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VOLUME 06 ISSUE09
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PUBLISHED DATE: - 23-09-2024
DOI: -
https://doi.org/10.37547/tajmei/Volume06Issue09-05
METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH TO THE
FORMATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF
SALES FUNNELS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA
(USING YOUTUBE AS AN EXAMPLE)
Ekaterina Kobzeva
Social Media Marketing Expert, USA
INTRODUCTION
In the current conditions of fierce competition and
resource limitations, effective management of the
sales process plays a crucial role in achieving
business success. One of the key tools in this regard
is the implementation of sales funnels
—
a
structured model for interacting with potential
customers that allows for the optimization of
marketing efforts and an increase in conversion
rates.
According to estimates, spending on digital
advertising rose by 20% in 2023, with some sectors
experiencing growth of up to 49%. The global
increase in advertising expenditure for 2022 was
8.2%. Furthermore, 63% of customers expect
companies to provide customer service through
social media channels. Each month, 130 million
social media users post about their purchases.
Additionally, 69% of marketers utilize social media
to enhance brand awareness [2]. Given this context,
there is a pressing need to develop a
methodological approach to the formation and
implementation of sales funnels through the
effective utilization of social platform capabilities.
One of the most popular and promising social
media platforms for businesses is YouTube
—
the
largest video hosting service in the world. Creating
an optimized sales funnel on this platform can
significantly increase reach to the target audience,
enhance brand recognition, and ultimately lead to
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Open Access
Abstract
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growth in conversion rates and sales volumes.
Thus, the aim of this study is to develop a
comprehensive methodological approach for the
formation and implementation of effective sales
funnels through social media, using YouTube as a
case study.
METHODS
The process of creating an effective promotion
strategy for goods and services on the YouTube
video hosting platform begins with a thorough
analysis of the target audience. At this stage,
demographic, psychographic, and behavioral
characteristics of potential customers are
examined, and their primary issues, needs, and
preferences are identified. This allows for the
determination of the most effective means of
engagement with the audience within the platform
itself.
The next step involves the development of a well-
thought-out content plan. This plan encompasses
the creation of thematic content that aligns with
the interests of the target audience
—
whether
educational, entertaining, or branding videos.
According to Kolokol’tseva K.R., it is also important
to optimize all elements of the video materials
(titles, descriptions, tags, thumbnails, etc.) to
enhance their visibility on YouTube [3].
Concurrent with the content creation process,
targeted advertising must be configured. This
entails segmenting the audience based on various
criteria, designing advertising campaigns that
consider the stages of the sales funnel, and
continuously testing and optimizing advertising
creatives. Properly configured advertising enables
the efficient acquisition of new potential
customers.
The final stage is to construct and optimize the
sales funnel itself by harnessing the capabilities of
YouTube. It is crucial to create a multi-layered
model of interaction with the audience by
integrating video content, targeted advertising, and
other digital tools into a cohesive system. Regular
monitoring of key metrics and analysis of
bottlenecks
allows
for
the
continuous
improvement of the sales funnel's effectiveness.
A comprehensive approach to implementing all
these stages facilitates the development of a truly
effective strategy for promoting goods and services
on the YouTube video hosting platform, ensuring
maximum reach to the target audience and a high
conversion rate into sales.
The construction of a multi-layered sales funnel
model that takes into account the specific nature of
communication on YouTube is a key component of
the proposed methodological approach. This
model is designed to structure and optimize the
process of engaging with potential customers at
various stages, starting from the initial attention
capture and culminating in the completion of the
targeted action.
At the first level of the funnel lies the audience
attraction stage. Here, the creation of high-quality
and relevant video content plays a vital role, as it
conveys the value of the products or services being
offered while generating interest and curiosity
among viewers. Additionally, targeted advertising
significantly influences this stage, allowing for
precise outreach to the target audience.
The next level involves engaging users for further
interaction. At this stage, video content must not
only inform but also encourage the audience to
take active steps
—
such as commenting, liking,
subscribing to the channel, and so forth.
Maintaining a constant dialogue with the target
audience, responding to comments, and swiftly
addressing feedback are also crucial in this phase.
The final level of the funnel focuses on converting
the engaged audience into targeted actions
—
such
as visiting the website, filling out forms, or making
purchases. Various tools can be employed for this
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purpose, including embedding sales links and calls-
to-action directly within the video content,
configuring YouTube cards and banners, and
integrating with other digital channels.
Thus, the proposed multi-layered sales funnel
model, tailored to the communication specifics of
the YouTube video hosting platform, enables the
implementation of a comprehensive and
structured approach to promoting goods and
services, ensuring effective attraction, engagement,
and conversion of the target audience.
To demonstrate the application of the methodology
developed in this study, research was conducted
from July 1, 2022, to January 31, 2024, which
included the application of the proposed
methodology to a real case of promoting a YouTube
channel.
The study was conducted on the YouTube channel
@LittleWomenAtelier [1], which specializes in
creative activities, particularly in clothing creation,
culinary recipes, interior design, and aesthetic
representation, with a primary focus on promoting
clothing in the
“Little Women” style. The channel
features detailed video tutorials in which the
creators showcase the process of home decoration,
holiday preparations, and the making of handmade
products. This includes material reviews, step-by-
step instructions, decoration, and assembly of
finished items, as well as videos that inspire
creativity, share ideas, and explore the artistic
process, all of which contain native advertising for
clothing in the “Little Women” style. The channel's
main audience consists of handicraft enthusiasts,
culinary aficionados, and fans of the "Little
Women" aesthetic, with content primarily aimed at
promoting the clothing website of the brand “Little
Women Atelier.”
First, let us examine the channel's statistical data
from July 1, 2020, to July 1, 2022. During this
period, work on the channel based on storytelling
techniques was not conducted (Figure 1).
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Fig. 1. Statistics of the YouTube channel @LittleWomenAtelier for the period from July 1, 2020, to July
1, 2022
Initial Situation (Before Expert Intervention):
• Views: 859.7 thousand
• Watch Time (hours): 44.2 thousand
• Subscribers: +29.3 thousand
Let us consider and analyze the statistical data
corresponding to the period of our active work
(from July 1, 2022, to January 31, 2024) (Figure 2).
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Fig. 2. Statistics of the YouTube channel @LittleWomenAtelier for the period from July 1, 2022, to
January 31, 2024
After Expert Intervention:
• Views: 3.3 million
• Watch Time (hours): 165.6 thousand
• Subscribers: +56.2 thousand
RESULTS
The implemented activities based on the
methodology I developed significantly improved
the channel's statistics, as evidenced by the
substantial increase in all key metrics: views grew
by over 3.8 times, watch time increased by over 3.7
times, and the number of new subscribers more
than doubled. These results indicate that the
developed methodology is an effective tool for
brand promotion on the YouTube platform. The
following sections outline how this methodology
was implemented:
1. Audience Analysis:
• Data Collection: Analysis of demographic data,
interests, and behaviors of current subscribers and
viewers.
• Tools Used: YouTube Analytics, Google Analytics,
surveys, and questionnaires.
• Findings: Identification of key characteristics and
segments of the audience. For instance, if a
predominant group was identified as women aged
18 to 34 who are interested in fashion and lifestyle
content.
2. Content Plan Development:
• Content Strategy: Planning video releases based
on the interests of the target audience.
• Content Types: Educational videos on style,
fashion tips, personal vlogs about lifestyle and
fashion, showcasing new clothing.
• Optimization: Titles, descriptions, tags, and
thumbnails optimized to maximize visibility and
searchability.
• Examples: Creating titles such as “How to Create
a Fall Look: Professional Tips,” descriptions that
include keywords, and eye-catching thumbnails.
3. Targeted Advertising Setup:
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• Audience Segmentation: Identification of more
precise subgroups within the target audience.
• Campaign Development: Creation of engaging
advertisements, such as promotional inserts before
popular videos.
• Testing and Optimization: A/B testing of different
ad creatives, analyzing their effectiveness, and
making necessary adjustments.
• Examples: Ad spots featuring teasers for new
videos, integration of CTAs for subscribing to the
channel.
4. Storytelling Integration:
• Vlog Creation: Incorporation of personal stories,
showcasing the influencer's daily life, style, and
clothing.
• Native Sales: Natural presentation of products
and brands as part of the influencer’s everyday life.
• Emotional Connection: Development of content
that resonates with the audience on an emotional
level.
• Examples: Videos such as “A Day in the Life of a
Fashion Blogger,” where the influencer naturally
showcases branded clothing.
5. Monitoring and Sales Funnel Optimization:
• Key Metrics Analysis: Tracking views, watch time,
subscriptions, and engagement (likes, comments).
• Content and Strategy Optimization: Adjusting the
content plan and advertising strategies based on
gathered data.
• Tools Used: YouTube Analytics, Google Analytics,
social media analytics tools.
• Examples: Identifying “bottlenecks”: if audience
retention drops at specific points in the video,
adjustments to content and format are made.
It is also important to consider the criteria for
evaluating the effectiveness of the implementation
of this methodology, which are presented below
with examples from the previously described case:
1. Increase in Views:
• Before Implementation: 859.7 thousand
• After Implement
ation: 3.3 million
• Growth: Increase of 2.44 million views
(approximately 3.84 times).
2. Watch Time:
• Before Implementation: 44.2 thousand hours
• After Implementation: 165.6 thousand hours
• Growth: Increase of 121.4 thousand hours
(approximately 3.75 times).
3. Subscriber Growth:
• Before Implementation: +29.3 thousand
• After Implementation: +56.2 thousand
• Growth: Increase of 26.9 thousand subscribers
(approximately 1.92 times).
4. Audience Engagement:
• Criteria: Number of lik
es, comments, shares.
• Assessment: Significant increase in interactive
actions from the audience.
CONCLUSION
Thus, the methodology I developed, which included
a thorough audience analysis, the development and
optimization of a content plan, targeted advertising
setup, storytelling integration, and continuous
monitoring, demonstrated its effectiveness in
significantly increasing all key metrics of the
YouTube channel. This underscores the power and
importance of a strategic approach to social media
management and the use of storytelling to create
an emotional connection with the audience.
REFERENCE
1.
@LittleWomenAtelier. (n.d.). YouTube: Video
Hosting.
URL:
https://www.youtube.com/@LittleWomenAte
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lier (accessed August 13, 2024).
2.
Calvello, M. (2023). 140 Must-Know Social
Media Statistics for 2023 / Social Networks
Category.
G2.
URL:
https://www.g2.com/articles/social-media-
statistics (accessed August 17, 2024).
3.
Kolokol'tseva,
K.R.
(2022).
Marketing
Communications in Social Media as an Effective
Tool for Brand Promotion (General Overview).
Mеdi@lmanakh,
4(111).
URL:
https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/marketingo
vye-kommunikatsii-v-sotsialnyh-media-kak-
effektivnyy-instrument-prodvizheniya-
brenda-obschaya-harakteristika
(accessed
August 15, 2024).
