You’re missing a great opportunity if you don’t own a YouTube channel. YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world, with over 1 billion users. That’s almost a third of the entire internet population. Global Web Index reports that one out of four people watched a brand video in the last month. It’s not only for the young crowd, as data shows that the platform’s user base is slowly aging.
YouTube is a place to showcase your content outside of your site. The more content you post, the longer you will keep people interested.
So, how do you do video well? Let’s not use hacks. YouTube’s algorithm is the key to success. And having a lot of subscribers is the key. Subscribers spend more time watching your videos than unsubscribed viewers. Watch time is crucial to your video’s ranking in search results.
Subscribers will also receive notifications whenever you upload new content, which will increase your initial views. The initial views will also drive non-subscribers towards your channel.
Subscribers build your community. Comments, hashtags, and sharing that happen in and around your YouTube channel create a sense of friendship, which is a great breeding ground for loyal subscribers.
How to Get YouTube Subscribers
Now that you have a better understanding of how to get more YouTube subscribers let’s look at the details. Six simple steps are involved:
Request Visitors to Subscribe to Your Channel
It may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many people fail to do this basic step. If you don’t ask, you can’t receive. Like sales, it’s important to ask. You’ll see viewers walk away from your channel without it.
Ask viewers to like and subscribe at the end of every video. Tell them what. You could ask, “Was it useful?” If your video is task-oriented, like showing users how to repair a bicycle tire, for example, you can say, “Was it helpful? Subscribe to my channel to stay up to date with all the new videos and learn more tricks.
Remember that the easiest path is usually the best when you are asking your viewers to sign up. Add watermarks to your videos. When using YouTube on a PC, embedding your logo will allow viewers to subscribe directly to your channel by hovering over the watermark. Users who have already subscribed to the channel will not see it.
Consider a CTA overlay. CTA overlays appear at the beginning of a video and redirect viewers to an external website or, in this case, a subscription link. CTAs are easily closed by viewers at any time. You can create them on YouTube, or if you have an AdWords account, you can do it there.
Add Videos Regularly
Consistency is the key. Remember the 1×4 schedule when deciding on a publication schedule. You want to upload four videos per month or roughly one video per week. Frequency means retention.
Post videos at a regular time and day to give people something to look forward to and a reason for them to come back.
Respect the time of your viewers. You commit to only producing useful, highly engaging material. This means that there is no filler or fluff. There should be no long introductions. Your first 8 seconds are crucial. The click-away rate is staggering during this time. Get right into it if you’re giving an instructional. Start dancing immediately.
Add videos to Online Communities.
What is my audience? It would be best if you answered this question.
Consider which platforms and sub-platforms your audience uses. Your new best friends are Facebook communities and pages, Reddit feeds, and Twitter forums. You can search for related topics and then comment on relevant forums with your video link. It would be best if you were ferocious in your advertising.
If you make vegan cooking videos, join a Facebook group of vegans and leave a comment saying, “This recipe looks yummy!” You can find a variety of recipes similar to this on my YouTube channel. “My newest video recipe, Tahini Lemon Quinoa, takes less than 20 mins from start to finish.”
Explore Pinterest if this is something you are interested in. This platform is great for themes with great aesthetics, such as beauty, fashion, product reviews, or interior design.
Think outside of the box. There may be a popular, relevant book on Amazon that your audience will likely read. Mention your channel in a review. Amazon will not allow you to link your video or channel, but you can name it specifically.
You could say, “This book is fascinating for its deep dive into the history and development of the meat industry.” This author’s concept inspired me to start my vegan cooking channel, “No Meat Here.” My latest cooking demonstration, “Tahini Lemon Quinoa,” even includes some commentary.
Create Playlists
Playlists can be powerful tools. Your audience will find it easier to locate the content they want by organizing your content in segments. You can also entice them with other content that they may be interested in.
Consider creating a playlist for each type of viewer. For example, you could have a playlist with videos geared toward new viewers, videos aimed at specific tasks, or videos based on specialized topics. It is difficult for your audience to resist a buffet of targeted content.
Consider also breaking up your channel according to the keyword. Segmenting playlists based on keywords is another way to pinpoint what your viewers are looking for.
Create video thumbnails
The thumbnails allow viewers to see a 3-second preview of your video while browsing YouTube. YouTube will begin to promote your video to the right audiences as soon as you upload it.
These thumbnails are displayed on YouTube’s homepage, search results page, watch page, and trending tab. These thumbnails are not available on mobile devices yet.
Video thumbnails can increase your click-through rate, just like GIFs for longer videos. You can find out how many of your impressions, or thumbnail views, resulted in full video views by visiting YouTube’s Analytics.
Your click-through rate will be increased by using powerful thumbnails and titles that are catchy. YouTube reports that half of all YouTube channels and videos have a CTR impression between 2% to 10%.
Make smart decisions about your titles and thumbnails based on your data. What changes do you see in your metrics from one video to the next? What patterns can you identify?
When interpreting this number, you should consider its context in relation to your other metrics. For example, the average length of time viewers spend watching your content once they click into your channel. If you have a high click-through rate but a low average view time, it could be because your thumbnails don’t match what your viewers are expecting or your content isn’t as good.