Aspiring content creators should head over to YouTube, as it boasts an enormous potential audience and one of the most lucrative content monetization programs compared to other social platforms.
Feeling concerned about missing the opportunity? Almost two-thirds of Americans visit YouTube on a daily basis and 98% visit it each month. Every minute, 694,000 hours of video content is streamed by users. Although it may seem overcrowded, the truth is there is no better time to launch a YouTube channel.
1. Pick the right channel name
The ideal name for a YouTube channel:
- Has your company or personal name in it.
- Has a word or phrase that categorizes it.
- Is short and easy to say.
If you’re unsure, simply utilize your first and last name. Numerous prominent YouTubers have done so, including Casey Neistat, the pioneer of contemporary vlogging, Peter McKinnon, and Michelle Phan.
2. Pick the right niche
Don’t worry, selecting a content niche is simpler than naming your channel. Why? Well, unlike death and taxes, you have the ability to alter your content focus.
Your level of passion towards a topic may seem sufficient to generate a vast amount of content, but you’ll only truly realize it when faced with difficult challenges and the reluctance to film yet another video in the early hours of the morning.
Although it’s possible to change your niche later, doing so could potentially alienate your existing audience. Therefore, it’s important to carefully define the focus of your channel beforehand.
3. Set a consistent posting schedule
To avoid failure on YouTube, good intentions aren’t enough. To become a successful YouTuber, it is imperative to approach it like a profession by creating and following a reliable and achievable publishing routine.
Numerous emerging content producers intend to publish one video every week. However, if you’re a novice, you probably have a full-time occupation and additional obligations. It may not be feasible for you to publish every week. Consistency is more significant than the frequency of publication. If you can only produce a video every other week, that’s acceptable.
The problem of creator burnout is significant, as explained by Jack Innanen, a TikToker and YouTuber, who stated that he often feels obliged to produce content and spends the whole day dreading the task ahead.
Adhering to a sustainable routine will prevent exhaustion and enhance the likelihood that you will persist in your creative pursuit for a sufficient duration to achieve positive outcomes.
4. Make small improvements in every video
Having videos is a crucial prerequisite to obtaining views and subscribers according to a hot YouTube marketing pointer.
According to well-known YouTuber Ali Abdaal, your initial video will be subpar. Instead of striving for every video to be exceptional, he suggests focusing on enhancing one aspect each time. Experiment with a fresh title sequence, introduce some background music, or trial a different editing software.
Over time, the accumulation of minor modifications can enhance your channel without causing excessive stress.
5. Use relevant keywords in video titles
Similar to Google, YouTube operates as a search engine; however, it solely provides video results.
By incorporating relevant keywords in your video’s metadata, the YouTube algorithm can comprehend its content and increase the likelihood of it being recommended with related videos in the “suggested” section. Thus, maximizing the possibility of attracting fresh viewers.
A single term like “tech” is an example of a keyword. Using multiple word phrases like “house tech”, “drawing tech” or “smart home” can provide a clearer understanding of your topic to both viewers and YouTube.
It’s best to stick to one keyword for your video title and make sure it’s concise. Research indicates that YouTube’s search algorithm favors titles with fewer than 10 words, as 81% of the most popular videos have titles within this range.
It is essential to limit your title length to approximately 60 characters, equivalent to 8-10 words including spaces. Although you can use up to 100 characters, only the first 60 characters will appear in search results.
6. Use relevant keywords in video descriptions
The importance of keywords in descriptions remains the same. Use 1-2 keywords to describe your video in the first few lines.
7. Link to important info in video descriptions
You can utilize the remaining space in the description section to introduce yourself, your business, and include links to your various platforms. While this may be a standardized template that is identical for every video, it is recommended to make adjustments as necessary.
- You have a sale, special offer, or event to promote.
- You mentioned any products in your video. (Include affiliate links!)
Always include otherwise:
- Video timestamps (learn how to make these later in this article).
- Links to your other social profiles.
- Your website and/or a specific landing page.
- A short blurb about you/your company.
- Contact information.
8. Set your channel tags
Channel keywords serve as broad tags for your channel, indicating to YouTube the primary subjects you cover. Although the titles and descriptions of your individual videos have a greater impact on your overall YouTube SEO, setting them up takes only 5 seconds, so it’s worth doing.
Access the Channel section by clicking on Settings in YouTube Studio. There’s no specific limit on the number of keywords you can use, but the character count should not exceed 500. Aim to use 7-10 keywords at the most.
9. Use playlists
Optimizing YouTube playlists can boost your search ranking as it entices viewers to continue watching subsequent videos, increasing your total views and watch time, signifying your coolness to YouTube.
It’s recommended that you start by creating your own videos before adding those of other creators to your playlists, as this could potentially lead to collaboration opportunities in the future. You can organize your videos by topic or group together any ongoing series. Additionally, if you become more well-known and gain a verified account, you can create official series playlists.
You can handle your playlists on YouTube Studio by going to Content -> Playlists or by using the Create menu on top to easily create a new one.
10. Optimize your videos for visibility
Consider this: YouTube videos appear in 70% of the leading 100 Google search results. Test it out and you will find that any product or “how-to” search on Google will yield results from YouTube.
It’s worth noting that YouTube content may appear above standard blog posts or websites in search results. This is because YouTube is the second largest search engine globally. Much like how people utilize Google to search for products and solutions, they use YouTube in the same way.
To enhance the possibility of your videos appearing, it’s essential to consider your YouTube content as any other material that requires optimization such as relevant keywords, tags, and other pertinent factors. Therefore, it’s advisable to adhere to the top YouTube SEO approaches.
- Titles and description: Include target keywords in your titles and descriptions. You can use a tool like Keywordtool.io to help you find keyword ideas.
- Mention keywords in your video: According to Brian Dean of Backlinko, saying your target keywords in your video can help YouTube better understand what your video is about.
- Engagement: YouTube uses engagement (likes, comments, views) to help determine where videos rank in its search results.
- Categories: Use categories to help YouTube get a better understanding of who to show your videos to.
- Tags: In addition to categories, you can also add tags to your videos to give YouTube more context about your content. You can use quite a few tags, so add as many as you can think of.
Similar to optimizing your website for SEO, avoid overloading with keywords. Incorporate them only when necessary, rather than including them just for the sake of it.
11. Figure out what your audience wants
It is essential to produce content that resonates with your audience, regardless of its format. Therefore, before writing a blog or making a video, take time to understand your audience’s preferences and the type of content they would like to receive from you.
If you’re new to promoting your YouTube channel, observe your competitors or fellow creators in your field. Analyze which videos of theirs receive the most views and engagement. This will provide insight into what your audience desires to discover and the type of videos they enjoy.
If you have already uploaded videos, you can also consider reviewing your YouTube Analytics as an alternative solution. YouTube Analytics provides you with comprehensive insights into audience demographics, engagement, location, and other relevant statistics. Additionally, taking advantage of the YouTube reporting feature in Sprout Social allows you to compare your content to other social videos you have created and improve your strategy accordingly.
Looking to gain a deeper understanding of your YouTube metrics? Obtain our cheat sheet on video metrics to discover crucial metrics for tracking and receive suggestions for video content that is customized to meet your marketing objectives.
Although YouTube may not be regarded as a conventional social network, it fosters an active community where individuals interact through content, accounts, reactions, and remarks. In our opinion, this sounds undeniably “social”.
As previously mentioned, YouTube considers any form of engagement with your audience as a positive indication. Even just interacting with your subscribers can aid in establishing a stronger bond with your viewers. Showing appreciation by “liking” comments or pinning top comments as personal messages to subscribers requires minimal time and effort.
Artists Of Morality, a music channel, frequently responds to comments on its recent uploads and its creator actively engages with subscribers to demonstrate gratitude and address inquiries. Additionally, she regularly posts a call to action or challenges in her pinned comments, as seen in the example below:
Responding to comments and engaging with followers is just as essential on YouTube as it is on any other social platform.
13. Customize your thumbnails
Creating custom thumbnails is a straightforward but efficient strategy for promoting your YouTube channel. Consider your title and thumbnail as a combination that grabs the viewer’s attention. YouTube automatically selects a screenshot from your video for the thumbnail, but it may not always be clear or relevant. Instead, you can create unique thumbnails to ensure your content stands out.
Producing your own thumbnails doesn’t just enhance the visual appeal of your videos at first glance, but also indicates a certain level of expertise.
Creating thumbnails doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s possible to establish a template with a specific font and approach for a more coherent and on-brand look. This is made very accessible with the assistance of image creation programs, like Canva.
14. Cross-promote your own videos on YouTube
It is likely that you are creating content on YouTube that relates to each other. To maximize the value of your previous videos, consider promoting them in conjunction with new videos when appropriate.
As an illustration, you have the option to include links in the video’s description and prompt the audience to visit them, serving as a call-to-action. Despite the discontinuation of YouTube’s annotation system, appending links in the description motivates the viewers to watch your videos in entirety, without navigating away.
15. Target Google search results
As mentioned, YouTube is excelling in the field of SEO. Although content should be created primarily for people, it is advisable to promote your YouTube channel keeping SEO in consideration.
To rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), it is recommended to create product reviews, how-to videos, and long-form videos that are at least 10 minutes long and are focused on specific keywords. If you are in need of ideas for content or want to take advantage of current industry trends, use your YouTube channel marketing to do so.
16. Run a contest or giveaway
YouTube users have a strong affinity for giveaways. You can motivate people to subscribe to your channel and participate by organizing a contest or giveaway on YouTube. To make your contests straightforward, you can require entrants to like your video, comment, and subscribe to your channel.
Adhere to a selection of our recommended methods for conducting a social media competition:
- Make sure you’re following YouTube’s policies.
- Give away a gift that’s related to your brand: you want to attract more than just freebie-seekers.
- Get creative by incorporating user-generated content and other non-traditional entry requirements.
It is important to exercise caution when holding frequent YouTube contests as it is necessary to ensure that efforts put in yield fruitful results. Failure to do so could lead to a waste of time, money, and resources. It is advisable to take a break after conducting one contest and analyze the drop-off rate of your subscribers and their engagement figures. Attracting people who just want freebies and not engaged subscribers is a possibility.
17. Be direct with your audience
Lastly, remember to be truthful. When creating your videos, express that as a fresh channel, receiving likes, comments, and subscriptions is incredibly meaningful. Therefore, please press the like and subscribe buttons, and leave a comment with your response to the question pertaining to your video’s topic.
Inform your admirers in simple terms about how they can provide assistance to your efforts since they are eager to do so.
