The pervasiveness makes it impossible for marketers to ignore the video marketing channel. But with such high popularity comes fierce competition. The channel is packed with an endless library of hasvideo content.
Everyone finds themselves watching hours upon hours of cat videos over and over again. Nothing to be ashamed of! The question is, how can marketers divert attention away from these famous cats and draw more attention to their YouTube channels? This is exactly what this article aims to provide you with. Because if you've spent the time to invest in your videos, not only do you want something in return, you need something in return!
It's time to increase your channel subscribers through strategic initiatives, and here are 12 tips to help you quickly increase your YouTube channel subscribers.
#1: Clean up your YouTube channel
Before you start doing any good, it's important to do some housekeeping. You may think your business is perfect, but your audience may not think so because you're not Beyonce . Sometimes an outsider.
If you take a good look at your YouTube channel and re-evaluate what is there, you may find that you need to remove chunks of old content. This is regardless of whether it is outdated, poorly produced, or a flop of a video that should have It never got there in the first place. Tying something of this nature to the brand will immediately turn off that lead and cause a loss of trust in the brand. Remove it and never look back!
Which leads me to my next tip...
#2: Create and post only high profile content
Yes, this tip may seem obvious, but YouTube is so cluttered that it's easy to feel like posting substandard content is okay. Well, you can't! The only way to stand out from the pack and grow your subscriber base is to create the best and highest content in your space.
The key to achieving this is planning during pre-production. Here are a few ways to do this better than your competitors
Do your research
Watch videos of your competitors as well as videos from other industries besides your own and take notes on the most interesting parts. Instead of copying what your competitors are doing, find more creative ways to do it. For example, if I were in the gum business (or any other business), I would probably take a cue from my favorite YouTube commercial, The Story of Sarah and Juan. Check it out and try to tell me this didn't make you cry .
What is so great about this commercial is obvious. It's ability to elicit powerful emotions. How can your company do this?
Anticipatory Scripting
You may think you can flap your wings on the screen. You can, but you shouldn't. You need to plan your script, read the table, rewrite it, read the table, and rewrite it again. This process will improve your script and allow you to express the story you are trying to tell in the most powerful way possible. In many cases, businesses underutilize the power of scripting, but mastering this skill can take your video to a whole new level.
Purchase the right equipment for your in-house studio.
What is the "right" equipment? And can you afford it? The answer to this latter question is yes. Surprisingly, the camera is not the most important piece of equipment. Why? Well, these days iPhone cameras are close in quality to much more expensive alternatives.
When shooting in-house, the most important equipment is a simple backdrop, studio lights, and a tripod. Yes, there are a few other things you may need depending on the video, such as props and audio equipment, but clarifying a few basics and creating a robust in-office studio will lead to better video creation.
Wistia helps us out again with this great DIY studio setup guide. Also check out our own guide to creating a video culture in your company.
Make the first 10 seconds of your video the most memorable
Did you know that 20% of viewers leave within the first 10 seconds of a video? This is why you need to make the most of those first few seconds.
To make a great first impression, start with the most climactic part of your video, not a bland introduction. If you start off with a bang, viewers won't want to leave.
#3: Run a top-notch channel trailer
YouTube has this beautiful feature for marketers looking to expand their subscription base called channel trailers. These are, as the name implies, short trailers that play automatically when a visitor arrives at your YouTube channel page.
This is a great opportunity to build a subscription base, but only if you create highly engaging content.
These trailers need to be short (30-60 seconds), compelling, and most importantly, give visitors a reason to stay. Do they need to be hilarious, beautiful, and emotional? That definitely helps! What cannot be stressed enough is the need for impactful, call to action phrases that give viewers a reason to subscribe to your channel.
Take a look at this great example from SoulPancake. Not only is the trailer the perfect length, it evokes motivational emotion and comedy and ends with a very creative call to action phrase.
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#4: Make sure your video is less than 5 minutes long
Are all your videos 30-60 minutes long because of the complexity of explaining digital engineering software? Or are you in the legal industry and believe that the only way to instill trust is to include lengthy video testimonials on your channel?
Testimonials are great, but long videos and YouTube are not a good match. No matter how complex the product you are marketing, your video should never exceed 5 minutes.
Why? Well, science. Various studies have proven that online video viewers have a short concentration span. In other words, remember what we told you earlier about 20% of viewers leaving within the first 10 seconds? In fact, HubSpot has found that the ideal length for a YouTube video is a concise two minutes or so. So re-edit your long webinar and turn it into a short, snappy clip.
If you feel you cannot cut down on content, the following tips can help.
#5: Turn a set of videos into a binge-worthy playlist
Do you have a set of videos that go together? Perhaps you are doing a weekly recurring educational series or have a series of webinars on the same subject?
Whatever it is, you need to turn that group into a YouTube playlist. This allows viewers to continue watching without having to manually search and click through to the next video.
Why is this a good fit for subscription growth? Well, it keeps people on your channel longer and shows them that you have a lot of quality content. It keeps your video content highly organized, so your channel doesn't become cluttered and drive users away.
BuzzFeed Tasty does a great job with this; check out their YouTube playlist page. Check out the YouTube playlist page, which is grouped into various categories, such as "Dinner," "Vegetarian," and so on. Also, since I hate cooking, check out my personal favorite, "One Pot Recipes."
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#6: Add a powerful CTA to your video
Every good marketer knows how to create a powerful call to action (CTA) phrase. So why not use these skills to give users a reason to return to your channel through a subscribeable call to action phrase?
How exactly does this work? If the idea of inserting a CTA into a video seems complicated and possibly beyond your technical capabilities, there is good news. Not so; YouTube has made this easy by allowing marketers to add an exit screen and card to their videos. Here are these two options in a little more detail
Exit Screen: As the name implies, the exit screen ends the video with a screen that displays a call to action phrase. Whether you want to encourage viewers to subscribe to your channel, direct them to your next video, or promote your website or crowdfunding campaign, you can do all of this in the end card. On the end screen, you can choose from four different elements, depending on your objectives
== == End cards
Multiple elements can be included per end screen (as shown in the image below). End cards can be displayed between the last 5 and 20 seconds of the video. The video must be at least 25 seconds long. For more information on end screens, see this link.
== == End Card
Cards: If you don't like the end screen, check out our YouTube cards. These babies allow you to add interactivity during your video, such as directing viewers to a specific URL, showing a video or playlist, promoting your channel, polling viewers, etc.
== == Card
Here is an example of what a card might look like in real life.
== The only thing to remember about the cards is that they are not intended to be used by the user.
The only thing to remember about cards is that the user must press the little "I" icon in the right corner of the video to view the card. For more information on YouTube cards, visit this link.
#7: Create Custom Human Thumbnails
Frankly, you are warned not to judge a book by its cover because we do it all the time. A video thumbnail is essentially the cover of the video, so it absolutely needs to be attractive. In fact, I would argue that the video thumbnail is the most important item that determines whether or not a visitor will play your video.
The best way to ensure that viewers will play your video is to use an image of a smiling human being making direct eye contact as the video thumbnail. Why? People engage with others. Another tip to take your thumbnails to the next level is to smile.
==Smile
Smiling is an outward manifestation of happiness and helps us begin to connect with others," says Adrian Farnham, Ph.D., organizational and applied psychologist.
#8: Post Frequently and Consistently
Yes, this can be hard to understand at first. After all, not every marketing team has a full-time videographer finishing content.
Fortunately, if you follow the advice in Tip #2 on building an in-house studio, scripting and creating a complete video can easily be integrated into your weekly workflow. Consistency is important because if you don't update your channel at all, or if you update four times a week and then go on hiatus for a month, your subscribers will not be able to continue subscribing.
If you're even remotely interested in SEO, you've probably heard of Moz, which does a great series called Whiteboard Fridays, weekly videos that explain SEO concepts on a crisp whiteboard.
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Not only are these videos very engaging and well done, they are consistent. They are called Whiteboard Fridays, and for good reason. If you can identify a recurring series like this, you can provide consistent video content to your subscribers, not only retaining current subscribers, but also attracting new subscribers and increasing video engagement.
#9: Invest in YouTube advertising
It's time to get out your wallet. Didn't think all these tips were free?
Take a deep breath. We're not asking for a lot of cash, but allocating a budget to promoting your YouTube channel is a surefire way to grow your subscription base. The Internet is a crowded space and it is about money. Therefore, it is important to invest a portion of your marketing budget in the channel.
YouTube allows you to highly customize your channel's advertising with a variety of ad formats, including
- Display ads
- Overlay ads
- Skippable and non-skippable video ads
- Bumper ads
- Sponsor cards
Similar to platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, YouTube also allows for targeting videos based on interests, demographics, and/or intended viewers.
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If you are new to the world of YouTube advertising, check out this post for additional tips.
#10: Promote your channel to relevant online communities
Whether it's Twitter chats, LinkedIn groups, Reddit, or another popular online community in your industry, you need to actively participate in these worlds and spread your video content if relevant.
Let's say you work for an accounting firm and are part of a conversation where people seem to be struggling with their taxes. This is a great opportunity to share helpful videos and showcase services that some of these taxpayers may take you up on.
#11: Encourage people to subscribe to your channel
Every parent out there understands the power of bribery. 'If you eat your veggies, I'll let you watch my iPad for 10 minutes before bed.' These are the words I have heard my sister say over and over to her sons.
Interestingly, bribery is not something we grow up with. In fact, it works very well for adults because it is human nature to love free stuff. Yes, you should bribe people to subscribe to your YouTube channel. It may sound silly, but it actually works.
== == To encourage people to subscribe, you can use the following two methods: 1.
There are two ways to encourage people to subscribe
- Conduct a cross-channel contest: This is one of the oldest marketing bribery tricks in the book, but it works amazingly well when done well. For example, let's say you own a bowling alley in town; create a contest to promote your business on Facebook and Instagram. The guidelines for winning a free night of dining and bowling include appreciating and commenting on Instagram posts and subscribing to your YouTube channel. Let contestants know that the link to their YouTube channel is in their Instagram biography (#linkinbio) so that they can easily navigate there and subscribe to their videos. And voila! Your YouTube subscription base has grown overnight.
- Encourage viewers to subscribe to your channel for additional video rewards: Another easy way to increase your channel subscriber base is to reach out to viewers who already have access to one of your YouTube videos. Obviously, they are already interested in your brand on some level, so why not use this opportunity to get them to subscribe? Make a subscriber-only giveaway: announce in your video that when they subscribe, they will receive a free e-book or a free one-month trial of your software. Of course, you must fulfill these promises, but this is an excellent way to get more subscribers in the door.
#12: Optimize your YouTube channel for search
Last but not least, and absolutely critical, make sure your YouTube videos are optimized to rank in search engineresults and in the results that users see when they search within YouTube.
While SEO for YouTube videos can be a bit complicated technically, there are some very simple steps you can take to ensure your videos are in proper SEO shape. These best practices include
- Create searchable titles: make sure to match your video to popular keywords and use the keywords you are targeting in your video title (you can use AdWords or a free keyword tool to easily research keywords and identify appropriate terms you can do). (People are looking for them). Also, make sure your title is not too long. We recommend keeping it to a maximum of 50 characters.
- Add transcripts to all videos: Video transcripts are an excellent way to make your videos more accessible to a wider audience and also help with SEO. Transcripts essentially act as page copy and provide indexable text for the video, allowing it to rank for more queries.
- Optimize your video description: In addition to stuffing keywords into this field, make sure your video content is engaging and well described, and use the most important keywords.
- Don't forget meta tags: meta tags are another way to add keywords to your video to make it easier to search. We recommend that you search for popular videos in your space and see what meta tags they are using. Again, do not overuse keywords here. Focus only on the most important words.
- Use YouTube hashtags: Use our guide to YouTube hashtags to get everything you need.
Ready to get more YouTube channel subscribers? Then get to work and make it happen!
To recap...
Here are the best ways to get subscribers to your channel on YouTube
- Remove old, low quality videos from your channel
- Write a great script, use the right equipment, and keep your videos short to maximize engagement
- Create a highly engaging channel trailer
- Edit your video to 5 minutes or less, and keep the attention for the first 10 seconds
- Stitch together shorter videos into a bang-up playlist
- Add a CTA-like exit screen or card to your YouTube video
- Create custom thumbnails, preferably featuring smiling faces
- Post new videos on a consistent schedule
- Promote your videos with YouTube ads
- Promote your videos on other social channels and communities
- Encourage people to subscribe with contests and giveaways
- Optimize your videos for search using video SEO techniques
