Why YouTube is a marketing weapon for brands

The kids rated it the #1 coolest brand of 2024.

No, it’s not TikTok, Apple or PlayStation.

It’s YouTube.

I don’t know why I was so shocked by this. Maybe because I only ever really use it to listen to background music. I guess, to me, it’s always been such a boyish platform, for gamers and tech nerds.

But, gone are the days where YouTube is merely a warehouse for Gamer Vids or James Charles Drama.

YouTube has evolved over the last few years into a dynamic social networking hub. And it's a digital marketing weapon, especially because of its unique features for diverse audiences.

The platform is now far beyond a place to host videos. It’s a place to reach large audiences, earn passive income, and spread brand awareness.

And your brand should absolutely be using YouTube as a social media marketing platform.

With 2.49 BILLION monthly active users, why would you not?

So, let’s break down some of YouTube’s usage statistics to see the potential for your brand there.

• YouTube has 2.49 billion monthly active users. That’s half of the 5.04 billion social media users worldwide, making it the second most used social platform. Obviously, this speaks volumes about the platform’s popularity.

• YouTube, as of this year, has 100 million paying subscribers. A number that’s steadily increasing for both the platform’s music and premium services.

• People spend 48.7 minutes on YouTube each day. This is more than previous years, so far. This stat indicates growth in engagement, making it an ideal place to capture your target audience.

• Viewers watch 1 billion hours of YouTube per day on their television. This means there’s a huge space for high-resolution creators, but also for content that plays along in the background of people’s day-to-day lives.

Okay, now we know how many people are on here. But who are they?

• Users skew male. With roughly 55.5% being men and 45.6% women.

• They’re (mostly) between 25 and 34. This age group accounts for 21.3% of YouTube’s user base, making them the largest group to use the platform.

• India has the largest audience, with 462 million active users. This is followed by the U.S., then Brazil. However, the US drives the most traffic, at 21.93%.

What we can gather from all this info, is that there is a hell of a lot of people on the platform.

People that are actively engaging and spending money. And this is why advertisers have YouTube in their scope now, more than ever before. The platform’s annual ad revenue crossed $30 billion in 2023. This was up from the previous year's $29.9 billion, making up 10.25% of Google's global revenue.

And that’s only likely to increase, because YouTube's targeting capabilities create a highly tailored experience for the end user. So consumers find YouTube ads more relevant than places like linear TV. And we all know that means they’re more effective.

The introduction of YouTube Shorts has only exacerbated advertising opportunities. Now, marketers are increasingly turning to video platforms for short form advertising.

A survey of ad buyers reported that 43% said their largest clients were advertising on YouTube Shorts. It's clear the platform is quickly gaining ground as one of the leading platforms for short-form video marketing.

YouTube is also a place of community.

A community that’s very active and engaged because YouTube encourages creators to build this around their content. You can now engage with your audience in multiple ways, like comments, live streams, and the community tab.

But, I believe a lot of the platform's value lies in the absolute insane range of content that exists on there.

Nowhere else in the world can you jump from an old Indonesian aunty cooking a curry over a fire in the rainforest to a tech creator throwing the latest iPhone into a river to stress test its water-resistant capabilities.

You can find content from influencers, celebrities, and organizations. Music videos, news updates, movie trailers, educational videos… almost anything you can think of is on there.

And it’s all free. You don’t have to pay a cent to watch content or even create a channel. And this makes it one of the easiest and most diverse platforms for users.

The takeaway? Run, don’t walk.

YouTube is steadily becoming a dominant force in social media marketing. As the world’s second most visited website, and #2 search engine, its power will continue to grow.

The continuous rise of users on the platform indicates more than just popularity. It reflects YouTube's evolving role in digital landscapes. As the user base grows, so does the diversity of the audience. And so do opportunities for targeted marketing strategies.

It’s an indispensable tool for marketers, brands, and influencers.

And you’d be a bit silly not to utilise it. Just sayin’.

-Sophie, Writer