YouTube keeps changing the way people discover businesses, products, services and ideas. The next wave of video is being shaped by creators, artificial intelligence and new advertising options, and on 29 September 2026 YouTube is giving everyone a look at what comes next.
YouTube Festival Delivered 2026 is a free online event for creators, brands and marketers. It’s hosted by Australian YouTube creator Lyanna Kea and brings together creators, brands and the wider YouTube community to talk about the future of video and culture. For any New Zealand business already using video, or thinking about it, this one is worth putting in the calendar.
YouTube is part of how people search, not just a place to watch videos. A useful video can answer a customer’s question, show your work and explain what your business does, and that content can be found on YouTube, in Google Search and increasingly by AI tools. YouTube Festival Delivered 2026 on 29 September is a good hour to spend hearing where the platform is heading. Kiwi Conversions helps NZ businesses turn that into a practical YouTube strategy connected to SEO, Google Ads and AI visibility.
What to expect from YouTube Festival Delivered 2026
The event is a one-hour virtual session. YouTube has said it will include:
- Exclusive insights and announcements about where YouTube is going next
- Conversations with creators driving some of today’s biggest trends
- Ideas for brands on how to position themselves as the digital landscape changes
For business owners, the useful part is less about celebrity creators and more about direction. Announcements about AI features, advertising formats and how people are using video give you an early signal of what to plan for over the next year.
Join or register for YouTube Festival Delivered 2026 on Google Ads on Air.
Why businesses should be paying attention to YouTube
YouTube has become a core part of the modern search and advertising ecosystem. People use it to:
- Research products before they buy
- Learn how things work
- Compare services and suppliers
- Discover local businesses
- Watch reviews
- Find ideas and inspiration before making a decision
Most of those moments happen before someone ever fills in an enquiry form. If your competitors are the ones answering those questions on video, they’re the ones building familiarity and trust while the customer is still deciding.
YouTube is also owned by Google, and video results regularly appear in Google Search. A good video gives your business another piece of searchable, useful content that explains what you do, in addition to your website and your Google Business Profile.
YouTube and AI: a new opportunity for businesses
Artificial intelligence is changing how people look for information. Traditional Google searches are now sitting alongside AI-powered answers and discovery tools, and YouTube itself keeps adding AI-powered features for creators and advertisers.
That means ranking a website is no longer the whole job. The better question for a business is how to create useful content that clearly demonstrates expertise, and that gives search engines, YouTube and AI systems the information they need to understand what the business does, who it serves and where.
Video is a strong part of the answer. A well-made video can demonstrate a product, explain a service, answer a common question, show a finished project or introduce the people behind the business. With captions, a transcript and a clear description, that same video also becomes text that machines can read and understand.
Nobody can guarantee a mention in ChatGPT or Google’s AI Overviews. What moves the needle is being genuinely useful, consistent and easy to understand across the web, and video helps with all three. Our page on how we approach AI visibility for NZ businesses explains this in more detail.
YouTube SEO matters: uploading a video isn’t enough
A video with a vague title, no description and no captions is hard for anyone to find. If you want YouTube to work as a real marketing channel, the whole content strategy needs thought, not just the filming.
| Area | What it involves |
|---|---|
| Keyword and topic research | Finding the questions your customers actually search for on YouTube and Google, and choosing video topics around real audience intent |
| Titles and thumbnails | Making it obvious what the video covers and giving people a reason to click |
| Descriptions | Explaining the video properly, naming your business, service and location, and linking to the right page on your website |
| Captions and transcripts | Making the spoken content readable for viewers, search engines and AI systems |
| Video structure | Getting to the point early, using chapters, and keeping people watching |
| Playlists | Grouping related videos so viewers watch more and YouTube understands your topics |
| Links and calls to action | Connecting videos to your website, service pages and enquiry forms |
| Google and AI visibility | Embedding videos on relevant website pages and keeping business information consistent across every platform |
At Kiwi Conversions we treat YouTube as part of the bigger digital marketing picture. Your website, Google Business Profile, SEO, Google Ads, social media and YouTube channel work better when they support each other instead of running as separate activities.
You don’t have to become a YouTuber
One of the biggest misconceptions about YouTube marketing is that you need to become a full-time creator. You don’t. A business can build a genuinely useful YouTube presence simply by answering the questions its customers already ask.
Explaining common plumbing problems and when to call someone in.
Walking through completed projects from start to finish.
Showing real weddings in every season.
Showcasing events, venues and what the night actually sounds like.
Answering common legal questions in plain English.
Showing the destinations people are about to book.
Demonstrating products and how to use them.
Explaining complicated topics in simple language.
Videos like these keep working for the business long after they’re published. A clear answer to a common question can bring in enquiries for years.
How Kiwi Conversions can help with your YouTube strategy
We help businesses bring YouTube into their wider digital marketing. That can include YouTube channel strategy, video content planning, YouTube SEO, YouTube and Google Ads video advertising, keyword research, AI visibility and conversion tracking so you can see which videos lead to enquiries.
The goal isn’t views for the sake of views. It’s content that reaches the right people and contributes to your overall marketing. We can help you work out:
- Which videos you should make first
- What your customers are searching for
- Which keywords and topics are worth targeting
- How to optimise your videos so they get found
- How YouTube can support your SEO
- How YouTube advertising can reach potential customers
- How video fits into your AI visibility strategy
- How to turn viewers into enquiries and customers
Paul Marr: YouTuber and digital marketing specialist
Kiwi Conversions director Paul Marr doesn’t just work with YouTube from the marketing side. He’s a YouTuber and video creator himself, running several YouTube channels and filming his own content, including footage captured with DJI drones and FPV drones.
That hands-on experience means we understand what actually goes into making video, building a channel and getting people to watch. From weddings and events through to business content, drone footage and digital marketing, Paul knows both sides of the job: creating the content, and marketing it.
Having a great video is one thing. Getting it discovered is another.
Save the date: 29 September 2026
With AI, video advertising, creators and search continuing to come together, businesses should be thinking about how video fits their digital strategy now rather than waiting until everyone else is doing it. YouTube Festival Delivered runs online from 2pm to 3pm NZ time on Tuesday 29 September 2026, and it’s worth an hour of any business owner’s, marketer’s or creator’s time.
And if the event leaves you thinking “maybe we should be doing more with YouTube”, that’s exactly where we can help.
Frequently asked questions
When is YouTube Festival Delivered 2026?
YouTube Festival Delivered 2026 is on Tuesday 29 September 2026, from 2pm to 3pm New Zealand time (14:00 to 15:00 GMT+13). It is an online event, so you can watch from anywhere.
Who is hosting YouTube Festival Delivered 2026?
The event is hosted by Australian YouTube creator Lyanna Kea. It brings together creators, brands and the wider YouTube community to discuss the future of video and culture.
Does a YouTube channel help my website’s SEO?
It can support it. Videos can appear in Google Search, they can be embedded on relevant pages of your website, and a well-described video with captions gives search engines more information about your business. YouTube works best as part of a wider SEO strategy rather than a replacement for one.
Can YouTube videos help my business appear in AI search?
Video can contribute to AI visibility by giving AI systems more useful, consistent information about what your business does, especially when videos have accurate titles, descriptions, captions and transcripts. No one can guarantee placement in AI answers, but clear and genuinely useful content improves your chances.
Do I need lots of subscribers for YouTube marketing to work?
No. A small business doesn’t need a big audience. Videos that answer the specific questions your customers search for can bring in enquiries even with a modest subscriber count, particularly when they’re linked to your website and supported by YouTube advertising.
Want to get more from YouTube?
Whether you already have a channel with dozens of videos or you’re starting from scratch, Kiwi Conversions can build a practical YouTube strategy connected to SEO, Google Ads, AI visibility and your wider marketing. You don’t need millions of subscribers. You need the right content in front of the right audience, with a strategy behind it.
The businesses creating useful video today are building digital assets that keep working tomorrow. If you’re also working on how Google sees your website, our guide to getting Google to notice your website is a good next read.
