YouTube is undoubtedly one of the most popular media portals in the world. To put this observation into perspective, there are more than five BILLION video views on a daily basis and the average user spends up to 40 minutes browsing through their favorite content. This is why it is very surprising to learn that a weak nine percent of businesses have actually learned to leverage the digital clout associated with this channel.
If you have been less than satisfied with the results of your other social media marketing campaigns, YouTube could very well represent the holy grail of success in the coming year. Let’s take a look at how you will be able to gain more followers in order to monetize your efforts and experience greater online exposure. We will break this process down into a series of steps so the overall strategy is concise and transparent.
Quality Content is King
Much like Google, YouTube tends to shun “filler” content and material that fails to engage with the audience. There are two rules which should be generally followed:
– The content should be entertaining.
– It should provide some very real value in terms of guidance, insight or education.
Spurious and/or superfluous material will tend to fall upon deaf ears and as a result, your number of subscribers will suffer. Be sure that the content is valuable and it addresses the unique needs of your viewing audience. Another sign of quality content is your ability to present outbound links to authoritative websites. This illustrates a sense of authority; helping your channel to rank higher within the YouTube video results page.
A Balance Between Fresh and Evergreen
When creating a YouTube channel, many users will be forced to choose between fresh content and material that is evergreen (not associated with a specific time frame) in nature. While there is an ongoing debate in regards to which method is better, the fact of the matter is that your channel should contain a mixture of both. While fresh material will garner hits from new users, evergreen videos will provide you with a source of inbound interest over time. For example, take a look at the most popular YouTube channels, many of their videos are four or five years old. However, they continue to enjoy inbound hits due to their timeless sense of popularity.
The Power of Influencers
You may have heard of social media influencers when reading about pages such as Instagram and Facebook. This very same concept is just as applicable to the YouTube community. An influencer can be considered a type of digital “celebrity” due to the fact that he or she is supported by a great many followers. Obtaining their promotional services is a great way to boost the click-through rates of your personal channel. This is why we are witnessing a growing number of videos promoting a specific third-party product or service (such as a popular video game) before their own content begins playing. If you are looking to gain followers, YouTube influencers are great tools to consider.
Avoiding the Dreaded Sales Pitch
There is nothing worse than clicking on a video and feeling as if you are being sold something. This will immediately turn the viewer off to the remainder of your content and a potentially loyal fan could navigate elsewhere to find what it is that he or she is looking for. While you can certainly promote your own services, make sure that this is a passive approach and does not serve to alienate the viewer. To put this another way, no one likes a pushy salesperson; particularly those who are simply looking to view content.
Frequent Posts
One of the reasons why major YouTube personalities such as PewDiePie and Logan Paul have remained so popular is that they create posts on a regular (if not a daily) basis. Fresh content and frequent posts will help your channel rise within the search results and this type of viewer saturation is critical if you hope to gain more hits over time. Still, always keep in mind that the quality of the posts will have just as much of an impact upon the standing of your channel. Make sure that the content resonates with your viewer base.
On a final note, YouTube should never be used as a standalone marketing method. It is much more effective when used in conjunction with other portals such as your social media pages and static websites. Hyperlinking between these different sources is one of the best ways to use your marketing tactics in synergy with one another.
If you are hoping to increase your digital exposure in 2019, these suggestions should not be taken lightly. The popularity of YouTube continues to grow, so why not choose to use this upward momentum to your advantage?
