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Content platforms

It’s so important to think carefully about how content will appear on a different platform, or social
media channel.

Consider both its format and in the messaging and intention. Understand the importance of
aligning platform choice to your audience and content.

Audience mindsets change across platforms. In other words, people react to, and engage
with, content in different ways. Discussions can break out on a Facebook post in a way they
don't in a LinkedIn article or a Snapchat story. And people behave differently on Twitter,
LinkedIn, and Facebook, for example.

Be careful about formats and tone – a long blog post with video snippets might not work well
in an email newsletter. Videos would work effectively on TikTok or YouTube, and stories and
reels are popular on Instagram.

Think about what your content elicits and leads people to do. Can they act on it, for example
click through to a website? On Twitter they can click a link instantly, but they can’t click
through on non-paid Instagram. Think about what your content means and what actions it
might drive people to take. Keep the engagement mechanics in mind.

All of these are important considerations when it comes to selecting the most appropriate platforms
for your content.

Content seeding

It's important to take a strategic approach to publishing content so that it is seen by an audience
who will positively engage with it. This is sometimes known as content seeding where you publish or
share your content in the hope to ‘plant the seed ’with your message and watch it grow in terms of
reach and impact.

So, aim to be strategic, and publish your content on key platforms such as news forums and
message boards – as well as including it as part of relevant Twitter conversations, on Tik Tok live, in
LinkedIn and Facebook groups, and so on. Then you increase the chance that it will be picked up
and distributed by social influencers, content producers, or publications, who will help to boost your
content reach. Rather than posting and sharing your content everywhere, take a thoughtful, focused
approach and select where you want to publish it.

Example

HP sought to promote its own sustainability credentials and encourage viewers to do their bit. It
partnered with comedians, for example, to show how even humor can play a role in reducing single-
use plastics. This led to the #HPRadicalReuse challenge.

The brand focused on TikTok as a distribution channel because it enables users to get involved and
create their own version of the original content.

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The importance of YouTube

When it comes to content distribution for businesses and brands, YouTube has become an
indispensable resource for housing and sharing video content. For brands with complex products or
businesses that require some sort of product demonstration as part of the sales cycle, video is an
excellent medium.

Why has video become so important? With video, it's possible to explain complex subjects in a
succinct manner, rather than using lengthy text pieces. Likewise, many customers like to see
products in action or being used so video is the ideal medium for product demonstration. In many
ways, YouTube acts as a library of useful videos that people can watch while on their Buyer’s
Journey.

The rise of video search

Actually, let’s take a moment to think about that video. Did you know that YouTube is considered the
second biggest search engine in the world after Google? So, you can think of your videos as content
pieces that people are looking for to help them decide on a course of action.

Remember that you want to position your content as the answer to a user’s question. To help with
your video content creation, try to anticipate the types of ‘explainer’, demonstration, or ‘how to ’
videos your audience is looking for. You can then expand and validate your ideas with YouTube
keyword research using the suggested search options in the YouTube search bar.

So, if you want to create findable videos on your YouTube channel, it's very important to think about
who is looking for video content and what they are looking for. What searches will lead to your
video?

Types of YouTube channel

When it comes to creating YouTube channels, there are two options that you can choose from –
depending on the type of video creator you want to be.

Brand: A brand channel is run and managed by an advertiser or company. It contains no

personal details. Bear in mind that a Brand channel can be managed by multiple accounts.

Personal: A personal channel can contain personal details. It has only one administrator.

A brand channel is ideal for businesses, large organizations, or anyone who plans to represent a
brand, rather than an individual. This type of channel is advantageous for several reasons:

Multiple managers: A brand channel allows you to add multiple managers and editors. This
means different team members can manage the channel without sharing personal Google
account details. This is particularly useful for larger organizations where different
departments or roles may need to contribute to the channel.

Customization: Brand channels offer more customization options than personal channels.
You can add a channel description, links, and channel art to improve your branding. You can

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 also organize your videos into customizable sections and playlists to guide your audience's
journey.

Analytics: Brand channels provide access to advanced analytics, helping you understand
viewer behavior and preferences, which is crucial for refining your content strategy.

On the other hand, a personal YouTube channel is suitable for individuals who want to share
content centered around their personal identity or interests. This could include vloggers,
artists, educators, and influencers. While you can only have one administrator, personal
channels are simpler to manage and are a good choice for those starting with video content
creation.

Setting up a personal YouTube channel

You can create a personal YouTube channel by following these steps:

1. Sign in to YouTube on a computer or using the mobile site.

2. Try any action that requires a channel, such as uploading a video, posting a comment, or
creating a playlist.

3. If you don't yet have a channel, you'll see a prompt to create a channel.

4. Check the details (with your Google Account name and photo) and confirm to create your
new channel.

Switching from a personal to a brand YouTube channel

Even if you initially set up a personal YouTube channel, you can change it to a brand account later.

Follow these steps to switch your personal YouTube account to a brand account:

1. Sign in to YouTube on a computer or using the mobile site.

2. If you have multiple channels already set up, go to your channel list and choose the channel
you want to move.

3. Visit [Link]

4. You can then choose Move channel to a brand account and create your new brand account.

5. All your subscribers and analytics will also be switched when you move over to a brand
channel, so there is no loss of historical performance.

The ABCD of effective video content

If you’ve ever spent any time idly browsing through YouTube videos, you’ll certainly have noticed that
not all videos are effective! How can you help your videos to stand out in the stream? The ABCD of
effective video content provides some good tips:

Attract attention.

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 Brand naturally.

Connect with the viewer.

Direct the user.

Attract attention

Attract attention from the start by outlining what the person is likely to learn or get from the video.
Don’t forget that your video content creation might be a result of keyword research. So what are the
questions that people are asking the search engine that inspired your video? What are they likely to
have been searching for when they find your video? At the start of your video, show how you will
answer these questions in order to draw people in.

Brand naturally

Brand naturally and meaningfully. Make the brand an integral part of the story that the video is telling.
However, focus on the story, not the brand!

How can you do this? Well, try not to wear too much company branded clothing. Avoid close-ups of
the logo. Don’t needlessly repeat slogans or tag lines unnaturally. Viewers are on your channel, so
they already know who you are! Simply top and tail the video with a quick shot of your logo and
brand name. Try to keep this at 1–2 seconds max. Otherwise, people might leave before the actual
video starts.

Connect with the viewer

Don’t forget the importance of your story! Connect with the viewer through emotion and storytelling.
Also, include tips and tricks for product use, or provide other helpful information.

Direct the user

Direct the user clearly to what you want them to do next after watching the video. Try to incorporate
a CTA – such as, for example, buy now, call us, visit our store, or try it yourself.

Example

The online-only sunglasses retailer William Painter showed how to implement the “ABCDs of
effective video content”.

The video is engaging from the first scene, explains the product well, and features constant
movement to keep the story flowing.

Uploading your YouTube video

Upload a video using Direct upload by following these steps:

1. Sign in to Google.

2. Go to your YouTube channel.

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 3. Click Upload.

4. Select the video file you want to upload and set the basic information, name, and the
advanced settings of your video, and select the video privacy settings.

5. When all the information is completed, you can upload the video to your channel.

Video metadata

When you upload a video to your channel, you’ll also need to include metadata. Your metadata gives
viewers more information about the video, and it ensures that your videos display in relevant search
terms.

Here are some useful tips for crafting your metadata.

Video title: Provide a title that contains keywords, so it is more findable when people search
on YouTube. Well-written titles will encourage users to click on or watch the video.

Video description: Accurately describe the content of the video that a user is about to watch,
aiming to give them a reason to watch it.

Tags: Add keywords to your video to make the video more findable on YouTube.

Video thumbnails

Video thumbnails let viewers see a quick snapshot of your video as they are browsing YouTube.
They act as a preview of the video.

Well-chosen thumbnails drive more views because they encourage people to clickthrough and
watch.

Good thumbnail

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Bad thumbnail

Adding a thumbnail to your video

To add a thumbnail to your video:

Sign in to YouTube.

Go to YouTube Studio > Video Manager.

Next to the video, click Edit.

On the left of the preview screen, choose a thumbnail.

Click Save changes.

Adding YouTube Cards to your video

YouTube cards are interactive elements that you can add to your YouTube videos. They can appear
at any specified time during the video, and they're designed to engage viewers and drive them
towards a specific action.

These actions could include directing viewers to another video, playlist, channel, or a poll. Cards can
also be used to promote your website, merchandise, and crowdfunding platforms. They are a useful
feature for driving more engagement and interaction with your content, and they're optimized for
both desktop and mobile platforms.

They can drive deeper engagement with your:

YouTube channel

Videos and playlists on your YouTube channel

Your website

Using YouTube Studio tools

Once you have started to build your video library, you can use the tools available in YouTube Studio
to manage your video content. Here are some useful tools:

Dashboard: Check for notifications and alerts.

Video Manager: Organize and update videos from one place.

Community: Review and respond to comments, view private messages, and see videos
where you have been credited.

Channel: Adjust channel settings.

Analytics: Review channel performance.

Create: Create new videos using the audio library and video editor.

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Enhancing your YouTube videos

Take some time to explore the features of YouTube Studio and get comfortable with using the
different tools to enhance your videos.

For example, you can use YouTube Studio to:

Trim the start and end of your video.

Cut out sections from the middle of your video with the split function.

Replace audio with music from the YouTube library.

Add an end screen to your video to encourage your audience to keep watching your content.

YouTube Analytics reports

You can analyze your video performance using YouTube analytics reports. These reports are
generally most important for content creators who rely on the organic success of their videos and
are on the receiving end of YouTube advertising.

There are:

Earnings reports, which include estimated earnings and ad performance.

Watch-time reports, which include watch times, views, traffic sources, and audience retention.

Engagement reports, which include subscribers and annotations reports.

Content scheduling is the method by which content is uploaded for future publishing.

Types of scheduling

There are two main ways you can schedule your content for publishing.

Native scheduling: This is a method of publishing content that uses a social platform's own
upload function – for example, Twitter Studio or Facebook Publishing Tools.

Third-party applications: Tools such as Buffer, Hootsuite, and Sprout Social are used by
validating logins for your platforms and scheduling or spreading content across multiple
platforms through the single hub.

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Benefits

Why do content marketers schedule their content?

Time efficient: Scheduling a large amount of content in one sitting allows for time spent on
other activities.

Cross-posting: Some third-party tools let you schedule content to multiple platforms with a
single click from their integrated approach. A word of caution here. You should never cross-
post automatically without planning for each platform and thinking ahead. Specifications for
images, videos, and copy vary between platforms. Usernames and hashtags can also differ.
Cross-posting without thinking shows the audience you're not really building a community,
but just putting content out there without thinking about why you are doing it.

Note: It's also important not to post too far in advance, in case something changes in the world or the
market, and your scheduled post might seem insensitive or inappropriate. Keep track of scheduled
posts and make sure that you or another team member always have access to edit or remove a post
at short notice. It’s also important to ensure that marketers should never auto-cross-post, because
image, video and copy specs vary between platforms. Usernames and hashtags differ too. Cross-
posting shows the audience that you're not building a community, but just pumping out content!

Content promotion is defined as the strategic approach to getting your content seen by a wider
audience than your immediate own channels. This applies to both the earned and paid space and
we’ll look at the different content promotion methods in each here.

Paid methods

Paid media and advertising: These are paid content promotion campaigns, such as LinkedIn,
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and so on.
Influencer marketing: Here, you need to consider the benefits of using influencers, identify
the right influencers, co-create content with influencers, understand how to measure
influencer marketing, and guideline compliance as well as influencer contract considerations.

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 Affiliate marketing: This includes paid third-party blogs or publications that produce content
that drives engagement with your brand and traffic to your website with the intention of
converting this traffic into leads or sales for a fee, usually paid as a commission per lead or a
percentage of the sale value.

Unpaid methods

Owned media channels, such as your website and your blog, your email list, your company's
social media channels and so on. Non-paid or organic reach is limited on social channels, but
a popular blog on your website and well-subscribed email list are effective ways to promote
your content.
Hashtags and tagging. These allow you to join conversations or categorize your content
relevant to your audience and theme.
Guest blogging and takeovers. Consider extending the reach of your content by writing a
piece for another publication, company, or influencer.
Interviews or Q&A. Interviews conducted on the basis of outreach or a press release can
promote your content to a wider audience and be repurposed in many ways.

What is community management?

Community management is the stage that comes after content has been published. It involves
engaging with your followers, and handling complaints or feedback on your content, brand, and
organization to drive better customer relationships.

Why is it important?

In order for your content marketing strategy to succeed, community management is key:

You can manage negative experiences with your business and turn them into positive solutions.

You can respond to business queries and help drive sales, leads, and conversions.

You'll gain insights about your business from real people in real time and adjust if needed.

You'll find opportunities to network with like-minded businesses or influencers.

Ultimately, this will all drive new sales and repeat business.

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