Whether your YouTube is a pride booster, your money maker, or you genuinely care about the audience in which you are feeding content, your subscriber count is just another vanity metric. Hitting sub milestones will benefit you in so many ways— like monetization, exposure, awards, and more.
For those who aren’t trying to become an overnight sensation, but are looking to build their brand’s presence, our tips may better aid in your digital strategy. Whether a beginner or a top influencer, subs are still crucial. With the billions of videos available at a click’s reach, your ability to be seen by new eyes is decided by YT’s algorithm. Below we have listed the most organic tactics to maximize your reach on one of the world’s largest video-sharing platforms.
Have A Unique Intro
You tubers are always on the hunt for the best websites, like videosgrow.com, where they can buy cheap YouTube subscribers to help launch their audience from the ground up. A good start would be with the development of your introduction. The 10-30 second intro can be as creative as you want. It doesn’t have to revolve around branding- it can be used for the purpose of reminding your audience of your upload schedule, other social media handles, and more.
Design Great Thumbnails
This particular tip is one that can make or break the amount of views you anticipate. No matter how clickbait your title is, nor how many trending hashtags you use, viewers are less likely to click on a video with a poor thumbnail. If your particular audience is used to it, then it won’t affect your views, but to an unfamiliar viewer, a thumbnail allows for them to make the decision on whether or not they want to invest their time.
Creating an eye-catching thumbnail is simple if you want to keep it minimal:
- Grab a screenshot of any particular clip in your video (Preferably the peak)
- Open Snapchat or any other photo-editing tool
- Add a multitude of emojis and text with different fonts for a more enticing look
If you are going for a more professional esthetic, Photoshop may be the appropriate tool for you.
Hold A Contest
In most cases contests are run in hopes for maximum participation and to increase followers. The simpler the rules, the more effective the turnaround engagement will be. Teasing your audience with the idea that something special is coming, but strategically placing the official announcement at the end of your video, will ultimately keep anticipation high and boost your watchtime. That’s a win-win!
The key is to have a stellar prize you know your audience will love. The opportunity to win something amazing for absolutely free is a sure fire way to entice your supporters to join the contest as well as encourage others to do the same. Whether a product or service, be sure the prize is relevant to your channel and your niche audience.
Promote Yourself
You are your best asset. If there is anyone out there that can promote you as the best version of yourself, that is you. Advance your marketing skills by promoting yourself across all of your social channels. Advertise yourself and your latest video(s) as if they are the world’s must-watch video(s).
Once you have found a great balance where your work is consistently being shared to all platforms, experiment with paid ads in order to maximize your reach. The great thing about ads is that you are able to set your monetary budget, the length of your ad, the target audience in which you would like to reach, and within specific areas of the world- the options are endless.
Deliver Amazing Content
When creating and publishing content, you want to be sure you give it your all. Your audience connects to your channel because they like what you have to offer, and whichever the niche, do your best to provide your audience with the best. ‘The best’ applies to the quality of content. If you publish mediocre content, you will not attract your desired views nor a retainable audience.
Create A Playlist
If you are new to the streaming platform, creating a playlist should be on your list of goals once you have published enough content. A playlist on your channel is a group of your videos, with similar characteristics, created by you.
Playlists put together by creators have been said to increase exposure, display your value, and provide a source of content for users short on time. For example, if you are a creator in the tech field, a playlist devised up of ‘How-Tos’ for beginners is a great resource to provide for your current and potential audience.
Collaborate
Collaborating with a brand or another content creator like yourself is a fun way to shine a spotlight onto your channel. Although it is not a quintessential solution to becoming a success, it can surely boost your channel’s visibility. Pairing with a brand or individual of the same industry may bring over traffic of like-minded viewers with similar interests. Having yourself featured on a creator’s channel or vice versa of even the polar opposite industry may attract potential viewers you may have never been able to obtain with any other tactic.
Become SEO-savvy
We’re not suggesting you take a class on how to become the next master SEO tech, but a little research couldn’t hurt. The best way to boost your chances of visibility are to utilize excellent, low-competition keywords. If your channel does not have many supporters, that tip is especially for you.
If you are building on an already-established audience, your best bet would be to use high-competition keywords at the beginning of your title, publish high-retention videos, and write up the best video description you can come up with. With these few tips your video can get 2-5x more views as well as a rank on google.
Challenge Yourself
Have you ever wanted to try something new, but were letting your fears set you back from doing so? Don’t discourage yourself! Challenging yourself can range from an increase in the number of uploads in your schedule to following worldwide trends. Stepping out of your comfort zone may spark a peak in subs from an entirely new audience in which you were not sure you were able to resonate with.
If there is a trending challenge such as a harmless prank, a unique and easy DIY project, or even something food-related, you might have more fun with it than you would’ve thought. Your audience will enjoy seeing new content on your channel and it is the best way to remain relevant. No harm, no foul!
Set Goals
Goals are often mistaken for unrealistic measures of desire that can either be executed by time or a miracle. Setting particular goals for yourself does not have to be anything major— it can be as simple as day-to-day goals, weekly goals, and more. When writing down your list of goals, keep in mind that you want to be as realistic as possible, based on what you are capable of. There is nothing wrong with setting a goal out of your comfort zone, but failure to meet your goals can often cause self-doubt and discouragement. Think positively, set realistic goals, and the rest will follow. Here is an example of a list of goals:
- Stick to my posting schedule
- Post a Q&A
- Host a giveaway
- Try using a new editing program
- Gain a minimum of 15 subscribers a month
Be Consistent
We saved the most important tip for last. Regardless of how amazing your content may be, to some viewers it may not be worth the wait. Although subs are free and the act itself requires little to no effort, streamers are stingy when deciding who they want to support. Consistency does not guarantee a loyal, engaged audience, but it can better attract subscribers when you are posting regularly.
Finding a posting schedule that best works for you and your audience will better strengthen your relationship. Forbes touched on the subject at hand and published “You don’t need to post every day, but if you’re going to post once a week, then do it every week.” If you are having trouble finding a schedule that works for both you and your audience, offer a poll in which they can vote. Take their suggestions and requests and find a medium. Be sure you are comfortable and they are happy.