As more and more businesses take advantage of the power of video for marketing, it’s important to understand the basics of the algorithms the different platforms use. The algorithms refer to the code running in the background of the apps determining to whom they show what content. The content is sorted and prioritized based on relevancy instead of publish time. The platforms strive to show content to people that they’re most likely to like and engage with – this keeps them coming back for more!
YouTube and it’s Massive Reach
YouTube is one of the original video sharing platforms – and still one of the most powerful. It’s estimated that there are over 1 billion hours of YouTube videos watched every day around the world! If you are a fan of publishing video content, this is a great way to share it. As a business you can share longer form videos and build trust with your audience through actual valuable content. So, as a creator of video content, an important question is how do you get the YouTube algorithm to show more people your amazing content?
YouTube, like other social media platforms, has adjusted and continues to modify it’s algorithm over time. In fact, YouTube originally simply recommended videos that attracted the most viewers and clickers. This was back in 2005 at its inception. Through the years since then, the application has evolved to consider watch time, viewer satisfaction, and now even taking into account the type of content and moderation issues.
The Current YouTube Algorithm
YouTube recently answered some common questions about how they determine content recommendations to users on the app. Here are highlights from the article:
1. Definitely share your video links outside of YouTube
Once a viewer watches your video it will be in their history. This will increase the chances that they will be shown your content in the future.
2. Hooking the User
Optimizing tags is not as important as choosing the right title, thumbnail and description.
3. Transient Algorithms
While YouTube does change its algorithms frequently, there are other factors that regularly contribute to the views and engagement that people see. For example, whether or not kids are in school, holidays, etc will affect the time of day that the most traffic is seen.
4. Videos from years prior
These videos will still be recommended if the videos seem to match what the viewer would like to see and the video is still getting views.
5. New to You
YouTube added a “New to You” tab that will help highlight new videos outside of a viewers regular viewing material.
source: Creator Insider
Data Matters
As a creator you should use YouTube Analytics to help you determine how your content is performing for your current audience – and to determine what content your audience would probably consume more of. Making sequels to videos that perform well is a great method to continue to engage with your audience. Also, doing keyword research is key in order to use the right words in your file names, titles, descriptions and scripts.
source: Misfit Hustler
Need Help with YouTube for Marketing?
Want to explore the creation of YouTube content in more detail? Gray Digital Group is here to help. We work with businesses to develop comprehensive marketing strategies and implementation – this includes video content creation and analysis for your specific market. Let us know if you’d like to chat more!
Connect with us today!
Sources:
https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/youtube-answers-5-common-questions-about-how-its-recommendation-algorithms/608769/
