The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have left people with a lot of free time, and many of them found different ways to amuse themselves, from baking to gardening, to do-it-yourself home projects. But some people decided to start a YouTube channel or even TikTok to fill in their days when they’re not watching Netflix or sleeping.
Though some found creative ways to make their channel interesting, there were many more who did not find their viewership succeed on the platform. But there is a way to make your social media channel viral and popular. Here are some of the strategies the best YouTube channels use to attract subscribers, viewers, and even patrons and supporters.
Create a Welcoming and Pleasant Page
The most important part of a YouTube channel is what you present on your channel display. It’s a reflection and a promise to what kind of content you will be putting out there. Your content type, quality, and relevance should be visible to any viewer visiting your homepage.
Your profile picture and banner image play a very important role in this. Design your profile picture and banner image to match your content’s style.
The next step is to customize your channel into different categories. Streamline your videos by sorting them in different tabs like recent uploads and popular uploads. Make different playlists according to your content relevancy and make the playlist titles catchy and fun.
Make Consistent Content
Make sure your content is consistent, which means daily, weekly or monthly video uploads that your subscribers will expect. Don’t run after viral trends to make yourself famous. Going viral may seem fun, but it’s short-lived. If you want to see long term effects, create content that is interesting, unique and informative.
The most successful YouTube channels have engaging hosts and discussions. Whether its makeup, cooking, food, books or even films, they create a steady following because of their creativity, information, and persona in front of the camera. Set a schedule for yourself and follow that timeline. Upload a video at least once a week. Pick a specific time on a specific day on which you will upload a video. This will help the viewers know when to expect a video from you and keep them coming back.
Have Quality Graphics
But your content also relies on the quality of your videos. Use a camera that is high performance. Use studio lighting and a clear background to make your presentations look professional and uncluttered. It would be best if you also placed the cameras in a position that would capture your good side. If you want to present something, place the camera overhead so it could capture what you are doing on the table.
Keep your videos short and under 20 minutes. This running time is ideal, as you could attract sponsorship and commercials, but is also short enough for people with short attention spans.
While you could always run a one-man show, you could also hire an online video production company to do your editing and help you set up your cameras. Doing so will improve the quality of your videos, plus you don’t have to spend time editing your videos.
Engage With Your Viewers
Your subscribers are your golden ticket to increasing your subscribers. They are an important part of your channel, so give their comments a “like”, reply to their queries, and have giveaways and contests that would attract their attention. If your viewers are interested in you and want to get to know you, host a streaming live show to give them a chance to chat with you and other viewers. The more they get to know you, the more they will want to watch your content.
Take it another step further by engaging with them across other social media platforms as well. Having active Instagram and Snapchat accounts could prove to be helpful for the growth of your viewership.
Analyze Your Analytics
The things you can trust more than your guts and instincts are data. YouTube provides you with a comprehensive set of data in your analytics tab. Analyze that data to improve your content. Analyze the age, gender, and geographies your audience is coming from. Use this data to make more relevant content that targets these groups. Use your reach tab to know which of your content is being watched more. Build on that to know what people want. If you give people what they want, they will be more receptive to your videos.
Be a YouTube Celebrity!
The path to fame can be hard, but if you want to be a social media celebrity, you only need interesting content and a camera to make your mark on the internet. Be consistent, be confident, engage with your viewers, and learn from your data to be a YouTube sensation.