Happy Birthday, YouTube! - Four31 Digital

Happy Valentine’s Day…and also happy birthday to YouTube which is 20 years old today! Here’s what you need to know about YouTube:

YouTube is a video-sharing service and search engine where users can watch, like, share, comment and upload their videos.
The platform has a possible ads reach of 2.53 billion people, an increase of 40 million in the last 12 months
The average active user spends over 27 hours a month on the platform, the second highest usage after TikTok, with the average session lasting over 8 minutes at a time, the longest of any social media app.
The largest demographic is 25-34-year-olds, who account for 22% of total users, with males in that age group accounting for 12%.
The Top 5 countries with the largest potential ad reach for YouTube are India, USA, Brazil, Indonesia and Mexico.

How can you use YouTube to grow your business?

Video Content and Optimisation

Long-Form Videos – Businesses can create in-depth tutorials, product showcases, and behind-the-scenes content. Unverified accounts can upload videos up to 15 minutes.
Shorts – YouTube’s answer to TikTok and Reels; great for quick, engaging and less formal content of up to 60 seconds.
Live Streaming – If you have 50 subscribers to your channel, then you can use live streaming on YouTube. This is ideal for product launches, Q&As, and events to interact with your audience in real time.
Premieres – YouTube Premieres lets you and your viewers to watch and experience a new video together in real time. You can schedule a video launch with a live chat, building anticipation so that your audience can leave comments.

YouTube Shopping – Directly integrate your products into videos and live streams.
Affiliate Links and Sponsored Content – Earn commissions or partner with influencers.
Super Chat and Super Stickers – These are features that can be used to monetise a YouTube channel through the YouTube Partner Program. They enable viewers to purchase messages that stand out in live chat.

YouTube Ads – Run skippable, non-skippable, bumper, or discovery ads through Google ads.
Influencer and Creator Collaborations – Leverage established YouTubers to expand your reach.

Memberships and Exclusive Content – Offer paid subscriptions for loyal fans with exclusive content that has limited access
Playlists and Series – Keep viewers watching longer by grouping relevant content together into Playlists and Series (episodes) so that it is easy to find and easier to keep your viewers on your channel.

What YouTube functionality can you use for your business? Happy birthday, YouTube!

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