500 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube every minute. That may seem like a lot at first, but not when you consider the number of users, ad reach, and time spent watching video after video.
Now, YouTube has around 2.6 billion registered users and among those users around 200 million are watching videos on the platform daily. No other platform can boast engagement numbers and percentages like that! Not TikTok and certainly not Facebook.
What does this have to do with you as a business owner or entrepreneur? Well, before you talk yourself out of creating a YouTube channel and uploading videos because you think the platform is too saturated, think again. While it does take time to build up your YouTube channel and regardless of all the stories you’ve heard, no one has ever achieved legitimate overnight viral success. But it’s worth it, and you should get started today.
YouTube Has Evolved Beyond A Video Sharing Platform
YouTube is the top online source for video content. Sure, you’ve likely heard lately about how TikTok has exploded in users and reach, and they have. But let’s keep it in perspective.
TikTok has stated that they have 1.2 billion monthly users compared to YouTube’s 2 billion. While I’m not arguing that TikTok is huge and growing rapidly and can do a lot for most businesses, let’s consider the source for a minute. TikTok is owned by ByteDance which is controlled by the Chinese government, leading many cybersecurity experts to warn against its use, including the FBI.
This article isn’t going to touch on that, however. Instead, we’re going to focus on the simple fact that when a single government is in control of a platform, particularly a government with a history of exaggeration, should we take their numbers as fact?
YouTube is part of Google, a publicly listed company that must disclose its financials and figures regularly and be ready for external audits to verify those numbers.
According to third-party experts who analyze such metrics, the average YouTube viewer consumes roughly 18 minutes of video content daily on the platform. With a massive 70% of what users watch being suggested to them by the YouTube algorithm, meaning new channels have a higher likelihood of getting attention.
Now, TikTok claims that their average user spends 52 to 75 minutes on their platform watching video content. In January 2022 TikTok stated the average was 52 minutes. By October of this year, the company said it was 75 minutes. Considering the average TikTok is only 30 seconds, that means the average user is watching 104 to 150 TikToks daily. Now, I’ve asked around and haven’t found a single TikTok user that consumes that many daily.
But no matter what numbers you choose to believe, no one can deny that YouTube is still #1. They have the largest user base, engagement rates, diversity of content, and playlists. They’re also the world’s second-largest search engine.
That said, building an audience on YouTube isn’t easy. It’s going to take work, commitment, and a lot of consistency. And you must start out with realistic expectations. The first 10-12 months of a new YouTube channel doesn’t get much engagement. You’re not going to wake up and see that you scored 10,000 followers to your new channel with only seven videos on it, overnight. That doesn’t happen. Users won’t follow your channel until they see real value in your content and feel confident that you’re committed to the long-term growth of your channel.
So, how can you improve your chances of crafting a better YouTube channel as someone just starting out? Here are five tips to get you started strong:
1. You need to create quality content above all else.
Quality content is king on YouTube. If you’re going to upload a video, make sure it’s worth watching.
This means you’ll need to spend time researching topics that interest your viewers. Then, write down everything you’ve learned about those subjects.
When you’re done writing, think about what makes your content unique. What sets you apart from everyone else? How can you incorporate these elements into your next video?
After you’ve written down your thoughts, practice recording your voice over the script. Don’t worry about sounding professional yet. Just focus on speaking clearly and articulating your points.
Finally, record yourself talking about your topic. Upload the video to YouTube and see how it sounds. Does it sound natural? Do you sound confident?
If you feel comfortable with your performance, then you’re ready to go live. But don’t stop here. Continue practicing until you’re satisfied with your delivery. (see tip 5)
2. You’ll need to learn how to use keywords strategically.
Keywords are important when uploading videos to YouTube. They allow search engines to find your videos faster.
In fact, Google uses keywords to determine whether a video should appear on its results pages. This means that if you don’t include relevant keywords in your title and description, your video won’t show up in searches.
To optimize your channel, first identify the most common keywords related to your niche. Then, add these keywords to your title and description.
For example, if you run a dog grooming service, you may want to target terms such as “dog grooming,” “best dog groomer,” and “how to clean a dog.” I also suggest you add some locality specification to the tags if you’re a local business like “charlotte dog grooming”. After all, YouTube is a search engine as well, and many people looking for a service near them will use YouTube to find it.
Remember to include your brand name in your title and description. For instance, if you’re a pet store, you may want to mention your location (“Pet Store – 123 Main Street”) and contact information (“Pet Store – 123456789”).
You can also use hashtags (#) to help people discover your videos. Hashtags are like keywords, but they have more meaning than just words.
Hashtags are used to categorize different types of content. So, if you’re posting videos about dogs, you could tag them #dogs.
Then, other users who search for “#dogs” will be able to find your videos.
3. Once you have a handful of videos on your channel, you’ll need to promote your videos.
Promoting your videos is another key step toward growing your audience. To promote your videos, you can use social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.
These platforms provide free advertising opportunities, allowing you to reach millions of potential customers. Of course, these and other social media platforms have paid advertising options as well – if you want to go that route.
Once you’ve uploaded your videos, encourage your followers to subscribe to your channel. Make sure to update your subscribers with new videos regularly.
You can also ask your fans to leave comments on your videos. These comments will give you feedback on your content and help you grow your following.
Video promotion is one of the most effective ways to grow your channel.
Here are a couple ideas to promote your YouTube channel videos.
Create a call to action (CTA). This means adding a button at the end of each video that encourages viewers to subscribe to your channel. You can also add similar URLs to your video description.
Promote your videos through email. Email is still one of the most powerful tools marketers have. Include links to your videos in blogs and websites. Blogs and websites are great places to promote your videos. Add your videos to online communities. Online communities are groups of people who discuss topics together. They’re often found on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn, and many others.
And since these communities are full of people interested in similar things, including your topic, they are a great place to promote your videos.
Just remember that you should first be a helpful contributor to these sites and not just spam them with your video promotions.
4. You’re going to want to start building relationships with other YouTubers.
Influencer marketing is a powerful tool for growing your audience. An influencer is someone whose opinion matters to his or her followers.
By partnering with influential bloggers, vloggers, and podcasters, you can tap into their audiences and drive traffic back to your site.
There are several benefits to working with influencers:
- They often have larger audiences than you do.
- They tend to produce higher-quality content than regular YouTube stars.
- They’re usually willing to partner with brands and businesses.
To find influencers, simply browse YouTube channels that cover similar topics to yours. Once you’ve found a handful of candidates, send them a message asking if they’d be interested in collaborating. You can collaborate by each appearing on the other’s channel or perhaps taking a different approach but reach out and start to get yourself noticed by more popular players in your niche.
5. Consistency is EVERYTHING online, without it, your channel will never be taken seriously.
Consistency is key when creating a successful YouTube channel. The more consistent you are with your content; the more people will come back for more.
Create a schedule for posting videos. Set aside specific times each week to create new content.
Remember, consistency is a key to success on YouTube. Follow these steps, and you’ll soon be seeing the fruits of your labor.
My Quick Closing Statement
YouTube has become an incredibly popular platform for people looking to share their talents and passions online. It’s no wonder why; anyone who watches videos on YouTube knows that it offers a unique opportunity to connect with millions of viewers across the globe. However, creating a quality channel can be challenging. In fact, it can take a lot of hard work and dedication to create a channel that stands out among the rest.
My hope is that the five tips covered in this article will help you to create, build and maintain your YouTube channel with such consistency (and quality) that you’ll grow your channel followers in less than a year.
