Are you looking to make a strong start on YouTube, take your channel to the next level, or just for some interesting advice to consider? Here are seven great tips for YouTube channel success.
1. Understand what “success” really means to you
What would you like to accomplish?
Deeper engagement and increased interaction with your brand – Does video need to be used to provide prospective customers with increased opportunities to have interactions with your brand?
Conversions – Do you need individuals to click through to a different website and perform an action?
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Video views – Would you like as many people as possible to view your video?
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2. Research keywords
Similar to when you are having content created for your video, to be discovered on the world’s second-biggest search engine, it is necessary to know what people are searching for. The YouTube Keyword Tool can be used to find the most popular searches in your niche. It is just as important for your digital media content to be optimized for search as it is for your website or blog’s written content.
You need to be strategic, know who you would like to target, and do your research. YouTube videos are included in Google search results, so one of the most important steps you can take in your planning process is to cross-reference your YouTube and Google keyword research.
3. Know who your competition is
Look on YouTube to search for videos that are already ranking well for keywords you want to rank for. Find out what you are faced with and look for strategies to outdo your competition. This phase can also help with your keyword research.
This research can be used to look for opportunities that your competition might not be capitalizing on. Are there some keywords that get a lot of traffic that may be easier to rank for compared to the ones that you initially looked at? Are there some long-tail keywords that could be targeted that may cater to specific questions that a user has?
4. Create a great video
Viral content is not created simply because you would like to. Unless it occurs by chance, viral content needs to be gripping and well thought-out. The content that is the most sharable occurs naturally and not intentionally. That might sound counterintuitive. You may plan to buy watch hours to grow your channel rapidly. However, staying true to your brand, and having digital content designed with a purpose for your intended audience will be engaging and informative.
It might not reach millions of people, however, it will reach the right ones. No one will share a video with their friends that they don’t really like.
5. Fill out the details for your video
When you are posting your finished video, always remember your standard SEO practices. Be sure to fill out all of the necessary fields and focus on your targeted keywords. All of your important keywords should be placed in the front part of your fields, and they should also be included in your tags and description. Do not overdo things. Simply add relevant keywords that are backed up by the research you have conducted.
Keep all of your important information above the YouTube “Show More” fold. That way users will not need to perform extra navigation in order to see all of the necessary details. Allow others to embed your videos so that they can be shared on websites. Otherwise, your videos can only be viewed on Youtube. It all depends on your knowledge of SEO. If the user experience is disrupted by any part of your navigation, you may lose your rankings as well as your audience.
6. Make Use of the Featured Videos section
When you are confident that your video is going to be a big hit, YouTube’s paid service called “Featured Videos” can be used so that your video is seen by as many individuals as possible in a short period of time. After the video has taken off, usually your organic traffic will outperform your paid traffic. Just like you can pay for your chances to be increased to come up when individuals are searching for you on Google, the odds on your videos can also be increased.
7. Add links to your videos
Annotations can be used to link to other videos. This is done to maximize each viewer. They can pop up throughout your video and send your audiences to another video, or your blog and website. However, this should not be overdone. Be sure that your annotations do not interfere with the viewing experience. If you have a video that you would like to focus on driving views too, YouTube’s InVideo Programming can be used to insert a featured video overlay.
A branding watermark should also be included so that people can navigate over to your YouTube page easily. Just one video has lots of potentials when it comes to having additional navigation options. Determine which ones best fit your business, and make sure you take full advantage of them.