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I know you’re not asking, but I’ll say it anyway... Yes. Yes, it does deserve an Oscar. But maybe, if you have to settle, you might be happy with a massive bunch of views on YouTube instead. It’s better than nothing, right?
The problem is, I also know that last time that didn’t quite work out did it? 11 views, including you (3 times), your mom (probably 7 times) and 1 random person with awesome taste!
So why should this video be any different? Easy, you’re going to follow these instructions. This your own personal Advanced YouTube View Hacking Cheat-Sheet!
But first, the numbers. You’ll need to know where you stand in the YouTube universe and what good (or in this case, a massive bunch of views) looks like.
Video is dominating the internet, with audiences consuming over five billion videos every day; how do you stand out from the millions of active channels and content creators to get those eyes on your YouTube content? Do these:
Do you know your audience's journey? Users can see your content from their YouTube search results, your channel homepage, the recommendation section and their subscription feed. When your video displays in these areas, it's recorded as Impressions.
If a user likes your video thumbnail/video title, they will click on your video, and this is recorded as the Click-Through Rate and is the first contact; the user now becomes a viewer. As they watch your video, YouTube captures this as Audience Retention. Telling you how much time your viewers, on average, is spending on that specific video.
Top tip: Understanding when viewers drop off on videos gives you great insight into what your audience finds engaging and what they don't. You can adapt your next video to your findings. For example, you've made a 20-minute video, and viewers fast-forward or stop watching after 5 minutes. Maybe consider shorter and more focused videos. Remember, the more videos you have, the more data you'll have to compare, and you can see what is trending.
The more video content you produce and track engagement, the greater you'll understand your audience. Knowing your target audience and the type of content your viewers enjoy watching is vital. If you build a connection, meaning the viewer can relate to your content, you entertain them; your viewers like/comment on your videos, improving their chances of subscribing to your channel.
Top tip: Analyse your most viewed videos, and why not create similar shorts? Read your comment section and messages to know what your viewers think about your content. And then make videos around their conversations. Hosting a live session is another great way to engage with your audience and increase subscribers. Answer your audience's questions in real-time and create future content from these discussions.
If your audience can't find you, they can't view your great content and, in turn, won't be able to subscribe to your channel. Video tags and keywords are essential in increasing the number of views on your YouTube videos. Applying the relevant tags and keywords to your video title and description will improve your ranking in search results, making it more discoverable.
Top tip: To ensure higher reach and more views, comments, likes, and subscribers, research the words your viewers will type into the search to find your videos. Check out fellow YouTubers with similar content, and note the keywords they use in their video descriptions and titles. Having all this in place will help with Google and YouTube search algorithms when categorizing your videos - ensuring they display in front of the right people.
Are you getting high impression numbers but low click-through rates? Your content is relevant, but the user isn't clicking on your video. You've added the tags and keywords to your video title and description, and it appears high on searches, yet your views are not growing! We are all highly visual creatures, so it could mean your video thumbnail doesn't draw attention.
Top tip: Make your thumbnails resonate with your target audience. Create a private playlist and name it "Thumbnails." Whenever you come across a video thumbnail/title that stands out, add it to your playlist. Study each one and ask yourself what drew you to them. Was it the words used, the title size, the colors, the YouTuber pose, or the clip from the video? Now update your thumbnails and titles to increase the call to action.
It can be frustrating constantly watching your channel analytics with no change. You've spent time and money creating your masterpiece for no one to see it?! Not even YouTube is recommending it. Sadly, there is more to do - you must drive traffic to your videos through your other social platforms. Let your followers know you've posted a new video through your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.
Top tip: Increase impressions by promoting your video on all your social media, email list, blog, and forums. All creators need to put in the effort to promote their videos. YouTube will track conversations/keywords, and with this data will have a better understanding of your content. It will build momentum and help your videos feature in the recommendation section. Be mindful, do not spam people. This approach will have the opposite and undesirable effect. Be helpful, for example, if your video answers a question in a Facebook group, share it in that specific group.
Now that you know a few ways to get more views, it's time to implement them on all your YouTube videos. Be sure to check out our other top-tip blogs. And before we go, always remember to ask your viewers to "Please like, share, and subscribe!"
