9 Things Actors Should Know About Growing a YouTube Channel
Drawn from what is actually said on camera, so you can decide whether to
spend the 4:48 watching it.
Pick a narrow audience before you shoot anything
New creators make random videos they hope everyone will like, and by trying to appeal to everyone they appeal to no one. Decide who the channel is for, whether that is Harry Potter lovers, Game of Thrones fans or horror film fans, then research what that group already watches on YouTube before making content.
Choose titles based on what your audience would actually type into search. Only the first 45 characters of a title show up in search results, so put the keywords toward the front.
A thumbnail has one job, getting the click. Your video can rank in search and still be skipped if the image is boring. Shoot photos specifically for thumbnails ahead of time rather than pulling a frame from the footage. It feels silly but you get a better picture.
Use the channel trailer and About section to sell subscribing
The trailer autoplays only for people who are not subscribed, so keep it short and exciting and end on a call to subscribe. In the About section, tell the viewer what they gain by watching and why they should subscribe, and add links to your website and other social platforms.
Read the audience retention graph to fix your videos
YouTube's free analytics include audience retention graphs that show what your viewers actually like. If people drop off at the start, your intro may be too long. Longer watch time means more visibility in search and more subscribers.
Channel growth depends on consistent content. Decide whether you publish weekly, biweekly or monthly and which days, then put that schedule in your channel art, your trailer or your About section. It also keeps you accountable.
Playlists rank in search, so optimize them like videos
Playlists are one of the most underused growth tools because most people do not realize they appear in search the way videos do. Write an optimized title and description for each one. They are also the way to make sure a web series gets watched in the intended order.
It can be really hard to get a new YouTube channel off it's feet. You post your latest web series episode or monologue and you cross your fingers and wait for the comments and likes and subscribers to come pouring in. But instead, crickets. But don't you worry. In the next few minutes, I'm gonna give you 10 quick tips to get your first 100 YouTube subscribers. If you're brand new here, I'm Heidi Dean and I teach you how to rock your social media, make more connections, and create the #actorslife of your dreams. Make sure you subscribe to my channel and hit that little bell so you always know when I've got a new video just for you. The first thing you need to do is narrow your audience. A lot of new creators create random videos that they think everyone will like, but what usually happens is because they're desperately trying to appeal to everyone, they end up appealing to no one. Think really hard who you're creating content for. Are they Harry Potter lovers, Game of Thrones fans, horror film lovers? Be specific.
Then, before you create any videos, do some research on YouTube to see what kind of content these people would want to see. Then you can create content you know your audience will enjoy. #2: create a trailer for your channel. This trailer will only autoplay for people who are not subscribed to your channel. Keep your trailer short, exciting, and end with that call-to-action to subscribe. #3: create an interesting profile. Don't ignore your YouTube About section. This is where you can sell your channel to potential subscribers. Tell the viewer what they will gain by watching your channel and why they should subscribe. You can also include any important links to your website or any other social media. Before we get to number four I want to know, do you have a YouTube channel right now? If you do, hop in the comments below and tell us what it's about so we can check it out.
#4 is super important important, choose searchable titles. When choosing titles for your videos, think about what your audience would actually type and search to find them. And keep in mind, only the first 45 characters show up in search. So, make sure you keep your keywords toward the front. #5 Create better thumbnails. Your thumbnail is like a mini movie poster for your content. It's only job is to get people to watch. Your video can come up in search but if your thumbnail's boring, nobody's gonna click on it and then, obviously, there not gonna subscribe to your channel. Remember, people are visual and you need to stand out from all the other competition on YouTube. You may even want to take some time and shoot some photos specifically for thumbnails. It may feel silly when you're shooting these thumbnails ahead of time but you're definitely gonna get a better photo. Stick around to the end of this video and I'll show you my outtakes for when I did the thumbnail for this video.
#6 Add a watermark. YouTube allows you to add a branding watermark to your videos so that non-subscribers can become subscribers with one simple click. You can see it right now. It's right there. That is the watermark. Next tip, use YouTube's free analytics. Specifically find the audience retention graphs in your YouTube analytics. These are gonna teach you what your audience likes. Maybe your intro's too long and people are ditching your videos right away. You wan to keep them watching. The longer they watch, the more you'll show up in search and the more subscribers you'll get. #8 to be successful on YouTube, you're gonna want to create consistent content.
If you're goal in channel growth, you're going to want to set a schedule for your channel. Will you publish weekly, monthly, biweekly, and what days of the week will your videos come out? This will keep you on track as well. You can put the schedule in your channel art, in your channel trailer, or in your About section. Just a few more tips. #9 Create playlists. Playlists like this one are one of the most underutilized growth hacks on YouTube. Most people don't realize that playlists show up in search just like videos do. So, make sure you optimize your title and description for your playlist just like you would a video. Playlists are also fantastic for web series or any content where you want your viewers to watch something in a certain order. They will ensure your audience will watch the content the way you intended. #10: Just ask.
Don't assume, if someone liked your video, that they're gonna subscribe. You need to tell them what you want them to do. That reminds me, have you subscribed yet? Here are those outtakes when I planned my thumbnail right before I shot this video. Yes! Yeah. Yes! I'll see you on social.
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