Is your company utilizing YouTube to launch digital marketing campaigns? Or maybe you’re working on launching a YouTube page for a client? If so, knowing and understanding the ins and outs of YouTube is critical. Some may believe that gaining a following on YouTube is all about luck. The Fresh Ink team is here to tell you that, unfortunately, that isn’t usually the case. Rather, YouTube often works to reward those channels who utilize all of its features and follow certain guidelines. So for those of you who think you can upload whatever content whenever you want, read on! Learn how to best setup and optimize your YouTube channel and videos to launch your campaign on a path to success.
First Things First
Seeing as you’re about to launch a YouTube campaign, I assume you’ve given content some thought, right? Before uploading videos, it’s important to have a content strategy that will carry you throughout the campaign. Having one idea for a single video isn’t enough. Additionally, viewers need a reason to watch, so think of the reason that you’re creating the content. Are you looking to entertain, educate, or inspire your audience? What does your brand stand for? What does your target audience care about–their passion points? Finding the sweet spot in between will open a doorway into developing a video content strategy and the “right” level of engagement.
Prepare Titles & Thumbnails Now!
Launching a successful YouTube campaign takes a lot of prep work. Think of engaging titles to use for content before it is even created. That way, you’ll be prepared once it comes time to shoot the video, and you’ll also make sure to gear your video towards the engaging title. The same should be done for thumbnails. You can put all the work you want into a video, but it will mean nothing if you’re not putting the same time and energy into creating your titles and thumbnails. Once your channel is eligible for custom thumbnails (more info on that here!) , you should be sure to always create custom thumbnails. Thumbnails are key for grabbing someone’s attention and could make our break a video’s success. Make sure to have clear images and text that demonstrate exactly what your audience will be receiving. Don’t even think about trying clickbait! YouTube’s algorithm does not support false practices and, therefore, will not work to help promote your video from within. Make sure to be honest and true to your content. Your audience, and YouTube’s algorithm, will thank you for it.
Don’t Forget Cards & End Titles
Beyond thumbnails, give viewers a chance to see even more of your content right within a video. Using cards is a great way to showcase other content you have on the channel. While a viewer is watching, they can be notified of other videos that might be of interest to them, and therefore, stay on your channel longer. The placement of these cards can be very critical as well. After having uploaded a few videos, review your analytics to see where most viewers are dropping off. There tend to be high rates of viewers dropping off near the beginning, middle, and end of a video. Therefore, why not place cards in these spots to encourage viewers to stick around or move on to more of your content?
Lastly, when uploading a new video to YouTube, make sure to add content to your end title screen. The Fresh Ink team suggests inserting a “best for the viewer” video. Doing so will leave it up to YouTube’s algorithm to choose the content on your channel that they see best fit for each individual viewer, giving you greater chance for success. In addition to this video, include a subscription button, giving viewers another opportunity to subscribe and keep coming back for more.
Playlists are Powerful!
Playlists do a lot more than just organize your videos. When uploading videos to YouTube, you should always be sure to add them to a playlist that you create. Doing so will encourage viewers to stick around and watch even more of your content, because once a video ends in a playlist, a new one of your videos will immediately start up. In order to encourage your audience to watch playlists, you can promote them through interactive cards, end screens, or simply in the video’s description. When titling these playlists, think in the same way that you would for an individual video. You want to entice your viewers to watch, so be clear, concise, yet attention grabbing.
Establish an Uploading Schedule
Before diving into a YouTube campaign, you should know it is not going to be a walk in the park. Establishing a consistent, content-heavy schedule from the start is key. Uploading little content on random days of the week is not going to do you, or your audience, any favors. Rather, come up with a select day or days that you will always put out content and stick to it. For example, you could upload a new video every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This way, you please both YouTube and your viewers, as they will always know when to look out for new content. At Fresh Ink, we would suggest uploading about 3 videos a week. After all, over 400 hours of video are being uploaded every single minute, so the more you can put out there for audiences to see, the better!
In addition to the day, time can play a huge role. If you’re first starting your campaign, just be consistent with the upload time. However, once you start to gain a following, you can then review your analytics to see your peak times when most of your viewers are watching. After establishing this time, you can then be sure to upload 2-3 hours prior to ensure maximum audience reach. Don’t just take our word for it, though. Checkout this video which explains how to best decide on an upload time:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R3fnm0LxO8&feature=youtu.be
Now be Patient!
Doing all of these tips and tricks to improve your content will work wonders for your channel. Put in the work up front and allow YouTube to take it from there. You’ll be amazed at the difference that can be made from following these few extra tips. Your channel will become more and more discoverable and viewers will start subscribing and coming back for more. Be patient, though, because these results won’t always come overnight. Uploading the right content in the right way, however, will help to gradually skyrocket your channel towards success.
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