This document discusses strategies for content distribution and building an audience on YouTube. It emphasizes the importance of programming content into "Hero", "Hub", and "Hygiene" categories and tailoring the distribution approach for each. Hero content requires massive promotion, while Hub content benefits from targeted remarketing and driving viewers between videos. Hygiene content should focus on search and have a long shelf life. The document also stresses converting viewers into subscribers and super fans through community engagement and rewards. It recommends expanding traditional metrics to better measure true success on YouTube.

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CONTENT DISTRIBUTION & CHANNEL STRATEGIES
Amy Babcock

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A consumption (r)evolution
YouTube Channel
Content Distribution
&
1
2
3
4
5
Content as liquid medium
Programming + distributing your content
Earn the love: turn viewers into fans
Is it working?

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THE WORLD
IS CHANGING

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2008:
microsites & flash

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Source: Cisco Visual Networking Index Report, Feb 2014
SHIFTS in technology fuel
unprecedented access
Average U.S. mobile
data usage
Approaching 40% People can cut
the cord
1B
>1gb/mo
Mobile 4G YouTube’s mobile traffic
Home broadband
now the norm
Global unique
monthly users

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Enabling users to be
everywhere & nowhere
simultaneously
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 TODAY
25 22 5
Network Broadcast Channels
Cable Channels
Online Video Channels
5
500
∞

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YouTube was forced to adapt quickly
YouTube ADAPTED quickly
2011 2012 Today

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Despite technology, the human desire
for an emotional & authentic
connection has not changed…
from the silly to the serious…
YouTube is satisfying that need

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What does
LIQUID VIDEO
look like?
Videos travel quickly
and are consumed
in dozens of ways
search
recommendation
engines embeds
social
referrals

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Video must work with
BROADER ECOSYSTEM 90%
of consumers expect their
brand experiences to be
seamless, no matter where
they happen to be,
regardless of the channel.

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Partner
Pa
id
Own
ed
The UNIVERSE keeps
expanding
Consistent
end frame
Responses
collected in
playlists
Video
Responses
Partner’s social
networks
Your Channel
TrueView In-display
(including engagement ads)
TrueView
In-search
TrueView
In-stream
Your
Website
Promoted on other
destinations
Video in
Google search

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ChoiceData Context
BUT the building blocks haven’t changed
THEY’VE GOTTEN BETTER
“Today’s toolset is
a much sharper
set of knives.”
Wendy Clark
SVP Marketing, Coca-Cola
Google
Data
Advertiser
Data
Third
Party
Data
“
”
A
B
C
D
E

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PROGRAMMING &
DISTRIBUTING
YOUR CONTENT

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Source: Google internal data, Pixability, July 2013
100 hours 80%
content uploaded
each minute on YouTube
brands’ videos receiving
less than 10,000 views
How
will you
stand out
from
the crowd?
Making content doesn’t
mean people will SEE IT
Distribution and
community
strategies are
critical for
success

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The PROBLEM with
going viral
Apr 2012 Jul 2012 Oct 2012 Jan 2013 Apr 2013 Jul 2013 Oct 2013 Jan 2014
0
150,000
300,000
450,000
600,000

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Consistent video programming
is crucial for SUCCESS
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
HYGIENE
HUB HUB HUB HUB
HERO HERO HERO
How to program your video content
Hero Content
Large-scale, tentpole events
or programs that drive
awareness at scale
Hub Content
Regularly scheduled content
around customer passions
Hygiene Content
Always-on content optimized to
users intent and interests

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HERO PIECES deserve
massive orchestration Match your distribution
plan to your content

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Key Considerations for
HERO distro plans
Orchestrate
your advertising
GO BIG
Timing
These are big media pushes Consider pre and post
phasing as just as critical as
the moment itself
Invite the community to
participate to grow the
moment’s impact
This is a time to draw a new
audience in to your brand

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HUB content
should be targeted
75%

22. HUB content:
remarketing & sequential
storytelling
Video
1
Video
2
Video
3

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HUB content
should drive to more videos

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HUB
should drive to more videos

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HUB content:
can be curated

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Key Considerations for Hub
DISTRIBUTION PLANS
Use video walls and
annotations to drive
follow-on views
Use video retargeting to
send the right message to
the right user
Collaborate or curate vs.
needing to do all the
heavy lifting
Audience targeting +
choice-based ads = winning
combo for episodic content

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HYGIENE content:
target search and honor
shelf life

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HYGIENE content:
should answer questions
users are asking

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not just your search list
the shelf life of your content is way
longer than you probably think it is
look for clues in search patterns, answer
the questions users are asking!
Key Considerations for
HYGIENE distro plans
keywords
always on
search + social is critical
B R O A D

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Thumbnails shouldn’t be an
afterthought, they are a
mini-banner ad!
Compelling video titles
draw users in and will
aid organic discovery
THUMBNAILS
No matter the content, don’t forget to
OPTIMIZE FOR
DISCOVERABILITY
VIDEO TITLES DESCRIPTION
Only the first few lines of your
description will appear w/out
expanding, make them count! But
give hand raisers more
information if they want it.

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Turning viewers into fans

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VIEWERS
SUPER FANS

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The path to FANDOM
CASUAL
VIEWER
SUBSCRIBER
SUPER
FAN

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SUBSCRIBERS VIEWERS>
non-subscriber
subscriber
2x

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Be active with your
community; our new
comment moderator
makes it easy!
Use the subscribe button
wherever you can
Tools for
INCREASING SUBS
GoPro adds 20s to each video and uses
annotations to drive viewers to subscribe
Playlists are a great way to keep
viewers tuned in

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CONVERTING
subscribers to fans Ask for input and foster your community,
it will have a snowball effect!
+ =

37. REWARD YOUR TOP FANS
with unique messages and
custom experiences
Hey Top Fans! As our most
devoted audience members we
wanted to share a little extra
behind the scenes footage with
you: http://youtu.be/zPGrQRZCz50

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What do you
GET BACK?
Brands don’t sell
brands, people
sell brands.
“If there is a brand
I love, I tend to
tell everyone
about it”
ALSO INTERESTED IN ?
ABOUT THIS CIRCLE ?
LOCATIONS GENDER AGE
United States
Canada
United Kingdom
Australia
Female
Male
13-19
19-25
25-30
30-35
35-40
40-45
45-50
53%
10%
6%
4%
78%
22%
17%
39%
16%
10%
6%
5%
2%

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BUT...IS IT
WORKING?
A new world means a
new scorecard and a
different approach to
measuring success

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Create a new SCORECARD
FOR SUCCESS
Move beyond the obvious to
capture the true impact of your content
Are you making the right content?
Are you ensuring users see your content?
Are you converting viewers into fans?
Questions to ask
Completion rates
Audience retention curves
View-through-rates for skippable ad formats
Watch time (paid & organic) fluctuations
Traffic source report
Subscriber gains (losses)
Share rate per thousand exposed viewers
Comments/replies/likes per thousand exposed viewers
Click throughs to site from ads and annotations
Metrics to track

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So what can you do
TOMORROW
Distribution FandomAudience
Audit your
current audience
Review previous distribution with
Hero/Hub/Hygiene in mind
Review your top fan report
and community on YouTube
H
H
H

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THANK YOU!
g.co/ytbrandplaybook

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your
HERO
moment
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