How to Use YouTube in Your Marketing Strategy

YouTube is no longer just a video-sharing platform—it’s a full-funnel marketing powerhouse.

From building awareness to driving qualified leads and customer retention, YouTube offers marketers an unrivaled opportunity to reach the most engaged audiences across all screens.

Are you utilizing this powerful platform?

Whether you dabble in video or haven’t considered YouTube at all, you should check this out—we share insights from Google experts to help you make YouTube an integral part of your marketing.

Why Should I Market on YouTube?

Lead generation is challenging, especially considering the research needed for more complicated purchases, like those in B2B. A Google lead generation study found that customers review over four brands at the start of their journey. On top of that, they encounter an average of 5.5 touchpoints before filling out a form.

Your marketing has a lot of work to do. So why not make it easier for yourself and meet buyers where they already are?

Popular channels and the average time spent.

YouTube reaches 230 million people over 18 across all devices monthly, offering advertisers options to whittle down a target audience. Additionally, videos populate 26% of search engine results, many of which come from YouTube.

Boom. This is your strategy to get out in front. Now, the content.

79% of consumers say they’re more confident when they’ve done research, and purchase confidence is 3.2x higher among these buyers. To compete, brands must inspire and inform early with impactful, easy-to-digest content. Videos are a proven medium for this.

Now you know the “why”. Let’s get into the “how”.

Align YouTube with Your Goals

YouTube supports every stage of the buyer journey—from discovery to conversion. Whether you’re launching a new product or trying to capture high-value leads, there’s a YouTube product to support your goal:

• Demand Gen for generating qualified leads and online sales.
• YouTube Select for premium awareness and brand lift.
• YouTube Shorts for viral engagement and mobile-first storytelling.

Let’s look at each option to find the one that makes sense for your business—whether a large B2C, a small B2B, or somewhere in between.

Drive Leads with Demand Gen Campaigns

Demand Gen campaigns are a game-changer. They drive action by combining:

• Google AI-powered audience targeting
• Multi-format creatives (video + image)
• Cross-platform reach (YouTube, Discover, Gmail)

Marketers can map their lead-to-sale cycle, measure high-value conversions with privacy-safe tools, and activate campaigns that drive real business results.

Our experts recommended four steps for establishing a Demand Gen new customer acquisition strategy:

1. Establish a CAC goal: Decide the cost to acquire a new customer.
2. Refine audience strategy: Have up-to-date first-party (1P) lists in Google Ads. LOOP Analytics can help populate these lists with users who have converted on your site.
3. Get Creative: Highlight promos or specific customer needs to get your customers to stop mid-scroll or stream.
4. Holistic measurement: Use tools like Search Lift, Conversion Lift, and GA4.

Advertisers saw an average of 14% more conversions when they added Demand Generation to their Search and/or Performance Max campaigns.

Use YouTube Select for Top-Tier Awareness

YouTube Select reaches the top 1% of channels—think premium influencers, live sports, and curated lineups from popular channels. With 75% of impressions landing on TV screens, it offers a “big screen” branding experience with precision targeting.

YouTube Select offers:

• Self-service access to YouTube Select Lineups offerings in your market.
• Efficient budgeting to manage and consolidate your budget across different campaigns.
• Sophisticated capabilities with advanced audience targeting and cross-inventory management.
• Brand suitability and safety with YouTube Select’s premium brand suitability, combined with the Google Ads brand safety controls.

It’s ideal for brands with high-quality creative who want to make a splash and see measurable upper-funnel results.

Source: Google/Material, Power of YouTube Shorts 2024

Supercharge Engagement with YouTube Shorts

YouTube Shorts is YouTube’s answer to short-form video or TikTok—and it’s exploding:

• 2 billion monthly logged-in users
• 70 billion daily global views
• 65% of users engage with both Shorts and long-form content weekly

YouTube Shorts uses a unique algorithm fueled by discovery, engagement, and trends—driving viral, social-style content that’s easy to create, quick to consume, and widely shared.

If your buyers are in Gen Z, this is something to consider.

• 82% of screened Gen Zers in the US said they use YouTube Shorts at least once a month (Google/Material, Power of YouTube Shorts, 2024).
• 40% of YouTube Shorts users in the US are not on TikTok.

Tip: Start with vertical, sound-on assets for the best user experience and performance, and always leverage authentic creator assets when you can. Like any marketing strategy, test and learn to combine organic and paid to improve your presence.

How to Build Smarter B2B Audience Strategies on YouTube

YouTube products, paired with Google Ads, combine first-party data, intent signals, and advanced machine learning to build relationships that convert. Here’s how B2B’s tap into that power:

Start with First-Party Data

Your existing customer data is gold. Using data in LOOP, upload customer data into Google tools like Customer Match and Remarketing, you can re-engage past website visitors, nurture leads, and find users similar to your best customers.

Use a 3-layer Targeting Strategy

To drive measurable results at each stage of the funnel, consider layering:

1. Demographic filters: Age, gender, parental status
2. Affinity and intent signals: Interest in tech tools, finance, or industry events
3. Remarketing and Lookalikes: Clone your highest-value leads to scale new acquisition

This approach ensures you’re not just reaching more people—you’re reaching the right people.

Why YouTube Deserves a Bigger Role in Your Strategy

The lines between social media, streaming, and performance marketing are blurring—and YouTube sits at the center. With unmatched reach, diverse content formats, and powerful AI, it delivers impact across the full customer journey.

Whether educating your audience, driving leads, or amplifying brand love, now is the time to build smarter campaigns with YouTube.