So you’ve created a brand new YouTube channel. Perhaps you want a surefire way to platform an already established brand. Maybe you’re starting a music career or an acting career, and are in need of a place to upload content.
You’re one of the many people who’d like to rank higher with Pewdiepie, Markiplier, or Zoella. Regardless of what you’re setting out to accomplish, here are the top ten proven ways on how to optimize your videos.
10.) Do NOT Spam
This is the most common mistake that new YouTube channels make; traveling to popular videos, and spamming the comment section with requests to visit their channel, or to watch their videos. Not only is it off putting to youtube subscribers, it is also against YouTube’s guidelines.
A better alternative is to casually interact with others in the youtube community. If you are a PC game review channel, for instance, it’s a great idea to comment something that’s thoughtful or informative under a popular game reviewer’s video. These tactics to promote your youtube will get you recognized within your target audience.
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9.) Take Inspiration From Popular Videos
YouTube has an amazing feature: “Suggested Videos.”
While this may not seem like much at first, the suggested videos are very beneficial when learning how to promote your YouTube presence.
Part of your video-making process should involve finding eye catching videos in the same field of interest. You may notice that some videos contain hashtags featured in the descriptions; be sure to include them in your own description.
It is also a good idea to do this with video titles. This increases the chances of your content showing up within someone’s suggested video content. Hence, you are creating various links to your youtube.
8.) Cross Promotion
Other social media platforms can do wonders for your reach. Word can spread around very quickly on the internet. On Instagram, you can post a story notifying viewers of a new video you’ve posted. This is creating links to cross promote your videos.
Similarly, you can consistently post tweets that subtly get people interested in your YouTube content. Then, once you’ve uploaded a new video, you can link it on Twitter.
TikTok is a newer platform and yet another great way to promote your channel. Tiktok videos are short by nature, so when you’ve got a good following, fans will want to see longer content from you.
Don’t forget to mention your YouTube channel on all the social media bios.
7.) Facebook Groups
Staying on the topic of cross-promotion, Facebook, in particular, does wonders in getting your name out there. Though the younger generations may see Facebook as going out of style, the site still has a surprising amount of use. Joining multiple Facebook Groups is an amazing tactic for making new friends and gaining new subscribers.
The first thing you want to do is join an active group that is relevant to your channel. And before you satisfy the urge to immediately advertise your YouTube channel, try a few weeks of general interaction. Nobody likes to feel as though they’re being pandered to, and you may not be accepted into a Facebook group if the members-only see you promoting videos.
To interact with the community; comment on people’s posts, like people’s pictures, and try to make your own posts. After sparking engagement for a few weeks, you can ask permission to post a video of yours. Again, post something relevant to the Facebook community; something that could genuinely help people out or entertain them. Viewers will flock to your channel in no time.
6.) Pay Attention To Holidays and Current Events
YouTube is owned by Google, and Google’s primary function is to give audiences the most relevant content.
So, when hosting your channel, you should try to creatively relate your topics to whatever universal event is being talked about or celebrated. The winter season is the perfect time for Christmas and holiday-related content, October is good for spooky or scary content, and summertime is brilliant for vacation-related videos.
5.) Create Relevant Videos
This may seem like a no-brainer, but creating relevant videos goes deeper than keeping up to date with the world. It is important to pay attention to what is relevant within your particular genre of videos. If you have a gaming channel, for instance, it is crucial that you research the trendy games on the market. Narrowing it down even further, if your YouTube channel focuses on one particular video game, then you must focus on the most popular features and aspects of said game.
No matter what genre of content you produce, it is great to feature an occasional video regarding new releases, new findings, or new studies. Provide information that many viewers would not have already known.
4.) Custom Thumbnails Are A Game Changer
You may have noticed that the most popular videos tend to have high-quality, professional-looking thumbnails. This is not a coincidence; humans are insanely visual creatures, and we tend to click on things that are appealing to the eye.
Instead of letting YouTube choose a random screencap as your thumbnail, there are many programs out there that’ll work to create something custom and alluring. The most popular tactics include quality pictures, red arrows and circles, as well as complimentary colors.
Think of your thumbnails as a billboard; you want to sell a product to a viewer, enticing them to click without a second thought.
3.) SEO and Keywords
Of course with any type of online promotion or content creation, you will have to use SEO. On YouTube, this is relatively easy. Firstly, you want to come up with a list of keywords or keyword phrases that resonate with the video’s subject matter.
Use Google to get an idea of which keywords are popular searches. Then incorporate that keyword into your title, video description, and hashtags.
2.) Engage with the Community
Promotion doesn’t stop once your video is uploaded; to push your content to the top of YouTube’s algorithm, it is crucial to engage with your audience. This means replying to relevant and appropriate comments you see on your uploads.
Not only does it make your viewers form a bond with your online persona, but it also tells YouTube that people are very interested in what you have to offer.
Once your YouTube Channel has gained a sizable following, you can even post videos that direct attention to your subscribers. Q&A’s, contests, and live streams always spark interest. Even more controversial content, such as playfully responding to hate comments, will draw loads of attention.
1.) And Finally… Be Patient!
Even the best, most successful YouTubers will tell you that it takes time to build a following. Sure, there are a few people who win the algorithm lottery, growing a successful YouTube channel overnight. But for the average person, patience is a true virtue. It may take months or even a few years, but so long as you stay diligent, you are sure to grow as a content creator.
