average watch-time per user—however, YouTube has considerably more users.

3. YouTube is a more of a search-engine than a social-network. On social platforms, for instance, users are conditioned to scroll (mindlessly, on occasion). On YouTube, however, users are accustomed to search for content of a specific type or topic, which demonstrates intent. From an advertising and targeting standpoint, intent is everything!

Whether you’re looking to build-up brand-awareness, grow an audience, or generate leads, YouTube ads are a definite way to go!

Exploring Different Types of YouTube Ads

YouTube provides numerous different advertising products:  e.g. in-stream ads, in-feed ads, display, overlay, and more.

Some ad formats are created in Google Ads (formerly known as, AdWords) whereas others are placed on a reservation basis through a Google sales representative.

This video/article covers in-stream and in-feed video ads, dubbed, “TrueView” YouTube ads—which are made in Google Ads. 

The term, “TrueView,” refers to the length of time a viewer watches a specified video. For example, the viewer must watch the subject video ad for a minimum of 30 seconds. If the full video ad is less than 30 seconds long, the viewer must watch the video in its entirety. If they don’t, it’s not a TrueView, and thus, it doesn’t count against your ad-spend.

And remember, because it’s a video ad, your viewers aren’t just random people; they’re your target audience (based on your campaign settings).

There are two distinct types of “TrueView,” YouTube ads:

1. In-Stream: the, quote-unquote, “commercials” that play before, during, or after a video on YouTube. If you’re a frequent YouTube viewer, you might’ve noticed varying subtypes of in-stream ads.

   • Skippable - presents viewer with a “skip ad” option after five seconds elapses. Don’t forget, a TrueView requires a viewer to watch at least 30 seconds or the duration of a video ad or the advertiser isn’t charged.

   • Nonskippable - up-to 15-second videos in which the viewer has no option to skip. Every view would count as a TrueView seeing as how the viewer must watch from start-to-end.

   • Bumper - same as the nonskippable format but only up to six seconds long.

2. Video Discovery: when you see a promoted video in search results, recommended alongside related videos, or displayed on the Home Feed.

Considering YouTube’s Video-Discovery Algorithm

Before rushing into ad creation, keep in mind, a YouTube ad is simply a promotion of a natively uploaded video that lives on your Channel. That means the paid performance of the video and its organic performance are inextricably linked. In other words, an ad could potentially damage your video’s organic performance. Here’s how:

The YouTube algorithm runs off of two primary variables: A. Watch-Time and B. Click-Through Rate (CTR).

WATCH TIME:

Watch Time is what it sounds like:  the average amount of time viewers spend watching your video. The longer your video’s average watch-time, from YouTube’s POV, the greater its relevance to a designated topic—which means, increased distribution (e.g. search results, feeds, etc.).

CLICK-THROUGH RATE:

The Click-Through Rate means that when a prospective viewer is shown your video (in search results, as a recommended next video, or in YouTube’s browse features), YouTube monitors how often viewers click to watch. If they do, that signals YouTube to keep distributing your video far and wide. If they don’t click, then YouTube holds your video back, pure and simple.

Your video’s thumbnail (i.e., the preview image attached to the upload) and its title are the top influencing factors of its CTR.

**CLCK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE YOUTUBE ALGORITHM**

So think about this:  if you upload a video to your Channel and then run it, for instance, as a skippable in-stream ad—and then, as the campaign runs, its viewers hit the “Skip-Ad” button time-and-again—from an SEO standpoint, you’re literally tanking your video’s hopes of organic performance.

My thought is, if your video is time-bound—meaning, its content will become irrelevant or outdated quickly, then run it as an ad. On the other hand, if the video is considered timeless, then you may be better off to let it be and see what comes of it organically. 

(Step-by-Step) YouTube Ad-Campaigns for REALTORS®

Today’s video training demonstrates four (4) different YouTube ads, outlined below. Watch the video to for step-by-step instructions!

1. Just-Listed Video Ad Campaign

   • Description: upload your next listing video to YouTube to utilize as an ad. Include a clickable thumbnail.

   • Ad-Format: skippable in-stream

   • Audience-Targeting: homeowners + purchasing a home soon + in-market for residential properties, located in your defined geographic area.

2. Home Valuation Video Ad Campaign

   • Description: record and upload a video offering homeowners an instant home-price estimate; briefly speak of local market conditions and home-value appreciation.

   • Ad-Format: skippable in-stream

   • Audience-Targeting: homeowners located in your defined geographic area.

3. Local Market Update Video Ad Campaign

   • Description: upload/ a market video explaining nothing but the facts specific to your area’s housing market. Repeat process monthly.

   • Ad-Format: skippable in-stream

   • Audience-Targeting: homeowners located in your defined geographic area.

4. The “Queue-Jumper” Video Ad Campaign

   • Description: promote a video intended to perform organically (over time) to rank top-of-page in YouTube search results.

   • Ad-Format: video discovery; YouTube search results only (disable Video partners on the Display Network and YouTube Videos)

   • Audience-Targeting: keywords specific to your video’s topic.

Watch the video, get the training, and take advantage of YouTube ads to promote and grow your business!

Using TubeBuddy’s Keyword Explorer to Search-Optimize Your YouTube Video Titles

YouTube has a major advantage over other social platforms:  SEARCH. And that’s no surprise seeing as how it’s owned by the top-dog of all-things search, Google.

What’s more, Google and YouTube are the most popular websites on the entire planet 🌎—meaning, there’s an abundance of opportunity for viewers to discover your videos.

But the thing is, there’s a LOT of content (i.e., competition) on YouTube—so ranking on certain keywords or search phrases isn’t without difficulty. That’s why tools like TubeBuddy are so important.

If you go to review your YouTube channel’s analytics, I’ll betcha YouTube Search is a big slice of your “viewership pie.” To find out:

• Go to Studio.YouTube.com

• Tap “Analytics” on the lefthand sidebar

• Select “Reach” listed along the top menu.

Once that section loads, scroll down and review the box titled, “Traffic Source Types.” Chances are, YouTube Search is high on the list—and if it isn’t—well, then, opportunity awaits!

Mechanics of YouTube SEO

From an SEO standpoint, YouTube lists results (i.e., videos) by order of relevance to the user’s search phrase. That means, just like Google, it’s all about keywords—specifically, the keyword(s) in your video’s title. Video tags and descriptions help too, but the primary variable is a video’s title.

So, in terms of getting your video to rank, it’s mission critical to search-optimize your video titles. To do so, you’ll need a tool like TubeBuddy, which, to utilize all the bells-and-whistles, will require a paid membership.

TubeBuddy is a browser extension/plugin that integrates directly within YouTube’s website. It works on Chrome, Firefox, or Edge.

(Looking for more content on building your YouTube Channel, click here.)

To identify your keywords, which, what I mean is, to select the most advantageous phrasing of your video’s title, you’ll use TubeBuddy’s “Keyword Explorer” tool.

For example, enter a keyword (that is, a short phrase) like “Chicago real estate”—which scores a lousy 37 out of 100 in terms of its optimization. If that was your video’s title, it’d most likely end up buried on like page 90 of the search results. In other words, nobody would ever see it!

And it’d be because, with that particular keyword, for instance, though there’s quite a bit of search volume, there are simply too many other videos using the same keyword.

Notwithstanding, if you tap either “YouTube” or “Video Topics” in the “Related Searches” box, you’ll find alternative phrasing choices. For instance, tap the “real estate in Chicago” topic, which is a variation of our keyword, and, just like that, your optimization score shoots up to 66.

Over time, as you upload one optimized video after another, you’ll grow your YouTube channel’s authority, putting you on the path of YouTube Search domination.

Download My FREE GUIDE for 15 Search-Ready Real Estate Videos.

Building a YouTube Channel (for Real Estate)

Building a YouTube Channel (for Real Estate 🏡) - w/ @KenPozek 🎯

I’ve said it before: YouTube’s is more of a search engine than a social network. In today’s conversation, I talked w/ #YouTube all-star, @KenPozek on the ins-and-outs of growing a thriving Channel that (actually) generates business!

Today, we talked through:

1. Techniques to gain subscribers
2. When to run YT ads (and when not to)
3. Optimal video duration
4. YouTube Live-streaming
5. YouTube’s algorithm: clickthrough rate + watch time

Whether you’re contemplating a YouTube Channel, already doing it, or need to change-up your strategy, don’t miss this conversation!

YouTube In-Stream Ads VS Organic Upload?

Does running an 𝑰𝒏-𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝑻𝒖𝒃𝒆 𝒂𝒅 damage or impede the future “organic” performance of an uploaded video? Answer: most likely.

YouTube excels at presenting streamers with videos to watch that it thinks they might be interested in, which is why it’s so critical to optimize your uploads accordingly.

Ultimately, YouTube’s algorithm considers two (2) principal factors: A. Click-Through Rate (CTR) and B. Watch Time (aka, “Audience Retention”).

🅰️ CTR means that when a prospective viewer is shown your video—in a YT search, as a recommended video, or somewhere on YouTube’s homepage, for example—YouTube checks how often viewers click to watch. The more clicks, the better (algorithmically speaking).

🅱️ Watch Time refers to the aggregated time viewers spend watching a video. The longer viewers watch a the video, the better its performance.

With, especially, “Skippable” In-Stream ads (far more cost-effective ad formats than “Non-Skippable,” just FYI), the viewer is given an option to “SKIP AD” after 5 seconds, which, if clicked, ultimately hurts your vid’s CTR. While YouTube analyzes the traffic source of the view—that is, how the viewer found your video (e.g. search, browse features, or via an ad)—whether it was paid or organic doesn’t technically matter from an algorithmic standpoint.

Granted, if your ad’s watch-retention is off-the-charts good, then (theoretically) it shouldn’t be a problem. That’s just not the norm.

Notwithstanding, it’s worth noting that some experts have suggested that videos utilized ads essentially give up the possibility of organic performance over time. In other words, once YouTube learns your willing to pay for performance, then, in a manner of speaking, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚒𝚐 𝚒𝚜 𝚞𝚙.

My thought is, if the video is TIME-BOUND, like a monthly market update, for instance, then its hopes of organic performance over time are nonexistent anyhow due to the short-lived nature of its content. So use it for an ad! On the other hand, if the video is TIMELESS, think twice before you run it as an ad.

How to Optimize Your YouTube Channel and Videos for Search to Get More Views

#YouTube is not a social network; it’s a search engine (mostly).

When you think about it, social networks are kind of like listening to the radio. For instance, if you don’t like what the DJ’s playing, just scan to the next station (if that’s still a thing). In the same way, if you don’t like a certain post on social, just keep scrolling down the feed.

But YouTube is different. It’s both: a search engine AND a social network.

(**Technically speaking, the parts that make YouTube somewhat like a social network versus a just standalone search engine include its Home and Subscription feeds plus its Suggested Videos boxes on sidebars and end-screens.**)

What’s more, it the second-most popular website on the planet, runner-up to its parent company, Google—beating out the likes of Amazon, Facebook, Zoom, and more.

So, consequently, it’s important to properly configure your channel and video-uploads to be seen by the largest possible viewer audience. Here’s what to know and do:

How to Setup Your YouTube Channel:

1. Utilize the YouTube Studio (studio.youtube.com) to optimize your channel. Start in the main Settings tab, in which you should specify Channel Keywords and link to your Google Ads account.

2. While still in the YouTube Studio, click the Customization tab to format your channel. In the Branding section:

   • A. Attach your Channel Icon image (i.e., your profile pic). Ideally, it’s your headshot.
     

   • B. Upload Channel Art (i.e., the Banner Image spanning across the top of your page). YouTube recommends using an image that’s at least 2048 x 1152 pixels and 6MB or less. Here’s a link to more info about Channel Customization.
     

   • C. Insert your business logo as a branded Watermark (i.e., YouTube will overlay your logo in the lower-right of all your videos, no matter where they’re viewed).
     
     In the event another channel adds your video(s) to a playlist of their own, if users discover your content via YouTube’s browse features, and/or if your video is watched outside of YouTube, perhaps embedded into a blog, the branded watermark acts as a name tag of sorts, symbolizing that the content belongs to your channel.
     
     Some YouTubers attach a custom-designed “subscribe” button instead of their business logo. That’s fine, only, when it’s clicked, it doesn’t deep-link to your channel’s subscribe URL, just to its homepage. Granted, from there, it’s only one more click to actually Subscribe—so, to each their own, I suppose.
     
     

3. Navigate to Basic Info (still in the Customization tab) and compose a Channel Description (probably just using your bio), add Links, which will turn into little icons on the lower-right of your Channel Art, and, once you’ve surpassed 100 subscribers, create a custom URL for yourself.
   

4. In the Layout section of the Customization tab, specify a Featured video for returning subscribers and/or link-up a Channel Trailer (i.e., a video that gives non-subscribers a glance at what your channel is all about).
   

5. Still in the Layout section of the Customization tab, scroll down to the Featured Sections portion of the page and customize to your liking. The Sections are the “shelves” of videos on the homepage of your channel, arrayed from left-to-right (on desktop). For instance, you can feature a single playlist, add multiple playlists to a single row, specify where to position a livestream in the event you start a broadcast, feature other channels, or even showcase a playlist of other channels’ videos (e.g. the “guest appearances” playlist on my channel).
   
   If you don’t add sections to the homepage of your channel, your page will, by default, only have a single section (i.e., just one row) containing all your uploads. In other words, it’ll make your channel look like it’s void of content even when you may have a ton of it!
   

6. In the Studio, tap Playlists in the menu and navigate to the “New Playlist” link in the top right. Create playlists to organize your videos.
   
   If you’re producing, for instance, a weekly show of sorts—whereby all the videos belong together—you can mark the playlist as an “official series.” Note: a video can only be included in one series—though it can be in as many “regular playlists” as you’d like.
   
   The major benefit of playlists is that they help encourage viewers to consume your videos in succession versus just one-and-done.your videos in succession versus just one-and-done. From an algorithmic standpoint, this is huge! Group your videos into topic-specific playlists to encourage binge-watching.

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The YouTube Algorithm:

The YouTube algorithm considers two primary variables: A. Click-Through Rate (CTR) and B. Watch Time (aka, “Audience Retention”).

CLICK-THROUGH RATE:
The Click-Through Rate means, that when a prospective viewer is shown your video—in search results, as a recommended next video, or in YouTube’s browse features, for instance—YouTube monitors how often viewers click to watch. If they do click to watch, that signals YouTube to keep distributing your video far and wide. If they don’t click, then YouTube stops, pure and simple.

Your video’s thumbnail (i.e., the preview image attached to the upload) and its title are the top factors influencing the CTR of your videos.

WATCH TIME:
Watch Time is what it sounds like: the total amount of time viewers spend watching a given video—or better yet, a channel’s videos combined together. You can think about Watch Time through a couple of different lenses:

• Qualitatively. Create and share videos that hold viewers attention AND fulfill on the implied promise(s) of the video’s thumbnail and title Otherwise, if your video suggests one topic but covers another, that’s a bait-and-switch. As a result, the viewer is likely to bounce pretty quick. And it’s just simple logic—from YouTube’s POV, the longer a person watches a video, the more opportunities there are to show ads.

• Quantitatively. The more videos a channel has to show its viewers and subscribers, the greater YouTube’s willingness to display said channel’s videos in its browse features and/or in search results.
  
  Consider this: you could make the world’s greatest video, however, if it’s the only upload on your channel, there’s no video for that user to “watch next”—at least not on your channel. I call that, a “cul-de-sac channel”—it’s a dead-end for YouTube. There’s a network effect component at work—a greater number of videos increases Watch Time, which motivates the algorithm to start working on your behalf.

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7. Optimize each and every video you upload. Watch my video above for detailed instructions and best-practices for crafting a search-ready title, specifying your video tags, and composing the description. Consider using a tool like TubeBuddy to aid you in your optimization efforts.

8. Leverage YouTube features to the hilt! Try incorporating hashtags, video chapters, adding CTA links in the description, end-screens, cards, and more. Do every little thing you can to get one big result: MORE VIEWS!

Whether by a mechanism of search or social, it’s mission-critical to setup your YouTube channel and your video-uploads properly to maximize your viewership and dominate on YouTube. The goal is for your videos flourish over time, attract business, and enable you to win in the game of content. Stop waiting; start creating!

Repurpose your IG Reels as YouTube #Shorts

#𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗯𝗲𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 (currently beta-testing in India) is YouTube’s short-form video creation tool, similar to 𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙢 𝙍𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙨 or 𝙏𝙞𝙠𝙏𝙤𝙠. Simply put, they’re multi-clip, < 60-second, vertical videos designed exclusively for YouTube’s mobile experience (so not desktop). However, because the product is only in beta, there’s no in-app tool to build these vids. So, for the time being — repurpose your IG Reels! All you have to do is add “#Short” to the end of your title when uploading the video to YouTube. YouTube will auto-recognize it as a Short and distribute accordingly. And the view-counts on these are nothing 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 (see what I did there 😛) of spectacular. Perhaps you’ve noticed YouTube’s mobile Home Feed has added a “shelf” that scrolls right-to-left chalked full of short, vertical videos: #𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀. It could be your next video!

Be advised, there’s no way to customize the thumbnail/cover-image. Also, you can add a section for these “Short videos” to your Channel’s home page via YouTube Studio. Remember, though, it’ll only be viewable on mobile. Last thing: if you use IG music, you’re not going to have an option to save the video to your camera-roll, as that’d be a licensing violation. It needs to be original audio.

5 Marketing Plays to Run 2021

YouTube SEO

Videos post on social channels (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, et al.) live is relatively short life (days, at best). On YouTube— It’s different. If your video ranks for a specific search phrase, it’ll continue collecting views indefinitely.

Short Form Video

TikTok, Instagram Reels, and (currently in beta) YouTube #Shorts are multi-clip, under 60-Seconds vertical videos- and they’re amassing insane view counts. (P.S. just add # Short at the end of your Title when uploading to YouTube.)

Live Podcast

Audio podcasts are alright; video-podcasts are better! In 2021, why not live stream your podcast? On Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, et al. With tools like Ecamm Live and Elgato’s Stream Deck, a full-producing show with zero post-production editing is at your fingertips

Automated Video Texting 

Texting is an invaluable communication channel. Additionally, so is video. Why not stick them together? Services like Call Action or Lion Desk enable users to attach short videos to scheduled messages- regardless of device or type of carrier. 

Live- Stream Prospecting 

Live streaming continues to grow ever more popular. In addition, Facebook Groups are on the rise. Try joining a popular/local group and start contributing. Without violating group rules, go LIVE. Don't spam or sell. The livestream will go further algorithmically and livestream makes you memorable