Although other social media platforms also prioritize video content, YouTube remains the number one destination for consumers. In addition, YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world after Google, making it the second most visited website. This holds great marketing potential that brands can use for themselves. Read more about influencer video marketing strategies on YouTube here.
Video content has become an integral part of marketing and consumers agree with it. According to Cisco, videos now account for as much as 82% of all traffic on the internet, which is 15 times more than in 2017, and this trend continues to grow instead of slowly flattening out. At the same time the video website belonging to Google is particularly popular among gamers, 56% of whom contact their community there.
YouTube has established itself as one of the most popular platforms in general since its inception and today it is also extremely effective for influencer marketing campaigns, because influencer video marketing achieves very good results and numerous statistics prove how your ROI can be increased through video marketing.
You are probably aware of the benefits of influencer marketing in general. If you still want to be convinced about the benefits of influencer marketing, we can recommend the Kolsquare blog.
In addition to the rise of influencers, video is also gaining in importance online. This is reflected in the popularity of the video app TikTok and Instagram’s push with Instagram Reels not to leave the video monopoly to Chinese competition. YouTube also followed suit with short-format videos. Check out the Kolsquare blog to see how YouTube is trying to catch up to TikTok with YouTube Shorts.
According to this, it makes sense for marketers to invest in YouTube influencer marketing, because besides the general trends, YouTube is still one of the most important social networks, as stated before. Especially for in-depth videos, tutorials and vlogs, YouTube remains extremely interesting and product placement is a lucrative strategy. Read more about this later on.
Another advantage is the established advertising setup, which makes it easier for marketers to implement campaigns in different ways. In addition, YouTube replaces the traditional TV channels especially for Millennials and GenZ.
Surreptitious advertising is, of course, prohibited in both Europe and the US, which means that any kind of advertising must be labeled as such. In social media, therefore, the use of the hashtag #ads, which shows users whether the content is sponsored or not, has prevailed so far. As a result, YouTube is also regulated in terms of advertising and product placement, and creators must comply with various laws and articles.
In Great Britain, for example, the “Advertising Code” applies. This states that ads must be clearly identifiable. In 2014, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) banned videos of an Oreo campaign on YuTube because they were not clearly marked as advertising. The rule of labeling by “Ad”, “Advertising”, “Advertising Feature ” or similar therefore applies to all creators.
In the US, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is responsible for regulating the online marketing and advertising market. American laws state that influencers must disclose their relationships with brands. The guidelines require that the disclosure be in a video directly and not just in the description of it.
In Europe, as in the U.S., it is the duty of all influencers to be absolutely transparent with their followers and to label ads, partnerships and product placement as such. Brands generally do not have to worry and can rely on the expertise of their partners. However, the labeling requirement should not prevent influencers from honestly reviewing products and expressing their opinions about them.
There are also age restrictions to consider. For example, neither alcohol, smoking nor gambling may be advertised directly to users under 18. Marketers in these industries need to be aware of the age and demographics of their target audience. Even though social media ask for the age of new users when creating accounts and often ask for a minimum age, this does not mean that children can bypass this measure.
In the U.S., the three main suppliers of alcohol have implemented a voluntary advertising and marketing code. Among other things, they agreed to place advertising only in media whose minimum age (71.6%) is above 18.
Certain regulation also applies to the food and beverage industry, primarily affecting High in Fat, Sugar and Salt (HFSS) products. Continue reading on the Kolsquare blog to learn what the food trends are on TikTok and what to look out for in the food and beverage industry regarding influencer marketing.
Product placement is an effective way to promote products on YouTube with the help of influencers. In line with classic YouTube content, unboxing videos and product reviews are particularly suitable for this. Tutorials are also particularly suitable for product placement, as users often ask for advice and help on YouTube, for example, for all everyday things.
In addition, giveaways can be marketed nicely via YouTube. You should consider what kind of collaboration you are aiming for with your influencers, though. Free gifting can be an idea, especially nano- and micro-influencers give positive feedback. Feel free to read about the do’s and don’ts of free gifting on the Kolsquare blog.
Live videos in particular are something you should consider for your influencer marketing campaign. Many platforms are launching new features to further simplify live streaming. Live videos are also popular on YouTube and can be saved as videos on demand for later.
Kolsquare is Europe’s leading Influencer Marketing platform, offering a data-driven solution that empowers brands to scale their KOL (Key Opinion Leader) marketing strategies through authentic partnerships with top creators.
Kolsquare’s advanced technology helps marketing professionals seamlessly identify the best content creators by filtering their content and audience, while also enabling them to build, manage, and optimize campaigns from start to finish. This includes measuring results and benchmarking performance against competitors.
With a thriving global community of influencer marketing experts, Kolsquare serves hundreds of customers—including Coca-Cola, Netflix, Sony Music, Publicis, Sézane, Sephora, Lush, and Hermès—by leveraging the latest Big Data, AI, and Machine Learning technologies. Our platform taps into an extensive network of KOLs with more than 5,000 followers across 180 countries on Instagram, TikTok, X (Twitter), Facebook, YouTube, and Snapchat.
As a Certified B Corporation, Kolsquare leads the way in promoting Responsible Influence, championing transparency, ethical practices, and meaningful collaborations that inspire positive change.
Since October 2024, Kolsquare has become part of the Team.Blue group, one of the largest private tech companies in Europe, and a leading digital enabler for businesses and entrepreneurs across Europe. Team.Blue brings together over 60 successful brands in web hosting, domains, e-commerce, online compliance, lead generation, application solutions, and social media.
