Video content is the secret to successful content marketing in 2018. And YouTube is the home of online video, both for marketers and otherwise.
Just think about these recent stats:
- 8 out of 10 web users watches YouTube videos
- YouTube is the second largest search engine
- The total length of YouTube each month is now 3.25 billion hours
- YouTube is basically essential for businesses, especially for marketing teams. And you have no other option than to seek more visibility for your YouTube videos.
In this article, you’ll find 6 proven tactics to create Google-friendly content and double subscribers to your YouTube channel.
Make Compelling Titles
No matter how good your video looks, it’s useless if no one clicks on it. So it’s imperative that you optimize your video titles to bring in viewers.
Do some keyword research to come out with an appealing title. Keep the title short, keep them clear & descriptive & most importantly, tell the viewers why they need to watch the video.
Create Perfect YouTube Thumbnails
Effective thumbnails make users click right away and make your YouTube channel more recognizable. Thumbnails should be relevant to the video’s content and title. Include short descriptions and relevant images in your thumbnails to help people understand what your video is about.
Catch the interest of people and tell a story using your thumbnails. You should make them wonder what happens next. Ideally, your title and thumbnail will tell a complementary story together. Make your thumbnail a cliff-hanger, basically.
Limit Videos to Under 5 Minutes
If you want to get the most out of your videos, focus on their total watch time. Based on the Comscore survey, the duration of the majority of the YouTube videos is about 5 minutes. If you create long videos by just repeating yourself, it won’t help. People need a good reason to be interested in your video. You can experiment with video length to figure out what works best for maximum engagement. Here are a few tips you should follow:
Create high-quality content in each video
Optimize your videos to be under 5 minutes
Make them interesting, informative and short
Brand Your YouTube Channel
Branding your YouTube channel is the next thing you should do to make it visually attractive and encourage visitors to take you seriously. It helps you increase brand awareness and spend more time with your audience. Use your company logo for your channel. If you’re an independent video blogger, you can use your headshot instead of a logo. To help people find you, add titles and descriptions to your videos. On top of the banner image, you also can include links to your website and social media. If you talk about a certain product in your video, you can also use self-branded overlays. Many people don’t know about these, but they give you a chance to retain people when they watch your videos.
Include Calls-to-Action (CTAs)
Adding calls to action to your videos will help you create more engagement on YouTube. They can also be irritating, so try to use them in the right way.
No matter what goals you have, to get more likes or more subscribers, be clear and concise about key actions people need to take.
You can add your website link or ask for subscribers to your channel within the video or at the end to help people understand the next step.
If your goal is to attract a lot of subscribers, try to do it smartly. Your efforts will be rewarded in the long run.
Share Videos via Social Media
Sharing your videos on social media is fundamental if you want to grow your channel. As a savvy marketer, it’s important not only to publish your latest videos on social media but also to be active in social communities and groups. Each social platform has its own culture, and you need to figure out which one is best for you and where your efforts will be appreciated.