YouTube is the biggest website on the internet that specializes in video content. Close to two billion people globally visit and use the website every month. Hundreds of thousands of YouTube videos get uploaded to the website every day with millions of creators worldwide uploading their content to YouTube.
As a video creator, you’d want to take advantage of YouTube’s huge viewer base and ensure you get the maximum number of views possible on your videos. However, that is easier said than done and you will need to do certain things before your videos can pull in the views you desire. Here are some of the things that can help you get there.
Hone Your Niche
As a creator, it is best if you find your niche and stick to it. You can do so by asking yourself, what is it that you want to create? What kind of content would you want to give to your viewers? Do you want to make vlogs? Perhaps instructional videos? Or do you want to offer entertainment-based videos such as skits?
Sticking to your niche will not only help grow your channel but will establish you as a name dealing in that niche. So whenever someone wants to watch a video related to the topics and format you cover, you will be more likely to appear in their results.
Optimize Your Channel For Search Engines
It is common knowledge that if you want your web pages to rank higher in search engines, then you need to optimize your content. This is also the case for any content as search engines find optimized content quicker and are likely to rank it higher. In order to get more views, you need to make sure that your channel and videos are easier to find.
Optimize your videos to rank higher in searches, and use keywords in descriptions and video titles. This will make it easier for search engines to find your videos and show them to people searching for related content. You should also categorize your videos and create playlists for different but relevant topics on your channel.
Channel Presentation
The way you present your channel to your viewers can have a significant impact on your potential viewership. This means your logo, your channel banner, pinned videos, and playlists. If your channel is just a plain one without the aforementioned things, then your viewers will perceive that you don’t care about your channel. Which raises the question, If you don’t care, why should they?
You should therefore have a custom logo for your channel that is instantly recognizable and sets you apart from the rest of the creators. What’s more, you should also invest in a banner where you can offer other information including your channel name, tagline if any, and social media links.
To create these, you need some basic graphic designing knowledge and access to editing software. To save up the hassle of installing it, you can use an online designer such as PosterMyWall where you can create your YouTube channel art in a matter of minutes. It is easy to use so even people with little artistic ability can easily create their desired products.
YouTuber Joe Robinet, who specializes in the bushcraft and camping niche, uses a custom logo and banner on his channel. These instantly tell his viewer base who he is and the content of his videos.
Offer Something New
It is generally a good idea to stick to your niche and your identity but your content can get stagnant over time if you don’t offer something new to your audience. You don’t need to do it often, just one or two videos a month or on a fortnightly basis can make a difference.
An unboxing, a reaction video, or even an odd vlog can shake things up and break the monotony of your daily uploads. What you can do depends on the kind of videos you make regularly. As long as it shakes things up, and can offer your viewers something new occasionally, it will work.
Also Read : Use These Tips to Build Your Instagram Following Quickly
Catchy Thumbnails
Before your viewers watch your videos, they will first see the thumbnail. This image should give the viewers an idea of what the video is about and should be engaging enough to compel your viewers to click on the video and watch it.
YouTube auto-generates these on its own for videos without a thumbnail, but in most cases, it is a random still image taken from the video and may not always accurately represent it. A custom thumbnail is always the better option when it comes down to these things.
To create a custom thumbnail, all you need is just some basic graphic design knowledge and designing software. Alternatively, you can use an online service like PosterMyWall where you don’t need to download and install anything. You can then use this YouTube thumbnail maker service to create a catchy thumbnail. The rule of thumb is that the image must represent the video content but should not spoil the video.
Popular video game commentator ESO uses custom thumbnails for his videos by adding a game character, some scenery from the video game in question, and an object if any along with some bold text pasted on it. People who play these games can instantly recognize the characters and objects in the thumbnails and have an idea of what the video will be all about.
YouTube views are gained over time and by consistent effort. Most people start off with only a few hundred views in the start but gradually by sticking to a consistent upload routine, the views multiply. By following the advice above, you can expedite the process of gaining views and offer your audience a one-of-a-kind experience that sets you apart from the rest of the video creators. Even after your viewer base expands, the views you get per video will fluctuate. Some videos may get a high number of views while others may not perform as well. But if you remain consistent, the average viewer count will increase and one day you will be getting views perhaps even in millions
