How to boost traffic and views on your YouTube channel?
You already know that YouTube is a golden opportunity for anyone who wants to grow their business. According to a study by eMarketer, 41% of American small businesses use Facebook, while 9% use YouTube. The reasons for this phenomenon are difficult to understand, since video is a very powerful weapon for any company, whatever its field of activity and whatever its size. On YouTube, the competition is currently less fierce than on other social media. So why miss the mark? It's time to dive into the methods to boost traffic and views on your YouTube channel.
And before we go any further, note that…we didn't make anything up. All the techniques presented below derive from logic and evidence. It's up to you to apply them to see your business grow...
Upload new video content regularly
Have you thought about creating a YouTube posting calendar? If not, it's never too late: a simple schedule will get you posting content on a regular basis – say, a video every Thursday – and will generate excitement among your followers, who will take quickly taste this beautiful regularity.
Use native Facebook video to display your YouTube videos
Native Facebook videos are more engaging than YouTube links. It is a fact. Don't forget to attach a "see my other videos on YouTube" call to action with, of course, a link to your YouTube channel.
Take care of your titles...
No more than 50 characters for your video titles on YouTube. If they are longer, they will be cut… that would be a shame!
… and your keywords!
Just like you would for an online article, take care of your keywords on YouTube. Take the time to do your research before you start… And don't forget that Google is your best friend (for this job, at least!)
Use relevant keywords in the title and description of your videos so that they have a chance of appearing in YouTube and Google search results (yes, yes!)
Share your videos
If you have a blog (hey, don't you have a blog?), embed your YouTube videos in a way that not only increases views but also traffic to your own website.
When embedding it in your blog, don't forget to include your YouTube video URL. Adding the URL manually can increase the number of clicks on your YouTube channel….. and can encourage your visitors to want to watch your other videos.
Limit video time
There really isn't a golden rule regarding the timing of videos on YouTube. But it would seem that 3 minutes is a good limit… the last statistics that we observed on the subject being an ideal duration of 2 minutes and 54 seconds.
Organize your videos
There's no reason your YouTube channel should look like a teenager's bedroom. Organize your videos by themes, use relevant keywords, just to give your playlists a better chance of ranking in searches.
Add an intro
Introduce each of your videos. Your introduction should grab your audience's attention. At always, always… remind your viewers that they can subscribe to your channel.
Create a trailer
Okay, you're not Spielberg… but a beautiful trailer, captivating as you wish, can be enough to make people want to. And if you don't know how to do it, why not find someone who can help you?
Use a high impact call to action
The CTA is important on YouTube. Towards the end of your video, encourage viewers to subscribe to your channel.
Bet on the imperishable content
If you only talk about current events, your videos will quickly be relegated to the rank of relics of the past. In contrast, timeless videos tend to rank well in Google search results over time, driving traffic and views in the long run.
Don't forget the long tail!
The long tail isn't just important for your written content. Feel free to write long, detailed video descriptions so that Google can find your video for relevant and very specific long-tail phrases.
Gadget yourself!
Add a YouTube widget to your website or blog. There are tools to do this very simply and a small piece of code will be enough to display a series of videos just about anywhere!
They like ? Let them say it!
Ask your viewers to like your videos. When your video is highly rated, it tells YouTube that it's popular, which helps it move up in search results on the platform.
No comment unanswered
Respond to comments that viewers have taken the time to write. They appear below your videos. And before you ask, yes, you even have to respond to the negative reviews! It shows that you listen and care about what your viewers have to say.
Together, we are stronger
Join forces with other YouTubers, to promote each other's content. Create joint videos or promote your mutual videos through your other communication channels.
Identify your biggest fans
You have loyal users: you have to take care of them. Tag them and don't hesitate to ask them to share your videos with their fans, friends or communities.
Humanize your business
Show the hidden side of your business. People like to see what's going on behind the curtain, behind the scenes… They like to see people, real people, in the flesh.
Promote your videos through your newsletter
Do you have email addresses? Promote your videos to your subscribers by email! Be sure to direct your subscribers to embedded videos on your site, to increase video views and page views.
Use Hangouts On Air
Hangouts On Air is a way to leverage the connection between Google+ and YouTube. Your Hangouts will automatically save and upload to YouTube, cross-promoting your Google+ and YouTube accounts.
Do not forget the lyrics !
Transcribing your video content can help you gain SEO… Think about it!
There are dozens of ways to leverage a YouTube channel to gain power and popularity. The ideas presented on this page are not exhaustive... It's up to you to adapt them to your business and your objectives. But keep in mind that the future belongs to those who get up early... and it's still possible to do well on YouTube, because if it's only just started, the revolution is on its way...
