YouTube in 5 Easy Steps: (Step 5) Build Your Subscriber Base
When it comes to growing an audience, there are a few easy things you can do to give your channel the best chance at being successful.
First, you’ll want to consistently work on creating a strong backend. This means that the more video content you can publish, the better.
Providing subscribers with a ton of content to consume will keep them on your channel longer and will work towards facilitating the process of converting a visitor into a loyal subscriber.
So, work on building up your library of content. This is why creating a content schedule is so important. Decide on whether you plan to create one video a week, every other week, or once a month – the choice is yours. But keep in mind that when you’re in the initial stages of creating a channel, you’ll need to put more time and energy into creating more content just so your audience has enough to engage with.
So, consider spending a few weeks (maybe even months) creating content for your channel before you publish. That way you can provide enough upfront to keep people engaged.
Tip: Subscribers prefer channels that provide fresh, new content on a regular basis. You can set yourself up for long-term success without becoming overwhelmed by creating content in batches and then stock-piling it for future release.
That way, you’re able to take breaks in between to recharge while still having fresh content to upload.
You should also include a direct call-to-action in both your video content itself as well as in the description. Don’t be afraid to ask viewers to subscribe, like, and turn on notifications for your channel. Not everyone will understand how YouTube works so remind them that they need to subscribe in order to be notified when new content is available.
In addition, people like to support new channels so if you directly ask people to subscribe, comment and like your video, because it helps your channel grow, chances are they’ll do it!
You could also end your video with a question or request for feedback. This will encourage people to leave comments which will signal to YouTube that your channel is growing and that it should be shown more frequently. The more activity a channel gets, the more often it’ll appear in search results.
You can also organize your channel’s content in order to help people find what they’re looking for. Consider setting up playlist style arrangements that organize your content based on topic or style. Your subscribers will appreciate it and chances are they’ll binge a lot more content if they run through video playlists.
You should also be on the lookout for ways to network and cross-promote with other channel owners.
Give a shout-out to another channel or consider providing links in your video content to other channels. This will get you on the radar of established channels that may be open to networking!
Just the same, look for opportunities to be a guest on relevant channels.
This can be done a few different ways including by collaborating on just one video, two separate videos that are pieced together (where you create one part of the video and someone else creates another part of it), or by creating content exclusively for another channel as a way of introducing your brand to their audience while giving the creator fresh content to publish.
When it comes to reaching out to other channel creators when looking for possible collaborations, you can easily connect with them through their social media accounts, through email, or directly through their video comments or blog.
Just be careful when approaching channel owners so that you’re highlighting what’s in it for them (free content, etc.).
In addition, you should spend some time engaging with their content, following their channel, and studying what it is that they do.
That way, when you reach out to them you can show that you’re familiar with their content and brand and explain why you believe a collaboration would be mutually beneficial.
Conclusion
Creating a successful YouTube channel isn’t rocket science, but it does require time, commitment and focus. In the early months, you’ll likely be creating more content than you will later, to build up your backend inventory and cultivate a following quickly.
Later, you’ll be able to ease back and produce fewer videos with a longer lifespan.
So, create a content schedule that you feel you can stick to. Condition subscribers to expect content at certain times each month as it’ll keep them coming back.
Remember, on YouTube watch time is very important. The longer that new viewers remain engaged with your content, the more likely they’ll turn into a subscriber and when it comes to viewer retention, by analyzing the data that YouTube provides you, you’ll know with certainty what content is among your top-performing videos so that you can create more of them!
Plus, the longer a viewer stays engaged with your videos, the better the chances are that they’ll interact with it – by subscribing, commenting, and liking your content.
This is where playlists come into play. By segmenting your content, especially after you’ve uploaded a large amount, you’ll be able to keep people glued to your channel longer as they consume the different available playlists.
Finally, make sure you focus on optimization as part of your weekly business plan. You want to ensure that every title includes relevant keywords to boost visibility.
Remember to add keywords into video descriptions, avoiding duplicates! Make the space count.
And finally, always look for ways to create off-site (external) links. One of the easiest ways to do this is by auto-syncing your YouTube channel with your other social media accounts, such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
That way every time you post new content, it will automatically appear on all your social media profiles. These social signals are important when it comes to maximizing exposure and successfully growing a channel.
To your success!
ProfitQuickList Team
