Whether you’re a large organization or a small business, YouTube is a perfect platform to incorporate into your company’s social media marketing strategy. As the second-largest search engine (coming in just behind its parent company, Google), YouTube offers more than just silly cat videos—it’s a global phenomenon and another social media network you can use to maximize marketing efforts and build a brand. A unique platform that combines SEO with video content to reach target audiences with over two billion active users worldwide, YouTube is where people go to watch videos on everything from gaming to fitness to DIY tutorials to cooking demonstrations to news and yes, entertaining clips to laugh the hours away.
Although it can be time-consuming to plan, film, edit, market, and analyze your videos, it’s worth it in the long run. With more than 500 hours of video uploaded every minute and 55% of marketers using YouTube as part of their marketing strategy, consider adding some YouTube content to your repertoire.
Types of YouTube Videos
YouTube is a massive platform that provides opportunities for all kinds of video content. Determining which type matches up best for your business or product will help your strategy and boost your brand. According to a study by the Pew Research Center, 51% of people turn to YouTube looking to learn, while 28% say they visit to pass time. Considering that statistic may drive your decision-making when it comes to figuring out what types of content to create for your channel.
Knowing what purpose you want YouTube to serve for your business is an important first step when it comes to building strategy. Do you want to make it easier for potential subscribers and customers to find you? Do you want to drive business to your other platforms? Are you using YouTube to educate your target audience or share entertaining clips? No matter what, your company’s YouTube channel should be an extension of your brand: it’s a place where you can show current and potential subscribers who you are and invite them to get to know you and your business or brand a little better—as well as offer something they need. Maybe that’s a tutorial of some type or maybe that’s a funny video to lighten the stress of their day. Regardless of how you’re choosing to build your brand, having a clear idea of what exactly you’re planning to use YouTube for will shape your vision and help with your marketing strategy. Plus, it will help you determine what kind of videos to start creating.
With YouTube, you can create a wide variety of content to serve different purposes for your product or business. As long as each of your videos is serving a purpose and helping you reach your goals (whatever those may be!), your channel doesn’t always have to have just one type of video. Have fun with it! Let’s take a look at 13 different kinds of YouTube videos you can create to boost your business.
Education
If the main aim for your YouTube channel is education, there are a few different education-based types of videos to offer your viewers. The main point of educational videos is to provide your subscribers with valuable information as well as solve problems (both yours and theirs!)
Tutorials
We can all admit we’ve turned to YouTube in search of a video that tells us how to do something, from tying a tie to cleaning out a drain to icing a cake. Tutorial or How-To videos fall into the education category because they offer in-depth, step-by-step instructions on how to use a product or service or complete a specific task. Having a detailed video often helps more people who would rather follow align with a visual aid rather than reading detailed instructions.
Interviews with Thought Leaders
Creating videos interviewing leaders in your industry is a great way to educate your subscribers as well as attract others. Those ready to take the interview concept a step further can create a docuseries, which can look like a series of interviews or a behind-the-scenes peek at an element of your industry. Providing these kinds of informative snapshots can help users understand more about your business, product, or brand and your industry as a whole. It can also help establish your credibility in your field.
Commentary
A commentary video on YouTube is offering your thoughts on a particular subject. From a business perspective, this can look like addressing important or newsworthy industry updates, discussing people who have an impact in the field, or offering a company response to current events that may affect your niche.
Building Trust & Community
Want to get conversations flowing? Want to involve your followers and get them chatting in the comments or even connecting with you in real-time? Consider one of these types of videos to build trust within your YouTube community.
Q&A Sessions
Q&A videos provide an opportunity for you to engage directly with your current and potential followers. Initiating a question and answer session offers chances for you to see what exactly your followers are interested in, what they want to hear from you, and gives you a sense of how to stay current with your target audience. You can use Q&A videos to answer frequently asked questions from your followers, or you can crowdsource for questions ahead of time and tackle those, giving your subscribers a sense that you truly value what they have to say.
Video Blogs (Vlogs)
Video blogs, or “vlogs” are a way to share elements from your business or brand on a daily or weekly basis. These videos often have a confessional, conversational tone that almost feels like a journal entry. Vlogs can also take the form of a video that summarizes a blog post from your website or highlights something you shared on your Instagram stories. Vlogs can be a great way to interact with your viewers and connect across various platforms.
YouTube Challenges
YouTube challenges provide a whimsical way to offer your followers something different and to get them involved. YouTube challenges often show the subject trying something new or mildly dangerous (like eating a large number of hot peppers) or simply having fun and wanting to share your take on a current trend—and it’s even better if the content aligns with your business or brand.
YouTube Live
Like going live on Facebook or Instagram, YouTube Live is a way to connect in real-time with your audience. Because those who are watching can share reactions and comments, broadcasting via YouTube Live becomes a chance for you to interact with followers, be yourself, and offer a different kind of video experience.
Reviews
Review videos are some of the most popular types of YouTube videos. We’ve likely all done a YouTube search to see what others think of a product, business, or brand, or looked for a Best Of list. There are a few different types of review videos you can create.
Product Reviews & Demonstrations
In a product review video, you’ll give a detailed assessment of the product, what it does, and how it works. People creating these videos may touch on a product or service, what they used it for, how it worked for them if they endorse or recommend it (or not!), and why. Companies who provide honest reviews (including both positive and negative aspects of their product) build trust with current and potential customers, because these kinds of straightforward, no-nonsense reviews make people see you’re doing more than just trying to sell them something; you’ve got their best interests in mind as well.
Product reviews on YouTube are often combined with “unboxing” videos, which go through the entire unboxing process. These videos have gained intense popularity in recent years for a variety of reasons: some people like to see a detailed explanation and evaluation of a product before buying it, while others may just enjoy watching the process.
Another type of video that goes hand in hand with product reviews is product demonstrations. These types of review videos do more than just give an opinion and verbal pros and cons, they show the advantages and disadvantages of a certain product, as well as how to use it. Product reviews not only give viewers an opinion but the opportunity to see a product in action.
Customer Testimonials
Another type of review video on YouTube is the customer testimonial. Similar to a review video, these videos come directly from satisfied customers who are offering their personal opinion on products or services. Providing real-life testimonials adds to your company’s trustworthiness and builds brand recognition.
“Best of” or “Top” List
If you want to share your favorite products or services with your followers, consider making a “Best of” of a “Top” list. Providing recommendations of favorites within a certain category (especially if it’s in your wheelhouse) draws viewers in and can help establish yourself as an expert in your field. For example, if you’re a digital marketing company, providing a “Best Digital Marketing Analytics tools” video could be beneficial to your audience. If you’re in the automotive industry, maybe a “Top Ten Best Tires” could resonate with your viewers.
Reaction Video
Reaction videos are opportunities for you to respond to something your audience is interested in. While these videos may seem similar to commentary videos, they can be more specific in terms of responding directly to another industry expert, something that is cutting-edge in your industry, or a large announcement in your field.
Comedy Videos
If making your subscribers laugh is your main goal, try your hand at creating funny videos or memes based on popular culture or celebrity news.
A massive part of YouTube’s allure is making people laugh. Even before YouTube existed, television shows such as America's Funniest Home Videos capitalized on how much we like to laugh at videos of real people or animals. Parodies, pranks, silly animals, and sketch videos all fall into the comedy category.
So whether it’s your pet acting like a human, your baby acting like a boss, or watching people slip and fall (hopefully without hurting themselves too much!), creating comedy videos can be a lighthearted and impactful way to make your followers laugh and come back for more content.
Event Videos
Event videos are a chance to create content featuring in-person experiences from afar. These might look like a speech from an expo or conference, a video-based around a sporting event or athletic stunts (though stunts gone wrong can fall under the comedy umbrella), or even something like a TED talk. Event videos can be a way to showcase how your business, product, or brand fits into the industry on a larger scale. Through video, those watching from home can feel connected to the crowd and part of something bigger than themselves.
Learn YouTube Marketing
Ready to use YouTube to grow your business, product, or brand? Noble Desktop offers a variety of social media marketing classes. These courses are available in-person at Noble’s NYC location, or students can attend live online social media marketing classes from anywhere in the world. Noble’s Social Media Video Marketing: TikTok & YouTube class teaches how to develop a storyboard and monitor video trends and topics on YouTube. Participants come away from the course with a firm grasp of how to build a following, as well as video ad creation and optimization on YouTube.
Those looking for a more comprehensive overview of various social media marketing channels and the industry as a whole can enroll in Noble Desktop’s 30-hour Social Media Marketing Certificate. Hands-on training over five distinct units allows students to master various elements of social media marketing. Certificate program participants will learn how to determine the right social media platform for their goals, develop a successful social media strategy, and create content that increases engagement and drives sales. Expert instructors teach participants how to gain a following and underscore the importance of market positioning and using social media analytics to improve results. Noble even offers students a chance to retake the class for free within a year to drill down on challenging concepts or refresh their skills.
You can also find other social media marketing classes in your area using Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me tool.