Is YouTube taking the place of television? Statistics say yes. More and more people are beginning to prefer YouTube’s wide range of entertainment options to cable, and who can blame them? From cat videos to obscure documentaries to your favorite television show, YouTube seems to have it all. And do you know what else it has? Advertisements. Advertisements that are seen by millions of people each and every day. As YouTube has skyrocketed in relevancy, YouTube marketing has followed closely behind. Here are a few reasons you may want to consider investing in YouTube Marketing.
The Rise of YouTube
If the world were a high school, YouTube would be the most popular kid in school. YouTube reaches more people ages 18-49 than any cable network in the United States, and this is true for both traditional YouTube and mobile YouTube separately. Moreover, according to YouTube’s global research statistics, over one-third of internet users utilize this video-based social media site. This averages out to over one billion YouTube users total, which is roughly one-seventh of the world’s population.
YouTube didn’t start out all that popular, of course. Like all great things, the rise of YouTube took time. On April 23rd, 2005, the first ever publicly viewable YouTube video was posted. It was simple – just an 18-second clip of YouTube founder Jawed Karim standing in front of elephants at the zoo. (If you want to look it up, it is called “Me at the Zoo”.)
Just five months later, Nike utilized YouTube to promote a Brazilian football star’s ball juggling skills (and Nike products, of course), and the video became the first YouTube post to go “viral” – reaching over a million viewers.
A New Platform for Advertising
Today, there are countless videos on YouTube that reach a million viewers. And countless companies use this social media platform for video advertisements – as Nike did – or for banner advertisements and pre-video commercials. And unlike a single cable television station, YouTube reaches nearly every demographic in the world. There is a higher chance that an advertisement will fall into the hands of an interested viewer with YouTube than with television – or any social media marketing platform, really.
Not only that, but there is a higher chance that the viewer will positively respond to the advertisement. YouTube is built on audience autonomy, and this hands-on culture makes users more likely to appreciate the videos they choose to watch – and the advertisements attached to them. Even if a “skip” button exists for some YouTube advertisements, properly crafted advertisements will grab audience attention without feeling invasive.
Embrace YouTube Marketing
For companies who want to keep up with the ever-changing marketing world and keep the interest of their clientele, advertising on YouTube is an important next step. At AGI Marketing, we specialize in all forms of social media and internet marketing, and we provide consultation to clients who are looking to give their business an extra marketing edge. Contact us today to learn more about how YouTube marketing can benefit you!
