Building a YouTube Footprint of Scroll-Stopping Videos
- Russell E. Willis
- Apr 2
- 3 min read
Episode 8 of the Strategic Writer Series
Why YouTube?
YouTube presents businesses and individual freelancers and influencers with a low-cost, high-reward marketing tool.
Among the benefits are"
Massive audience reach - With over 2 billion monthly logged-in users, YouTube provides access to nearly a third of the internet.
Search engine optimization - As the second largest search engine (owned by Google), YouTube content can significantly boost your discoverability.
Versatile content formats - From short clips to in-depth tutorials, livestreams to webinars, YouTube supports diverse content strategies.
Community building - Features like comments, community tab posts, and premieres foster audience relationships.
Credibility and authority - Well-produced video content establishes expertise in your field.
Long content lifespan - Unlike ephemeral social media posts, YouTube videos continue generating views and leads for years.
Cross-platform integration - YouTube content can be embedded on websites and shared across other social platforms.
Low barrier to entry - Basic equipment and free editing tools make it accessible even with limited budgets.
Once your YouTube presence is established, you can also benefit from:
Multiple revenue streams - Monetization options include ad revenue, channel memberships, Super Chat, merchandise shelf, and YouTube Premium revenue sharing.
Detailed analytics - Comprehensive data on audience demographics, watch time, engagement, and traffic sources helps refine your strategy.
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Starting From Scratch? Create Short-Form Videos
Literally, start small by developing and publishing short-form videos.
Short-form video refers to brief video content typically lasting between 15 seconds to 3 minutes that delivers concise, engaging information optimized for mobile viewing and social media platforms. These videos are designed for quick consumption, featuring condensed messaging that captures attention rapidly and encourages sharing across digital channels.
There are many formats of effective short-form videos that can benefit businesses, freelancers, and influencers:
Brand storytelling videos that share your company's origin, values, and mission
Behind-the-scenes content showing your work process or office culture
Product demos and reviews
Thought leadership interviews or discussions
Event coverage of industry conferences or company gatherings
Explainer videos
Brief case studies showcasing real results
Announcement videos for new products or services
Educational content related to your industry
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So, Where Do I Get the Content?
Believe it or not, you are probably sitting on the content right now!
Emails and blogs you've previously created serve as an excellent source for short-form video content. You also likely already possess graphic content, such as logos and photos used for social media or marketing. Additionally, AI-generated graphics can be utilized.
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Summary
YouTube offers businesses, freelancers, and influencers a powerful marketing platform with minimal investment and significant potential returns.
YouTube is a perfect platform for establishing your expertise while enjoying a long shelf life compared to ephemeral social media posts. YouTube content integrates seamlessly across websites and other platforms, with basic equipment and free editing tools making it accessible to beginners and experts alike.
Begin by creating short-form videos—concise 15-second to 3-minute content optimized for mobile viewing using suitable content in existing emails, blogs, and marketing materials. These attention-grabbing formats include brand storytelling, behind-the-scenes footage, product demos, thought leadership segments, event coverage, explainer videos, case studies, announcements, and educational content.
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