Some YouTube marketing channels are, of course, better at this than others. Here are five that caught my eye, and that I will actually watch from time to time. To make this even more relevant, I’m going to spend a bit of time talking about why they connect so well with me, and their target audience.
You can’t go in a low-key direction when you make one of the most well known energy drinks in the world. Red Bull have taken their YouTube marketing to another level as people watch it more like a private TV channel then a typical marketing channel.
A typical example would be this fairly viral video from a few months back:
Pretty extreme, ya? Not every video is that level of crazy. Some feature the events and competitions that they sponsor. Videos from their X-Fighters events are common:
Few of these videos get huge view numbers, but they do get people coming back to their channel regularly and give it a more consistent feel than a channel with a few viral videos and little else for regular viewers.
All of this hits on a HUGE Youtube market: Bored teens through 20 year olds who want to watch something crazy online. I haven’t done the market research, but I’m betting that’s about 90% of the people who use YouTube more as a source of entertainment than their own TV. When fans start seeing you like this you have a much better chance of your videos becoming a source of revenue as you work with YouTube’s Partner program.
Fair warning that the videos herein are not exactly safe for work. This is Snoop Dogg we’re talking about! With that in mind ,Snoop has taken his YouTube channel and turned it into his own personal, and not so subtle, marketing channel. Every week he uploads a new episode of GGN - his own ‘Hood News’ show.
A typical episode of GGN features Snoop and guest star. This can range from Paris Hilton, to Seth Rogen, to 50 Cent and G Unit. Everyone is allowed to just do their thing, talk the way they want, and something is usually smoked. Here’s a NSFW example, put it on mute if your ears are sensitive:
If you watched it you couldn’t help but notice the background animation and the foreground advertising. Snoop has inserted all of his current products into the channel. It isn’t overt advertising, he isn’t sitting there talking about his products, but you now know everything being sold in stores associated with Snoop.
Snoop has built himself, with 1 million plus subscribers, the perfect platform for him to speak to his audience. Every time he has a new album out, viewers know. Every time he has a new product, viewers know. Every time Stormy Fronts is going to do the weather, viewers watch until the end!
Being able to optimize your YouTube video is about more than SEO and having the right images. It’s also about being able to reach the right audience. Clearly, Snoop has optimized his videos for the right viewing audience.
The little camera that has revolutionized the camera industry, by getting average people to use it instead of their camera phone, has pushed itself on YouTube as a sort of ‘Home movies’ for the 21st century channel.
Most of the videos you will see are shot by amateurs. Well, amateur videographers are least. On the GoPro channel you will find everything from a cat riding a skateboard to a professional pole vaulter strapping a GoPro to her pole:
Which is not a video anyone watched for her body or anything...
You never quite know what you’re going to get with GoPro, but you know you’ll get something interesting. That’s why they have nearly 3 million subscribers and all of their videos get decent views.
It’s not all randomness. They have a few regular series that they work on. Right now they’re doing a regular hockey series with NHL players called ‘On the Ice.’ They are also a big fan of building playlists so that their viewers can hit play and sit back.