BY Kathy Crosett
Are your accounts asking about YouTube marketing strategies? Oxford Economics estimates that YouTube “contributes” $60B+ to the U.S GDP. As creators develop content, they earn ad and subscription money through the YouTube partner program. According to AudienceSCAN, 60% of U.S. adults regularly use YouTube, giving your accounts the opportunity to connect with them.
Why do consumers visit YouTube?
Consumers flock to YouTube for music videos and award ceremonies. YouTube is at the top of the list when consumers seek streaming video entertainment. This is not passive viewing. They are often commenting.
In addition, 73% of surveyed consumers believe YouTube content has educated them about local history and culture. They know that local content creators are posting information they want to see.
Parents like YouTube because they consider it a safe place. Safety controls mean that quality content for kids under age 13 is readily available.
The Oxford Economics report indicates that consumers are bypassing traditional media and going directly to the source for information. They highlight the popularity of NASA’s Artemis II live mission coverage on YouTube in April 2026.
How to help your accounts thrive on YouTube
If you’re helping your accounts optimize their investment in YouTube, review the many ways they can generate revenue. They can set up their own channel on the platform, or they can advertise on YouTube.
The YouTube partner program
Creators are incentivized by the YouTube Partner Program to attract viewers. They earn money through ads that run during their content views, fan funding such as super chat, and sales of their own products or affiliate products.
Some of the most popular video formats on marketers’ channels include how-to tutorials. Existing and potential customers want to understand how to use the product or service your accounts offer. But most of all, Sprout Social reports to research that shows “consumers don’t just want to be sold to; they want to be engaged.” A how-to video is a good way to increase engagement.
AudienceSCAN data shows that over 45% of YouTube users have been influenced by social videos. Around 30% of these consumers intend to purchase vitamins or nutritional supplements in the next year. An educational and engaging video on the benefits of supplements will increase consumer consideration of the company making the pitch.
Advertising on YouTube
HubSpot’s 2026 State of Marketing report indicates that 62% of SMBs are using YouTube for marketing. That compares to 78% who use Instagram. The platform reported $40B in ad revenue in 2025. While many consumers see ads on YouTube, some pay to avoid ads. (Subscribers to YouTube Premium, paid $19.6B to opt out of advertising.)
B‑to‑C YouTube advertising
Reaching consumers through ads on this platform means starting with format selection. Your accounts can choose from in-feed video ads, skippable in-stream ads, and YouTube Shorts ads (targeting mobile viewers). Your accounts must establish a budget and answer prompts about who the audience they are trying to reach.
B‑to‑B YouTube advertising
Our research shows that over 41% of senior B2B decision-makers have been influenced by an ad they saw on a social network in the past 30 days. In addition, over 48% go to YouTube to find information on other businesses.
Most interestingly, nearly 76% of B2B decision-makers participate on YouTube, meaning they view, post or comment. This percentage is slightly higher than the number of B2B decision-makers on Facebook. Targeting B2B decision-makers is among the top YouTube marketing strategies.
What is the ROI when marketing on YouTube?
If your accounts ask about ROI when it comes to YouTube marketing strategies, start by talking with them about spending levels. One study reports that 54% of advertisers spend between $100 and $1,000 a month on YouTube ads.
Then you can move on to what the platform delivers. Analysts note that YouTube excels for certain verticals. Products or services that need “explanation or credibility” as part of their marketing angle benefit from advertising on this social channel.
In addition, Sprout Social referenced a Statista study that indicates 33% of marketers report YouTube delivers the highest ROI for social media.
But remind your accounts that high quality creative is a must as part of their YouTube marketing strategies. This type of creativity will drive “[n]early half of [the] campaign’s return.” In addition, they encourage users to “treat the first five seconds as the real ad.” That’s because consumers will typically only watch an ad for as long as they’re required. And then they’ll click to the content they want to watch.
DreamData reports that 4% of B2B ad spend goes to YouTube and Google Display Ads (combined). Encourage your accounts to emphasize awareness as their ad strategy. Your B2B accounts have millions of channels to choose from. The experts recommend being selective about which channels to run ads on. Sometimes, an industry conference with a live feed makes a huge difference in terms of who notices your accounts’ ads. And your accounts might want to pay more to target a narrow audience instead of a broad one.
Conclusion
If your accounts haven’t explored building their presence on YouTube, they should. Help them develop YouTube marketing strategies that will increase their visibility with target customers. With an AdMall subscription, you can run a Digital Audit and show your accounts how they show up on YouTube compared to their competitors.
Image by Zulfugar Karimov on Pexels.
