How to Build Brand Loyalty with YouTube Storytelling

Unlike TikTok or Reels, YouTube gives brands room to develop real narratives and build deep connections with loyal subscribers worth far more than casual followers.

Content is a term we hear a lot in the world of social media. It is, literally, the material that fills our feeds. 

But on a deeper level, content tells you a great deal about the person behind it. It’s the representation you choose to show the world, revealing your values, style and interests. 

The same is true for brands trying to show their audience what they stand for. 

Each social media platform is best suited for different types of content; YouTube allows brands to tell longer stories and creates a loyal and highly engaged audience.  

Using Content to Build Brand Identity 

Content as a brand aims to create an all-encompassing public perception of your product or service – rather than advertise it. 

A brand that does this exceptionally well is Innocent Smoothies. Rarely on their socials will you see them pushing their drinks; their content is about fun company culture, community and purpose. 

Red Bull is another brand that uses social media to create an extremely effective brand image. Red Bull is an energy drink at its core, but that’s not what you see on its social media. Instead, its content reflects a general ethos of adventure, risk, and pushing boundaries through its involvement with extreme sports and stunts. 

YouTube First – The Five Essentials 

‘YouTube first’ means creating content with YouTube as a priority. There are a couple of things to consider: technical spec and creative decisions. 

The technical spec is straightforward. Content should be shot horizontally (16:9) in 4k or full HD. This seems obvious, but with almost all other channels, like TikTok and Instagram, in a vertical format, it’s worth mentioning. 

Creative decisions require much more attention and will have a massive impact on the success of your content. There are five creative decisions that every YouTube creator should carefully consider. 

Packaging 

Firstly, the video’s packaging refers to the thumbnail and the title—the things that make a first impression and can determine whether your video even gets clicked on. The title should explain the ‘what’, i.e., clearly describe what will happen in the video. The thumbnail should demonstrate the ‘how’, i.e., how the video’s subject will achieve this. 

For example, one of viral creator Zac Alsop’s best-performing videos is titled: ‘I Pickpocketed a Pickpocket’; that tells the viewer what the video is about. The thumbnail shows Zac with his hand in the pocket of someone – who has their hand in someone else’s pocket. This further consolidates the theme of the video, and the audience is sure they know what will happen. 

Hook 

Once someone has clicked on your video, the essential next step is a compelling hook. This makes the viewer want to keep watching and often includes foreshadowing to show them what’s coming. The internet is full of clickbait, so this also reassures the viewer that this video will deliver what you promised. 

In this example with Zac Alsop, the first 15 seconds of the video feature clips of Zac having his belongings stolen, running after pickpockets, and a voiceover describing Zac’s plan to get revenge on phone thieves. All of this links us back to the thumbnail and begins to deliver on that promise, providing immediate gratification for the viewer. 

Pace 

A quick pace is vital to keep the audience engaged and prevent them from clicking off to another video. Our attention spans when browsing social media are incredibly short, meaning if the pace of a video slows or we begin to feel disinterested, we’re unlikely to stick around. 

That’s detrimental to a video’s success, as it might trigger the algorithm to believe that it’s interesting and not worth recommending to other users. In Zac’s video, ‘I Pickpocketed a Pickpocket,’ no shot remains on the screen for over a few seconds. The voiceover is clear, but fast-paced and slower periods of the experiment, e.g., Zac waiting for a pickpocket to arrive, are sped through quickly so the audience doesn’t get bored. 

Stakes 

An element of risk or danger makes a video much more compelling to watch. Of course, pickpocketing is illegal, so it’s mildly shocking to viewers that a content creator might take on this task. Professional pickpockets can be dangerous people, so as viewers, we’re anxious for Zac’s safety. 

Retention 

Viewers who stay for the entire video signal engaging content that the algorithm should push to more users. An abrupt ending is vital to stop your audience from clicking away before the video’s conclusion. As soon as it’s clear that Zac has achieved his goal of pickpocketing a pickpocket and announces his success, the video ends immediately. 

That’s because once the goal is achieved, there’s no benefit to users sticking around; they will click on a new video.

Benefits of YouTube for brands 

The main benefit of YouTube for brands is that it’s the best platform for storytelling. While the pace of videos needs to be kept quick, you have far more time to work with than alternative apps. The average length of a TikTok video is 30-60 seconds, whilst YouTube sits at over 11 minutes. 

That gives enough time to carve a narrative, develop a story, get to know characters, and even introduce recurring themes and episodes. 

The value of a subscriber on YouTube is much higher than that of a follower on short-form apps. They’re harder to garner but tend to be loyal to your brand, highly engaged and strongly associated with your content.

Recent statistics show that YouTube is a primary source of consumption for audiences, with higher viewership than platforms like Netflix and Disney Plus, so brands neglecting the platform are missing out on a huge slice of potential viewership.  

Content is far more than just filler for feeds; it’s a powerful tool for storytelling, identity, and connection. For brands, the shift toward meaningful, narrative-driven content will help cultivate an authentic and engaged subscriber base that stays loyal to that brand and its values. 

By prioritising YouTube-first content strategies, brands can do more than sell a product. They can tell stories, shape perceptions, and build communities that stick around. In a landscape where attention is fleeting, YouTube offers the time and space to make it count.

ALSO READ: Why It’s Time to Revive Creativity in B2B Advertising