Social Media Today has published a seven-step guide on how to market effectively on YouTube, as part of its ongoing platform overview series for marketers heading into the second half of 2026.

YouTube is described as arguably the most influential platform in the world, with trends stemming from the platform increasingly bleeding into every other media element, and users now consuming YouTube content in the same way they watch traditional television.

• Research industry trends – Marketers can use Google Trends, filtered by YouTube Search, to build a broader view of what YouTube viewers are interested in, identifying related search terms and rising queries for any given topic, then align brand content accordingly.
• Find relevant creators – YouTube’s creator partnerships tool, available via YouTube Studio, lets marketers research the top creators in any niche using keyword and conversational searches powered by Google’s Gemini AI. The tool includes data on creators’ subscriber counts and engagement.
• Research what’s working – Marketers should dig into specific creators and content to understand what they are posting about, which formats are being used, and what is resonating best with audiences.
• Shorts – Given the rising popularity of YouTube Shorts, brands should utilise short-form video to maximise exposure. Partnering with relevant creators can help ensure brands reach the right Shorts audience, and YouTube has published tips on how to create engaging Shorts content.
• YouTube Shopping – YouTube’s Shopping Affiliate Programme allows marketers to connect their stores to YouTube, enabling creators to tag branded products in clips. This is an additional consideration for brands looking to drive in-app shopping activity.
• Formulate a strategy – After laying the groundwork, marketers can build a data-backed YouTube content strategy that leans into the latest trends in their niche.
• Analyse and improve – YouTube Insights, available in YouTube Studio, can be used to examine what is working and what is not, and to build on the best-performing approaches.

For more information, visit socialmediatoday.com.