When people talk about where to find customers online, they almost always think of Google and social media, and almost never of YouTube. It’s a curious miscalculation, because YouTube is the second most used search engine in the world, ahead of Bing, Yahoo or any social network, and it’s owned by Google itself. If your business has no presence there, you’re not missing out on just another social channel: you’re missing out on an entire search engine where your customer is already asking questions.
Why a YouTube video is worth more than a post on any social network
The key difference is that YouTube isn’t only its own search engine: its videos show up directly in regular Google search results, with a thumbnail and duration, something no Instagram or Facebook post ever achieves. That means for the same search, your business can appear twice on the same screen: your website’s article in one result, and your video right next to it, taking up more visual space and with a higher chance of getting the click. No other social platform gives you that double presence.
Content doesn’t expire, it stacks up
On social media, every post starts from zero: reach concentrates in the first few hours and then the content essentially disappears from the feed. On YouTube, the opposite happens: a well-optimised video keeps bringing in views months or years later, and every new video adds to the catalogue instead of replacing it. Over time, that builds an archive of content that works on its own, without needing you to post every single day to stay visible.
And it generates revenue too, not just visibility
A monetised YouTube channel earns advertising revenue based on views, and that figure varies a lot by sector: wellness, jewellery or health businesses tend to earn more per thousand views than generic entertainment content, because their audience has real buying intent, which is exactly what advertisers pay for. And advertising is only the starting point: a channel with its own audience also opens the door to brand sponsorships, direct sales of products or services, and courses, without depending on a feed algorithm that decides how many people see you each day.
We’ve seen this work at very different scales: from a clinic with over 300,000 followers across its social channels, to a small esoteric shop with 27,400 followers on TikTok. The process is the same in both cases, and so is the result: a real channel, built with content that already existed. You don’t need to be a big brand for it to pay off.
If you’d like to see, with no obligation, what your own YouTube channel would look like before deciding anything: tell us about your content and we’ll show you.
Frequently asked questions
Does a small YouTube channel actually make money?
It depends on the sector and volume of views, but even modest channels with a well-defined audience generate ad revenue once monetised. Sectors with high buying-intent audiences, like wellness or jewellery, tend to perform better per thousand views than generic entertainment content.
How long does it take for a channel to start generating revenue?
It depends on how much already-validated content exists to start with and how consistent publishing is, but reusing footage that’s already been filmed and proven with an audience usually means a faster start than launching a channel completely from scratch.
Does YouTube compete with my website for SEO, or add to it?
It adds to it. A well-optimised YouTube video can appear right next to your website’s article for the same search, taking up more space in the results and increasing the odds that the customer picks your business over a competitor’s.