The 2020s are here, and just like that, our world is a different place.

Now, more than ever, we are connected to each other and the world around us via the internet. Between messaging apps, social media, and video platforms like YouTube, our online presence is more important than ever.

What does this mean for content creators? How much time do you spend on YouTube? How effective is social media for brand awareness and engagement? How important is SEO?

Let’s explore these questions and more as we dive into the worlds of Jack Whitehall and Robert Pattinson.

YouTube.

In the previous decade, the vast majority of content was created for traditional media platforms like TV and magazines. However, in the last two years, platforms like YouTube have exploded in popularity.

Thanks to platforms like YouTube, which was originally designed for short-form content, creators can now reach a massive audience. No longer do you need to rely on a few thousand people to see your content; you can have hundreds or even thousands of people discovering and enjoying your clips on an almost daily basis.

Based on a combination of social media engagement (likes, views, and comments) and keyword analysis of my own YouTube content, I estimate that I get around 400,000 unique views per month.

As a content creator who primarily makes videos for fun, the idea of reaching a largely international audience is mind blowing.

Robert Pattinson.

While we’re on the subject of YouTube, let’s take a brief detour and discuss the latest addition to the big-name celebrity crew, Robert Pattinson.

Thanks to Pattinson’s new book, Half of a Yellow Sun, his film appearances, and the phenomenal success of his music career, the Twilight Saga star has transformed from an anonymous face in a crowd to a recognizable name. And like many other famous people, he’s taken to social media to engage with fans and gain more YouTube subscribers.

In January 2020, after over a year of relative inactivity, Robert Pattinson finally returned to YouTube with a new video, ‘It’s Hard To Leave When You’re Still In Love’, featuring his soon-to-be ex-wife, Eve Hewitt. Since then, he’s released a series of stunning music videos, including ‘I’m Not Sleeping’.

For someone who didn’t have a substantial presence on social media before, such as myself, taking the step into the limelight must feel overwhelming.

Being in the public eye has its perks, but it also comes with its responsibilities. While we might not always like to admit it, the attention we get from the media can be pretty overwhelming. It can feel like a distraction from what’s important in life. For that reason, I try to keep my social media presence as minimal as possible and only share content that I feel will help me improve as a person and artist. Being too available online can have its downsides, as I’m sure you’ll agree.

Jack Whitehall.

Moving away from celebrity gossip and into the realm of professional content, we arrive at the man behind the pseudonym Jack Whitehall. For many of you, Whitehall is probably best known for a series of YouTube videos he made in 2008 about his experiences as a student at London’s Brunel University. In the videos, Whitehall discussed a number of subjects, including his studies, excursions into the countryside, and life in the notoriously overcrowded city of London.

After posting his first YouTube video, ‘A Day In The Life At Brunel University’, Whitehall began to gain a following among students. In fact, ‘Abroad Education’, his second YouTube video, was viewed by over 100,000 people.

Over the next few years, Whitehall would continue to upload new content to YouTube on a semi-regular basis, mostly covering his adventures as a mature student at Brunel and the wider world of higher education. Although most of his videos are between five and fifteen minutes in length, Whitehall’s channel has enough content for an entire semester of university studies.

Even now, if you search for ‘jack whitehall’ on YouTube, you’ll still find a number of relevant videos, all featuring unique content curated from years of the author’s personal archive. However, although he is extremely popular among students and social media users in general, Whitehall still considers himself a “YouTube rookie”.

With over a decade of video content behind him, Whitehall’s YouTube channel currently has over 438,000 subscribers and continues to grow on a weekly basis.

Branding And Brand Awareness.

In 2021, Google will reportedly make up to £12bn from YouTube advertisements in the United Kingdom alone, proving the platform’s incredible popularity in this country. And it’s not just our obsession with cats that’s responsible for this, either.

Thanks to YouTube, brands can now easily establish a presence on the platform, engaging with users through carefully crafted content. While this might seem like an obvious choice for celebrities trying to promote their latest projects or luxury goods, it’s actually a relatively new phenomenon. Up until recently, it was mostly the biggest brands that could afford expensive TV advertising that got the most attention from YouTube creators. However, as we’ve established, YouTube’s audience is much more diversified than we’d guess from a single statistic.

Branding and brand awareness on social media channels has increased by 50% in the last two years alone, according to HubSpot.

Now, with the right content, a brand can have a greater impact on a consumer even when they don’t have their eyes open. In the world of digital marketing, this is known as being ‘clickable’. Having a brand’s logo or name as a tag or in the description of your video content is a great way to attract potential customers, encourage them to click, and generate leads or sales.

According to HubSpot, brands can use four methods to gain clickability from video content:

  • Title – The title of your video should reflect the content within it. The shorter the title, the better, as it will help users discover your content more easily. A good rule of thumb is to try and keep your titles under five words. Longer titles raise the risk of people scrolling past your content because it’s a little bit boring or too long.
  • Logo – Your logo is one of the most important elements of your brand identity. As previously stated, having a logo is a great way to attract consumers and encourage them to click on your content. Ensure that the logo is integrated into your title and can be easily found in the description of your video.
  • Metadata – Metadata, or video content information, includes things like the video’s date and time, length, and resolution. Ensure that this information is consistent throughout your video content. Having accurate metadata makes it easier for internet search engines to index and identify your video content. Google has publicly stated that it uses metadata to determine the ‘trustworthiness’ of a video. In other words, ensuring that your metadata is up to date will increase your chances of appearing in organic search results.
  • Description – The description of your video is another important element that draws potential customers to your content. This is where you can include important and relevant keywords to make your video stand out from other content on the platform. While you should never put too much text into your description, around 70-100 words should be more than enough. Keep in mind that users are more likely to click on an article with a short description than one with a long one.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

If you’ve ever shopped for something on Amazon, you’ll know that when you click the button to ‘buy this item’ the site will offer to show you similar items, referred to as ‘Product Similarity’.

In the same way, when someone searches for a specific product or service on YouTube, they’ll usually see suggested content and related videos from other creators, as well as organic results from YouTube’s massive index of videos.

For example, if I search for ‘apple laptop bag’ on YouTube, I’ll see a number of relevant results, including videos from well-known creators and blogs, as well as articles from notable publications.

Product Similarity and suggested videos are great for drawing in potential customers, but they can also be incredibly helpful for content creators looking to expand their reach. By strategically placing keywords in the text of your video content and its associated metadata, you can significantly increase your odds of appearing in organic search results on YouTube.