As the second most popular website online, YouTube is impossible to ignore for brands looking to reach a broad audience. Starting a YouTube channel is easy, but the level of competition makes it tricky to actually gain subscribers. It is crucial to get your videos found on the site, but also convince people to watch your content and subscribe. With the right approach, though, every brand can build a following, encouraging viewers to keep on returning to your videos. The following steps can be used to start your channel and set yourself up for success.
Identify an Appropriate Theme
Consistency is a crucial part of video marketing. Viewers will subscribe when they appreciate the content you are regularly creating. If your channel gets filled with all kinds of styles and themes, people won’t know what to expect. Try to settle on an overall theme that forms the basis of most content. You could choose to vlog, create tutorials, show product demonstrations, and more.
Design Your Channel
Designing your channel is a simple process, but it makes life easier for viewers. You can start by writing an enticing bio that explains who you are and the content you create. The page should then link to your website and all relevant social media channels. Finally, you can add a banner that could be based on your logo or the personalities that feature in the videos.
Create Content
Content creation is the most critical factor in the process as viewers won’t subscribe to low-quality channels. There is no single way to create content, with all styles represented across YouTube. Product demonstrations may work well in a simple location, featuring an attractive background. Vlogging can be improved with a quality camera that has a stabilization feature. While the styles can vary, look to ensure the production values, including lighting and sound, are a primary focus.
Use Creative Titles
Titles are a significant reason for a viewer to click on your video. A compelling title might create some curiosity, asking a question, or building an open loop. Alternatively, the title could feature the name of a person recognized in the industry. You may be tempted to use a controversial claim, but avoid this strategy if it won’t suit your brand. Clickbait can get some quick results, though it won’t always be a practical long-term approach.
Design Thumbnails
Thumbnails should stand out to YouTube visitors as they browse search results. Most effective thumbnail images use bright colors, often with the addition of simple text. Curiosity works well with these images, so you could experiment with blurring out parts of the image to generate interest.
Use Call to Actions
Getting people to watch your videos can be tricky, but turning them into subscribers is even harder. Using a call to action is a critical step, as most people won’t naturally remember to subscribe. It is common to end a video explaining the button viewers should press, possibly using graphics to make it as simple a process as possible. If you are speaking directly to the camera in your content, adding a call to action earlier in the video can help.
Develop a Social Media Network
Social media is one of the best ways to promote your videos as followers have already shown an interest in your content. If you can get people to follow your Instagram or Twitter, you have found a way to engage them. Posting your YouTube videos, including the compelling title and thumbnail, will encourage a significant proportion of followers to then watch your video. Creating short trailers that suit the social platform can also help grow curiosity, leading to many people clicking over to YouTube.
Monitor Analytics
YouTube analytics can be a valuable source of data, helping you understand what is driving subscription numbers. Analytics will show you details on which subscription button was pressed, if people found you in the YouTube search results, whether the subscriber was directly on YouTube or viewing an embedded video, and more. This data can be used to focus your attention on a particular promotional method, so you gain the most subscribers for your time and effort.
Anyone can start a YouTube channel, but this simplicity leads to a vast amount of competition. Trying to get noticed on the site can be tricky, even before you begin to acquire subscribers. When you start to build an initial following, though, the process gets more manageable, with viewers liking and recommending your content. As long as the videos are engaging, viewers will stick with you and look forward to future content. Growing a following on YouTube might seem like an impossible task at first, but following these steps will help you start the process the right way.