The rise (and benefits) of the branded YouTube series.
Brands uploading content to YouTube isn’t anything new, we all know that, but how brands utilise the platform seems to change as often as the seasons. Every few months we’ll see an influx of briefs that include a slightly different objective in terms of the desired outcome, from commercial ads to ‘how to’ videos and recipes to ‘meet the team’; we’ve seen and shot them all.
I wouldn’t call any of these a trend, they’re all regular types of content and can be very useful depending on what stage a business is at in their marketing strategy (and their industry). But what we have noticed of late is the increased demand for bespoke content tailored specifically for a YouTube audience.
Let me explain…
Like I said, brands uploading content to YouTube isn’t new but that content is often uploaded to the Google-owned platform purely as a means to host it. It could (and likely will) also sit on their website, Facebook, Instagram, email marketing - you get the idea. And it also often requires a lot of marketing via other channels to get viewers to come and view it. Now what’s really exciting is that more and more brands are regularly creating content specifically FOR YouTube. Emphasis on ‘for’ here.
Over the last 6 months, amongst our more commercial work, we’ve shot, directed and edited 26 videos that sit as episodes across 3 YouTube series (with 2 new series currently in pre-production). None of them pushes the brand or product, nor do they have any call-to-action to another channel or website that does, they purely exist to entertain and/or educate a fan base. A fan base that, over time, has the propensity to become a loyal customer. This is branded content.
Now again, branded content is also something that’s been around for a while. But I’d be lying if I said that this type of shoot regularly had the intention of entertaining and growing a YouTube-specific audience. That doesn’t mean sending people to your YouTube every once in a while, it means fishing for people already regularly active on YouTube that are within your target demographic (be that an age, gender or interest for example) and converting them into a follower of your channel. You’ll seldom do that with one video, but with a series, it’s a different ball game.
A series doesn’t have to be a Netflix special. It just needs to be consistent and provide a reason to keep coming back.
Granted, it can require a bit of effort (especially in the beginning) but it makes perfect sense if you understand why.
So from someone who directs this content for a living, backed with 7 years of prior experience in social strategy, here are just 3 reasons that the tailor-made YouTube series is becoming a no-brainer for progressive brands (I’d share more but this blog is becoming reminiscent of a University dissertation)…
SEO - be the answer!
The YouTube search volume is something that many people overlook. Just think about how many people are searching for help on a subject that is relevant to your industry. For example, earlier this year we produced a series for Myprotein called Nutritionist Explains. The first video was entitled ‘What Does Creatine Do?’. That video, which is 6.5 minutes long, now has over 355,000 organic views from appearing in the results when people search for help on that exact topic. And after having it explained to them by a PHD Nutrition Researcher, guess who many people now buy their creatine from?
Finding common ground.
If you’re into cars then it’s highly likely you’ve watched hours of videos showcasing high-octane, adrenaline inducing races and events to feed your addiction. The same applies in other industries, too. In the last month, we’ve been to Norway, Italy and Ireland as part of a new series called Off Grid. This amazing concept, developed and produced by our friends at 20ten Creative, saw us shoot and edit 3x two-part episodes that took a UK-based racing driver (Archie Hamilton) and chucked him in the deep end by exploring and entering grassroots racing in local communities around the world. All made possible by the brand (Velo), this is not only super entertaining to automotive junkies but also very interesting to learn about new racing sports and cultures. It’s something that positions the brand right in the centre of a very popular industry and increases followers that want to see the next instalment.
Leveraging a fan base.
Adding to one of my eariler points, YouTube isn’t just somewhere you send people to as a one-off. With 1.9 billion monthly active users and over 5 billion daily video views, it’s more than fair to say that there are people out there constantly watching content and replacing their evening TV ‘sesh’ with a YouTube binge - hence the ability for ‘YouTuber’ to become a profession. These people make a living from posting videos that their fans watch religiously on a weekly basis. The same fans that, if you pick the right person, may be interested in what you have to offer at some point in their life. This is exactly the thought behind another series we shot with Myprotein, hosted by the celebrity YouTuber named Chunkz. ‘Cheats With Chunkz’ is a comedy cooking show (he really can’t cook!) where the man himself gets in the kitchen whilst interviewing another popular sports YouTuber, Viddal Riley. They talk about his career so far whilst cooking his favourite cheat meal, obviously. This is the start of a series that leverages the fans of both talents and opens up Myprotein to a wider audience.
Hopefully, that gives you some insight into why this style of content is becoming more popular and some of the benefits of creating your own series. Of course, we’re a video production agency, so if you want to talk more about this subject or need a hand planning your next video(s), we’d love to chat.