11+ Essential YouTube Tips for Boosting & Improving Your Channel

YouTube tips are helpful strategies that can maximize your efforts on the platform and help you to achieve success. With over 500 hours of video content uploaded to YouTube every hour, it can be difficult for new creators to get noticed and attract followers.

Fortunately, by knowing how to market your brand and optimize your content properly, you can start building your presence and achieve continuous growth. So, in today’s article, we’ll share over 12 expert YouTube tips to help boost your channel’s visibility.

Let’s start!

4 Key Reasons to Grow Your YouTube Channel

From reaching new audiences to earning extra revenue, there are several reasons to grow your YouTube channel.

Let’s discuss them in detail:

• Create a lasting impact. According to Insivia, viewers can retain up to 95% of the message when consumed through video instead of text, making them one of the most effective content formats on social media. Whether you are using YouTube for business or simply want to create a lasting impression, it’s important to know how to grow your channel.
• Reach a broader market. Despite being one of the oldest social media platforms, YouTube maintains a powerful influence over the younger demographic, and according to Google, the app is rapidly becoming popular among the older generation as well. This means growing your YouTube channel will help you target a broader market.
• Earn revenue. Established YouTube channels have multiple opportunities to monetize their content on the platform, such as through brand collaborations, affiliate links, and the YouTube Partner Program. With our YouTube tips for growth, you not only build your brand but also create potential revenue streams.
• Grow online presence. With its popularity and large user base, YouTube can be a powerful tool for growing your online presence and establishing credibility in your niche. By consistently creating quality content, you can reach new audiences and slowly create a dedicated community around your brand.

11+ Handy YouTube Tips for Growing Your Channel

Whether you’ve just created a YouTube channel or want to elevate your existing profile, here are some handy YouTube tips you can try to boost your channel’s growth:

#1. Use Custom Thumbnails

One of the best things you can do for YouTube optimization is to use custom thumbnails in your content; after all, 90% of the top-performing videos on the site have one. However, this statistic isn’t surprising since the YouTube thumbnail is the most noticeable part of the video, whether on the homepage or the search results section.

While the other elements of your video are important as well, if you don’t convert YouTube impressions to clicks and views, you won’t be able to improve your numbers on the app.

So, when creating a thumbnail for your video, be sure to keep these YouTube tips in mind:

• Use bold, eye-catching colors
• Use text minimally
• Add any brand-related icons or logos
• Leverage unique visual elements

#2. Optimize Your Video Titles

Once you’ve caught the viewer’s attention with a unique thumbnail, the next thing you should prioritize is optimizing your video’s titles to encourage them to watch your content. Since this space is limited to only 100 characters, it’s essential to craft your YouTube titles strategically by balancing information and intrigue.

When creating your title, ask yourself the following questions:

• What value can I provide the viewer?
• Why should the viewer watch my video out of the thousands on the app discussing the same topic?
• How can I properly convey the content of the video to the viewer?

Aside from these questions, a simple YouTube tip you should remember is to include relevant keywords in your video titles to provide context to the viewer and make them more discoverable for the YouTube algorithm.

#3. Fully Utilize Your Video Descriptions

If you’ve just started on the platform, you likely aren’t using the full potential of your YouTube descriptions. These aren’t just for providing more context to your video but also a valuable tool for boosting discoverability and promoting links.

With a 5,000-character limit, you can add a lot of information to your video’s title, from keywords and hashtags to a simple overview of what they can expect from the video. You can also include links to your other social media profiles or external websites in the description to encourage your audience to visit after watching your video.

Lastly, you can use the description to promote your upcoming videos. Simply add a short blurb about what audiences can expect from your channel in the future to build anticipation and encourage more followers.

#4. Engage with the YouTube Community

You’ll always see YouTube tips to engage your audience, but it’s important to remember that you should engage with the rest of the community on the platform as well. After all, you won’t be able to get new YouTube subscribers if you only focus on the ones you already have.

A great way to do this is by interacting with other, more established YouTube content creators in the same niche. Simply commenting on their videos or participating in conversations will help you gain visibility with your target audience and allow you to form an initial connection with the creator. Eventually, you may end up collaborating on videos, which will significantly boost your reach.

When leaving a YouTube comment, however, make sure that it’s genuine and relevant to the video rather than a blatant advertisement of your channel. Doing the latter will only leave a bad impression on the channel owner and potential viewers.

#5. Promote Videos to Your Audience

If you already have a presence on other social media sites, consider promoting and cross-posting your content from YouTube to these platforms to increase your reach. While YouTube is definitely among the most popular apps today, there’s still a significant number of users that aren’t on the site.

A crucial YouTube tip for cross-posting is to optimize your content for that site’s specific demographic. For instance, TikTok is popular among younger audiences for its engaging short-form videos, so try repurposing your video into multiple highlight reels and promoting it on the platform.

You can even end the clip on a cliffhanger to encourage the viewer to watch the full video on YouTube.

Meanwhile, if you have an external website, consider creating posts around your YouTube videos explaining the topic in more detail and embedding the published link in your blog.

#6. Follow a Consistent Posting Schedule

The best YouTube tip for growing your channel, especially for beginners, is to establish and follow a consistent posting schedule. This doesn’t mean that you have to post often; it simply means that you should decide on a posting schedule, be it once or twice a week, and follow that religiously.

You want your audience to know when they can expect new content to help build anticipation and ensure that they don’t forget about your channel. Fortunately, you can easily schedule YouTube videos in bulk with a powerful social media management platform like Publer.

With Publer, you can access multiple scheduling options, utilize in-app content creation features, and manage your YouTube presence, making it an essential tool in your video marketing strategy. Plus, you can integrate accounts from 12 different sites and social media apps on the platform for convenient cross-posting.

#7. Try Different Video Ideas

To succeed on YouTube, it’s crucial to create content that your audience wants to see, and the best way to do this if you’re new to the platform is by trying different video ideas.

It will be impossible to know what your audience wants right away simply through research or by observing what the competitors are doing, so try to create unique content for every YouTube video. You can do this by changing the music or switching up your editing style to see which one resonates best with viewers.

To maximize this YouTube tip, you can also try the “Hero, Hub, Help” content framework when planning your videos. The goal of Hero, Hub, Help is to create videos that are successful (hero), engaging (hub), and helpful (help) and allow you to target different goals on the platform.

To apply this in your strategy, for the first week, you can create a help video that has a high level of searchability on the platform and allows you to establish your credibility. Then, the following week, you can focus on hub content and engage your viewers with a YouTube Live session.

#8. Create Playlists

Once you have a sizable content library on YouTube, consider creating playlists to organize your videos and optimize the viewing experience for your audience. Playlists allow you to curate videos on similar topics and make it easier for viewers to watch related content all at once, which can improve your views, watch time, and audience retention.

Playlists also encourage YouTube engagement, as they provide a more immersive viewing experience.

Moreover, a study by Lin et al. (2022) on video immersion found that the longer a user watches a video, the more likely they are to be influenced by its content. This means that playlists can be an effective tool for generating leads and encouraging followers to convert into customers.

#9. Try Different Video Lengths

There are different YouTube tips on what the best length should be for videos, but there isn’t a rule that says you should only stick to one video length and roll with it. In fact, experimenting with video lengths may actually help you create more valuable content for your audience.

For instance, shorter videos are great for engagement but don’t really provide much information due to their limited length. Meanwhile, longer videos allow you to discuss the topic at length, providing maximum value, but it can be harder to maintain user interest until the end.

Instead of obsessing over the length of your video, it’s best to focus on the actual content and ensure that you don’t end up with fluff just to reach a certain timestamp.

#10. End Videos With a Compelling CTA

While the first few seconds of your video are crucial for grabbing audience attention, the last seconds of your video can be key to getting subscriptions and leads, so be sure to end with a compelling call to action (CTA). Even if you aren’t a beginner, keep this YouTube tip in mind to encourage viewers to take action after watching your content.

There are two ways to add a CTA to your videos:

• Incorporating it into your script. This YouTube tip is straightforward and involves directly telling your audience in the video what you want them to do. Most channels end with the classic “Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe” line, but you can end your video on a different note if you’re promoting a product or a collaboration.
• Using end screens. These are the clickable panels that show up in the last 5–20 seconds of a video and allow you to promote your other videos or playlists and encourage the viewer to subscribe to your channel. You can use this alongside your spiel in the video to further emphasize your CTA.

#11. Start Making Shorts

While YouTube Shorts are the newcomer in the short-form video sphere, they certainly don’t fall behind in terms of views and engagement, so it’s important to leverage them in your strategy. Shorts are one-minute clips found in a separate section on the YouTube app and are perfect for reaching and engaging new audiences.

Here are some handy YouTube tips to maximize the value of Shorts:

• Use Shorts to promote your regular content
• Cross-post Shorts on TikTok or Instagram Reels
• Schedule YouTube Shorts to save time
• Optimize the first 40 characters of your title since most viewers only see this part
• Hook viewers in the first 10 seconds of the video
• Monetize Shorts to earn revenue

#12. Optimize Videos for Google

Aside from YouTube, your videos can also show up in Google results, so it’s crucial to optimize them properly for search engines. To help your content gain visibility on Google, consider adding chapters to your video in addition to the usual YouTube SEO tips of using the right keywords and hashtags.

Chapters refer to the timestamps that categorize the different parts of your videos. In search results, these show up as “key moments” that meet the search intent of the user. The viewer can then just click on a specific moment, and they’ll automatically be redirected to that part of your video on YouTube.

How to Start a YouTube Channel in 4 Easy Steps

If you’ve decided to utilize YouTube in your social media strategy, you can follow these easy steps to create your channel:

#1. Choose a Niche

The first step is to select a niche to specialize in; this is important as it will give your channel purpose and help guide your content. On YouTube, this can range from gaming and streaming content to how-to videos and daily vlogs.

A helpful YouTube tip when choosing a niche is to select one that aligns with your interests. After all, it will be difficult to consistently create quality content on a topic that you aren’t interested in.

On the other hand, if your goal on YouTube is to monetize content or achieve fame, you can create a channel that best meets the demands of the general audience. For instance, channels that focus on social media challenges and trends are usually popular as they provide easy entertainment.

#2. Select a Unique Channel Name

Once you’ve decided what your channel will be about, the next step is to choose a unique name for your YouTube account. If you don’t have a profile on other social media sites yet, here’s a handy YouTube tip for channel name ideas—choose a name also available on other platforms.

Using the same name on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and other social networking sites will reinforce your branding and create a cohesive and easily recognizable image. Plus, it will help avoid any negative associations with profiles with a similar name.

#3. Create a YouTube Channel

Now you’re ready to create your YouTube channel; first visit YouTube and sign into the Google account you want to use. You can also create a new email account specifically for YouTube.

Then, click on your profile in the upper right corner of the screen and tap Create a channel.

Next, you’ll need to add a picture, channel name, and YouTube handle. The handle can be the same as your channel name as long as it fits the 30-character limit.

When done, click Create channel and follow the on-screen instructions.

#4. Add a Channel Description

Lastly, you need to add a channel description to let profile viewers know what your channel is about. You can also use this space to introduce yourself to viewers and promote any social media links.

To do so, visit the YouTube Studio and click Customization on the left sidebar.

Scroll down under Channel customization until you see Description, and type in your text.

When done, click Publish to save your changes.

How to Promote Your YouTube Videos in 3 Simple Steps

Aside from organic means, another effective way to grow your channel is to promote your YouTube videos by running paid ads on the platform.

Here’s how to do so:

• Select the video. First, go to the YouTube Studio and select the video you want to use. Then, add a promotion headline and description.
• Identify your audience. Next, you’ll need to set up the audience that you want the ad to target. You can set who sees your ads and where they see them.
• Adjust your budget. Lastly, set the budget and add the start and end dates for your ad campaign.

However, keep in mind that video promotions are only available to channels that have more than 1,000 subscribers, so this method will not be immediately accessible for new accounts.

Key Takeaways

• Growing your YouTube channel can help you reach a broader market, earn revenue, and build an online presence.
• Some important YouTube tips to remember when trying to grow a YouTube channel are to use custom thumbnails in videos, engage with the YouTube community, create playlists, and optimize video titles.
• It’s vital to select a niche and a unique channel name before creating a YouTube channel. Then, remember to add a channel description to complete your profile.
• To promote your YouTube videos and help your channel grow, you can run ads in the YouTube Studio.