Desire more views on Youtube? Of course y'all practice. You lot're a homo with a pulse and a video to share! It's only natural.

YouTube is the globe's second nearly visited website. More than 2 billion people use it every month — that'southward 1-third of all internet users. 74% of adults in the U.Southward. are watching videos there. (We could go along, just you can read all the latest YouTube stats on your own time.)

Nosotros've compiled this guide to point out all the easy wins that will amplify your brand'due south message on YouTube, merely we're likewise going to particular some of the more avant-garde techniques the pros apply to go more YouTube views.

To see how we're getting views on our YouTube channel (which we started from scratch, because yolo), cheque out our absurd video:

Psst: If you're starting from scratch as well, we have a primer on how to create a YouTube channel.

Now, permit'due south become those views rolling!

Bonus: Download the free 30-day plan to grow your YouTube following fast , a daily workbook of challenges that volition help you lot kickstart your Youtube aqueduct growth and rail your success. Get real results after one 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 every bit a view. Pretty elementary!

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

If a viewer watches your video more than than once, each screening volition exist counted as a new view. (That beingness said, refreshing over and over over again to try to game the organization will be detected past Youtube.)

Any views that accept place with embedded Youtube videos or Youtube videos shared on Facebook will also be counted.

Live views are counted on YouTube, too.

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

What doesn't count every bit a view on Youtube?

Youtube's algorithm is designed to condone whatsoever plays that might look like they were automated. Information technology merely wants to count the number of times a existent 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.

16 ways to get more YouTube views

Globally, people watch over 1 billion hours of YouTube every single solar day. If y'all desire to stand out from the crowd and snag some of those eyeballs, hither'south how to practice information technology.

1. Ensure your YouTube basics are upwardly to snuff

First we walk, then we run. Take a await at your fundamentals and make sure you lot've ticked all the boxes. Read our list of beginner tips for YouTube, and then come up back to dig into our avant-garde tactics.

Your basic YouTube housekeeping includes:

  • A consistent visual identity (your channel icon, YouTube channel fine art, like in the Rupaul'due south Elevate Race example below, etc.)
  • A completed and informative About section (unless you are a breakout YouTube star like Joana Ceddia)
  • Upwardly-to-date contact data (then all your potential customers and time to come brand partners tin get in affect)

RuPaul's Drag Race YouTube channel description

Source: Rupaul's Elevate Race

two. Zero in on your specific niche (and your platonic audience)

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

Because yous aren't making videos for everyone. Yous're hither for someone special: your audience.

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

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

iii. Do your research, and better your video's search ranking

Yes, YouTube is a social platform, but it'south also 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 ideal viewer types in your chosen keywords, you want your video ranking most the peak of YouTube's results list. That ways y'all need to know what your audience is looking for—tutorials, inspiration, or entertainment.

YouTube results list keyword ranking

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

But, this is easier said than done. Then, what can you exercise to improve your videos' search ranking on YouTube?

Enquiry. You're going to want to apply a tool similar Google Keyword Planner (notation that you lot'll demand to set up a Google Ads business relationship) to do 2 things:

  • Find inspiration for your side by side video based on what people are already looking for (i.eastward., take a look at search patterns and see what keywords have a lot of search queries, but few videos, a.k.a. low competition)
  • Take those relevant keywords and use them in your metadata (i.east., your video title, tags, video description text, subtitles)

Pro tip: If yous haven't already, now is the time to familiarize yourself with how the YouTube algorithm works. This AI determines not just search results, but recommendations for that important "what'due south up side by side" suggested videos sidebar, too.

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

4. Apply metadata to get recommended after a popular video

If your goal is to go more than YouTube views, take a cue from the most popular videos in your niche.

Start by taking a expect at your top competitor's most popular video. (Go to their video library and sort by "most popular.")

YouTube's main goal is to keep viewers on the platform for every bit long every bit possible (and so that they'll see as many ads every bit possible.) Thus the algorithm's job is to feed viewers 1 (hopefully appealing) video after some other.

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

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

The only signal you lot can command hither is the third.

So when you lot're choosing keywords, retrieve similar a librarian. Depict your video'southward topic and draw its overall category, and think of other words a person might apply to search for that topic. (Check out more than tips on constructive YouTube descriptions and keywords hither.)

Need a niggling inspo? You can actually peek behind the scenes of a competitor's video to encounter what keywords they apply past right-clicking on the webpage and selecting View Folio Source. Then CTRL-F "keywords" until you lot find the listing.

popular video keywords

Only earlier you go ahead and merely copy-and-paste a more pop video's metadata over to your like video, think about your audience: they won't want to sentry the aforementioned video again. Perhaps the showtime video raised a new question that needs answering, or there's an interesting tangent to exist explored. How can your video add value to what they simply saw and so that they'll want to click on it?

Accept the ball and run with it.

five. Increment your views with custom thumbnails

When your potential viewers are in discovery mode—skimming through search results and recommendations—thumbnails are a major part of what they decide what to scout.

custom video thumbails

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

  • The thumbnail is clear and authentic about the video it'south describing (if your thumbnail misleads people into clicking, YouTube will know because your picket fourth dimension will become down when the viewer gets annoyed 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' tin be as simple as picking a bright color. Or making sure your giant hi-res face is making a weird expression in skillful lighting. Or, if your niche is full of shrill, high-key visuals, and the best manner your channel tin can stand out is by being the calm, minimalist voice of reason.

half dozen. Multiply your views by creating playlists

Organizing and creating video playlists on YouTube is the all-time way to minimize the chances that a viewer will motion on to some other aqueduct once they've consumed your content.

Why? Considering playlists go past the same rules every bit Netflix: as presently every bit i video ends, the side by side begins.

Since you've already washed the hard piece of work of helping your viewer notice your video, click on it and watch the entire affair, it makes sense to guide them towards the video content they're going to want next.

J.J. McCullough'southward YouTube content covers a range of cultural commentary, and then he's divvied everything up nicely into thematic playlists. His fans who love his content on world leaders (and who wouldn't?!) volition be served up hit subsequently striking.

J.J. McCullough playlists

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

Besides playlists, cards and finish screens are two of the only tools that YouTubers tin can utilise to bypass the algorithm and directly influence our audience's next choice.

Cards are clickable, interactive areas that appear any time during the video. They come up in a variety of formats that tin can be used for things like fundraising or selling merch, merely in this example, we're interested in increasing views, then choose a bill of fare that links to another 1 of your videos — or fifty-fifty improve, playlists.

(Note: cards aren't available to utilise on videos identified every bit for kids.)

Cards are pop-ups, and so it'southward very important that they add value. Y'all don't want viewers feeling spammed. The videos or playlists you link to need to exist relevant to the moment and provide additional information or amusement.

For a super-meta case, cheque out how this All About Cards video has a carte du jour itself about learning about unlike kinds of cards.

Pro tip: If yous accept a noticeable retention problem with significant audience drop-off at a specific point in ane of your videos, endeavour inserting a link carte du jour at that moment.

Meanwhile, end screens are visual calls-to-action that y'all can add to the stop of your video (in the last five to xx seconds) to encourage viewers towards a next footstep. They're valuable because y'all know if a person has reached the bitter cease of your video, they are probably pretty interested in your great content.

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

(Note that to use end screens, you'll need to include a few extra seconds at the terminate of your video when you're editing it.)

Youtuber SssniperWolf features end cards that direct to four more than of her videos. It's like a choose your own adventure for… any her shtick is.

SssniperWolf end cards with related videos

8. Go beyond the how-to video (i.e., brand videos no ane else is making)

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

Just while you must work to attract new eyes, you too want to make fourth dimension to preach to the converted. On YouTube, your brand's value-added features come in the grade of content that is meaningful to people who are already your fans.

Youtube chef Tabitha Brown, for instance, doesn't merely share her vegan nachos recipe… she sits down with her husband to talk well-nigh their relationship, giving fans an intimate look into her personal life. (And if they happen to become inspired to whip up their ain batch of guac in the process? That'due south a bonus.)

9. Build relationships with your viewers

"Audience appointment" is just another term for edifice relationships. The end goal here, of course, is actually only the realistic, organic and sustainable path to getting more YouTube views.

That is, engaging with other YouTubers (creators or commenters both) will increase the chance that they'll intendance near your make, that they'll subscribe to your channel (run across #12), and watch more than of your videos overall.

Bonus: Download the free 30-mean solar day plan to grow your YouTube following fast , a daily workbook of challenges that will help you kickstart your Youtube channel growth and rail your success. Get real results later on one month.

Become the free guide right now!

Ideas for breaking the fourth wall, and creating a 2-way chat might include:

  • Reply to comments (information technology's polite!)
  • Run a YouTube competition
  • Make reaction videos
  • Include other people'due south content in your videos (with their permission)

Pro tip: This tutorial on how to engage your community on YouTube using Hootsuite'due south comment and sharing features volition save you lot time as you build your audience.

10. Partner up

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

Maybe you're a make with a budget, and hiring a creator with their ain following is an obvious choice. But if you're a creator or aspiring influencer yourself, getting more than views is your first footstep on the style to making money on YouTube, not spending information technology. In which example your best bet is to partner with like-minded creators.

Ideally, your potential partners are fairly aligned in values, popularity, and charm. And you lot actually similar them. And you have fun together, and information technology shows, and it makes people happy to encounter yous happy, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Like shooting fish in a barrel, correct?

This video is like a super crossover: two drag queens plus e.l.f. cosmetics plus Chipotle all make it on the mix. The cross-promotion opportunities are quadrupled, past our count.

Pro tip: If yous do a crossover that involves a bunch of unlike videos—like ane from your partner's perspective to alive on their aqueduct, and 1 by you lot to live on yours, and maybe some supporting outtakes, any necessary groundwork, etc.—make a playlist to compile them and then that interested viewers tin can stan information technology all.

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

Yous're going to want to leverage all of your social media might to promote your YouTube channel.

Only, if you desire more YouTube views, DON'T do the following:

  • Become to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok and mail text or an image 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). So 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, so will your YouTube views.
  • Upload your entire video onto those platforms. This is what Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter want you to do (IGTV is a direct competitor for YouTube, don't @ me). Posting your full video volition probably become you neat engagement and reach on those platforms. Simply 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:

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

Note that you are not going to want to post the same thing across your social channels.

Financial counsellor Max Mitchell puts a footling 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 best mode to craft and schedule those posts for your followers.

12. Ask your viewers to subscribe to your channel

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

Especially if those subscribers have their notifications turned on.

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

Information technology'due south common practice to enquire viewers to "like and subscribe" as a sign-off in a video, but many YouTubers — like beauty pro Patricia Bright — fifty-fifty include this call to action as a visual at the terminate, also.

Patricia Bright like and subscribe call to action

xiii. Enable embedding

Give your fans a hazard to help spread the good word almost your work by enabling embedding. The more fresh eyeballs run into your video, the more views you rack up (and maybe even snag a new subscriber or two in the procedure).

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

channel content embedding YouTube Studio

xiv. Amp up the spotter time

While Youtube counts annihilation over thirty seconds every bit a view, in that location are benefits to getting viewers to stick around longer.

If you tin become people to lookout man your video for longer, Youtube will learn that you've got some content with quality. And videos with higher Watch Time are favored past the Youtube algorithm, giving you a leg upwards in the recommendation engine.

audience retention analytics

15. Transcribe your videos

Adding captions to your videos helps hearing-impaired viewers follow forth, and makes your content more highly-seasoned to the 69 percent of people who scout mobile video with the sound off.

Having a transcript also makes translation an choice, opening your video upwardly to international audiences. Global views! Tin you imagine!?

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

YouTube transcript file

16. Post your video at the correct time

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

But what if that's in the eye of the night? Or while you're on vacation? That'due south where the ability of a scheduling tool like Hootsuite comes in. Tee your video up to go out at the exact predetermined fourth dimension of your choice to fit with your content calendar, and and so go on and live your life.

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

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