The Benefits of Long Form YouTube Videos Over Quick Reels To Maximize Impact
Aug 05, 2024
Struggling with creating content? You’re not alone! But don't worry, we've got all the tips and strategies you need. In today’s blog post, I had the pleasure of sitting down with YouTube expert Melissa from Wandermint Creative. Melissa reveals how YouTube can be a powerhouse for organic lead generation and shares her top strategies for getting started.
We dive deep into creating compelling content that resonates with your audience and how to maximize your reach using simple yet effective tools. Melissa’s insights on leveraging YouTube for sustainable business growth are game-changing! Whether you're new to YouTube or looking to refine your strategy, this blog post is packed with valuable advice.
From understanding the power of YouTube's search engine to efficiently repurposing your content, Melissa provides a roadmap for making your videos more discoverable and impactful. We also explore the compounding effect of YouTube, where your content can continue to attract views and leads long after it’s been uploaded.
So, if you're ready to transform your content strategy and unlock the full potential of YouTube for your business, keep reading! Melissa's tips will help you plan your content strategically, prevent burnout, and maximize your ROI. Don’t miss out on these insights that could elevate your content game!
About Melissa
Melissa went to college for graphic design and communications, then worked in corporate for about six years. She had always had a dream of starting her own business, being that little kid who had lemonade stands and garage sales. After getting sick of corporate, Melissa left her job and decided to do branding and websites on the side. As social media was becoming a really big thing, she decided to be a social media manager. She quickly realized that all of her clients in social media management had the same two problems. One, they didn't have time for content creation and two, they didn't have leads. That's when she found YouTube! She started creating videos for herself on YouTube and then started to get clients for her social media management business through YouTube. That's the stars aligned and Melissa realized that this could really be a cool strategy.
Keeping Up with the Trends
Creating content can sometimes feel like a never-ending race, right? Especially with short-form content like 10-second reels dominating social media feeds. But there's a strong case for the enduring power of long-form YouTube videos. Recently, I had a chat with Melissa from Wandermint Creative, a YouTube expert, about why long-form YouTube content can be a game-changer for organic lead generation and sustainable business growth. Let’s dive into why YouTube’s long-form videos should be a central part of your content strategy.
Harnessing the Power of YouTube's Search Engine
One of the biggest perks of long-form YouTube videos is that it is actually a search engine. Technically it's not a social media platform like Instagram or Facebook, but rather a search engine owned by Google, which means it's the second largest search engine in the world. And there's about 2.8 billion people using YouTube on a monthly basis, which is absolutely insane if you think about it.
When you have a problem, where do you go to look for the answer or look for a review on something or a tutorial on something? Usually, it's Google or YouTube, right? And when you search in Google, YouTube videos will even pop up on the very top of the page in search results, which just shows you the power of creating video content. Google loves video content and it'll always show it first.
Unlike those quick 10-second reels that often vanish from view, YouTube videos have a lasting presence thanks to the platform’s search functionality. Melissa emphasizes the importance of utilizing keyword research and search intent to make your videos more discoverable. This strategy is crucial for any small business strategist looking to enhance their online presence.
Imagine you run a cooking channel and create a 30-minute video on "How to Bake the Perfect Sourdough Bread." By incorporating relevant keywords like "sourdough recipe" and "bread baking tips," your video is more likely to pop up in search results when people look for these terms. Over time, as your video gains traction, it can continuously attract viewers interested in your content.
Maximizing Reach with Efficient Content Repurposing
We know that video is the queen of all content on every platform these days, right? No matter which one you're on. If you can create one larger video and then slice it down, the amount of work that it's taking you to create content has just been slashed in half. This is amazing for business owners because we're all busy. We don't have time to be creating content every single day for every single platform. Creating high-quality content takes effort and time, so why not get the most out of it?
For example, you can break down a 30-minute tutorial into shorter clips or highlight segments for social media posts or blog content. This approach fits perfectly into a robust business growth strategy framework that ensures you get the maximum ROI from your content efforts.
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Benefiting from YouTube's Compounding Effect
Think about every video you create as a little salesperson out in the world selling for you in your business, even while you're on vacation, or with your kids, or doing whatever you want to be doing. That alone is crazy that they're working for you, but then it's compounding. Every video you create compounds on itself. And it's not like Instagram or Facebook where your post isn't seen 24 hours after it's posted because it's that search engine and that catalog of videos you're creating. Your videos can be found tomorrow, two weeks from now, a year from now, two years from now, etc. Talk about an investment into your business. Well-optimized content can remain discoverable for years, providing ongoing value and lead generation for your business. This aspect highlights the difference in business strategy vs brand strategy, where the former focuses on sustained growth and the latter on immediate engagement.
How to Get Started With Youtube
If you're concerned that you don't have the space or equipment for quality video, remember that the content value, what you're actually sharing with the world, and the mission of your business are way more important than what your background looks like. Push past the fear, just get started, and get a little bit better with every video you create.
What about equipment? If you have an iPhone sitting in your pocket, you have everything you need to start creating videos. The first thing Melissa recommends upgrading would be a microphone, which you can get on Amazon for like $30 and use natural window light. So don't let tech hold you back from creating content. The content itself and you as a person giving that content are way more important than the production value.
Strategic Content Planning for Faster Results
I hear all the time "creating long form video takes too long." Think about the ROI from a YouTube video versus like a reel, for example. Because of that compounding effect, your time is actually going to be better spent on a longer form video because it's going to work for you longer. And if you set it up strategically as a sales engine that's bringing you in leads, it's easily more worth your time than creating a reel.
With YouTube Shorts, you're utilizing that search engine as well AND can repurpose to Instagram Reels, to TikTok, to all the different places. That's where that repurposing strategy comes into play, but the cool thing about YouTube shorts specifically is that because it's tied to that search engine and YouTube algorithm, you're getting that recommendation and search. You can also create YouTube shorts from your long form videos right on the platform. And then you can actually link them back to your long form videos, which creates a bingeable effect on YouTube without you really doing anything at all, which is so cool.
Planning long-form content strategically allows for better results and prevents burnout. Melissa advises creating a content calendar and planning your videos around your audience’s needs and interests. By strategically aligning your content with what your audience is searching for, you can maximize ROI and avoid the exhaustion of constantly producing short-form content. This is a key tactic for any business strategy specialist aiming for long-term success.
Long-Form Content as a Tool for Building Authority and Trust
The biggest thing is to figure out what the topic of your YouTube channel really is. Who is your ideal client that you're really serving and what are the topics are you going to talk about? The more niche down you can be, especially at the start of your YouTube channel, the more that YouTube is going to understand what your videos are about, and be able to push them to the right people. Even though it is a search engine, there is still an algorithm with Youtube.
If someone is going to subscribe to your channel, what are they going to get out of it? Write that down in one or two lines, and every single time you go to create a video, ask yourself, is this video delivering on my promise of my channel? If it's a yes every single time, then that's a really good indication that your video is going to be successful.
Take it one step further. Now that this promise has been figured out, who is my ideal client and what are their fears, pains, goals, their questions? Take five minutes and just start brainstorming to figure out what are they actually searching for. What do they want to see? Write that brainstorm list first. and then validate those ideas through keyword research.
Keyword Research
The simplest way to do keyword research is just to use YouTube itself. Take those ideas from your brainstorming list and start typing them into the YouTube search bar. A dropdown will actually come down and it'll start showing you what people are searching for. Since those things are being auto-populated, it's basically YouTube telling you, yeah, people are searching for this. It's indexed in YouTube's database and it's a great topic, so start with those videos first.
Think about Business Growth
While 10-second reels can be enticing with their immediate, bite-sized appeal, long-form YouTube videos offer unparalleled benefits for organic lead generation and sustainable business growth. From leveraging YouTube's search engine and repurposing content efficiently to capitalizing on the compounding effect and building authority, the advantages of long-form content are clear. As Melissa from Wandermint Creative points out, embracing long-form YouTube videos can transform your content strategy and drive meaningful results for your business.
If you're ready to take your content creation to the next level, consider the lasting impact of long-form YouTube videos. They may require a bit more effort upfront, but the rewards in terms of reach, engagement, and business growth are well worth it.
About the author
Holly Haynes is a business strategist who loves a good plan and flow chart. She is crazy passionate about teaching women like you how to build your dream job and scale to 6-figures without sacrificing your weekends or priorities.
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