YouTube now has over 2.7 billion monthly active users. But for brands, another figure is more important. It is also the second-largest search engine in the world, where users make over 3 billion search queries every month.
This means one simple thing: your potential customers are already looking for answers on YouTube. The only question is whether your brand appears in the results of that search.
Why don’t most brand channels on YouTube grow?
Many companies approach YouTube the same way they approach Instagram: they post videos, try to get reactions, and hope that something goes viral. But there is one “but.” The platform evaluates not individual posts, but the channel’s total watch time and its expertise in a particular topic. Therefore, a brand that releases 50 well-optimized videos on one topic will almost always outperform a channel with 5 viral videos.
Common mistakes that prevent brands from getting results
Irregular content
The most common situation: a company releases a few videos, gets average results, and stops posting. Practice shows that 1–2 videos per week for three months already signal to the platform that the channel is actively working and creating content systematically.
Focus on views instead of user intent
A video with 500,000 views that does not bring in customers looks good in statistics but does not deliver business results. On the other hand, a video with 5,000 views that responds to a query such as “best expense management software for startups” can generate leads for years. Such videos work as a long-term asset.
Ignoring YouTube SEO
When we analyze brand channels, we often see the same problem. More than 70% of channels do not use keyword research for titles, descriptions, or tags.
In fact, they publish content in the search engine without optimizing it for search. This means that it is simply more difficult for the algorithm to understand who to show their videos to.
What Shorts formats work for brands?
Not every short video will be effective for business. But there are several formats that consistently deliver results.
Quick tips.
One specific and practical recommendation that can be explained in less than 30 seconds. For example: “One YouTube SEO life hack that many brands forget: add timecodes to each video. Here’s why it works.”
Debunking myths.
Refuting popular but false beliefs in your industry. Controversial opinions often get more reactions and shares.
Interesting statistics.
One unexpected fact and a brief explanation. For example: “YouTube Shorts get over 70 billion views every day. But only about 3% of brand channels have a full-fledged Shorts strategy. And that’s why it’s an opportunity.”
Behind the scenes.
Show the work process, team, or work environment. This kind of content creates a sense of reality and helps build trust in the brand faster. It’s important to understand that the main indicator of Shorts’ effectiveness is not the number of views.
It is worth tracking how many Shorts viewers subscribe to the channel and move on to long videos. This is how the audience accumulation effect is formed.
YouTube advertising strategy that works with organic content
YouTube Ads works best when it enhances organic content rather than replacing it.
Organic first, then scaling
First, publish content without advertising for 60–90 days.
During this time, you can understand:
- which videos retain viewers
- which content generates the most engagement
- which topics really work
Advertising campaign formats for brand growth
TrueView in-stream advertising
Works well at the decision-making stage. These ads can be shown to people who are searching for topics from your content clusters. You only pay when a user watches the video for more than 30 seconds.
YouTube Shorts Ads
Suitable for increasing brand awareness and gaining subscribers. Usually has a lower cost per view than in-stream ads. Also works well for retargeting website visitors.
Bumper Ads (6 seconds)
Short videos to increase brand awareness. Most often used to re-engage with an audience that has already seen your long-form content.