There is no denying it ‒ video is now the future of content marketing. On average, YouTube receives 1 billion unique visitors per month, and is considered as the second largest search engine next to Google.

Videos give you access to a broader audience. It is becoming key to satisfy people’s information and entertainment needs. Therefore, businesses and brands that fail to include video in their current online marketing strategy will do so at their own risk.

In this post, we will give you 10 actionable tips on how to boost your YouTube presence to get more leads, subscribers, views, and sales.

1. Research Relevant Keywords

Do you want your YouTube channel to stand out? Start with great SEO.

When you have a solid understanding of SEO, you will know what your audience is looking for.

Here’s the thing, people do not just look up videos on YouTube. They also use Google as well. Also, more than ever, Google is prioritizing videos over any other content for most of its searches.

Here are effective tips on how to look for Google-friendly keywords for any type of video content:

• Know all the possible keywords using Google Ads Keyword Planner.
• Then, Google for your options online. Search the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) for every keyword. Are the top results video or written content?
• If necessary, tweak your keywords and then try again. Consider adding the phrase “How to” if you have a hard time looking for video results.
• Choose a keyword that will prioritize video and will suit your content well.

2. Use Descriptive Titles

The title will be one of the first things that people will see when they browse your content. So make it punchy.

Here are some effective ways on how you can create a title that stands out:

• Keep it short and sweet. Do you know that the most popular videos on YouTube have the shortest titles? Ideally, stick to 60 characters or less. If it is more than that, your title will get cut off if displayed.
• Place your keywords on the title’s first half. It is to avoid losing valuable information. A lot of readers focus on the beginning of the sentence and then skip out the rest.
• Keep in engaging. The best headlines create an emotional reaction. While going for click bait can be sometimes tempting, it can damage your reputation in the long run.
• Use YouTube’s autocomplete feature. Search for a specific topic or theme, then see the title the YouTube will suggest.

3. Optimize Your Profile Description

A lot of YouTubers skip this part and dive straight in the actual content creation process. But optimizing your profile description is one of the best ways to stand out. It also optimizes your video for search engines.

Your YouTube channel description is one of the best places to add your keywords. YouTube penalizes “tag stuffing” though. But adding a couple of keywords would not hurt and can go a long way.

4. Know Your Audience

YouTube is still a social media channel. Therefore, it warrants interaction.

So, if you are just passively posting videos without encouraging comments and discussions from your audience, you are completely missing out.

YouTube rewards channels with excellent engagement. This includes the channel’s total watch time, likes/dislikes, and comments. So, as much as you can, try to respond to the comment that you receive and ask people to engage with them.

5. Establish Your Brand

Once you added all the required information, focus on the overall branding and appearance of your channel.

Your branding is important because it adds a bit of personality in your channel, helping you stand out. Here are a couple of graphics on your channel that you can personalize:

• Thumbnail of your channel
• Video watermark
• Channel Banner
• Video intros and outros
• Custom thumbnails for videos

6. Utilize Social Media Platforms

Another excellent way of promoting your videos is on social media. You can promote your video on various social media channels like Reddit, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and so on.

Do your research first, and know where your target audience are. Then, select the social media network that works best for you.

7. Optimize Your Thumbnails

Do you know that thumbnails matter more than titles? Well, it is because the human brain is hardwired to process visual information over texts first.

So, to boost your views, make an eye-catching thumbnail for every video that you post. To get the optimal results, follow these guidelines:

• Size: 2MB limit
• Format: JPG, GIF, BMP, or PNG
• Resolution: 1280 x 720 px
• Utilize highly contrasting images
• Select a close-up image
• Always be consistent with your branding

8. Use Your YouTube Cards Properly

Previously, we mentioned that YouTube rewards channels that keep viewers on their pages for extended periods.

Longer watch times means that your audience is more engaged with your content.

By placing YouTube cards, you can place recommended videos at the point where viewers are dropping off. Although they might abandon the current video, they will still be compelled to watch your other content, and therefore stay on your channel.

This helps boost your page ranking over time.

9. Use Subscribe and Push Notifications

Promote your channel as a whole, as well as your videos. Link your account and push for subscribers. That way, your videos will rank higher on YouTube and Google search.

10. Upload More Frequently

Although it might be a bit daunting at first, you need to boost your posting frequency by posting at least one video per week.

Consistency is key here. So it is best to stick with a schedule and publish a video at the same day or time. Also, keep your subscribers updated if you have upcoming videos.

Over to You

Hopefully, you have found these tips that we have discussed will be helpful in your current strategy. Growing your YouTube channel will require constant work from the beginning. It might take some time to gain some viewers (and eventually, brand partnerships). But if you persevere, you will likely to succeed in the long run.

This article is contributed by Bryan Mixon, owner of AmazeLaw.com, who is also known forFacebook advertising agencies.

Have an interesting article or blog to share with our readers? Let’s get it published