How do you make your YouTube channel more popular? You grow your subscriber base, of course!
How do you do that? It’s not as easy as it seems, especially if you are new to the world of YouTube marketing. But there are plenty of smart ways to boost your subscription numbers. If you want to learn how to market on YouTube and make your videos go viral, here are seven tips:
1. Use eye-catching thumbnails
While YouTube has made it a lot easier for content creators to get their videos discovered, there are a few ways you can help ensure that your videos don’t get lost in an ocean of other uploads.
One way is by optimizing your thumbnails. Viewers make their viewing decisions within seconds, while scrolling through Youtube, so using an eye-catching thumbnail can help draw them in. A professional graphic designer or photographer might be able to create something eye-catching for you (for a fee), but if you want to try doing it yourself, check out sites like Canva and PicMonkey.
You can also use free image editors. Just be sure to optimize your images for web usage before uploading them.
2. Optimize your channel page
To gain a following and increase traffic to your business’s website, it is important to learn how to optimize your YouTube channel. By optimizing your YouTube channel, you can attract more visitors who are interested in your company, products and services.
Write compelling descriptions, upload relevant videos, and include keywords in a title, tags, and descriptions. Be consistent about the process.
These steps help establish your brand identity and increase viewership.
3. Use tags (keywords) in your videos
If you want to grow your audience, studying keywords is essential. Knowing what people are searching and the results that are showing up can help you create better titles and thumbnails to drive traffic to your channel.
Tags are crucial when it comes to YouTube marketing. Adding them accurately will not only help others find your videos but can also drive organic views and ad revenue. Most creators use a tool called TubeBuddy, which allows you to add tags in bulk, check for accuracy and get suggestions on what other tags you should be using.
4. Engage with other channels
Networking on YouTube is about more than just trying to get views for your own channel. Find channels similar to yours and engage with them by liking, commenting and sharing their content. This will help you build connections with others in your niche—and those connections are key to growing your own channel.
If you are launching a brand new channel, research some of your competitors (or channels that do content similar to yours) and check out what they’re doing on social media. To grow your YouTube channel, you need to engage with people who have large subscriber bases or other high-profile YouTubers who made videos related to your area of expertise.
Some YouTubers even have services where they can feature your video in exchange for free promotion of their video or sometimes even money!
5. Feature micro-influencers
Micro influencers’ content or value often goes beyond a picture or video. Tips and tricks, recipes and recommendations—these are all elements that make your audience want to stick around and keep consuming content.
You can start by recruiting a few small-time social media influencers with high engagement rates to take part in your YouTube marketing strategy. Additionally, you can implement other marketing tactics like hashtag campaigns (such as #YouTubeTipTuesday) for even more effective growth. These strategies will help you increase subscribers and engage new viewers without breaking your budget.
If done right, YouTube is one of the most affordable ways to market your business. You’ll just need a solid plan and some help from micro-influencers to get started!
6. Make sure you look professional (outfit, lighting, editing, etc.)
In addition to growing your channel, you want YouTube viewers to like and subscribe. With that in mind, make sure your video is produced well. Use lighting (inside or outside), use a tripod, if possible, find some background music and Youtube video editor tool so that you can add tips for your viewers and make the video look more professional.
If people see you’re serious about building an audience, they will be more likely to become part of it. You are creating a brand here, so look professional!
Not only does it help make you stand out from among all those other creators, but studies have shown that people are more likely to watch content from creators they perceive as trustworthy and informative. So if you want to grow your channel, start by looking at yourself through others’ eyes—and then adjust accordingly.
7. Try paid ads and sponsorships.
YouTube advertising can be expensive, but you can also find more cost-effective ways to grow your channel. If you have a smaller budget, start with paid ads and sponsorships. Promote your content on other channels by sharing sponsored videos with similar audiences.
This way, brands will pay attention to your channel while also promoting their own businesses—hopefully leading them to sponsor more of your videos in the future. You’ll reach a bigger audience while giving them something they need: additional exposure. It’s win-win!
Conclusion
There are plenty of ways to use YouTube for marketing, but these seven tips will help you start your YouTube marketing journey. Success is not guaranteed in any aspect of business. YouTube marketing is no different; however, you can ensure that your channel grows every day with a little time and effort. Take what you’ve learned here, test out these tips in your niche and see how much growth you experience over time!