For those of you who are passionate about content creation, YouTube truly is the best social media platform to showcase your talent. But if you’re hoping to make some money while you’re at it, there’s more to consider than just posting content to your page. While this is the first step toward success, remember that you need to rack up a substantial number of views before you can cash in your first paycheck.
However, with such a wide variety of content being posted every day, we understand how scary it can be to face up to the competition. That’s why we’ve compiled 10 tactics on how to get more YouTube views. With a bit of time and effort, you’ll be amazed at how easily you can grow your audience and take your channel to the next level.
What Counts as a YouTube View?
Essentially, in order to gauge the success of your content, it’s necessary to understand what YouTube classifies as a view. Mainly, the platform only counts views that come from real people. That means taking into account the following criteria:
- The viewer needs to intentionally play your video.
- They must watch the content for at least 30 seconds.
It’s necessary for both of these requirements to be met. So, by clicking on your video, the viewer is intentionally choosing to watch it. But, if they let it play for less than 30 seconds, YouTube won’t count this as a view.
Next, you may also be wondering whether or not the platform counts repeat views. Surprising as it may seem, yes, YouTube does count them. The algorithm takes into account that people may want to watch your video multiple times on one or different devices.
And finally, when it comes to the authenticity of your views, YouTube can easily differentiate between real and fake ones. The algorithm is carefully designed to disregard automated plays, which means that if a bot refreshes your video more than once, these views won’t be counted.
Now that you’re familiar with how YouTube regulates your views, here are our tips on how to increase them!
#1. Create Eye-Catching Thumbnails
More often than not, new content creators will skip the thumbnail customization process. However, we’d like to encourage you not to do so. Think of the thumbnail as an ad for your video that gives people the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the style of your content. Actually, it’s the first thing people see, and it’s the determining factor for whether or not they click on your content.
What’s more, when it comes to grabbing your viewer’s attention, strong visuals are essential. Therefore, always opt for a high-quality picture that will act as a teaser for your video.
Also, if you’re adding text to your thumbnail, make sure you don’t oversaturate it with words. Simply try to summarize what the video is about. Adding huge fonts and lots of text could potentially overwhelm people and prompt them to look elsewhere for similar content.
#2. Optimize Your Videos
Since YouTube is among the largest search engines on the planet, it has an incredibly high authority in Google searches. Fortunately, you can use this information to your advantage and start optimizing your videos.
In order to do so, it’s necessary to apply SEO best practices to specific areas of your page. Start by incorporating them into your video titles and descriptions as described below.
Optimizing Your Titles
When optimizing your content, make sure the title of the video starts with the keyword phrase(s). Doing so will give your video a better chance of ranking well in the search.
Next, it’s time to add the rest of the title. Since the goal is to present your content as a must-see, you need to come up with something that sparks curiosity.
For reference, here is a useful example from Goal Guys, “I quit sugar for 30 days…this is what happened.” Essentially, the first part of the title tells the viewer exactly what the video is about. However, if they want to find out the results, they need to watch it until the end. Furthermore, the title also incorporates the target keywords (quit sugar) near the beginning.
Similarly, the Rybka Twins used “Testing out viral TikTok hacks.” Although viewers will know what the video is about based on the title, they won’t get to see the hacks unless they watch it.
And finally, once you’ve decided on your title, make sure it contains up to 70 characters. Although YouTube allows up to 100 characters, anything longer than 70 will be cut off in the search results.
Optimizing Your Description
Apart from the title, optimizing your description can also increase your audience’s interest in your content, so crafting the right wording is crucial to your SEO strategy.
First, you should make sure to use the same targeted keywords in the description as you did in the title of the video. Next, try to add all the relevant information about your content within the first 100 characters, as this is the only part of the description that will show up as a snippet when someone searches for your video. Although some search engines show up to 157 characters, it’s best to stick to 100, just in case.
Lastly, consider including a link that will redirect the viewers to your website. It’s best to add the URL after the first sentence of the description so it shows up in the snippet.
#3. Encourage People to Subscribe to Your Channel
The next step toward growing your view count is encouraging people to subscribe to your channel. Why? Because your subscribers are your best customers or, in this case, your most loyal viewers.
The formula is simple: more subscribers equals more views. All you have to do is ask people to click the subscribe button. If they enjoy your content, there’s a good chance they’ll want to see more of it. Equally important, once a viewer subscribes to your channel, YouTube will start recommending your videos to them. You can also take it a step further and ask your viewers to turn on the notification bell. That way, they’ll immediately know when you post a new video.
#4. Create Playlists
One of the most valuable features on YouTube is the “autoplay” button which allows viewers to watch videos without interruption.
Basically, it will be more difficult for viewers to pull their attention away from your videos if they keep playing. This is due to a cognitive bias called ”loss aversion.”
Best of all, creating a YouTube playlist is easy, and it won’t take up much of your time, so you have nothing to lose. Here’s how to get started:
- On your profile, click on the Menu button in the top left corner;
- Go to Library;
- Choose the New Playlist option;
- Pick the videos you want to include in the playlist;
- Click the Next button;
- Choose a name for your playlist;
- Change the Privacy settings to Public;
- Select Create to save your playlist.
You can also edit the playlist at any time by selecting the Edit option in the Menu.
#5. Make a YouTube Trailer
YouTube trailers are short videos that showcase your content to your viewers. They’re meant to highlight your videos and encourage people to subscribe to your channel. Ideally, your trailer should last 25 to 30 seconds. This time frame allows viewers to get a glimpse of what you have to offer without giving too much of your content away.
Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what you want to feature in the trailer. For example, you can edit short clips of your favorite videos, stitch them together and do a voiceover explaining the idea behind your content. Or, you can create a brand-new video in which you tell the viewers the story about how you started your channel.
Also, similar to the title and description of your video, try to include the most interesting points in the first few seconds of the trailer. This will reel in viewers and get them interested in your channel.
#6. Stick to a Posting Schedule
Many successful YouTube creators have a posting schedule. So, should you make one too? Before you decide, keep in mind that there are plenty of pros to having an upload schedule.
For starters, it can help you stay organized when it comes to your upload consistency and frequency. More importantly, though, your viewers will really appreciate knowing when you’re going to post your next video. In fact, a schedule may even encourage them to subscribe to your channel and watch your content regularly.
The schedule itself will depend on your other obligations, as well as the type of videos you make. Certain niches require more research, so they will likely take more time to create than others. For example, true crime content can take weeks and even months to prepare, whereas clothing hauls and makeup tutorials are easier to put together.
Overall, regardless of how frequently you post, the key is staying consistent with your schedule. So, if you promise your viewers that you’re going to post twice a week, make sure you stick to that.
#7. Add Cards to Your Videos
Ultimately, your goal as a content creator is to get people to watch all of your content. Apart from creating playlists, you can also direct traffic to your other content by adding cards to your videos. There are several types of interactive cards: video, playlist, link, and channel cards. Basically, all your viewers have to do is click on the interactive pop-up, and they’ll be instantly directed to the chosen content.
#8. Engage With Your Audience
As a content creator, it’s necessary to show your audience that you’re relatable and approachable. In order to do so, you can apply the following strategies.
For starters, you should turn on your comments. Since this is the only means of communication you have with your audience, you need to keep up with their feedback. Obviously, every creator can expect to come across some negative comments, but there’s no need to dwell on them. Instead, keep in mind that there are plenty of viewers that will leave encouraging, useful feedback that you can use to better your content.
That leads us to our next point: make sure to reply to as many people as you can. Understandably, the more viewers you have, the more comments you’ll need to get through. If that’s the case, you can reach out to multiple people at a time by making a Q&A video answering some of the most frequently asked questions.
Lastly, don’t forget to thank people for watching your content at the end of each video. Even if you’re not addressing them by name, people will appreciate the acknowledgment!
#9. Add Tags to Your Videos
Similar to keywords, YouTube Tags are words or phrases that you can add to the description section of your videos. Tags are meant to help your content rank higher in YouTube’s search engine, which means your video will reach a wider audience. They can also amplify the reach of your video by sorting it into a category with similar content.
To create your tag, follow these steps:
- Click on your account’s icon located in the top right corner and select YouTube Studio;
- Click the Create button and upload your video. If it’s already on your channel, click on the Select Files button;
- Lastly, scroll down to the Show More option and add your desired tags.
#10. Promote Your Content on Other Platforms
Cross-promotion is a great strategy that can help you reach a wider audience. In general, it can make your content become visible to more people, thus increasing your view count. With that in mind, here are a few cross-promotion strategies to consider:
- Post a TikTok featuring a snippet of your video;
- Use Instagram stories to let people know your new video is up;
- Repost the video on Facebook.
Finally, we’d like to leave you with a few words of advice. The best way to ensure that your channel reaches its full potential is to test out all of the tips we’ve provided. Not only will your viewers appreciate your dedication, but once your success grows, you’ll be motivated to create even better content in the future!
