Six out of 10 people prefer to watch videos online on the Internet, rather than channels on TV. YouTube is the second largest search engine after Google.
Therefore, it makes sense for brands to build their video presence on the platform. The only problem is that it’s not always easy to get an idea of the content that takes so much time and resources. This article will show you how to promote your channel on YouTube.
Do not worry that the method will not work. The text provides several effective options for promoting your YouTube channel. Many of them will help to increase the number of views and increase the return on investment in the strategy.
Channel optimization
If there is a question “How to promote a channel on YouTube?”, First of all it is worth checking the blog for “recognition” by systems. Search engine optimization (SEO) is important for any profile and individual videos. This is what will make the content searchable in various ratings (Yandex, Google, Mail.ru, and so on).
The YouTube algorithm takes into account several elements when extracting videos for search results, so you need to embed as much information as possible. It’s also important to know which keywords need to be ranked. Once the SEO list has been compiled, phrases can be embedded in video titles, file names, descriptions, tags, annotations, and the corresponding fields in the profile.
What if the user is not sure for which keywords he wants to get a rating? In this case, it is better to use reverse engineering of the search process. It is necessary to answer the question, if someone needs something that offers a specific video, what words or phrases will they use in the search to find it?
But still, how to promote your YouTube channel yet? To some, this method seems completely ineffective. But in fact, thanks to such simple actions, you can create an excellent hook for the audience. As soon as the SEO video is published, it will begin to rise in rating, bypassing third-party clips that have been hanging for more than a year.
Here’s how to promote your YouTube channel this way:
- Embed the keyword in the title, meta description, and image file.
- The video description should contain other SEO phrases related to using the toolbar.
- And you can also link videos to existing blogs, if any, and to social channels.
It is necessary to encourage people to subscribe. That is, you need to tell them what they will get for it. For example, only subscribers can always be notified when a video is uploaded. Thanks to this method, you can promote your channel on youtube with greater speed.
Great headlines
This is probably the first thing a user sees wherever he finds a video. The title should be informative and eye-catching. Here are some tips to keep in mind when working with options:
- To be easier. The owner of the channel may be inclined to include all the information in the video, but good titles are short and accurate. And you also need to remember that, for example, Google truncates the name to 66 characters, so everything that is outside is truncated in the search results.
- Do keyword research. You can use a tool such as Google Adwords Planner to find one or two relevant phrases to include in the headline. This will help increase the position of the video in the search results.
- Tell the potential viewer why they should watch.
How to promote a YouTube channel from scratch? Of course, first you need to come up with catchy headers. Thanks to them, the blogger tells potential subscribers how they will gain by finding time to view the content.
Here are examples of a good and not-so-good video title:
No: Super Cool Makeup Tutorial to prepare you for the new Tim Burton movie.
Yes: Tim Burton Luke: Makeup Training Video.
How to quickly promote a YouTube channel
You need to create clear and convincing sketches. These tiny images are a preview of the video. If you do not create them, then the site will by default take any piece of work.
You need to make sure that the thumbnail is as large and clear (high quality) as possible. It must also accurately represent the content video and channel brand.
Of course, the main thing is that the image attracts attention and is irresistible. Some of the most effective thumbnails include:
- Close-ups of persons.
- Text overlay.
- Bright backgrounds.
- Delicious branding (small logo or watermark in the corner of the image).
- Contrast and shape (around people or objects).
Although YouTube automatically generates image preview options when uploading a video, it’s best to create your own thumbnail. For those who are not familiar with this, here are a few features to help ensure that the best thumbnail has been selected for the video:
- It has a resolution of 1280 × 720 (with a minimum width of 640 pixels).
- The loaded image format is JPG, GIF, BMP or PNG.
- The size remains within 2 Mb.
And it’s also worth trying to use a 16: 9 aspect ratio, as it is most often used in players and previews.
Here are some tips for creating an attractive profile that can help you reach viewers and subscribers.
- Fill in as much information as possible.
- Withstand its structure.
Although you can do a lot to customize the look of your YouTube profile page, you should make sure that the brand elements - colors, backgrounds, logos, icons and layouts - are as consistent as possible for all social channels and websites.
Description Optimization
Again, the YouTube channel and individual video titles should be descriptive and search-optimized. You need to do keyword research to increase the chances of ranking on a page.
This is also the section where you can profitably "sell yourself." How to quickly promote your channel on YouTube? First you need to answer the question "What problem does the proposed video solve for the audience?" Whether the blogger teaches, entertains, or demonstrates what most have never seen. This is what needs to be explained to potential viewers.
You can also use this place to schedule. When and how to properly promote a YouTube channel also depends on how often new videos are published. You can tell viewers this information so they can come back and learn more. The main thing is to stick to your own schedule.
Include Contact Links
It’s great that people watch the video, but they may want to contact in other ways. Therefore, you need to make it easier for them to send feedback, ask questions, and so on. You must go to the website, as well as other social networks, and provide a contact email address.
It is worth noting that the methods of promoting a corporate channel on Youtube are no different from the methods for a regular blog.
Take advantage of marketing
Publishing great videos is definitely a good first step, but make sure your audience knows when a blogger is posting new content. And what could be better than a notification through mailboxes?
Email is still one of the best channels through which marketers can reach their audience. With average opening rates of 18% and number of purchases at 66%, email is still important for sales conversion.
And for active creators, there are several ways to promote your channel on YouTube. And one of them is to contact regular subscribers via email.
Stay active in the community
It is not enough to regularly create content, you still need to attract an audience.
When the viewer takes the time to comment on the video, don’t rush to answer. You can interact and answer any questions in the video itself. Spectators are more likely to wait if they know they will receive an answer.
There should also be activity in niche communities, of which there are many on YouTube. That is, you need to find suitable groups for the brand and subscribe to other channels. You must leave comments and feedback on the video, and share what may be useful to the audience. This will help you promote your YouTube channel more quickly.
Recommendations from other bloggers and participation in the community will create an opinion as an active brand. And the audience will notice it.
Advertise YouTube Channel
To attract a new audience with content, you can try many advertising options.
First of all, you need to start a campaign with AdWords for video. Do not worry - there is no minimum advertising budget, so you don’t have to spend all your money when you run ads.
Initially, you need to make sure that the correct slogans are selected that really correspond to the expectations of the target audience. YouTube Creators Academy has suggested some tips to help you with this process:
- Make ads short (30 to 60 seconds), and make the most of the first five.
- Use clear calls to action (CTA) to tell viewers what to do next. For example, subscribe to a YouTube channel or share a video.
You can get a new audience by targeting and targeting placements and interest categories. Paid promotion of the YouTube channel will allow you to collect the first subscribers much faster.
You can use the TrueView format for personal interests. Such ads appear as thumbnails and text on YouTube watch pages. It is located on the right side of the recommended video for the viewer. This format allows you to pay per click. A blogger pays only when a user clicks on an ad and starts watching a video on a watch page. In-display advertising is a great place to promote existing work. But before you do this, you should make sure that they are well optimized.
Personal Blog Feed Promotion
A promotion strategy on YouTube can and should go beyond the platform itself. You need to create web blog content that is relevant to the video, insert it into articles. And you can also try to enable transcription of content in order to get more views on requests.
Start a contest
When it comes to attracting an audience, there are several tactics that work just like competition. Everyone loves free stuff.
It is worth encouraging viewers to subscribe to the channel with gifts and prizes. You can try creating a video with a clear call to action: go to the page and share the link in other social networks.
To successfully host a YouTube contest, you must provide an audience. After that, you need to offer prizes that will encourage them to participate. Then develop a strategy for promoting the competition.
Include YouTube Channel Link in Email Signatures
Although this tactic may seem too simple, smart marketers never miss an opportunity to advance.
If you include a link to a YouTube page in your email signature, each sent message can attract a new visitor to the channel. And this is a great way to promote your blog without throwing it to anyone's throat.
Using the settings of Video Manager, you can create annotations that ask viewers to subscribe to the channel, join the list of email addresses or follow the link to another video.
YouTube is an incredibly valuable and powerful social network. Using the aforementioned tactics, you can promote your channel in such a way as to not only help yourself or your personal business, but also attract users and create a popular community on social networks.
One final tip: Using Hootsuite, you can easily download, schedule, publish, advertise, and track content.