Molly McDonald shares five tips on how to create top-class YouTube videos
Content is a term we hear a lot in the world of social media. It is, literally, the material that fills our feeds. But on a deeper level, content tells you a great deal about the person behind it. It’s the representation you choose to show the world, revealing your values, style and interests.
The same is true for brands trying to show consumers their purpose. Each social media platform is best suited for different types of content; YouTube offers brands the opportunity for storytelling in longer form and creates an audience that is loyal and highly engaged.
Brand identity
The purpose of content is to create a public perception of your brand – product or service – rather than just advertise it. A typical example of such a brand is Coca-Cola’s Innocent smoothies. Rarely on their socials will you see them actually pushing their drinks; their content is all about a fun company culture, community and purpose.
Red Bull is another brand that uses social media to create a brand image extremely well. At its core, Red Bull is an energy drink, but that’s not what you see on their socials. Instead, their content reflects a general ethos of adventure, risk, and pushing boundaries through their involvement with extreme sports and stunts.
YouTube first
The term ‘YouTube first’ means creating content with YouTube at the forefront. There are a couple of things to consider: technical spec and creative decisions. Technical spec is straight forward. Content should be shot horizontally (16:9) in 4k or full HD. It seems obvious, but with almost all other channels like TikTok and Instagram in a vertical format, it’s worth mentioning.
Creative decisions require much more attention and will have a massive impact on the success of your content. There are five creative decisions that every YouTube creator should carefully consider.
- Packaging
Firstly, the packaging of the video refers to the thumbnail and the title; the things that make a first impression and can determine if your video even gets clicked on. The title should explain the ‘what’, i.e. clearly describe what is going to happen in the video. The thumbnail should demonstrate the ‘how’, i.e. how the subject of the video is going to achieve this.
For example, one of viral creator Zac Alsop’s best performing videos is titled: ‘I Pickpocketed a Pickpocket’; that clearly tell the viewer what the video is about. The thumbnail shows Zac with his hand in the pocket of someone – who has their hand in someone else’s pocket. This further consolidates the theme of the video and the audience are sure they know what will happen.
- Hook
Once someone has clicked on your video, the essential next step is an effective hook. This makes the viewer want to keep watching and often includes some foreshadowing to show them what’s to come. The internet is full of click bait, so this also reassures the viewer that this video will deliver what you promised.
In this example with Zac Alsop (see screenshot below), the first 15 seconds of the video features clips of Zac having his own belongings stolen, running after pickpockets, and a voice over that describes Zac’s plan to get revenge on phone thieves. All of this links us back to the thumbnail and begins to deliver on that promise, with instant gratification for the viewer.
- Pace
A quick pace is vital to keep the audience engaged and prevent them clicking off to another video. Our attention spans when browsing social media are incredibly short, meaning if the pace of a video slows or we begin to feel disinterested, we’re unlikely to stick around.
That’s detrimental for a video’s success, as it might trigger the algorithm to deny that it’s interesting, and not worth recommending to other users. In Zac’s video, ‘I Pickpocketed a Pickpocket’, no shot remains on the screen for more than a few seconds, voiceover is clear but fast-paced and slower periods of the experiment, e.g. Zac waiting for a pickpocket to arrive, are sped through quickly so the audience doesn’t get bored.
- Stakes
An element of risk or danger makes a video much more compelling to watch. Pickpocketing is, of course, illegal, so it’s mildly shocking to viewers that a content creator might take on this task. Professional pickpockets can be dangerous people, so as viewers, we’re anxious for Zac’s safety.
- Retention
Viewers that stay for the entire video signal engaging content that the algorithm should push to more users. An abrupt ending is vital to stop your audience clicking away before the video’s conclusion. As soon as it’s clear that Zac has achieved his goal of pickpocketing a pickpocket, and he announces his success, the video ends immediately. That’s because once the goal is achieved, there’s no benefit to users sticking around; they will click on a new video.
YouTube screenshot by Zac Alsop
Brand benefits
The main benefit of YouTube for brands is that it’s the best platform for storytelling. While the pace of videos does need to be kept quick, you have far more time to work with compared with alternative apps. The average length of a TikTok video is 30-60 seconds, whilst YouTube sits at over 11 minutes.
That gives enough time to carve a narrative, develop a story, get to know characters, and even introduce recurring themes and episodes. The value of a YouTube subscriber is much higher than a follower on short form apps. They’re harder to garner, but tend to be loyal to your brand, highly engaged and strongly associate with your content.
Recent statistics show that YouTube is a primary source of consumption for audiences, with higher viewership than platforms like Netflix and Disney Plus, so brands that are neglecting it miss out on a major slice of potential viewership.
Content is far more than just filler for feeds, it’s a powerful tool for storytelling, identity, and connection. For brands, the shift toward meaningful, narrative-driven content will help cultivate an authentic and engaged subscriber base that stays loyal to that brand and its values.
By prioritising YouTube-first content strategies, brands can do more than just sell a product. They can tell stories, shape perceptions, and build communities that stick around. In a landscape where attention is fleeting, YouTube offers the time and space to make it count.
Molly McDonald of Blue Door Productions has worked for the BBC, Channel 4 and Red Bull. She has created YouTube content for Russ Cook, aka The Hardest Geezer, and Mitch Hutchcraft, who recently completed the world’s longest Everest climb; molly@bluedoorproductions.co
