YouTube's Untapped Marketing Potential

I'm in Media Planning this semester and was doing some research on great untapped media outlets that have multiple marketing opportunities for both large and small businesses. In researching the marketing opportunities available on YouTube I've come to the conclusion that YouTube is not only awesome-- it's a valid marketing tool for both large and small businesses alike. 

For those of you that aren't "YouTubers", YouTube is a video sharing website that is free for users. Over a billion people watch YouTube every day due to it's easy user interface and awesome content. Over 48 hours of video are uploaded every minute, and over 8 years of content are uploaded every day. It would take you over 600 years to watch all of the content on YouTube, and that time is lengthening by the minute. 

YouTube's viewership is growing, both online and through mobile streaming on smart phones and tablets. All ages and demographics are present on YouTube, with the 18-44 demographic representing 56% of YouTube's daily viewers. 55% of daily users are male and 45% are female. 

So, how many ways can YouTube be used as a marketing outlet? SO MANY WAYS.

YouTube offers marketing services through:

• Channels

• TrueView Ads

• In-Stream Ads

• Mobile Ads

• Homepage Ads

• YouTube First Watch

• Display Ads

• YouTube Analytics

• Custom Solutions

• YouTuber Endorsements

By using YouTube's various marketing tools, it is possible to reach your target market in several ways to maximize impressions online. By using any combination of the aforementioned marketing tools, businesses can take control of their online presence and engage with their online audience in new ways that promote active listening and overall communication between the business and its consumers. 

Many large businesses are already using YouTube and gleaning positive results. Ford ran a YouTube campaign for the Ford Fiesta that was wildly successful. They chose 100 influential YouTube celebrities and gave them a Ford Fiesta for a year to complete "missions" in their community and share their experiences with the Fiesta. This campaign made over 52% of consumers aware of the Ford Fiesta, even if they had never bought a Ford vehicle before. This amount of reach and online influence was instrumental in the success in sales of the Ford Fiesta.

YouTube is a greatly untapped resource that could help both small and large businesses achieve their online marketing goals whilst showing the brand's personality and creativity.