The Best Way to Structure Your Content Strategy to Maximize Marketing Activations on YouTube

Purpose of Research

• Identify popular entities in the sport, music and content space who invest in activations.
• Analyze the posting strategy for activations on YouTube to assess success based on content type.

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Metrics Defined

The following content types are defined as follows for this report:

• ‍Standalone Content: Only one YouTube video shared.
• ‍Episodic Format: Standalone YouTube videos that follow a recurring template but do not need to be viewed in succession.
• ‍Serial Content: 2+ YouTube videos that are intended to be viewed in succession (ie. episode 1, 2, 3, 4…).
• ‍ Supported Content: One main YouTube video is complemented by other posts about that one piece of content.

‍The following metrics were considered to develop key insights:

• ‍Share of entities using different content types
• Aggregated performance of all types of content across entities
• View and engagement retention for content types

Links are examples to help define the content type categories.

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Key Takeaways

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All brands post Standalone content on YouTube.

43% of brands use at least two content types in conjunction.

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YouTube activations don’t have to be exclusively 1 content type…

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…But prioritize Episodic Format content for activation distribution.

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Episodic content has at least 2-5 posts using a repeatable format.

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Leave about 21-40 days between posts.

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Share at least 4 posts to increase performance over time…

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…Episodic videos increase in viewership after the 3^rd video.

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Episodic Format content should sit between 10-20 minutes.

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Let’s dive into examples of how to leverage Episodic Formats across videos.

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Create a central theme to engage with subjects, then repeat.

• ‍Would You?
  ‍3 YouTube Videos
  1.5B Total Views & Engagements

• This Shorts series explores whether people would complete major challenges in the moment.

• ‍This v.s. That
  ‍5 YouTube Videos
  1.1B Total Views & Engagements

• MrBeast finds two very different subjects to face off against each other such as himself and The Rock or Hydraulic Press Vs Lamborghini.

• ‍$ vs $$$
  ‍4 YouTube Videos
  974M Total Views & Engagements

• Videos that explore the true difference of cheap to mid-luxury and full-luxury experiences.

This v.s. That

Views 400M

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Would You?

Views 314M

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$ vs $$$

Views 299M

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Maintain a recurring structure in the way footage is presented.

• ‍Chicken Shop Date
  ‍14 YouTube Videos
  39M Total Views & Engagements

Chicken Shop Date features interviews with musicians and other celebrities in an identical format about once a month. 

• Videos are 6.5 minutes long on average. Viewers have come to recognize CSD as a quick but funny content format.
• Each video starts with the same introduction. The video starts with a short excerpt from the interview and then cuts into a 7-second title clip. 
• Each video features the host and guest eating fried chicken & chips as they chat. 
• All videos feature B-roll footage from the shop of the people who work there.

Introduction, Interview, Chicken Shop B-Roll

Views 9.3M

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Thrasher’s “Skateline” is shared consistently every 7 days. 

Viewership fluctuates from time to time but ultimately remains relatively stable.

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If activating in a frequent manner, aim for quality over quantity.

Easing out to a biweekly video format could push more intentional video coverage and generate higher viewership.

• ‍Skateline
  ‍47 YouTube Videos
  3.6M Total Views & Engagements

• Videos cover what’s happening in the world of skateboarding. They cover skater news and feature new films shared in the community. 
• Videos are 3.5 minutes in length on average.
• Thrasher Magazine uses:
  (i) The same host for every video.
  (ii) The same background, mimicking a newsroom.

Skateline

Views 112K

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Produce Standalone content between 25-30 minutes in length.

Content between 15-20 minutes follows as the second top performer.

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YouTube Shorts generate the fastest growth in viewership over a 30-day period, followed by videos over 35 minutes.

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Let’s dive into examples of how to include Standalone content into your media mix.

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Use Shorts to share quick videos that are relevant to your audience.

MrBeast and Amelia Dimoldenberg use Standalone Shorts in the following ways:

• ‍Use Shorts to reference content that you’re known for in a quick manner. 
  (i) MrBeast gives iPhones to kids for Halloween and sends subscribers on trips when he meets them in the streets, similar to a strategy he employs on TikTok. 
  (ii) Amelia Dimoldenberg moves her interviews to real-life red carpet events and shares quick excerpts of her talking to celebrities in her typical quirky way, but independent of her usual setting.

• Keep shorts within 30 seconds to a minute.

Views 892M

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Views 317M

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Views 12M

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Use Standalone content to tell a story from beginning to end.

The story should start and end in the duration of the video. 

Standalone Tactics from Yes Theory:

• ‍Set the stage. Yes Theory:
  (i) Immediately communicates the point of their videos, and what viewers will learn by watching. 
  (ii) Aims to demystify any preconceived notions viewers may have about the experiences they undertake. 

• Keep videos within 22 minutes.
• ‍Build a strong narrative approach. If content will be over 20 minutes in length, introduce a setting, obstacles and goal that subjects will be achieving at the beginning of the video.

Views 7.5M

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Views 7.2M

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Views 6.2M

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Leverage event content with raw footage so viewers can feel like they’re at the venue.

Standalone Tactics from Thrasher Magazine:

• ‍Be repetitive. Thrasher’s top-performing Standalone event content often shows different athletes trying the same trick over and over again. 
• ‍Standalone content doesn’t always need added audio. Event content often just features the raw audio from the day while film edits featuring athletes often just have music overtop while the athlete skates.
• On average, Thrasher’s Standalone content is 7 minutes in duration.

Views 1.7M

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Views 1M

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Views 951K