As the uploading bar fills, you can almost taste it. The percentages are 40%, 70%, 90%, and eventually 100%. Your most recent video is now available, sweetheart! This one is bound to go viral. I’m going to be famous on YouTube – but nothing happens. Days pass, and there are a few views, which isn’t a horrible number; it’s just that… it didn’t blow up.
It’s simple to fantasise about PewDiePie numbers and personalised T-shirts with your face on them, but YouTube is a difficult place to succeed. If you want to be noticed, you’ll need to make sure you’ve covered all of your bases, and real YouTube video promotion is only one of them. YouTube provides many tools for artists to make the most of their videos, but are we using them to their full potential?
Here are some free ways to advertise your video.
1 – Make Good Use of the Cards System
These are the rectangles with CTAs that you see in YouTube videos all the time. They were created to connect to other websites, but they can be used in a variety of ways. Make the most of them; they’re adaptable and simple to use.
They can be used to promote other videos.
Other channels can be linked to;
Make restitution;
Alternatively, for humorous purposes.
Use the cards on older content to connect back to a particular video you want to promote.
The community team behind the online game Smite used the YouTube cards system to produce a series of ‘choose your own adventure’ films for their channel. At the end of each clip, there are two alternatives that affect the plot in different ways. Each card links to a separate video, which is how they did it. It was twice as much labour, but it paid off. The innovative method garnered 40K views on its first day online.
2 – Create an attractive thumbnail
Every video on YouTube can have a custom thumbnail added to it. These are preferable to the typical ‘frame’ because they allow you to have greater control over the first impression your video makes on viewers.
Format:
- 1280 x 720 resolution (width of at least 640 pixels)
- JPG, GIF, BMP, or PNG formats
- The maximum file size is 2MB.
- The recommended aspect ratio is 16:9.
There is no magic formula for designing the perfect thumbnail, but keep it relevant to your content (you don’t want to mislead people), include faces (they engage people more than photographs without them), and use language as a general rule. The text on the thumbnail is more readable than the text below it.
Whether you like them or not, the Fine Brothers are masters of YouTube. Though their thumbnails are a little busy for my taste, they give you everything you need to know. The subject is depicted not only in photographs but also in writing, and you can see the people who will be in the video.
To upload customised thumbnails, you must have a confirmed YouTube account.
3 – Create an interesting headline
The relevance of titles for YouTube videos is similar to that of blog entries. To make a decent title for your video, incorporate the term you’re targeting and write it in a captivating way that doesn’t border on “clickbait.” Make sure you always portray what visitors will see accurately, otherwise they will click away, which is never a good thing.
Note:
Keep in mind that YouTube titles are limited to 60 characters.
Inappropriate language or content that violates YouTube’s terms of service may be removed.
Advertisers avoid certain words and phrases. Be cautious about what you put in your titles.
Film Theorists, a YouTube channel, does an excellent job with their headlines. Notice how they start with the phrase ‘Film Theory’ and then go into detail about the individual clip. If there is one issue, it is that the titles are often excessively long and are trimmed at the end.
4 – Improve your description
I see channels committing cardinal faults in this domain on a regular basis. This isn’t the place to stuff keywords, and it’s certainly not the place to leave blank (you’d be shocked). Instead, always include a well-written description of your film in this section. Make use of your keywords in a natural manner.
Because the first sentences will appear in the suggested list and above the fold, put the most important information first. When you watch a YouTube video, you’ll notice a ‘Show more’ link that, when clicked, reveals further information. Everything that isn’t important should go there.
5 – Spam your family and friends
Maybe not exactly “spam,” but let them know you’ve posted a new video and would appreciate it if they could share it with their connections. Begin communicating with your friends and family via Facebook, WhatsApp, or email. If you haven’t already, this would be an excellent time to let them know that you’re serious about your YouTube career.
In your description, include hashtags. These will aid in the discovery of your videos. Grace Helbig utilises the hashtag #LWYMMD in the next screenshot to make the video more accessible to individuals looking for information about Taylor Swift’s single.
7 – Post the video on your blog or website (if you have one)
To make your movie as visible as possible, embed it into your main page or latest post. If you don’t already have a website or blog, now is a good time to start. A video, according to 90% of marketers, is the most engaging sort of content available. If you’re serious about your YouTube career, you’ll need to make one at some point. Consider where you’ll direct them to purchase your goods.
8 – Make a playlist with the video
YouTube playlists, like music playlists, allow you to organise content into groupings. If you’re a gamer, you might want to segment your content into different types of games or Let’s Plays. Playlists are useful because they can be accessed using a search engine and because they allow users to ‘binge’ watch content. This means they’ll spend more time on your channel and generate more views for you.
Deligracy is an Australian YouTuber who is best known for her Sims 4 videos, but she also likes to make films about other video games and even her daily life. She has developed nice playlists where her films can be accessed according to a theme in order to keep everything organised. Her Sims 4 videos have become so successful that she has made multiple playlists within that genre.
It seems absurd to include this recommendation on the list in today’s world. You have, after all, already shared the video on social media! While this may seem self-evident, it is important to remember the unique characteristics of each network.
Facebook and Twitter
Don’t forget to pin it at the top. This is possible on both platforms, and it makes it much easier for viewers to find your most recent video.
Google + and Pinterest should not be overlooked
Yes, Google + is still around, and because they’re owned by the same folks, it works perfectly with YouTube. Also, did you know that you can use Pinterest to publish videos? Yes, that is now a thing. It might be a good idea to go there as well, depending on your target audience. This is how you do it.
10 – Incorporate a call to action
Do you want your video to go viral? Encourage your audience to do so. Most YouTubers include a call to action at the end of their videos, but Philip DeFranco stands out because he is continually asking people to subscribe, watch his other videos, and participate in conversations in the comments section. He employs cards and animations to convey his point, but simply looking at the camera and saying what you want is sufficient.
