10 Ways to Grow Your YouTube Channel
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There’s no denying it; video marketing has been on the rise over the past few years,
growing ever more popular and accessible for brands. And while popular sites such
as SnapChat, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and even your own website are great
places to invest, YouTube remains the giant in the space, with individuals spending
a billion hours each day watching videos on this platform.
Often referred to as the world’s “second largest search engine,” YouTube can help your
content be found quickly and engaged with thoroughly - if you know a few tricks.
Here are 10 effective ways you can grow your YouTube channel.
1. Build Videos Around a Single Keyword/Topic
It may seem obvious, but building your video around a single topic/keyword is
the best way to get the traffic you want and grow your audience.
Many people who are unaware of SEO best practices skip this step,
but it’s crucial if you want your videos to get the maximum amount of viewers.
Try using a keyword tool like KeywordTool.io, which is specific to YouTube, to look for the most searched keywords in the niche you’re
looking to target.
It’s important to pick your keyword before you even build your video content because
it helps you construct the best information around that specific topic.
It also helps you remember to include your keyword naturally throughout the content
so YouTube picks it up when closed captions are added. Once you’ve chosen your keyword,
check out the videos that are currently ranking for that topic to make sure you’re
on the right track in terms of intent, and don’t forget to optimize your title and descriptions.
Despite popular myths, the most successful videos on
YouTube are typically less than 5 minutes long, so don’t feel you have to make a film or write a novel. Keep it short and sweet.
2. Reformat Existing Quality Content
Of course, the easiest way to grow your channel is to build great content.
But that content doesn’t always have to be built from scratch.
Some of your best videos can be built from engaging, valuable,
useful and actionable content you’ve already created. Many people go to YouTube
to find answers and how-to tutorials for the issues they’re facing, so content that solves problems is a great fit. Look at the blogs,
guides, and other high-performing pieces you currently have and think about how
to make them into cool videos.
3. Engage with Your Audience
It's important not to overlook the fact that YouTube is a social media channel,
and therefore demands social interaction. If you’re just posting videos without encouraging
comments and discussion, you’re missing a trick. YouTube rewards channels with great
engagement, including overall time spent on channel, watch time, likes and dislikes,
and most importantly, comments. Try to respond to every comment you receive (if possible!)
and ask users to engage with audio/visual prompts.
4. Get Branded
So your content is great. But is your channel itself visually appealing? If you want visitors to
take your YouTube channel seriously and subscribe to your channel, you need to look
professional. Branding your channel will also help users immediately recognize your content.
If you have a blog or website, you probably already have some sort of look and feel you use
to differentiate yourself from other individuals and/or companies, so it only makes sense
to carry over that branding to your YouTube channel as well. Here’s an example from
fashion brand ModCloth.
In addition to visual branding, don’t forget to add custom URLs to your channel header -
and to write an interesting bio about who you are and what your videos are about.
5. Promote Your YouTube Videos on Other Social Channels
One of the beautiful things about social media is that you can cross-promote content on
different channels. Promoting your YouTube videos on your other social channels is the
easiest way to grow your audience. What channels are you on? Facebook, Linkedin,
Instagram, Pinterest? There are many from which to choose. And if there’s a channel
(such as Facebook) on which you want to post videos directly, you can always do a teaser
for the full-length video on YouTube so that you have optimum engagement on all channels.
Don’t forget about your blog; you can post your videos there as well!
6. Show Up
If you’re running YouTube by yourself or as part of a small organization, it can be extremely
beneficial to put your own face on screen. When you put a face to a brand, your audience
can more easily connect with you as an individual. This is especially important for bloggers;
fitness, life, or business coaches; and solopreneurs. Every video you make doesn’t need to
include your face, but you should reach out personally to your audience every few videos or
so. Additionally, if you are this type of YouTuber, use a photo of yourself on your channel
(not your logo). See the example still from marketing guru Adam Erhart below.
7. Post Great Thumbnails
They may seem like a small thing (because they are), but thumbnails can have a big impact.
YouTube advertises other videos via thumbnail in its sidebar, so you want yours to stand out
among the pack. The same goes for YouTube search. Videos with a catchy title and appealing
thumbnail usually rank higher, even if the content itself isn’t as valuable, because they have a
higher click-through-rate (CTR). To get your CTR where it needs to be, try using tactics such
as highlighted areas, arrows, large text, and unexpected or unusual images. See the example
below from Neil Patel.
8. Leverage YouTube Cards
We’ve already discussed the fact that YouTube rewards channels that keep viewers on their
pages longer. These longer average watch times mean people are truly engaged with your
content. (You can see how long people are staying on your videos by using
YouTube analytics). By adding YouTube cards, you can add additional recommended videos at the exact point where users are currently
dropping off. Though they may abandon that video, users will be taken to your other content
and stay on your channel, increasing your channel’s ranking.
9. Push for Subscriptions
One of the ways you know for sure that viewers are engaged with your channel is when they
“subscribe’ to see any new videos that are posted. Ask viewers to subscribe to your channel
in each video that you upload, and keep engaged with your existing subscribed users.
(You can see your list of subscribers, here). Never pay for subscribers. This will only bring down your engagement and hurt the
authenticity of your account in the long run. Remember, if you don’t ask your viewers
to subscribe, you may be missing out on a lot of potential followers.
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