10 rules to win with you YouTube as a B2B company

YouTube is emerging as the next major content frontier for B2B SaaS companies, a trend that has been unfolding over the last 12-18 months. Increasingly, founders and companies are exploring this platform.

But, after auditing hundreds of channels, my co-founder and I have observed that many are not effectively using YouTube.

We've created this checklist to showcase the strategies employed by the most successful channels and to guide you on what to implement in your own strategy.

1. The videos should be personality led.

The most successful channels adopt a creator-led approach, featuring a single, consistent personality rather than rotating between several different individuals. Generally, building an audience requires having one consistent creator appear in your videos.

2. Thumbnails should resemble those of a creator's channel, not a B2B company's.

If your thumbnail resembles a PowerPoint slide, viewers are unlikely to click on your video. The most successful channels we've audited use a 'creator thumbnail' style, which is more engaging than a corporate-looking thumbnail.

Always ask yourself when creating a thumbnail: 'Would I click on this?'

3. The channel should have a clear content theme.

If your channel lacks a clear theme, viewers and subscribers will struggle to associate it with a specific topic.

Without a clear association, what are the chances they'll return to watch more of your videos? That's right - zero.

4. Maintain a consistent release schedule.

Like having a clear content theme, a predictable release schedule helps set viewer expectations. If your posting is erratic, viewers won't know when to look for new content.

Choose a specific day of the week to release your videos and adhere strictly to this schedule without deviation.

5. Aim for a balanced production level.

The most successful channels strike an ideal balance between low and high production values. For a sustainable strategy that allows you to consistently release videos, target this middle ground in your production level.

It should be high enough to avoid poor viewer experience, such as bad audio quality or inadequate lighting, but not so high that it becomes cost-prohibitive.

6. Prioritise series-driven content and playlists.

Nearly every successful B2B YouTube channel we've audited features at least one video series and between five to ten playlists.

Creating series and organising playlists are effective strategies for increasing channel watch time and encouraging viewers to binge-watch your content.

7. Focus on search-driven videos.

To succeed on YouTube, there are really two ways to win: search and browse.

Browse: Views from YouTube’s homepage, recommended videos, or subscriptions—passive discovery.

Search: Views from users actively searching for keywords—intent-driven discovery.

In 90% of cases, B2B companies should prioritize search, especially early on. This ensures you attract the highest-intent audience to your channel and videos. Browse is more for creators playing the viral video game, aiming to reach millions. That might be an option for you later, depending on your TAM, but for now, search should be your main focus.

8. Clearly communicate what viewers will gain from the video.

To ensure viewers stay engaged and watch most, if not all, of your video, it's crucial to make clear right from the start what they will gain.

Instead of starting with a lengthy corporate jingle - something we've seen on numerous channels - get straight to the point.

Tell viewers exactly what to expect, such as:

'In the next five minutes, we'll show you how to set up your newsletter in Beehiiv. By the end of this video, you'll be ready to send your first newsletter.’

9. Diversify your distribution strategy.

Relying solely on YouTube for growth can make it very challenging to expand your channel. The most successful channels we've audited excel at promoting their videos through additional platforms, such as newsletters and blogs.

Especially in the early stages, leverage these other channels to build your initial subscriber base and expand your reach.

10. Weave your product into the video's narrative.

A key insight from our channel audits is that the most effective videos do not aggressively push a product.

Instead, they seamlessly incorporate the product into the story. For example, Ahrefs produced a video titled 'The Google Loophole,' explaining a nuance in Google's search rankings.

Throughout the video, they naturally integrated the Ahrefs tool to provide contextual explanations. Focus on weaving your product into the story rather than making it the main push.

Thanks,
Joe
Sway One, The Leading B2B SaaS Video Agency