Want more than views on Youtube? Of course you lot practice. You lot're a human with a pulse and a video to share! It's only natural.

YouTube is the world'southward 2d most visited website. More than two billion people utilise information technology every month — that'south ane-tertiary of all internet users. 74% of adults in the U.S. are watching videos at that place. (We could proceed, but you can read all the latest YouTube stats on your ain fourth dimension.)

We've compiled this guide to bespeak out all the easy wins that will amplify your brand'due south bulletin on YouTube, just we're besides going to item some of the more advanced techniques the pros use to get more YouTube views.

To see how we're getting views on our YouTube aqueduct (which we started from scratch, because yolo), check out our cool video:

Psst: If y'all're starting from scratch too, we have a primer on how to create a YouTube channel.

Now, let's become those views rolling!

Bonus: Download the gratis 30-day plan to grow your YouTube post-obit fast , a daily workbook of challenges that will aid y'all kickstart your Youtube channel growth and track your success. Get existent results after ane month.

What counts as a view on YouTube?

Each time a viewer intentionally initiates the playing of a video on their device and watches for at least 30 seconds, that counts as a view. Pretty unproblematic!

If you play your own video, that will exist counted as a view.

If a viewer watches your video more than one time, each screening volition be counted as a new view. (That beingness said, refreshing over and over once again to endeavor to game the arrangement volition be detected by Youtube.)

Whatsoever views that take identify with embedded Youtube videos or Youtube videos shared on Facebook will also exist counted.

Live views are counted on YouTube, too.

Youtube analytics are updated every day or two, so if yous're not seeing an instant reflection of your activity, check back afterwards.

What doesn't count as a view on Youtube?

Youtube's algorithm is designed to condone whatever plays that might look like they were automated. It just wants to count the number of times a real human watched your video on purpose.

Then when a single user or bot refreshes a video over and over, or if a website auto-plays a video, these views are not counted towards your total view numbers.

sixteen means to get more YouTube views

Globally, people watch over ane billion hours of YouTube every unmarried day. If you want to stand out from the crowd and snag some of those eyeballs, here's how to do information technology.

1. Ensure your YouTube basics are up to snuff

Start nosotros walk, and then nosotros run. Accept a wait at your fundamentals and brand certain you've ticked all the boxes. Read our listing of beginner tips for YouTube, then come back to dig into our advanced tactics.

Your basic YouTube housekeeping includes:

  • A consistent visual identity (your channel icon, YouTube channel art, like in the Rupaul's Drag Race case below, etc.)
  • A completed and informative Virtually section (unless you are a breakout YouTube star like Joana Ceddia)
  • Upwardly-to-date contact information (so all your potential customers and future brand partners can go far impact)

RuPaul's Drag Race YouTube channel description

Source: Rupaul'due south Drag Race

2. Naught in on your specific niche (and your ideal audience)

If you're aiming to optimize your YouTube marketing strategy, you want to become precise and ruthlessly selective about your goals—and the content that will become you lot at that place.

Considering y'all aren't making videos for everyone. Yous're here for someone special: your audience.

Yoga with Adriene has thrived because she makes ultra-specific videos with titles similar "Yoga for Joy" and "Yoga for Courage," and fifty-fifty releases versions of her videos in Spanish. She's just i of the thousands of Youtube yoga instructors, walking people through poses, but her ultra-inclusive concepts and attitude have struck a chord — she's got about 10 million subscribers.

Pro tip: Have you worked up your audience personas yet? They're kind of similar Dungeons & Dragons characters, except make it concern.

three. Do your research, and improve your video's search ranking

Yes, YouTube is a social platform, but it'due south likewise a search engine. And i of the top strategies for getting more views is YouTube SEO, i.e. optimizing your videos for search.

In other words, when your platonic viewer types in your chosen keywords, you lot want your video ranking nearly the height of YouTube's results list. That means y'all need to know what your audience is looking for—tutorials, inspiration, or amusement.

YouTube results list keyword ranking

Ranking in search results is the best fashion to get brand new optics—not just subscribers and people who are already interested in your channel (although we'll talk more about them later) — on your videos.

Only, this is easier said than done. So, what can you do to improve your videos' search ranking on YouTube?

Inquiry. You're going to want to use a tool like Google Keyword Planner (note that yous'll need to ready a Google Ads account) to do two things:

  • Observe inspiration for your adjacent video based on what people are already looking for (i.e., have a look at search patterns and see what keywords have a lot of search queries, but few videos, a.k.a. depression contest)
  • Take those relevant keywords and use them in your metadata (i.e., your video title, tags, video description text, subtitles)

Pro tip: If you oasis't already, now is the fourth dimension to familiarize yourself with how the YouTube algorithm works. This AI determines not just search results, only recommendations for that important "what'southward upwardly next" suggested videos sidebar, too.

Just remember that information technology all comes back to your platonic viewer: the algorithm doesn't care if your video is "good," information technology cares if a specific user wants to watch information technology. That beingness said, users typically desire to watch "skillful" videos.

4. Use metadata to get recommended subsequently a pop video

If your goal is to get more YouTube views, take a cue from the near popular videos in your niche.

Start past taking a look at your peak competitor'south most popular video. (Become to their video library and sort by "most popular.")

YouTube's master goal is to continue viewers on the platform for as long as possible (so that they'll see every bit many ads equally possible.) Thus the algorithm's job is to feed viewers one (hopefully appealing) video after another.

But how does YouTube figure out what people might similar? The algorithm takes the following into consideration:

  • Videos that are frequently watched together
  • Videos the user has watched in the past
  • Topically related videos (which requires some keyword finessing!)

The just bespeak you tin command here is the third.

So when you're choosing keywords, recall similar a librarian. Depict your video's topic and describe its overall category, and remember of other words a person might use to search for that topic. (Cheque out more tips on constructive YouTube descriptions and keywords here.)

Demand a little inspo? You tin can actually peek behind the scenes of a competitor's video to run across what keywords they use by right-clicking on the webpage and selecting View Page Source. And so CTRL-F "keywords" until y'all find the list.

popular video keywords

Simply before y'all go ahead and only copy-and-paste a more than popular video's metadata over to your similar video, think about your audience: they won't desire to sentinel the aforementioned video once more. Maybe the first video raised a new question that needs answering, or there'south an interesting tangent to be explored. How can your video add together value to what they but saw so that they'll desire to click on it?

Take the brawl and run with it.

v. Increase your views with custom thumbnails

When your potential viewers are in discovery fashion—skimming through search results and recommendations—thumbnails are a major role of what they decide what to picket.

custom video thumbails

While a lot of advice out there is a graphic designer'southward nightmare — screaming fonts, cluttered information — let's get objective: what are the properties of an effective thumbnail?

  • The thumbnail is clear and accurate about the video it's describing (if your thumbnail misleads people into clicking, YouTube will know because your spotter time will go downward when the viewer gets bellyaching and stops watching. The algorithm won't like that.)
  • The thumbnail stands out.
  • The thumbnail works in tandem with the video's title.

'Standing out' can be as uncomplicated as picking a bright colour. Or making sure your giant hello-res face is making a weird expression in good lighting. Or, if your niche is full of shrill, high-key visuals, and the all-time manner your aqueduct can stand out is by being the calm, minimalist vocalisation of reason.

vi. Multiply your views by creating playlists

Organizing and creating video playlists on YouTube is the best way to minimize the chances that a viewer volition motion on to another aqueduct once they've consumed your content.

Why? Considering playlists go by the aforementioned rules every bit Netflix: equally soon as one video ends, the adjacent begins.

Since you've already done the difficult work of helping your viewer find your video, click on it and watch the entire thing, information technology makes sense to guide them towards the video content they're going to want next.

J.J. McCullough's YouTube content covers a range of cultural commentary, and then he'due south divvied everything upwardly nicely into thematic playlists. His fans who love his content on globe leaders (and who wouldn't?!) will be served up hit after hitting.

J.J. McCullough playlists

7. Direct traffic to your videos using cards and end screens

Besides playlists, cards and terminate screens are two of the just tools that YouTubers can use to bypass the algorithm and directly influence our audience's next selection.

Cards are clickable, interactive areas that announced any fourth dimension during the video. They come up in a variety of formats that can exist used for things like fundraising or selling merch, but in this instance, we're interested in increasing views, and then choose a menu that links to some other one of your videos — or fifty-fifty meliorate, playlists.

(Notation: cards aren't available to use on videos identified as for kids.)

Cards are popular-ups, then it'due south very important that they add together value. You don't want viewers feeling spammed. The videos or playlists you link to demand to be relevant to the moment and provide additional data or entertainment.

For a super-meta example, cheque out how this All About Cards video has a card itself nigh learning about dissimilar kinds of cards.

Pro tip: If you accept a noticeable retentivity problem with significant audition drop-off at a specific betoken in ane of your videos, try inserting a link carte du jour at that moment.

Meanwhile, stop screens are visual calls-to-action that you can add to the finish of your video (in the last 5 to 20 seconds) to encourage viewers towards a side by side pace. They're valuable because you know if a person has reached the bitter cease of your video, they are probably pretty interested in your swell content.

Using end screens to encourage viewers to subscribe to your aqueduct or visit your website are both proficient choices. But if you want more views, using your end screen to promote your other videos or playlists is the best choice.

(Notation that to use end screens, you lot'll need to include a few extra seconds at the cease of your video when y'all're editing information technology.)

Youtuber SssniperWolf features terminate cards that directly to iv more of her videos. It's like a cull your own take chances for… any her shtick is.

SssniperWolf end cards with related videos

8. Become beyond the how-to video (i.due east., make videos no ane else is making)

Chances are, when you're researching your target keywords (like nosotros did dorsum at point #3), you lot're going to see a lot of search terms that involve the phrase "how to." (The title of this article included, ahem.) This is because there's a lot of search volume for how-to content.

Simply while you must work to attract new eyes, you lot also want to make time to preach to the converted. On YouTube, your brand'south value-added features come in the course of content that is meaningful to people who are already your fans.

Youtube chef Tabitha Brownish, for case, doesn't only share her vegan nachos recipe… she sits down with her hubby to talk about their relationship, giving fans an intimate await into her personal life. (And if they happen to get inspired to whip upward their own batch of guac in the process? That'south a bonus.)

ix. Build relationships with your viewers

"Audience date" is only some other term for building relationships. The finish goal here, of course, is really just the realistic, organic and sustainable path to getting more than YouTube views.

That is, engaging with other YouTubers (creators or commenters both) will increment the chance that they'll care about your make, that they'll subscribe to your channel (come across #12), and spotter more of your videos overall.

Bonus: Download the free thirty-twenty-four hours plan to grow your YouTube post-obit fast , a daily workbook of challenges that will help y'all kickstart your Youtube channel growth and track your success. Get real results later on one month.

Get the free guide right at present!

Ideas for breaking the fourth wall, and creating a two-style conversation might include:

  • Answer to comments (it's polite!)
  • Run a YouTube contest
  • Make reaction videos
  • Include other people's content in your videos (with their permission)

Pro tip: This tutorial on how to engage your customs on YouTube using Hootsuite'due south comment and sharing features will save y'all time as you build your audition.

10. Partner upwardly

Crossovers, guest appearances, mash-ups, covers: people honey that jolt of unfamiliar familiarity. Find the He-Man to your brand'south She-Ra; and the Billy Ray Cyrus to your Lil Nas X.

Maybe yous're a brand with a budget, and hiring a creator with their own post-obit is an obvious choice. Only if you're a creator or aspiring influencer yourself, getting more than views is your first footstep on the way to making money on YouTube, not spending it. In which case your best bet is to partner with like-minded creators.

Ideally, your potential partners are adequately aligned in values, popularity, and charm. And you really similar them. And yous have fun together, and it shows, and it makes people happy to see yous happy, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Easy, right?

This video is similar a super crossover: two drag queens plus eastward.50.f. cosmetics plus Chipotle all go far on the mix. The cross-promotion opportunities are quadrupled, past our count.

Pro tip: If y'all practise a crossover that involves a bunch of different videos—like one from your partner's perspective to live on their channel, and one by you to live on yours, and maybe some supporting outtakes, any necessary groundwork, etc.—make a playlist to compile them so that interested viewers can stan information technology all.

11. Promote your YouTube videos across all your social media channels

You're going to desire to leverage all of your social media might to promote your YouTube aqueduct.

Only, if you want more YouTube views, DON'T practice the post-obit:

  • Go to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok and mail text or an epitome with a link to your YouTube video. Linking to YouTube makes objective sense, but the problem is that social platforms desire to keep people on their platform (just like YouTube does). Then their algorithms will not promote a text-only post with an off-platform link. In other words, your impressions and CTR are going to be low, and so volition your YouTube views.
  • Upload your entire video onto those platforms. This is what Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter want you to do (IGTV is a directly competitor for YouTube, don't @ me). Posting your full video volition probably get you great date and reach on those platforms. But organic Facebook video views aren't monetizable, are they? And they aren't going to go you YouTube views.

Promote your video by doing this instead:

  • Post a short teaser video to your social accounts as native video, and add a link to the full video back on YouTube.

Notation that yous are not going to desire to post the aforementioned thing across your social channels.

Fiscal counsellor Max Mitchell puts a little trailer for his money-themed Youtube videos on his Instagram feed to pique interest, and links to the total video in his bio.

Pro tip: Short of hiring an assistant to handle your social media, a scheduling tool like Hootsuite is the all-time manner to craft and schedule those posts for your followers.

12. Enquire your viewers to subscribe to your channel

Your subscriber count corresponds to your organic reach on YouTube. The more subscribers your channel has, the more views your videos volition get right off the bat when you striking publish.

Particularly if those subscribers have their notifications turned on.

Growing your subscriber count is its own challenge with its own tactics, but i that is intertwined with increasing your views. For that reason, we accept a full guide on how to become more YouTube subscribers.

Information technology's common practice to ask viewers to "like and subscribe" as a sign-off in a video, but many YouTubers — like beauty pro Patricia Bright — even include this call to action equally a visual at the end, also.

Patricia Bright like and subscribe call to action

13. Enable embedding

Give your fans a take a chance to help spread the good word about your work by enabling embedding. The more than fresh eyeballs come across your video, the more views yous rack upwardly (and mayhap even snag a new subscriber or two in the process).

To enable embedding, get to Youtube Studio and click Content. Select your video and tap Edit. Select Embedding, and toggle on or off.

channel content embedding YouTube Studio

14. Amp up the spotter time

While Youtube counts anything over 30 seconds as a view, in that location are benefits to getting viewers to stick effectually longer.

If you can go people to watch your video for longer, Youtube will learn that you've got some content with quality. And videos with college Sentinel Time are favored by the Youtube algorithm, giving you a leg up in the recommendation engine.

audience retention analytics

15. Transcribe your videos

Calculation captions to your videos helps hearing-impaired viewers follow along, and makes your content more appealing to the 69 percentage of people who watch mobile video with the sound off.

Having a transcript also makes translation an option, opening your video up to international audiences. Global views! Can you imagine!?

Youtube's aid page can walk you footstep-by-step through only how to prep your transcript file — you only need a .txt document.

YouTube transcript file

xvi. Post your video at the right time

Dropping your video at the exact moment your biggest audience of subscribers is online ways that they'll all receive that sweet, sweet "new mail" warning right when it goes live.

But what if that's in the middle of the dark? Or while you're on vacation? That's where the power of a scheduling tool similar Hootsuite comes in. Tee your video upward to go out at the verbal predetermined time of your option to fit with your content calendar, and then keep and live your life.

Grow your YouTube audience faster with Hootsuite. Schedule videos and moderate comments in the same place you manage all your other social networks. Try information technology free today.

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