Growing an online audience today is not easy — no matter what anyone tells you. It takes work, and there are absolutely no shortcuts. And no matter what platform you choose to focus on, it's going to take time and commitment.

However, not all social platforms require the same level of effort.

Take YouTube, for example. The amount of effort you put in for that usually yields MORE reward than, let's say, Instagram. You end up doing LESS work and getting MORE results. That’s why I TRULY believe YouTube is the best social media platform for small businesses.

Let me show you what I mean…

Is YouTube Really the Best Social Media Platform for Small Businesses?

YouTube often gets a bad reputation because, at first glance, it seems like a lot of work. And if you’ve tried YouTube in the past, it may have FELT like a lot of work, too.

But here's the thing: if you want to grow on any social platform today, you HAVE to start incorporating video content. It's what people are consuming more than any other type of content.

And YouTube is at the forefront of video content. I mean, the entire platform is centered around video content. So, using it can help you more than you may think (and with less effort than you’re anticipating!).

The Lifespan of Each Social Media Platform

Let's break it down. On platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, you're expected to post multiple times a day if you want to see any real growth:

Instagram: Minimum of 3 posts per week, with two stories per day (honestly, I think that's even on the lower end of things).
TikTok: 1-4 times per day.
Facebook: 1-2 times per day.
Threads: 2-3 times per day.

What makes this even harder is that all of the content you're posting on these platforms has a really short shelf life. Like, shorter than your leftovers from last night’s dinner.

You get about 48 hours if you're lucky, but sometimes it can even be as low as 24 hours. When you hit "post," the clock starts ticking, and your content begins to lose relevance almost immediately.

But YouTube Doesn't play those games.

YouTube is the Best Social Media Platform to Play the Long Game

So, let's compare that to YouTube. I've been on this platform for a long time, and here's what I've noticed…

You only need to post one video a week, and that video continues to grow in views day after day, sometimes even for YEARS. Yes, years! I have videos from 2020 and 2021 that are still driving traffic AND engagement. I cannot say the same about any other social media platform!

Now, I know what you may be thinking, “That's all great, but why does it feel like YouTube takes so much work to get there?”

Because you're thinking about it as an ADDITION to your other platforms. But what if you didn't? What if YouTube could actually take those other platforms off your plate?

YouTube is the Only Platform That Gives You Your Time Back

You can't add YouTube to your already busy schedule — it could even potentially replace the content you're churning out on those other platforms!

Because, unlike these platforms, where your growth halts the moment you stop posting, YouTube videos continue to work for you long after they've been uploaded. A video posted TODAY could still be booking your clients a year from now.

Sorry, but your Reel or TikTok isn't going to do that.

I have a client that took a 6-month break from YouTube in 2023. During that time, her channel still grew by 14,000 subscribers, racked up 177,000 views, and earned over $6,000 from ad revenue — without posting a single new video.

I can tell you with absolute confidence that I have NEVER seen that happen on ANY other social media platform!!

YouTube Makes it Easier to Drive Leads to Your Small Business

YouTube isn't just great at reaching your audience. It’s also great at getting them to take action because it helps you drive sales, traffic, and leads to your website.

You can link directly to your products, services, webinars, and more right there in the video description or even on the video itself!

It's a pretty seamless experience, unlike other platforms, where it can be really hard to motivate people to click through. You don’t have to go through so many hoops to click links.

YouTube also doesn't hide what's working on the platform for you. They give you EVERYthing you need to know about reaching more people and making better content!

And Don’t Forget the Opportunities to Make Extra Income

Not to sound like a used car salesman…but there's MORE (yes, really)! YouTube gives you the chance to make some extra money with not a whole lot of extra effort.

You can use things like:

AdSense: Earn money through ads on your videos.
Memberships: Offer exclusive content to subscribers for a fee.
Affiliate Revenue: Promote products and earn a commission.
Brand Deals: Companies are willing to pay more for video content because it doesn't expire like posts on other platforms!

And I mean… c'mon, who DOESN'T like making extra money??

YouTube Protects Your (Copy)Rights

And if you need another reason to love YouTube, your videos are copyright-protected. No one can take your videos and reupload them to pass them off as their own. I think we can all agree that keeping our hard work our own is a win.

Ready to Dive Deeper Into the Best Social Media Platform for Small Businesses?

The bottom line? YouTube is the key to growing your audience organically, for free, and with content that continues to put in the work long after it's posted. In my opinion, every hour you spend on something other than YouTube is, frankly, a waste of time.

So, are you ready to see what YouTube can do for YOU?

I'm hosting a 1-day virtual conference, where I'll share everything you need to know to ramp up leads, sales, and revenue from your YouTube channel this year, even if you're a beginner! It's time to stop procrastinating on the most important social media platform for 2024, people!!!