A new year comes with a whole new set of strategies, tools and tactics that will change YouTube marketing in 2024. We’re seeing a big shift in how content is consumed, how algorithms affect your channel, and how audiences engage with you.
So, how do you stay ahead in this quick moving terrain?
No sweat, we’ve got you covered! In this post, we’re equipping you with the latest insights and trends that we’re seeing on YouTube. Let’s dive in together to see what 2024 has in store.
📽️ Need help with YouTube Marketing in 2024? Let’s chat! 📈
YouTube Trends 2024
2024 YouTube Trends & Strategies
Thumbnail Split Testing
As YouTube rolls out its “Test and Compare” built-in thumbnail split testing feature to a wider group in 2024, you’ll want to be ready to use this tool. This feature allows the testing of three different thumbnail designs for a single video. YouTube then analyzes which one maximizes viewer engagement and watch time.
This means it will be even more competitive to get people to click and watch. By regularly experimenting with various thumbnail styles, channels can significantly enhance their video’s reach and engagement, leading to increased audience growth. So get ready to create more thumbnails than ever before!
Shorts as a Discovery Tool
The wave of short-form videos isn’t slowing down. It’s actually growing faster than ever, from 1.5 billion views per day in 2022 to 70 billion views per day at the end of 2023! YouTube is promoting this video format heavily because of its popularity, so it’s a great opportunity to grow your channel’s visibility and audience. Most of the channels that had massive growth last year were from Shorts!
So consider repurposing your long-form content into shorter formats, such as 25 minute or 5 minute videos, and extracting standout <60 second segments for shorts. Additionally, tailor your approach by scripting and shooting specifically for the vertical short format. This strategy maximizes your content’s reach and taps into the huge potential of short’s discoverability.
Educational Content Opportunity
Demand is rising for educational content on YouTube, and this presents a great opportunity for businesses. With 92% of users turning to the platform for learning (YouTube US Impact Report), there’s a clear shift towards informative videos. This video genre is about substance over style, prioritizing the depth and accuracy of information. It’s an excellent way for businesses to demonstrate expertise and establish authority in their niche, enhancing their credibility and audience trust.
Brands get Personal
Authenticity in marketing is becoming increasingly important, with 2023 marking “Authentic” as the year’s top buzzword. This trend is set to continue (especially on YouTube), with brands increasingly favoring creator-style videos to build more personal connections with their audience. Brands are prioritizing genuine storytelling, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and unfiltered moments in their video content.
Remember, not every video has to be the ultimate representation of your brand or story. Focus on the bigger picture, and let viewers get to know you through their journey. The more you try to sell yourself, the more inauthentic it can feel. Focus on providing value, which naturally builds a more genuine connection with your audience.
The Rise of AI
As channels begin to lean on AI for more and more of the creative process, the need for innovative and authentic content becomes increasingly important. AI is helping with everything from ideation to scriptwriting to editing, but there’s a risk of producing generic content. The key is using AI to gain back time for more creativity and authentic storytelling. While AI enhances efficiency, it’s the unique human touch that is essential in building that emotional connection with your audience. Channels should leverage AI for efficiency while infusing their work with innovative and personal elements to stand out.
Speaking of AI, YouTube is upping its game in 2024 with an array of new tools. Keep an eye out for features like generative green screens for Shorts, AI insights in YouTube Studio, and automatic dubbing in multiple languages. These are just a few of the exciting tools coming our way – we’ll dive deeper into these in a future post!
Podcasting's Rise on YouTube
YouTube has emerged as the leading platform for podcasting. This is interesting because it gives brands a chance to blend “facetime” and “background” aspects into their video content. This can lead to a more personal, engaging connection with your audience, as well as encouraging extended watch time because viewers can multitask while consuming this content.
Its edge in searchability over rivals like Spotify and Apple Podcasts, coupled with the surge in long-form content and TV viewership, positions YouTube as a great choice for brands exploring podcasting.
Maximize Your Campaigns
Google Ads’ Maximize Conversion Value and Demand Gen campaigns are changing how businesses advertise on YouTube. With AI-powered bidding and data-driven strategies, these tools ensure optimal budget utilization and tailored ad experiences. Maximize Conversion Value focuses on achieving the highest conversion value, aligning your ad spending with specific business goals like sales revenue or profit margins.
Meanwhile, Demand Gen campaigns expand your ad impact across various Google surfaces, including YouTube Shorts, Discover, and Gmail. This multi-format approach, combined with audience customization and visual ad surfaces, maximizes engagement and drives action. These features simplify campaign management and enhance ROI, making them invaluable tools.
🎯 Need help with your YouTube Marketing strategy? Book a free strategy call!
Overhyped YouTube Trends for Brands in 2024
VR Video Content & 360 Content
VR continues to gain steam to an estimated $22 B global market in 2025. I’m a huge proponent of VR, but when you’re in the Metaverse, watching a 360 Video is boring, you’re still watching a video in 2D. No depth or interactivity. Versus a VR game or experience, that is 3D, because you can move through a world. By enabling movement and interaction within a three-dimensional space, VR goes beyond just watching; it provides a more engaging and immersive experience.
Faceless YouTube Channels
You may have seen the ads for money-making opportunities to create Faceless YouTube channels. They promise a pathway to success without the need for personal exposure. In 2024 this path isn’t so clear. It comes back to the conversation about authenticity. These channels struggle to form a genuine, emotional connection with their audience, a key driver of viewer loyalty and engagement.
Now there are plenty of exceptions, including channels I watch. But with both the quality and quantity of content increasing on YouTube, Faceless, generic YouTube channels will have a tough time maintaining attention.
Focusing on Subscribers
Brands often come to us with their main goal being subscriber growth. But focusing on YouTube subscribers rather than views is like judging a bank account by its total deposits ever made, rather than its current balance. It’s a vanity metric. Subscriber count reflects past success, but it doesn’t reflect the current activity or engagement, as YouTube does not show your content to all subscribers. Even if they did show your thumbnail, it doesn’t mean they clicked on it.
Metrics like monthly viewership, recent videos average view duration (AVD), and the proportion of new versus returning audiences, or even the amount of videos published provide much better insight into current viewer interest and the health of a channel.
Vireo’s Top Resources & Articles to Dive Deeper
Here are a few hand-picked resources that our team found insightful. Read them, use them, ask us about them, and together, let’s put these strategies into action to transfer your channel.
Level up with ViewStats
ViewStats is a new advanced YouTube statistics tool that was co-founded by Mr. Beast. It offers insights into channel performance, audience behavior, and competitive analysis, which is key for refining content and maximizing engagement.
Letter from the YouTube CEO: 4 Big bets for 2024
Check out this insightful letter from Neal Mohan, CEO of YouTube, outlining the platform’s big bets for 2024. From empowering human creativity with AI to recognizing creators as next-generation studios, this letter delves into the future of content creation and the evolving landscape of YouTube. Dive into the article to learn more about the platform’s priorities and how they plan to shape the creator economy.
Datareportal Deep Dive into YouTube Users, Data & Trends
DataReportal offers insights into YouTube’s 2023 trends, user demographics, and global reach. Its comprehensive reports help creators and marketers understand audience preferences and growth patterns. By analyzing country-specific data and comparing YouTube with other social platforms, you can refine your content strategy and gain a competitive edge.
1OF10.COM
1 of 10 is a free tool allows you to find the best-performing videos on channels. It allows you to find the outliers quickly. We’re using it in our competitor research, and to help with content ideation.
Takeaways from great YouTube Ads of 2023
This is a good read for anyone interested in learning more about the current state and future direction of advertising on YouTube. It underscores the power of creator partnerships and the effectiveness of using various ad formats, ranging from quick, engaging Shorts to more elaborate long-form video campaigns. It also showcases innovative campaigns from major brands, providing real-world examples and inspiration.
What's Vireo all about?
We hope these strategies and resources inspire some new ideas and energy for your YouTube strategy in 2024! As always, we’re here to help you navigate it all!
At Vireo Video, we help businesses succeed on YouTube. Our team combines deep platform experience, data backed strategies, and creative expertise to level up all aspects of your YouTube marketing strategy.
We work best with established businesses that are already active on YouTube, and looking to improve their views, ad performance, content quality and overall ROI on the platform. We offer services like:
📈 YouTube Growth: tailored full-service packages aimed at maximizing channel ROI
🧠 YouTube Strategy: personalized approaches backed by YouTube Certified expertise
⚙️ YouTube SEO: advanced tactics for enhancing video and channel visibility
🎯 YouTube Ads: effective, data-driven video ad campaigns for impactful results
🎬 YouTube Video Editing: expert video editing services to that keep viewers interested
And more! So if your business is interested in elevating it’s YouTube strategy or adding new services into your package, just chat with your Vireo Account Manager, or book a discovery call with a specialist to get started.
Let’s crush it on YouTube in 2024! 🚀
