Let’s say a kagillion videos are posted to YouTube everyday. Even if that’s not a real number, we all know the statistics. It’s challenging for anyone to gain traction on this platform.

Fortunately, YouTube posts great tools to help you develop a marketing strategy.  It’s time to take advantage of this free service!

1. Follow the YouTube Advertisers channel. Don’t let the name of the channel deter you if you’re not interested in advertising. Here, you’ll find content such as case studies, YouTube creator spotlights and instructional videos on their analytics platform.

While you’re there, be sure to watch the collection of case studies. These videos serve as inspiration to see what type of business goals certain companies had before hitting YouTube.

Are you looking to create original content for the platform? Then please watch the six videos in the creator series. Each profile is only two minutes long, and you’ll get a great sense of how individuals found success.

2. In keeping with the creator series, YouTube has a Creator Academy channel for those of you looking to develop content for the platform. Filled with instructional videos detailing topics such as community building, optimizing search, and earning money, this channel is well worth your time.

3. Bookmark and read the YouTube trends blog to see what people are watching. The service posts their latest research and findings that should help you establish goals and tactics when building your YouTube strategy.

As a bonus, check out the YouTube trends dashboard to see what videos are being watched by region, gender and age demographic across the world. As with all online data, you won’t find data for the 12 and under set, but you’ll get to see first hand the popularity of Katy Perry and video game cheat code videos for 13-17 year olds. Also, when someone invariably asks “have you seen this video?” you can now confidently reply “Why yes. YES I HAVE” thanks to your visits to this YouTube dashboard.

Taking advantage of this free guidance online can save you the heartache of creating great YouTube content that no one watches. Good luck!

Lianne Stewart is a freelance digital consultant and content strategist. Meet her on LinkedIn or Twitter @liannestewart