The 6-Step Guide to

YouTube Content Strategy

How to build relevant video content for every business
CONTENT

Introduction
Page 03

Step 1
Set Purpose
Page 04 - 06

Step 2
Identify Target Audience
Page 07 - 11

Step 3
Implement Frameworks
Page 12 - 15

Step 4
Find Your Niche
Page 16 - 17

Step 5
Research Topics
Page 18 - 22

Step 6
Know Your Competitors
Page 23 - 25

Conclusion
Page 26

About
Page 27

The 6 Step Guide to

YouTube Content Strategy 02
INTRODUCTION

Introduction
As video marketing becomes the hottest trend to connect with customers, YouTube has
become more saturated and competitive than ever for businesses across industries. How
can your brand’s content stand out when over 500 hours of videos are uploaded every
minute1? How should you be researching, planning and choosing topics without draining
your budget?

48% of businesses are spending more budget on video marketing in 20222, but most
companies find their content not reaching the expected impact. As per Wistia’s report,
success in video marketing is linked to having a defined strategy3. Developing a
cohesive and targeted content strategy for YouTube is key to business growth.
However, many marketers still struggle with where to start and how to implement it
effectively.

Planning content can be time-consuming with low ROI if the fundamentals are not in
place, and choosing topics for your videos can feel like shooting darts in the dark. Yet,
building a strong content plan and creating relevant videos doesn’t have to be a mystery
for brands. The goal of this guide is to show you a proven path to formulating a successful
content strategy from the ground up.

While YouTube marketing contains many stages, this guide focuses on content planning
solely to provide you with in-depth knowledge about how to choose the right topics and
create discoverable videos. This guide walks you through 6 pivotal steps you can follow
to develop an impactful content strategy that educates, entertains and engages with your
desired audience.

1
YouTube for Press
2
The State of Video Marketing in 2021: Full Report with Statistics
3
Wistia 2022 State of Video Report 03
STEP 1

Set Purpose
Learn to set the purpose of your brand’s YouTube channel using Simon Sinek’s
Golden Circle. Take some time to brainstorm the Why, How, and What behind
your content planning to ensure your videos thrive on YouTube.

The 6 Step Guide to

YouTube Content Strategy 04
STEP 1

Set Purpose
The purpose of your YouTube channel should align with your
overall brand value to create a cohesive objective.

To anchor your video marketing strategy, first and foremost, you need to understand the
driving force behind your content. Hence, setting the purpose of your brand’s YouTube
channel serves as a solid foundation for you to create a sustainable content strategy for
years to come.

Since video marketing requires a long-term strategy, a clear purpose will guide your
YouTube content planning while showcasing the value and distinctiveness of your brand.
If you aim to create attractive content while providing consistent and cohesive brand
messages through your videos, then knowing the “Why,” “How,“ and “What” of your
video creation is vital to ensure your content thrives in the YouTube space.

A helpful starting point to identify the purpose of your YouTube channel in relation to your
brand value is considering Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle4.

WHY

HOW

WHAT

The Golden Circle is a powerful model that helps you address the most important
questions to set values and intentions behind your content planning.

Take some time to brainstorm your brand’s answers to the following questions. Start with
the “Why” to define the drive behind your YouTube channel, then work outwards to the
next circle. Keep in mind that the purpose of your YouTube channel should align with
your overall brand value to create a cohesive objective.

4
Golden Circle model: Simon Sinek’s theory of value proposition 05
 The most important aspect that a brand can communicate
and the purpose that drives your business:

Vision, Values & Motivation

WHY
• Why is your YouTube channel important in your
overall marketing strategy?
• Why does your YouTube channel provide unique
value to your target audience?

The process for you to realize your brand’s vision and

purpose, the specific actions you can take to make the why
tangible:

Execution HOW
• How to build and manage your YouTube channel to
achieve you business goals?
• How does your video content align with your other
marketing channel

The most explicit aspect of your business, the product and

services that you provide and what you do:

Result WHAT
• What does your YouTube channel offer?
• How does your video content align with your other
marketing channels?

Answering these questions is fundamental in realizing the vision

of your brand’s YouTube strategy. Once you’ve set the intention,
you can use these answers as your principles to deliver long-
lasting value and quality via video content. Furthermore, they
also serve as the cornerstone that helps you identify your target
audience in the next step.

06
STEP 2

Identify Target Audience

Identify your audience and the value that your expertise can deliver. In this
step, you get a clearer understanding of who you are making videos for and
what your brand strengths are.

The 6 Step Guide to

YouTube Content Strategy 07
STEP 2

Identify Target Audience

Since you are the expert on your brand expertise, you know best
what values you can bring to your target audience.

One of the key elements to fostering a growing YouTube channel is to know who your
Identify Target Audience
audiences are. Once you’ve set the purpose of your video marketing strategy, you can
leverage that one step further to identify your target audience.
One of the key elements to fostering a growing YouTube channel is to know who your audiences
are. Once you’ve set the purpose of your video marketing strategy, you can leverage that one
1. Decide for whom you are creating video content
step further to identify your target audience.

This1.extends
Decide for the
from whom you are
purpose creating
of your videochannel
YouTube content: and overlaps with your ideal
customer demographic. In your overall marketing strategy, if you’ve already segmented
Identify
This extends
buyer personas for your
Target
from product
Audience
the purpose of youryou
and services, YouTube
can adaptchannel and overlaps
the model to createwith your ideal
specific
customer
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for
One of the your
key YouTube
elements Incontent.
youraoverall
to fostering marketing
growing YouTube strategy,
channel is to knowif who
you’ve
your already
audiences segmented
are. Once you’ve set the purpose of your video marketing strategy, you can leverage that one
buyer personas for your product and services, you can adapt the model to create
step further to identify your target audience.
As yourspecific
brand may havepersonas
viewer an established
for yourYouTube
YouTube Channel,
content. you can also use YouTube
analytics to overview
1. Decide who your
for whom youcurrent demographics
are creating video content: are on YouTube and analyze
whetherAs the existing
your branddemographics
may have analign with your
established ideal audiences
YouTube Channel, whoyoushould be your
can also use YouTube
This extends from the purpose of your YouTube channel and overlaps with your ideal
potential customers.
analytics to overview who your
customer demographic. In yourcurrent demographics
overall marketing strategy, if are onalready
you’ve YouTube and analyze
segmented
whether buyer
the existing demographics
personas for your product andalign with
services, youyour idealthe
can adapt audiences who should be your
model to create
potentialspecific viewer personas for your YouTube content.
customers.
Follow these steps to check out your existing demographics:
As your brand may have an established YouTube Channel, you can also use YouTube
Follow
analyticsthese steps
to overview toyour
who check outdemographics
current your existing demographics:
are on YouTube and analyze
YouTube
Got to Your yourwhether Studiodemographics
the existing > Analyticsalign
> Audience
with your ideal audiences who should be your
potential customers.
Got to Your your YouTube Studio > Analytics > Audience
Follow these steps to check out your existing demographics:

Got to Your your YouTube Studio > Analytics > Audience

Once you’re on the Audience Tab, you can check out the most important demographics such as
Once you’re on the Audience Tab, you can check out the most important demographics such as
- how many viewers return to your channel and how many viewers are new:
- how many viewers return to your channel and how many viewers are new:
08
 STEP 2

Once you’re on the Audience Tab, you can check out the most important
demographics such as:

- Age and gender

-Once
Howyou’re
many onviewers return
the Audience to your
Tab, you channel
can check and
out the how
most manydemographics
important viewers are new:
such as
- how many viewers return to your channel and how many viewers are new:

- Age and gender - Top geographies

- Age and gender - Top Geographies

- You can even go further and see who opted in to get notified about new videos:

- You can even go further and see who opted in to get notified about new videos:

- Top Geographies

These stats help to inform you whether the purpose of your YouTube channel is
carried out to the right group of audiences
These stats help to inform you whether the purpose of your YouTube channel
2. Determine your brand’s area of expertise:
is carried out to the right group of audiences.
Since you are the expert on your brand expertise, you know best what values you can
- You to
bring can even
your goaudience.
target further and see
This is thewho
valueopted in to of
proposition get notified
your about
brand and an new videos:
opportunity to establish your brand as an authority in your industry, present your
company as the thought leader on specific topics and establish credibility amongst your 09
audience.

Answer these questions to figure out your specialty:

1. What are the pain points of your potential customers?
STEP 2

2. Determine your brand’s area of expertise

Since you are the expert on your brand expertise, you know best what values you
can bring to your target audience. This is the value proposition of your brand and
an opportunity to establish your brand as an authority in your industry, present your
company as the thought leader on specific topics and establish credibility amongst
your audience.

Answer these questions to figure out your specialty:

What are the pain points of your

potential customers?

What solution does your brand

provide to solve your customer’s
problem?

What stages of your customer

journey are you trying to target
via YouTube?

10
STEP 2

3. Identify the “Shared Passion” that bridges your brand’s

expertise with your target audience’s interest
Once you have a clearer understanding of who you are making videos for and what your
brand best provides to solve problems or provide value, you can now identify the shared
passion between your service/products, the function of your YouTube channel, and your
target audience’s needs.

The shared passion between your brand’s value proposition, your target audience and
your YouTube channel is the content territory for you to define a relevant and powerful
content strategy to best present your brand identity. This intersection is how you pique
your intended audience’s interest and also how you increase connections with your
potential customers.

Here’s an example of Red Bull, having identified its target audience, brand expertise and
shared passion, its YouTube channel showcase a focused content strategy in providing
entertaining and engaging videos for its specific audience:

pany Brand (R
om ed
C Bu
ll)

Tar
n el ge
tA
a n Shared
Passion
h

ud
eC

ien
Tub

ce
You

(S
kateboarders)

11
STEP 3

Implement Frameworks
Get to know the Help-Hub-Hero framework and how it serves to structure
your content. This popular framework helps you facilitate content creation
and choose topics per content type so that you can schedule content
accordingly.

The 6 Step Guide to

YouTube Content Strategy 12
STEP 3

Implement Frameworks
Help videos are your leverage in driving organic views for your
channel because they pull the audience in from their active search
on Google/YouTube.

As you’ve identified the target audience and their shared passions with your brand, you
now need the backbone to structure your content. Frameworks are useful and necessary
for an enduring content plan because it helps to facilitate content creation, choose topics
per content type, as well as schedule content accordingly.

Generally, the Help-Hub-Hero framework is the first consideration for brands on YouTube
to begin thinking about your content creation:

Help Hub Hero

+
Educational content that audiences Engaging campaign driven videos
are actively and regularly searching for Content a brand develops on a regular with moments of great creativity that
to seek for answers or information. basis to help retain audience interest. amplify the brand message.

Pull Content Push Content

People are actively searching for Content is ”pushed“ to your audience
information on Google/YouTube via social media, ads, etc.

These types of content This content can reach

boost organic growth. a broader audience.

13
STEP 3

Help Content
This is the foundation of your video content. Help content is videos that address your
target audience’s questions and problems. This type of content directly meets your
audience’s search queries. It’s the most basic and frequent video that you should release
to boost your channel’s discoverability. E.g. product tutorials, how-to videos, Q&A
sessions, ect.

Help Content = Pull Content

Help videos are your leverage in driving organic views for your channel because they pull
the audience in from their active search on Google/YouTube. Help content should be
created using a data-driven approach when formulating topics so that you can publish
content based on your target audience’s active searches in relation to your brand and
industry.

Examples of Help Videos:

• woom: How to Adjust Bike Brakes
• Red Bull: Red Bull Stratos CGI - The Official Findings
• Volvo Trucks - Expert presents the I-Shift Dual Clutch

Hub Content
This is content designed to bring value to your target audience consistently. Hub content
is published regularly with a schedule to give audiences a reason to subscribe and come
back to your channel. These videos establish an ongoing conversation with your viewers
and are therefore episodic. E.g. product line, behind-the-scenes, interviews, ect.

Hub Content = Pull + Push Content

Hub content should be published throughout the year as it helps you strengthen loyalty
with your existing viewers. Develop your hub content strategically, keeping relevant
keywords in mind. They are great for social media engagements because they are useful
for you to bring new perspectives on the shared passion while updating your brand image.

Examples of Hub Videos:

• Whoop: World No. 1 Golfer Rory McLroy talks performance, training & sleep
• Red Bull: Felix Baumgartner - the man behind the parachute
• Volvo: Volvo Trucks - Key features of the flexible Volvo FH Electric
14
STEP 3

Hero Content
This is the big event of your Youtube channel. Hero content can reach a broad audience
that catches their attention like a celebratory moment for you. Hero content amplifies
your brand’s message and takes place only several times a year. Produce your hero
content with dedicated campaigns and allocate a bigger budget to pack in with creativity
so you may get more engagements, such as likes and shares from the viewers. E.g.
product launches, live-streamed events, viral videos, ect.

Hero Content = Push Content

Hero content is designed to be attention-grabbing, which helps to drive awareness of

your brand and extend your audience reach. Utilize your social media outlet to push the
content outward that encourages shares and likes. This is how you can create buzz to go
with your hero content for better promotional value.

Examples of Hero Videos:

• Nike: Dream Further
• Red Bull: Felix Baumgartner‘s supersonic freefall from 128k‘
• Volvo: The Epic Split feat. Van Damme

15
STEP 4

Find Your Niche

Knowing your niche paves the way for your content topics and allows you to
gain more insight into your intended audience. Check out a case study of how a
major brand finds its niche on YouTube.

The 6 Step Guide to

YouTube Content Strategy 16
STEP 4

Find Your Niche

Defining your specific niche based on the intention of your
YouTube channel helps you nurture a more connected community
on YouTube.

According to YouTube, more than 2 billion people use the platform every month5. As 66% of
consumers rely on video content to learn about a brand or product6, it’s more important than
ever to choose your niche on YouTube carefully. Knowing your niche not only paves a more
precise direction for your content topics but also allows you to gain more knowledge about
your intended audience.

Since you will need to come up with content for your channel regularly, it is important that
the niche is specific but has the potential to be broadened up. That is why having a focused
niche for your brand’s channel is crucial to creating a long-lasting content strategy.

The niche of your video content goes hand in hand with the purpose of your YouTube channel.
It might be evident that your niche centers around the industry of your business, yet within
the same industry, a brand could still have different niches depending on its business goals,
brand image, and the communities it’s addressing. Defining your specific niche based on
the intention of your YouTube channel helps you nurture a more connected community on
YouTube.

A Case Study Example: Fashion Industry

Tommy Hilfiger provides a great

example of how to create content
for different niches within your
industry and YouTube channel.
However, it’s recommended that
you stick with one niche based on
Collaboration Sustainability Fashion & Gaming Trend
your brand’s goal. Focusing on one
niche makes it easier to connect
with the audience because not
only do your intended viewers
know what to expect, but also they
are less likely to be confused by
different formats.

Help Content Hub Content Hero Content

5
What makes content good?
6
How Video Consumption is Changing in 2022 [New Research] 17
STEP 5

Research Topics
Having followed the previous steps in this guide, you’d have a strong foundation
for your YouTube content strategy. Now it’s time to learn how to build a
discoverable content plan so your intended audience can find your videos easily.

The 6 Step Guide to

YouTube Content Strategy 18
STEP 5

Research Topics
Finding out what your potential customer is looking for so you
can create searchable videos that meet their needs is the basics
behind your topic research.

If you’ve followed the steps in this guide thus far, you’ve laid a strong foundation for your
YouTube content strategy. Now comes the crucial step for you to build a discoverable
content plan that can reach your intended audience. While this step of content planning
can usually be labour-intensive and time-consuming, there are great tools to help you
save time and effort while attaining your goals.

To begin, you need to figure out the current trending topics that represent the demand of
your potential viewers. Generally, you want to know what type of content people are
actively searching for and, more precisely, what keywords they are using to search for the
content they need.

The traditional way to look for relevant topics includes gathering information from
multiple search engine tools, such as Google Trends, YouTube Trend dashboard, and
Google’s Keyword Planner.

In addition to using multiple sources that require exhausting work such as narrowing
down trends, analyzing keywords, comparing relevancy, and going back and forth between
tools to sort your findings, you can also use a one-stop video tool such as tubics to save
time and effort and gain all the insight you need immediately.

19
STEP 5

Here’s an example of a “Black Friday”

search using tubics
Here’s
You cananinstantly
examplesee
of athe
“Black Friday”
search search
trend using
pulled tubics:
from both Google and YouTube and get an
overview of its popularity based on the time of the year. Moreover, you get monthly search
You can and
volume instantly see the search
video-related data trend
all in pulled from both Google and YouTube, and get an
one spot.
overview of its popularity based on the time of the year. Moreover, you get monthly search
volume and video-related data all in one spot.

…….. 20
 STEP 5

After trend research, you need to narrow down to specific topics for your video content.
When finding video ideas, you want to consider the discoverability of your videos, meaning
if the topic is highly searched. In a way, your intended audience is always actively
searching for you, so you need to appear where they are looking and make it easy for them
to find you.

Finding out what your potential customer is looking for so you can create searchable
videos that meet their needs is the basics behind your topic research.

Problems

While tools such as Google and YouTube trends are great for having a big overview of
trending topics in general, they also present some obstacles. On the one hand, you have
After trend research, you need to narrow down to specific topics for your video content. When
to go back and forth between tools and sort the data yourself. On the other, it’s taxing
finding video ideas, you want to consider the discoverability of your videos, meaning if the topic
to find,
is highly filter,Inand
searched. analyze
a way, useful audience
your intended keywords for your
is always content.
actively Not to
searching for say
you, how to decide
so you
needwhich topic
to appear willthey
where helpare
your video
looking andrank
makehigher
it easyinforthe
themsearch.
to find you.

Finding out what your potential customer is looking for so you can create searchable videos that
meet their needs is the basics behind your topic research.

Solution
Problems: While tools such as Google and YouTube trends are great for having a big overview
of trending topics in general, they also present some obstacles. On one hand, you have to go
back and forth between tools and sort the data yourself. On the other, it’s taxing to find, filter,
Tools such as tubics source the metadata you need from other major search engines
and analyze useful keywords for your content. Not to say how to decide which topic will help
yourand
videogenerate topic
rank higher ideas
in the that are relevant to your brand as well as your target audience.
search.

Solution: Tools such as tubics source the metadata you need from other major search engines
and generate topic ideas that are relevant to your brand as well as your target audience.
With a simple keyword search in tubics, you can easily find topics your potential
With a simple keyword search in tubics, you can easily find topics your potential audience is
audience is interested in. tubics also shows you the number of monthly searches and
interested in. tubics also shows you the number of monthly searches and projected views for a
projected
keyword views
for you for ainformed
to make keyword for you to make informed decisions.
decisions.

21
STEP 5

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What moreimportant
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cancan immediately
immediately spotspot
whatwhat
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topictopic
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work to your
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it would
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translates higher,
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Better YouTubewithcontent. Better
less effort results
are what you with less effort
can achieve are what
by relying on you can
data-driven
achieve by video
relyingsoftware such as tubics.
on data-driven video software such as tubics.

When the trending topics and

relevant keywords are available
at the tip of your finger, targeted
content planning takes only a
fraction of the effort and time
you would generally spend. You
are now able to tap into what
your audience wants exactly and
focus on creating quality content
that satisfies their needs.

22
STEP 6

Know Your Competitors

Go above and beyond! Use a data-driven video tool and resources to know your
competitors well. Analyzing your video competition can help your YouTube
videos rank higher than your industry competitors.

The 6 Step Guide to

YouTube Content Strategy 23
STEP 6

Know Your Competitors

Knowing your competition on the YouTube landscape should be
part of your content strategy planning because it informs you what
content to create and how to rank better than others.

After you’ve zoomed in on your potential audience’s desires and know what videos you
need to create to catch their attention, it’s time to take a closer look at the channels of
your competitors. After all, video ranking and discoverability are all about standing out
from the crowd.

Usually, many video marketers skip the competitor research step. It’s already enough
work just to research the topics and come up with a solid content plan. That’s true.
However, knowing your competition on the YouTube landscape should be part of your
content strategy planning because it informs you what content to create and how to rank
better than others.

Firstly, your competitor and your competition may be different. You may have competitors
in the same industry and other creator videos competing with you on YouTube. When
it comes to your video ranking, your video competition may be more immediately
important than your industry competitor.

While you can do another search on YouTube, an effective way to find out who your video
competitions are is by just clicking on the keywords already generated for you in tubics
and simply checking out the competition tab.

24
STEP 6

These competitors are valuable for your content strategy because they hold the key to
your video ranking. In tubics, you can quickly glance at the top 5 videos in pop-ups and
evaluate their pros and cons. You can incorporate the great qualities of your competition
into your brand’s video. You can also take the chance to outperform your competitors
if you notice any room for improvements, such as poor video quality or content lacking
substance. These are all your opportunities to beat the competitor by filling the gap and
earning a better ranking on YouTube.

Besides analyzing the videos competing with your content on YouTube, knowing what
your competitors are creating on YouTube is equally significant. You can either go to your
competitor’s YouTube page one by one to check out their video content or visit Top YouTube
Channels Across Industries to have a holistic overview and choose your industries to find
top-ranking brands in the vertical.

Solution

25
CONCLUSION

What‘s next?
Thank you for reading the guide to the end. We hope that you find this guide indispensable
to your content strategy creation.

At tubics, we understand the value of a brand’s YouTube content strategy. Our goal is to
contribute invaluable resources to your YouTube growth, as video marketing is the most
engaging channel to reach consumers.

We encourage you to implement the steps in this guide and if you have any questions or
need support, feel free to reach out to us.

Our passion is to help brands drive organic YouTube growth so that you can take your
business to the next level.

Contact us to get data-based recommendations on your YouTube marketing. Let’s grow

your channel together!

26
ABOUT

About tubics
tubics helps business videos gain greater
visibility while reaching more viewers. More
than 40,000 YouTube channels use tubics,
an AI-powered software, to leverage video
SEO expertise to save time while achieving
organic growth on YouTube.

About this Guide

Special Thanks to

Pat Gostek, Thomas Auinger and Anna Martynova from tubics for helping to write this
guide with their industry insight and dedicated research. Also, a big shout out to Dieter
Rappold, the CEO of tubics, who lends his entrepreneurial expertise in supporting this
guide.

Author: Tina Quinn

Editor: Paul Henke
Co-authors: Pat Gostek, Thomas Auinger and Anna Martynova
Design: Ben Menedetter, 000fff.studio
Publisher: tubics GmbH
Schönbrunner Strasse 213-215, 1120 Vienna, Austria
www.tubics.com

Tina Quinn is working as a senior Marketing Specialist at tubics, an AI-powered software

company helping brands grow organically on YouTube. With her MA from University of
Vienna, she has an imaginative and analytical mind. She integrates innovation and
creativity for any topic, using a multidisciplinary approach to achieve personal and
professional goals.

27
We make video work for business.