One of my clients wanted to amplify YouTube as a marketing channel. I designed a 100-day program perfect for print businesses wishing to flex their marketing muscle! In just 100 days, it produced extraordinary results.
How about you? Do you have a marketing channel – blog, social media, email marketing, podcast – that needs a shot in the arm? Try this marketing challenge for print businesses. Let me lay it out for you.
Here’s how my client’s video marketing was situated 100 days ago, and where it is today.
HOW WE STARTED
My print industry client has a comprehensive marketing program: blog, newsletter, social media, articles in magazines, speaking engagements, referrals, a book (with another on the way), paid downloads, yadda yadda yadda.
What could we do to shake things up?
How about taking an existing YouTube channel and going full-court press with it?
That’s what we did, and these are the ideas print businesses can use in their marketing challenge.
HOW WE MEASURED
The client started with a YouTube channel that had 699 subscribers. Decent. If you’re going to prime the pump for YouTube marketing, it’s nice if there’s gas in the tank. (Wow, I am mixing so many metaphors today.)
The client had posted 493 videos already. Many had high views (3K to 10K) with likes and comments.
Solid.
I updated his profile, filled out the metadata, and gave the client an outline so we could produce, edit, post, and share-share-share a video every day.
His other marketing channels kept rolling during this time to support the YouTube initiative.
HOW WE ENDED
When we reached Day 100, we tallied.
2,270 subscribers – net gain of 1,571 new sign ups.
771 videos – net gain of 278 new assets.
Regular queries relating to my client’s areas of expertise versus zero inquiries when we started.
A growing community of YouTube followers who return again and again to watch, give thumbs up, comment, and interact with each other. (My client responds to all comments to trigger the algorithm.)
Engagement? Through the roof!
Many print businesses have YouTube channels with subscribers and high-quality content. You may be one of those creators.
HOW IT’S DIFFERENT
What differentiates my client’s program? The marketing team was super jazzed because the power push would only last 100 days.
I’m sure you can relate. It’s hard for marketing managers, teams, and individuals to just keep slogging on indefinitely. There’s so much to do and no time to breathe.
For this campaign, we could expend extra energy because we had an end date.
My client stepped up and recorded a video every day. I went from heavy editing on his videos to just a few touch-ups. We checked stats daily. We watched pro videos suggested by YouTube Creators. We improved as we went.
It was really, really fun!
HOW THINGS STAND
We’re in resting mode right now. We’re still producing, but now we know what attracts viewers and how to deploy resources strategically.
The icing on the cake?
YouTube Analytics shows my client is close to monetizing. In addition to the marketing benefits, he should soon begin earning residual income from his channel.
It’s gratifying to have speedily improved my client’s marketing arm. Turns out, it’s a big, hairy, muscular arm that can do heavy lifting.
All print businesses that have a marketing channel that’s ready for growth need to try the 100-Day Marketing Challenge.
HOW TO DO IT
Get it on your calendar. Allocate people and money for 100 days. Bring in help (hand raised). Outline the plan. Describe ideal outcomes. Set mile markers. Measure progress. Celebrate with teammates. Be lavish with rewards. Put the pedal to the metal for 100 days for your marketing challenge.
PRINT BUSINESSES: WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMPETE?
I’d like to set this up so that print businesses can compare stats on a leaderboard. If you’d like to participate, connect with me on LinkedIn and let’s see if we can turn this into an industry-wide challenge.
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Check out last month’s post: How to Recession-Proof Your Print Career: Tips From a Layoff Survivor
Sandy Hubbard is a Growth Strategist and Marketing Advisor specializing in Print, Media, and B2B Tech. She helps print companies improve in all areas — but especially sales and marketing — so they stand above the crowd. Sandy is the host of #PrintChat, a weekly global gathering of the industry’s most influential thinkers and leaders. A proud member of Girls Who Print, Sandy is the 2022 recipient of the coveted Girlie Award.
