Hello and welcome to The GTM Newsletter by GTMnow – read by 50,000+ to scale their companies and careers. GTMnow shares insight around the go-to-market strategies responsible for explosive company growth. GTMnow highlights the strategies, along with the stories from the top 1% of GTM executives, VCs, and founders behind these strategies and companies.
YouTube is more than just another social channel
YouTube is both a media channel AND a search engine that presents both organic AND paid marketing opportunities.
- As a channel – YouTube is a content distribution platform, similar to LinkedIn or X, where companies can post videos, build an audience, and engage viewers.
- As a search engine – YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world, with people actively searching for solutions, tutorials, and insights.
In 2025, getting pushed through YouTube recommendation system is crucial for long-term growth, engagement, and lead generation, while keyword search optimization is useful for initial traction and credibility in topics very relevant to your audience.
A huge thanks to Pat and Andrey of GrowthLens, a YouTube-specific marketing agency, for their expert contribution on strategy in this edition. They’ve been advising us on our GTMnow channel and the results we’ve been seeing are massive, so creating an asset to help others too was a no-brainer.
YouTube as a growth engine
YouTube plays by different rules compared to other social media channels, and those who get it right unlock a compounding growth channel. Here’s why:
- Content that’s evergreen. Posts on most social platforms have hours, days, and sometimes up to weeks of shelf life with the algorithm. A well-optimized YouTube video ranks in search, gets recommended by the algorithm, and keeps driving views for years. This content can also be repurposed on your landing page, blog, and help center.
- SEO for Google, not just YouTube. YouTube isn’t just a platform; it’s owned by Google. That means your videos can show up in Google search results, pulling in organic traffic the same way blog posts do.
- Long-form = higher intent. On social, short-form wins. On YouTube, viewers are more open to depth. B2B and high-ticket B2C buyers are watching product deep-dives, expert interviews, and tutorials to guide their buying decisions. It’s a channel for building authority, not just awareness.
- Own your audience, not just your reach – YouTube lets you create structured content journeys, such as playlists, suggested videos, and CTAs that push viewers deeper into your ecosystem. Yes, the algorithm plays a role in who videos are surfaced to, but you can intentionally build a durable, searchable content library.
Think of it this way: Every video you publish is like hiring both a tireless marketer and sales rep who work 24/7, never ask for a raise, and keep getting better at generating demand over time.
Learn from companies winning at YouTube
On a list of 12 lessons from the VP of Marketing at Owner, David’s top lesson is that “YouTube is ridiculously untapped for B2B”.
Let’s look at some companies nailing the YouTube game to help you apply what’s working. GrowthLens kindly breaks down 4 of their favorite channels, so that you can learn from what’s working.
Owner.com:
- Consistency: For the past year, Owner.com has been posting 3-4 times per month. They now consistently get 4,000 views per video, which is very strong for a B2B channel.
- Call-to-action: The end of their videos, video description and channel info all include CTAs: watch another video, check out this valuable resource, learn how Owner.com can drive value for your restaurant.
- Value-add storytelling: Their content focuses on digital marketing lessons, real life case studies, and actionable tips often told through the lens of a real-world example.
- Packaging: is highly clickable. Thumbnails are intriguing and tell a story. Titles are action-oriented and punchy.
- Audience interaction: They actively respond to comments and engage with viewers, fostering a sense of community and trust.
OneBase Media:
- Educational content: They produce informative videos that address industry-specific topics, positioning themselves as thought leaders and providing value to their audience of tradespeople looking to up their digital marketing game.
- Regular uploads: By publishing 1-2 videos per week, they’ll keep popping up in their audiences suggested feeds to stay top of mind and act like a nurture drip.
- Consistent branding: Their channel maintains a cohesive visual identity, enhancing brand recognition and professionalism.
- Authenticity: Kurt, the main character in these videos, feels relatable and trustworthy. Especially considering his audience of UK tradespeople.
Ahrefs:
- Educational and actionable content: Ahrefs focuses on providing in-depth tutorials and guides on SEO and digital marketing, offering actionable insights that help viewers apply strategies effectively.
- Data-driven topics: They utilize their own tools to identify topics with high search demand, ensuring their content aligns with audience interests and current trends.
- Engaging thumbnails and titles: They design compelling thumbnails and craft intriguing titles to attract viewers and increase click-through rates.
- Cross-promotion of tools and services: Their videos often demonstrate how to use Ahrefs’ tools, subtly promoting their services while providing value. Ex. case studies from our own marketing experiments.
Wise:
- Subject matter expertise: Wise positions itself as an expert in the field by creating educational content around international finance, currency exchange, and cross-border payments.
- Short, digestible videos: Wise creates short, engaging videos that get straight to the point, catering to their busy professional target demographic.
- Curiosity-driven thumbnails and titles: Most of their thumbnails involve an emotive face, this is proven to generate interest. Their titles are concise and snappy, which allow would-be viewers to quickly confirm interest with a glance after being intrigued by the thumbnail.
YouTube optimization checklist
To get specific around optimizing your YouTube channel to maximize results, go down this checklist.
1. Identify the right audience
Who are you trying to reach? YouTube’s algorithm rewards content with a clearly defined audience. Vague or broad audiences confuse the algorithm, and will lead to your content being buried.
- Address industry or persona specific challenges.
- Speak directly to decision-makers.
- Post consistently—to be always on your audience’s mind.
2. Compelling title and thumbnails
This is one of the biggest opportunity areas GrowthLens sees on businesses’ YouTube channels. “If you can’t think of a title or thumbnail before making a video, it’s not a strong idea.” – Paddy Galloway, Mr Beast’s YouTube Consultant.
- Use emotion evoking, curiosity-driven, benefit-focused titles. Hire a YouTube-specific thumbnail designer to design eye-catching thumbnails that stand out in search results.
- Glance test: Can someone process this thumbnail in 2-5 seconds.
3. Provide value, don’t sell
B2B decision-makers seek valuable information and answers, not fluff. Your videos should demonstrate your expertise by solving your prospects’ problems, not selling with promotional content.
- Pain-point explainers.
- Case study breakdowns.
- How-to videos.
4. Keep viewers engaged
YouTube prioritizes watch hours and average view duration. If people click and leave quickly, your videos get buried. This is why blindly reposting podcasts or webinars rarely works on YouTube (unless you’re famous).
- Hook viewers in the first 10-30 seconds—tell them what value they’ll get upfront and make them curious to watch until the end.
- Structure videos with clear segments and value payoffs to keep people engaged.
- Avoid clickbait—misleading titles and thumbnails destroy viewer trust and retention.
5. Implement the right CTA
Every video needs a clear, compelling next step. Without it, views won’t convert into leads. Consider the entire funnel from video, to description, to channel info, to your landing page – each should be working together to drive seamless conversion.
- Watch the next video (to drive engagement).
- Download a free, relevant and valuable resource.
- Book a demo.
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I would be remiss if I didn’t include a shameless plug for the GTMnow YouTube channel!
Here are a few well loved Shorts:
- Vulnerable leadership
- Don’t tag tons of people in a LinkedIn post
- SMS is the next big opportunity
- The future of content marketing: grabbing people’s attention
— Sophie
Tag GTMnow so we can see your takeaways and help amplify them.
GTMfund Toolkit
We asked the GTMfund community of GTM leaders what’s on their reading list right now. Here are four standout recommendations:
- Being read by Farlan Dowell, GTM and Sales Leader and Advisor:
- Being read by Paul Mander, General Manager of Optery for Business:
- Being read by Irina Jordan, Head of Demand Gen at Chowly:
- Being read by Richard Harris, Sales Leader and Author:
More for your eardrums
Joe DiMento is the Head of Go-To-Market & Industry Partnerships at Bain Capital Ventures. Previously, he was an operating partner at Fractal Software, helping launch vertical software companies and find product-market fit. Before that, he was the first non-founder seller at three startups, turning early traction into a repeatable sales motion. He began his career at Google and Bain & Company and holds an MBA from Stanford GSB.
GTM 134: When to Hire Your First Sales Reps (And How to Get It Right) with Joe DiMento
Listen on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts by searching “The GTM Podcast.”
Startup to watch
Owner – named as a Top 100 Fastest Growing Product in G2’s Best Products List. They ranked #28 out of 125,912 total products in this category.
Houseware – just got acquired by LaunchDarkly. By joining forces, Houseware is bringing warehouse-native product analytics to a world-class platform used by over 5,500 enterprises including a quarter of the Fortune 500.
Superhuman – announced the launch of some big exciting updates to Superhuman AI. These updates include automatically organizing your inbox, emails that write themselves, along with features like workflows and auto reminders to help make work effortless. Dive into the new features and see how they elevate your productivity.
More for your eyeballs
Sell Like a Human conversation around all things sales, venture capital, and go-to-market. Scott Barker shares why focus can give sales reps superpowers, the outsized impact of warm introductions when building pipeline, and how focusing on uniquely human skills can help you excel in sales.
The 7 steps GTMfund took to oversubscribe a fundraise in the toughest market in two decades. Raising a fund, securing capital for a startup, or even selling into the enterprise all share a common foundation: relationship-driven sales. Given how tough this market is, we figured it would be valuable to break down exactly how we did it.
Why startup founders need to develop their voice. For some founders, building out your personal brand can feel like a chore, but it is the best way to build trust with your target audience. Once people trust you and think of you as a thought leader, they are willing to pay you for advice, making you one of the most powerful individuals in your niche.
Hottest GTM jobs of the week
- Director of Sales at Amper (Remote – Chicago / San Francisco)
- Sales Enablement Manager at Document Crunch (Hybrid – Atlanta)
- Customer Marketing Manager at Closinglock (Austin)
- Head of Revenue Operations at Armada (Remote – US)
- Manager, Ramp Acceleration, SDR at Vanta (Hybrid – San Francisco)
See more top GTM jobs on the GTMfund Job Board.
If you’re looking to scale your sales and marketing teams with top talent, we couldn’t recommend our partner Pursuit more. We work closely together to be able to provide the top go-to-market talent for companies on a non-retainer basis.
Upcoming digital live event
The Operator Investor: Angel Investing. On February 26th (and available on-demand exclusively for registrants), seasoned operator-investors will share how they got started, how they source and evaluate opportunities, what they’ve learned from their best (and toughest) investments, and more.
The Power of GTMfund’s Operator-Led Model: On February 27th, Paul Irving and Scott Barker discuss the power of operator-led venture capital. They’ll break down the unique flywheel that fuels their success — the fund, the community, and the media — and how it drives better outcomes for startups and investors alike.
GTM industry events
Upcoming go-to-market events you won’t want to miss:
- The GTM Workshop for AI Founders (GTMfund event): March 25, 2025 (San Francisco, CA) – private registration
- GTMfund Dinner: March 25, 2025 (San Francisco, CA) – private registration
- More GTMfund events TBA
- Spryng by Wynter: March 24-26, 2025 (Austin, TX)
- Pavilion CMO Summit: April 17, 2025 (Atlanta, GA)
- Web Summit: May 27-30, 2025 (Vancouver, CAN)
- Pavilion CRO Summit: June 3, 2025 (Denver, CO)
- SaaStr Annual: September 10-12 (San Francisco, CA)
- Pavilion GTM Summit: September 23-25, 2025 (Dallas, TX)
This newsletter was entirely written and edited by Sophie Buonassisi and Scott Barker (not AI!).
The post YouTube: One of the Biggest Missed Opportunities in B2B Marketing appeared first on GTMnow.
