YouTube is one of the biggest social drivers spawning multi-million dollar careers and providing a whole new type of entertainment through vlogging, “LetsPlays” and more. It is incredible to see how the site has managed to change the face of modern culture.
Brands have made YouTube a primary focus for their advertising and even created entire business models around it. Getting an engaged and consistent subscriber list is critical for YouTube marketing success, and finding ways of growing that viewership is one of the most searched topics on Google.
YouTube Statistics
Because of its popularity, it isn’t always easy to get seen.
Social Media Examiner has named it the second biggest search engine after Google, which currently owns YouTube. So, when it comes down to it, YouTube could be slid into that first spot alongside its parent company. It is also the second biggest social media site on the web, after Facebook. That is quite the accomplishment and increases its reach as a social media marketing platform on top of its video marketing potential.
Here are some surefire ways to take advantage of the statistics above by increasing your YouTube subscribers and becoming the next big success story.
Get Your Branding In Order
Branding is important in any area of marketing but on YouTube it can make the difference between fame and obscurity.
The site has a number of features that help you to better brand your channel, such as themes on the main page, and custom URLs and channel names. Make sure you’ll make the most of each branding opportunity, including:
- Your video thumbnails should all consistently bring your branding up (use branded colors, add your logo, etc.)
- Your channel page should feature your best video and important playlists
It is also a good idea to match your own site and your YouTube channel by picking a YouTube-friendly theme.
Have a Posting Schedule and Stick to It
Publishing new content consistently is key to content marketing strategy in general. It is no different for Facebook.
It is not about the frequency though. You need high-quality content regularly, not necessarily often.
Some of the most popular channels on YouTube right now are posting weekly content, not daily. They will do it on the same day, at the same time. Having this schedule also helps you to use some of the newer features on the site. For example, you can have a countdown to the next upload featured on your page.
Treat Every Video as a Standalone Content Asset
Your job doesn’t end when you create and upload your video. You need to make the most of promoting it. As a rule, I stick to the productive marketing model. I wouldn’t create a new content asset until I am sure I have done my best to promote my previous one. Make less noise while seeing better results.
Video content marketing is no different: Spend time and effort promoting your newly published video before getting down to creating a new one.
When it comes to video, it is important to take care of the fundamentals first, i.e. its SEO. Video SEO relies on the same basics as all SEO: You need keywords and you need original textual content that uses them.
Here’s a quick checklist to help you optimize each YouTube video page by including textual content:
When writing YouTube video description, I always use Text Optimizer, the semantic analysis tool that helps me match my copy to Google’s and its users’ expectations:
From there, publish your video on YouTube, and spread the word around by:
- Sharing your video URL on all your social media channels
- Submitting it to Viral Content Bee for its users to share your video on Twitter, Linkedin, Mix, Pinterest, and Flipboard
- Sending a link to your optin list and inviting your subscribers to help you spread the word
- It is also a good idea to invest in some video ads, including Instagram stories ads and TikTok ads.
Utilize YouTube Live Streaming
Another great offering that has been pretty recent is the ability to live stream. While not all of your content should be live, having a couple of live streams per month gives you a chance to engage one on one with viewers, whether they are on your current subscriber list or not.
More viewers are looking for live streams in categories that interest them and tuning in to get an idea of what the content creator is all about. You can cast a nice net and snag yourself some new, loyal audiences by trying this feature out. Especially if you are dedicated to speaking to those viewers during the stream.
This can expand beyond YouTube, depending on where your audience is. You can try other platforms like Facebook, for example and then guide others to your YouTube channel from there. It is a nice way to connect the two and do some social outreach while making your channel a central hub for your brand.
Play with YouTube Stories
Stories have become a staple of social media platforms. So when Youtube announced they would be adding in a feature to do the same, it was a huge step towards integrating what works on sites like Instagram with their model. Creators were quick to take advantage.
Because you don’t have to be on someone’s subscriber list to be featured on the front page – and not all creators have making stories – you can expand your reach and give a little taste of who you are and what your brand is about in these quick snippets.
Best of all, you can do daily stories with little time and effort while still keeping in tune with your branding and theme. It is much better than stretching yourself too thin and trying to make unrelated videos that don’t have as much application.
Don’t Forget Your Calls to Action
Finally, we have one of the biggest must-have’s of any content, regardless of where it is hosted: the call to action. A solid CTA is the cherry on top of what you have to offer. You invite the viewer to subscribe and to select to receive notifications when a new video is up, so they never miss out on your new uploads.
Traditionally, the CTA has been at the end of the video. But more and more we are seeing creators putting it right at the beginning, before the viewers forgets and clicks away.
Any tips on getting more subscribers on YouTube? Let’s discuss in the comments!
The original version of this article was first published on V3Broadsuite.
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