Have you wondered why YouTube vloggers are able to lead the best lives?
Why they are able to enjoy the best travel experiences, cars, tech products, and lifestyle?
They are able to do this as they have successfully learned the art of mastering their passion for income.
With a little bit of help, you too will be able to rise up the ranks and enjoy their lifestyle. All it needs is the right YouTube strategy, dedication, discipline, a little bit of luck, and a captivating logo. Luckily, for the last one, the solution to your problem is here.
In this article, we will tell you how you can promote your YouTube channel for free.
Let us start with some statistics.
According to Hootsuite, YouTube is the second most visited social platform on the web after Facebook.
With nearly 2 billion active users per month, being on YouTube has become necessary for any brand or marketer.
In the USA alone, people on YouTube are now spending an average of 6 hours daily! If that does not motivate you to start your YouTube channel, I do not know what will.
However, according to me, YouTube is more potent than Facebook as a social platform because-
There are several other reasons why YouTube has emerged as a powerful platform. However, its affinity to Google and the favors from Google should be reason alone for you to embark on your YouTube journey.
The statistics favoring YouTube are not some secret. Almost every brand and marketer is aggressively promoting his or her content on YouTube. No matter what the industry, there are at least a hundred different authority YouTube channel.
These guys are not just uploading videos regularly, but also promoting it by pumping in huge marketing budgets. Not to mention the experts that are at their disposal when it comes to-
In short, they are doing quality work!
For you to stand out and establish your channel, you will need some tips that will help you succeed. Let us be honest, you will not be able to match the marketing budgets of some of the biggest brands. You will not be able to match their social media following.
So what do you do? Should you sit there and let your passion and ambition go to waste? You definitely should not. I am here to help you. By strategically promoting your YouTube channel, you can succeed. The best part about all the tips and tricks- you can do it FREE!
Since this is not a guide on starting a YouTube channel, I will not get into the basics. Rather, I would jump right into the best ways to promote your YouTube channel.
In the previous sections, we have outlined the benefits of YouTube for brands and marketers. We have also listed the competition already there on YouTube. Let us now look at some ways in which you can stand out on YouTube by promoting your content free.
If your passion is automobiles, reviewing cars is just not going to cut it. However, within the auto industry, you can look for a niche. For example, your niche can be reviewing electric cars or hybrid cars. Yes, there will be competition here as well, but it will at least be not generic.
According to Google, people’s search patterns are becoming more and more specific. Content overload and the information revolution are to be blamed or credited for this. By creating your niche, you will reach out to an engaged and specific user base.
(Our Tip- Use Google Keywords strategically, and see the search volumes for a niche category)
If you are doing just one thing- creating videos, I am assuming you have already done fair research. Use the same research and put it into text. Have a review blog with embedded YouTube videos. WordPress Blogs are free, and if you do your research, you will find a great design in no time.
This will help you reach out to larger audiences. This will also help you drive traffic from your blog to the YouTube channel. By creating two avenues with the same content, you will be helping more audiences. I am sure; some of your competitors are not doing that.
(Our Tip- Do not post entire videos on your blog. Just post a minute or two. Encourage users to view the full video on your YouTube channel).
The social media world is an ecosystem. You cannot choose one platform and ignore the others (including your blog). Your ‘business’ should have a social media presence. You do not need to be on all platforms. However, I personally recommend Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat.
These platforms serve both purposes- wider audiences and target audiences. The key is to grow your audience by posting regularly. Again do not post entire videos, snippets will do. Encourage audiences to visit your YouTube channel and blog for the complete package.
(Our Tip- Use Stories Aggressively! Post BTS footage, employee footage on stories as much as you can. This will create the hype and curiosity for your final video product).
Keywords play a major role in helping you climb not only Google’s SERPs, but also YouTube’s SERPs. Yes, it is a thing. By using free keyword planners, you can find out which keywords are ranking and which have the highest search volumes. You need to use this effectively, before planning and starting the content creation process.
The same goes with regard to titles. The title of your video cannot be an afterthought. It needs to be defined at the very outset. Short titles of not more than 60 characters work the best. I would request you to use the keyword in the title itself.
(Our Tip- Use keywords, not only in the title but also in the description section of the video).
Never go for a half-baked approach when it comes to filling out the profile requirements. You need to fill out every field, to the best of your abilities. Creating a catchy profile helps you grow your audience on YouTube. It also helps you appear professional and serious. These small things matter a lot in the end.
Another thing that you can do is to provide information about the video in the description section. This should be informative, descriptive, and have continuity to the user’s journey. Yes, you should always mention the ‘like and subscribe’ CTA, along with giving social links to your pages.
(Our Tip- Ask users to visit your blog for more information and complete statistics or figures. This will help redirect some traffic from your YouTube channel to your blog).
The best YouTube vloggers always maintain a direct relationship with their audiences, no matter how big they get. Studies have shown that more people are likely to comment on YouTube videos than on social media pages. This gives you an opportunity but also possesses a challenge.
If you are starting out, everyone who is commenting on your video is a probable repeat viewer. You need to reply to each comment personally and start mini threads. This process should be replicated on your social platforms and blog sections as well.
(Our Tip- Pin something catchy, controversial, freebie, giveaway right on top of the comments section. This will set the tone of the thread, and interest people to participate).
This is obvious, but it still needs to be said. If you are going to do it seriously, do it the right way. This is your foundation. Videos should be well shot, crisp, and edited well enough. One thing that I have noticed that most vloggers compromise on is noise modulation.
There is a lot of free video editing software on the market. Blender, Filmora, and others help you get most of the functions done while not compromising on quality. You need to dedicate the maximum amount of time to this function. You do not need to create videos every day. Create a video once a week, but make sure it is stellar enough.
(Our Tip- Creative Texts on Videos in the form of Infographics, Rankings, Pros, and Cons help convey information better.)
Read more: How To Use Video Content For Best Results on Social Media
You cannot have just one form of video content on your site. You need to mix it up. This involves creating video sections on News, Reviews, Comparisons, User Video Reviews, YouTube Live, and other things.
You should also follow YouTube’s guidelines stringently. Do not ever try to manipulate YouTube or Google. You will not escape, no matter how big you are. This includes following their video guidelines, text guidelines, and monetary policies. It is always best to stay under the radar.
(Our Tip- After you have created some videos, start-creating playlists on those videos. This helps audiences, and adds to your video offerings).
YouTube ‘Vlogging community’ is a serious community. Once you have started out and gained some traction, Take your channel to the next step by inviting some guests for Q&A sessions, the review helps, and other interactions. This will help bump up your presence incredibly.
Always remember that the digital is an ecosystem. Staying aloof will not get you anywhere. You need to be approachable, humble, and engaging at all times. By asking for help, you will be doing well for your brand. Rejection will happen, that is a given, but you need to still have a once-a-month kind of a feature going on.
(Our Tip- Do not go for the Mega-Influencers at the start. Try to look for smaller YouTube influencers, and start building a community).
According to my, this tip is priceless. Changes are not going to happen overnight. You will need to keep following the other 9 tips for at least six months to see a spike in your subscriber base. Monetizing your channel or brand sponsoring you will take time. Please do not throw in the towel.
However, I promise you that if you are following the above strategies, you will see a bump in your results. No matter how discouraging it gets, please stick with your strategy and commitment. Almost every successful YouTube vlogger has gone through the same. You re no different.
(Our Tip- Create meaningful outreach with brands. Do not have any monetary transactions at the start. Approach them with just usage of the product in exchange for free promotion).
The above ten pointers do not exist in isolation from one another. You need to do each one of them simultaneously. However, it is up to you to prioritize which strategy is important for you at a given time.
Being the owner of a successful YouTube channel takes hard work, commitment, and dedication. This is at least true for the start. Audiences are always looking for better options and content. If your channel offers that to them, they will come, like, and subscribe.
Fifteen years ago, converting your passion and getting to be a millionaire in the process was impossible. With YouTube, this possibility can easily become a reality.
Do let me know if you would want to add to the above list. I am human, and can always miss a thing or two. If you want to know more on YouTube strategies please feel free to reach out to me: [email protected]
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Mashum Mollah is an entrepreneur, founder and CEO at Viacon, a digital marketing agency that drive visibility, engagement, and proven results. He blogs at BloggerOutreach.io.
