Youtube Growth How to Attract Viewers More
How to Get More Views on YouTube: 7 Tips that Actually Work
Want more views on Youtube? Of course you do. You’re a human with a pulse and a video to share! It’s only natural.
YouTube is the world’s second most visited website. More than two billion people use it every month — that’s one-third of all internet users. 74% of adults in the U.S. are watching videos there. (We could go on, but you can read all the latest YouTube stats on your own time.)
We’ve compiled this guide to point out all the easy wins that will amplify your brand’s message on YouTube, but we’re also going to detail some of the more advanced techniques the pros use to get more YouTube views.
What counts as a view on YouTube?
Each time a viewer intentionally initiates the playing of a video on their device and watches for at least 30 seconds, that counts as a view. Pretty simple!
If you play your own video, that will be counted as a view.
If a viewer watches your video more than once, each screening will be counted as a new view. (That being said, refreshing over and over again to try to game the system will be detected by Youtube.)
Any views that take place with embedded Youtube videos or Youtube videos shared on Facebook will also be counted.
Live views are counted on YouTube, too.
Youtube analytics are updated every day or two, so if you’re not seeing an instant reflection of your activity, check back later.
What doesn’t count as a view on Youtube?
Youtube’s algorithm is designed to disregard any plays that might look like they were automated. It just wants to count the number of times a real human watched your video on purpose.
So when a single user or bot refreshes a video over and over, or if a website auto-plays a video, these views are not counted towards your total view numbers.
1. Ensure your YouTube basics are up to snuff
First we walk, then we run. Take a look at your fundamentals and make sure you’ve ticked all the boxes. Read our list of beginner tips for YouTube, then come back to dig into our advanced tactics.
Your basic YouTube housekeeping includes:
- A consistent visual identity (your channel icon, YouTube channel art, like in the Rupaul’s Drag Race example below, etc.)
- A completed and informative About section (unless you are a breakout YouTube star like Joana Ceddia)
- Up-to-date contact information (so all your potential customers and future brand partners can get in touch)
2. Zero in on your specific niche (and your ideal audience)
If you’re aiming to optimize your YouTube marketing strategy, you want to get precise and ruthlessly selective about your goals—and the content that will get you there.
Because you aren’t making videos for everyone. You’re here for someone special: your audience.
Yoga with Adriene has thrived because she makes ultra-specific videos with titles like “Yoga for Joy” and “Yoga for Courage,” and even releases versions of her videos in Spanish. She’s just one of the thousands of Youtube yoga instructors, walking people through poses, but her ultra-inclusive concepts and attitude have struck a chord — she’s got almost 10 million subscribers.
3. Do your research, and improve your video’s search ranking
Yes, YouTube is a social platform, but it’s also a search engine. And one of the top strategies for getting more views is YouTube SEO, i.e. optimizing your videos for search.
In other words, when your ideal viewer types in your chosen keywords, you want your video ranking near the top of YouTube’s results list. That means you need to know what your audience is looking for—tutorials, inspiration, or entertainment.
Ranking in search results is the best way to get brand new eyes—not just subscribers and people who are already interested in your channel (although we’ll talk more about them later) — on your videos.
But, this is easier said than done. So, what can you do to improve your videos’ search ranking on YouTube?
Research. You’re going to want to use a tool like Google Keyword Planner (note that you’ll need to set up a Google Ads account)
4. Use metadata to get recommended after a popular video
If your goal is to get more YouTube views, take a cue from the most popular videos in your niche.
Start by taking a look at your top competitor’s most popular video. (Go to their video library and sort by “most popular.”)
YouTube’s main goal is to keep viewers on the platform for as long as possible (so that they’ll see as many ads as possible.) Thus the algorithm’s job is to feed viewers one (hopefully appealing) video after another.
But how does YouTube figure out what people might like? The algorithm takes the following into consideration:
- Videos that are often watched together
- Videos the user has watched in the past
- Topically related videos (which requires some keyword finessing!)
The only point you can control here is the third.
So when you’re choosing keywords, think like a librarian. Describe your video’s topic and describe its overall category, and think of other words a person might use to search for that topic.
5. Increase your views with custom thumbnails
When your potential viewers are in discovery mode—skimming through search results and recommendations—thumbnails are a major part of what they decide what to watch.
While a lot of advice out there is a graphic designer’s nightmare — screaming fonts, cluttered information — let’s get objective: what are the properties of an effective thumbnail?
- The thumbnail is clear and accurate about the video it’s describing (if your thumbnail misleads people into clicking, YouTube will know because your watch time will go down when the viewer gets annoyed and stops watching. The algorithm won’t like that.)
- The thumbnail stands out.
- The thumbnail works in tandem with the video’s title.
‘Standing out’ can be as simple as picking a bright color. Or making sure your giant hi-res face is making a weird expression in good lighting. Or, if your niche is full of shrill, high-key visuals, and the best way your channel can stand out is by being the calm, minimalist voice of reason.
6. Multiply your views by creating playlists
Organizing and creating video playlists on YouTube is the best way to minimize the chances that a viewer will move on to another channel once they’ve consumed your content.
Why? Because playlists go by the same rules as Netflix: as soon as one video ends, the next begins.
Since you’ve already done the hard work of helping your viewer find your video, click on it and watch the entire thing, it makes sense to guide them towards the video content they’re going to want next.
J.J. McCullough’s YouTube content covers a range of cultural commentary, so he’s divvied everything up nicely into thematic playlists. His fans who love his content on world leaders (and who wouldn’t?!) will be served up hit after hit.
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