Youtube: The Future of Video and Digital Strategy

Youtube has become vital to the success of digital strategy. According to Youtube Global Internet Data, 400 hours of video content are uploaded to the platform every minute and over 80% of traffic on the Internet now comes through video.  As one of the most powerful platforms that businesses can leverage, Youtube’s key advantages span from targeting and customization to affordability, while its reach (2 billion users log in every month) when tapped into effectively can spear-head campaigns and help brands attract a loyal customer base, building audience trust and driving wide-reaching awareness.

Video advertising is not new. For years Video ads have been the most engaging marketing mediums through which brands tell their stories. As a result, identifying where opportunities lie in a sea of competing video content is central to creating an effective Youtube campaign strategy. 

With the targeting capabilities provided by Youtube, video now operates as the "new search," where one can essentially target the personal "micro prime moment" of each user individually. The unique challenge here is making the most of 1) targeting and 2) localization opportunities, which continue to evolve as the largest advertising budgets are invested in video campaigns in the years ahead.

Making the most of targeting and localization opportunities is essential to creating relevant Youtube campaigns that not only increase awareness but ultimately drive tangible business results at scale. 

Earlier this month, our collaboration with our clients NAK shoes and the iconic comedy duo, Fanis Labropoulos and Nicolas Raptis, was honored at the Youtube Works Awards, winning the Best Breakthrough Advertiser category. Held for the first time in Greece, the Youtube Works Awards brought forward the most effective and innovative Youtube campaigns from across the industry, which were selected by a panel of leading industry experts nationally and internationally.

Reaching a significant milestone, our Youtube campaign was distinguished 1) for its creative use of compelling video storylines that pushed the boundaries of the medium to connect with new viewers 2) for demonstrating innovative creative execution.

This tremendous achievement followed on the heels of our consecutive two-year victory at the Google EMEA Premier Partner Awards in 2018 and 2019 in the categories of Video Excellence and Display Innovation, leading us to be named Google’s leading partner in Video Excellence for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. 

Implementing a powerful Youtube campaign strategy is an essential step for making any investment in your brand count. At Relevance, we combine the latest best practices, market and audience insights, using forecasting and reach metric tools to craft intelligent Youtube campaign strategies, which take into account each client’s KPIs, key objectives and business goals. 

Our dedicated in-house team of Youtube experts begin every successful video campaign by using a range of methods to understand the target audience, before carefully crafting the core message and tone. This ensures that each and every campaign is geared to meet brand goals and viewer expectations. 

Some of the methods we use include:

• Monitoring Real Time Performance

• Reporting & Brand Lift Surveys: We look beyond impressions to understand the direct impact YouTube ads have on perception and behavior throughout the customer journey. 

• Youtube Analytics: We measure how audiences are reacting to a video campaign, tracking related metrics before, during, and after video release.

We constantly optimize our Youtube strategy, target different audiences and test, until we find the right combination that works for our client’s unique business model. After a Youtube campaign launch, we never stop looking for ways to optimize performance and fine-tune targeting parameters and ad formats (for example, TrueView Ads, In-Search Ads, or Bumpers) by following the latest Youtube Best Practices.

The wide range of possibilities on Youtube’s massive platform make it one of the smartest, dynamic and most flexible investments for your digital strategy. Whether you are a small or large brand, you can leverage the power of video to craft a memorable ads campaign powered by a robust strategy that results in a positive ROI. Creating relevant ad experiences will not only result in increased awareness, but also positive business results.