Page 133 - Christian Training Guide

Chapter 16

YouTube Marketing Trends in 2017

As the importance of video continues to grow, many marketers are watching to see if

YouTube will keep pace in 2017.

To find out where YouTube may be heading in the coming year, we reached out to social
media pros to get their thoughts.

#1: YouTube Solidifies Its Social Network Status

YouTube is often chalked up as the home of silly Internet videos. Companies recognizing
YouTube as a search engine and content machine have leveraged the platform as a place to

upload video, but they’ve focused their social efforts on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Now, YouTube is allowing creators to communicate with their subscribers and channel
visitors in more ways.

With the addition of features such as a basic status update with a photo, people who want
to better connect with a video-obsessed audience will see YouTube as a social network

rather than just a video collection zone.

This is going to be a game-changer for YouTube as a competitor in the social space, and
marketers should be thinking bigger when it comes to what this platform means to their

strategy.

#2: YouTube Explores Long-form Television-style Content

In 2017, YouTube will evolve to maintain its strategic position as a video platform that’s
the second-largest search engine.

To increase revenues, YouTube will tap into Google’s treasure trove of data to test

production and marketing of longer-format television-type series. This competitive move is
in response to the rise of original series creations by Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu.