Being Intentional With Youtube

Today, let's talk about YouTube. Whilst I'm not completely an addict, I'm definitely a heavy user. It's easily one of my favourite platforms and it's weird because I can go there for anything - to be entertained, to be inspired or to be educated on something. There really is something there for everybody on all sorts of topics, from insecurities to interesting ways to blow up a tennis ball. With some content you go there intentionally to find, with other content you stumble across it (thanks to the algorithm). Whilst you might not always be intentional with the the content you watch, it's super important to be intentional with the content you upload there. And no, I'm not just saying this because I've been uploading a five-minute videos everyday since 1st Jan to Youtube (🥵), but because the content you put out there is super important for aiding or destroying the brand that you are trying to build for yourself.

Earlier this week I was on Clubhouse and this guy spoke about the three ways in which people use Youtube, so let me share with you what he said:

👉🏾 Hero

These are people who upload a piece of content that just goes completely viral. It could be a meme, it could be a juicy video of some celebrity gossip or it could just be an incredible cover of a song. The content itself doesn't matter, but the fact that it goes viral is where it gets its value from. Often, people like this have popular Youtube channels, but once people watch the video it quickly becomes old news and so we move on to the next sensation. So, this content creator always has to stay ahead of the curve.

👉🏾 Hub

These are people who come up with engaging content on a weekly basis. Typically they upload content that they want to share with their audience on a routine-basis, maybe 2-3 times a week. They use Youtube as a platform to share their brand and personality in exchange for following and increased audience base. Often they are using Youtube as a platform to drive traffic elsewhere (i.e. social media accounts, website etc.).

👉🏾 Help

These are the people that are a bit more focused on their audience in terms of the content that they're sharing via Youtube. They have dedicated their platforms to sharing their knowledge on topics that they know people often search for. These sorts of people show up a bit more consistently as their goal is to establish themselves as experts in their respective field and indeed make money/advertise their services.

Now you might be wondering - which one is the best? Well the answer to that is simple. None of them. You see, it doesn't matter how you use Youtube to build your brand, all that matters is that you're clear on why you're using it. If you don't know why you're using it, then it will be impossible for you to use Youtube effectively as part of your overall brand strategy.

So whether you're a Hero, a Hub, or a Help, make your content for Youtube with intention or risk wasting your time. Alternatively, maybe you need to ask yourself if your presence on Youtube is even of value to you...I'll leave you to ponder that one.