19 Effective ways to attract more views and subscribers on YouTube
How to get more views on YouTube Channel? It doesn’t make any sense of making YouTube videos if your videos don’t get any views. Whether you’re making educational videos or reviews of products, the most important thing is getting more and more views to achieve your goal.
Related reading: How to attract more traffic to your website?
In this article, we’ll discuss some proven techniques that are used by many successful YouTubers and got tremendous results.
So, lets’ get started with the techniques and strategies to get more views on YouTube.
Best content types for YouTube Videos
How to increase YouTube Views?
Here is a quick list on how to get more video views on YouTube.
- Thumbnail colors matter
- Proper video title
- Optimize video description
- Right video tags
- Alternately use horizontal and vertical playlist layouts
- Attract “suggested video” viewers
- Rank on Google Search
- Promote through Forum, Reddit, and Quora.
- Increase “session time”
- Optimize end screens
- Optimize subscribes, likes, and comments
- Proper playlist title
- YouTube SEO basics
- Embed YouTube videos on your blog
- Upload at the right time
- Share only video clips social media
- The card bridge strategy
- Get featured on the Homepage
- Prelaunch preview on the community tab
Related reading: Super Effective Video Marketing Tips
Thumbnail Colors Matter
Video thumbnails have a huge impact on views. Thumbnails are the first things people see while they find your videos.
Now, the question is, what colors are used in most viewed videos?
If you observe sincerely around YouTube, you’ll find that the sites are mostly white, black, and red. If you use these colors in your video thumbnails, your videos will be mixed in. But while you use other colors in your thumbnails, your videos will stand out and grab more attention.
Successful YouTubers usually prefer yellow, green, blue, and orange for creating custom thumbnails that influence viewers much more likely to click.
Proper Video Title
The title has a vital role in the video’s success.
So, how to write video titles that may get a huge number of clicks?
Firstly, it’s proved that added parenthesis and brackets to the end of a title attract more views.
Secondly, always try to put a number in your video title. This number can be anything such as –
- The current year you want to mention
- Steps you want to cover in your how-to video
- Tips and strategies you want to cover
- Or anything that makes sense for your content
Finally, concise your title within 40 – 50 characters.
Studies showed that video titles lesser than 50 characters rank higher in the YouTube search.
Optimize Video Description
Video descriptions tell YouTube’s algorithm what videos are all about. According to Brian Dean, the founder of Backlinko, your video description should have 3 parts – introduction, detailed description, and links.
Your introduction should contain a maximum of 2 – 3 sentences that are showed up on the upper portion of the “show more” button. You should include your keyword in this portion to get a higher ranking on the YouTube search results.
In the detail description portion, write the details of what your video is about and also put your keywords twice or thrice so that YouTube fully understands the content of your video.
And finally, in the last portion put the links where you want to drive traffic from YouTube.
Right Video Tags
You are probably aware of how tags are important for the SEO of YouTube videos. YouTube notices tags to understand the topics of your videos.
So, how to write tags the right way that can help videos rank higher?
Here it is.
At first, try to put the main keyword as the same exact phrase in your first or second tag.
And next, use variations of your main keywords in 3 – 4 tags. And finally, try to put tags that describe your video’s overall category 2- 3 times.
Alternately Use Horizontal and Vertical Playlist Layouts
Creating playlists is great for getting more views. But as per Brian Dean, an internationally praised SEO expert, alternate use of horizontal and vertical playlist layouts is more effective to get more people to watch your videos.
You will simply need to go to the “customize channel” on your channel page, and then open the pencil icon of your playlist. Now, choose the layouts alternately as horizontal and vertical. It’s very simple, but effective.
Attract “Suggested Videos” Viewers
“Suggested videos” is a list of related videos that are promoted by YouTube next to the video you’ve played. In most cases, suggested videos may get more views than the search results.
So, how do get more views from “suggested videos”?
As per the YouTube algorithm, they use video content metadata (such as title, tags, and description) for ranking in “suggested videos”.
Rank on Google Search
Ranking on a YouTube search is different from ranking on a Google search. Ranking YouTube videos on Google search results may help you get a lot of extra views.
So, how to rank in Google search?
As it’s different from YouTube search, here’s how to higher the chances of ranking on google search.
Firstly, loudly speak out your targeted keywords in your videos especially within the few seconds of beginning.
And secondly, upload a transcript of your video so that Google can understand the whole content of your video.
Promote through Forum, Reddit, and Quora
Online communities are very helpful in promoting YouTube videos. Members of these communities ask questions.
…… questions that your video can answer.
For instance, let’s say that someone asking a question on Quora, “Does anyone know herbs and spices that may help prevent diabetes naturally?”
Well, if you have a video that discussed natural herbs and spices to control diabetes, you can answer this question and link your video to this thread.
Increase “Session Time / Watch time”
“Session time” has a vital role in ranking in Google search. Session time is the total period of time a visitor spends on YouTube after watching your video.
When a visitor leaves immediately after watching your video, it may hurt your session time. But if he or she stays on YouTube, it increases your session time.
The best possible way to boost session time is to promote your best and popular videos on your YouTube channel page. This way, you’ll show up people videos that may keep them watching.
Another easy way to increase session time is optimizing end screen.
Optimize End Screens
You can increase your views on YouTube by using the end screens.
You’ll need to pick up the most viewed video from your channel. Then pick a video from your channel that a viewer would like to watch after finishing your most popular video. And feature this video at the end of the most viewed video.
Optimize Subscribes, Likes, And Comments
You tube algorithm gives priority to viewers’ engagements to rank videos. There’s a significant link between ranking and user engagements especially likes, comments, and subscribers.
More engagements you get in your videos, the higher the chances of ranking on YouTube search. So, how to increase engagements?
It’s very simple, at the end of your video, ask people to engage. But remember, don’t ask many times as it looks spammy.
Proper Playlist Title
The playlist title should be eye-catchy and compelling so that it can attract your viewers.
For example, it’s better to use “case studies” or “how-to” in your playlist title that can look like problem-solving videos for your viewers.
YouTube SEO Basics
If you want to get a huge number of views organically, you’ll need to master YouTube SEO fundamentals. The more you can learn, the better.
For instance, you’ll need to consider learning
- Video keyword research
- Optimizing metadata such as title, tags, and description
- Engagement signals
- Managing watch time and audience retention
- And more
Embed YouTube Videos on Your Blog
It’s a great idea to embed YouTube videos on your blog posts. The best thing is that if someone watches your videos on your blog site, it will be counted on your YouTube channel.
Related reading: How to start a blog?
The embedded videos will help you get tons of high-quality views. Embedded views will also help your videos rank higher in the YouTube search.
Upload at the Right Time
What’s the recommended time to upload videos on YouTube? Is it Sunday at 7 pm? How about Saturday at 3 pm?
The actual answer is – while your subscribers are on YouTube.
Unfortunately, YouTube doesn’t give you any tool to track when your subscribers use YouTube.
So, it’s recommended to test a few days and times as per your buyer persona and niche, and figure out which time works best for your channel.
You may also use different tools such as VidIQ or Tubebuddy, to analyze your channel for the best times to upload videos.
How to use vidIQ for YouTube SEO and more Views
Share Only Video Clips on Social Media
Every social media site wants to keep people on their platforms rather than to transfer to another place.
If you post a link to your YouTube video on Facebook, for example, their algorithm will hide your post from your followers.
So, how to solve this issue?
You can upload only a clip of your video instead of the whole one. And social media platforms will consider it as a native content and will promote your video clip crazily.
When you post only a clip, make sure you give the link to your whole video in other possible manners such as in the first comment. In this way, people who watched your video clip will easily find out the full video on YouTube.
“The Card Bridge” Strategy
“The card bridge” strategy is an easy way to improve session times as well as YouTube views.
How does it work?
Firstly, observe the audience retention report of your video. Then, figure out the exact time of this video where massive retention drops.
Next, use a card that will be appeared at that time to transfer your viewers to another video you want. This card is used as a “bridge”.
Get Featured on the Homepage
The YouTube homepage might be your great source of organic views, more specifically for new uploads.
So, how to get featured on the YouTube homepage?
As you know that YouTube homepage is highly personalized and it focuses on 2 basic factors –
- New videos
- Popular videos
Therefore, you’ll need to promote a new video within the first 48 hours after it goes live. If you can grab a lot of watches on your new video within 48 hours, YouTube may consider featuring your video on their homepage.
Next, you have to increase your subscriber count. Studies showed that YouTube tends to feature videos from channels that you’ve subscribed to. Hence, the more subscribers you’ll have, the more viewers you’ll get from the homepage.
Pre-launch Preview on the Community Tab
Prelaunch activities in your channel’s community tab are an easy and effective way to get your subscribers excited about your upcoming video.
So, how to do it? – very simple.
At first, publish a post regarding your new upcoming video in your community tab. This might be a sneak preview clip of your video, or Q and A session, or a quiz, or anything that can create an anticipation impact for your upcoming video.
This way, you can make your audience look forward to your new upcoming videos which means your subscribers will be much more likely to watch the video while it goes live.
Final Words
These are some proven strategies to get more views on YouTube. Now it’s your turn.
Tell me, which strategy do you want to implement first?
Do you want to change the colors of your thumbnails?
Or
You are going to create a prelaunch post for your community tab.
Let me know in the comment section.
If you need a complete hands-on guide on YouTube marketing, we’re ready to help you. You can consider joining our YouTube marketing course to learn all the necessary skills in the most practical manner.
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