Both adults and kids enjoy watching video.
It’s easier to learn using video tutorials, the medium is highly immersive and entertaining, and video is great for marketing.
When creating video for kids, the same rules apply – it’s all about engaging the audience. Kids may like songs that rhyme, nonsensical titles, bright colors that pop, and animated characters.
But it’s not that simple.
There are a lot of new ways for kids to watch video today, infinite channels all seeking the attention of the same viewers.
How do you create a content strategy that helps you stand out from the competition?
This article has all the answers you need and more.
Why Create Video for Kids?
ChuChu TV Nursery Rhymes & Kids Songs ranked highest with as many as 44.8 million subscribers as of January 2021.
You have probably heard the song ‘Baby Shark.’ It’s an earworm that one, and thanks to ChuChu TV, we might never get it out of our heads.
There are many more YouTube channels that produce great content for kids, some educational, some purely for entertainment.
Other top channels feature unboxing videos and product reviews.
With all the competition in the industry, you might be wondering if it’s a good idea to make videos for kids.
Here is what the facts have to say:
- Online video streaming is more popular than live TV among children.
- More than 30 percent of parents with kids under 11 years regularly let their little ones watch videos on YouTube.
- A study conducted in 2019 by Pew Research Center showed that videos aimed at kids, or those that feature children under 13 were very popular on YouTube.
Are your Videos Made for Kids?
It’s important to produce age-appropriate content that your viewers can relate to. For kids, parents and businesses alike go the extra mile to ensure the content is friendly and intended for children.
YouTube has a guideline on determining if your content is made for kids.
If you are unsure whether your video is for kids or not, consider the following:
- The subject matter of the video should appeal to children.
- Any activities, songs, dialogue, props, and characters you use in the video should also appeal to kids.
- Finally, if your video includes child celebrities or actors, chances are that other kids are also watching the content.
How to Win on YouTube Kids
In 2020, YouTube enforced guidelines to make sure kids would only watch age-appropriate content
These changes required every content creator on the platform to label their videos as Made for Kids or Not Made for Kids to avoid any sort of confusion.
It all seems straightforward enough, but you may want to really think about how this affects your business.
These requirements changed the upload process, and the way content creators make money on YouTube.
How so?
Well, since the privacy of all users under the age of 13 is protected, marketers and other digital agencies cannot collect information from this segment.
At least not without permission from their parents and guardians.
Here is what you should know about YouTube video for kids:
- If you fail to label your content, YouTube may take the initiative of setting the audience for you.
- Mislabeling your videos could attract a penalty.
Losing Access to Some YouTube Essentials
Setting your content as made for kids means that YouTube can remove features like comments, end screens, and the ability for viewers to save videos into a playlist.
This means that any data you collect from your audience will be extremely limited.
The platform also removes personalized ads for content aimed at kids. Some marketers consider this to be a loss in revenue, but it is up to you to make the choice for your business.
The Children’s Online Privacy Protect Act (COPPA) of 1998 protects the privacy of kids under 13 years of age.
To comply with the COPPA law on YouTube, you can either set your audience at the channel level or at the individual video level.
Even if your channel is not focused on producing videos for kids, you can still put out one or two videos for this audience as long as you label it correctly.
Aside from the technical requirements, video for kids also needs to be inspired.
There is a lot of competition on multiple platforms, so your content needs to be fresh, fun.
The rules of the game are always changing. What is fresh and exciting today may be stale and boring tomorrow. To produce quality video for kids, you need to be open to new ideas and concepts.
Unspoken Rules of Creating Video for Kids
The choices are endless.
And yet, most people still have nothing to watch. It’s like having a full closet but nothing to wear.
When presented with multiple options, people tend to be much pickier. Just think about the hell that is searching for a good movie/ series to watch on Netflix.
Nothing ever seems quite right when you have a lot to choose from. And it’s the same for kids.
Among millions of channels, how do you stand out? How do you grab the attention of your viewers?
It all starts with knowing your audience.
Follow the Right Metrics
All content strategies start with knowing your audience, but looking closer, you may find that most brands fail at this approach.
It’s not enough to know your audience in terms of the content they like – although it is a good place to start.
After you create awesome videos for kids, the next step is to premiere these videos at just the right time, and on the right platform.
Here are some key metrics to help you refine your strategy:
How is the viewer watching?
Children have access to multiple devices today including mobile phones and laptops.
When are they watching?
There is a right time to do everything.
People have daily routines that they follow to the letter, and as a marketer, it’s your job to know the right time to send an email and the right time to upload a video for kids online.
Where are they watching?
Knowing if your viewers are watching from a noisy or quiet environment can be helpful to your strategy.
Are they using headphones? Spatial and 3D audio might just tip your video over the edge.
You can refine your marketing methods with this information and get the attention of more viewers.
Make it Interactive
They say that it’s easy to become number one, but you will have to fight to remain on the top. It’s the same with having a content strategy.
You need to account for what happens after you grab the attention of your audience.
How do you hold the attention of your viewers? How do you nurture it?
Video for kids features interesting designs and immersive graphics that transport the viewers to new lands.
The characters are usually diverse and unexpected.
All this is intentional.
According to the senior vice-president and general manager of Barbie, a lot of kids request to talk to Barbie.
As a brand, this should give you insight into what your audience wants; interactive stories and characters that are also relatable.
Video for Kids Marketing Strategy
Follow tested and proven video marketing methods. Optimize your video titles and descriptions, and make the content irresistible.
Also, make sure you check out what other children’s video creators are doing.
Watching videos for kids will give you an idea of how to shape your own vision. For instance, you may learn what types of transitions are popular, and get an idea of the video format that most resonates with kids.
Here are a few more tips you can use to get ahead of the competition:
Ideal Length for Kids’ Videos
Let’s talk about long-form versus short-form content for kids.
Short videos are great for viewers on the go, and we all know that kids can get distracted easily.
Here is how you can use short-form video for kids:
- To create awareness on an upcoming series.
A lot of video production companies use short-form content as a trailer before launching a series.
- Testing your characters and how they appeal to the audience before developing them further.
Short videos are great for experimentation, but they are not always suitable. Long-form content, on the other hand, is great for nurturing an audience.
Do it like One Animation
According to One Animation, the format your video takes depends on the audience you are trying to reach.
The company started by producing one-minute shorts and eventually moved up to seven-minute episodes, and then to 22-minute features.
One Animation followed this streak by launching a mobile game and a series for pre-school kids.
See how they used different video formats to their advantage?
Video for kids varies in length and format. You need to keep experimenting to find what works for you and don’t be afraid to venture outside your comfort zone.
Education + Entertainment
It’s called edutainment and a lot of kids’ videos are navigating towards this type of content. Kids are impressionable, which means that they are almost always learning.
Parents prefer certain YouTube Kids channels because in addition to entertaining the viewers, these content creators also teach the children a thing or two.
Edutainment videos are great resources for parents, teachers, and guardians who would like to supplement their child’s education.
The success of ChuChu TV and Cocomelon, a channel dedicated to animated nursery rhymes is proof enough that educations and entertainment content blend well together.
Looking for Video Experts?
It’s not hard to make video for kids.
Following the tips we have provided in this article, you can create a content strategy that is sure to boost your business.
Or…
You can seek the help of experts at Bunny Studio and get your job done much faster.
