Nowadays, everyone has likely thought of starting their own YouTube channels and aimed to become a successful YouTuber in their own niche.
Although a number of aspirants have successfully made it big in the industry thanks to their dedication and drive, there are others who are still on their way to the top despite doing the same things that others do.
So, the million-dollar question goes— how can you effectively grow your YouTube channel from scratch? Luckily for you, there are lots of strategies you can do and we’ve narrowed it down to 10 in this article.
1. Be engaging
Despite being a video sharing site, YouTube is also a leading social media platform. Hence, you must not miss out on any chance at starting an active social interaction on your channel.
Posting videos on a consistent basis isn’t all. You also need to craft these uploads in a way that they encourage comments and discussions from your viewers. It should leave your audience commenting whether they agree or not, or lead them into sharing their own personal yet related experiences.
The platform also rewards those channels with great engagement, overall time spent on channel, watch time, likes and dislikes, and comments. Comments are considered as one of the most important factors to keep an eye on if you want your channel to grow.
If you receive a comment on your video uploads, respond as much as possible! Keep the conversation going and engage with your audience.
Remember that it is one thing to make them watch your videos, but retaining and making them regularly tune in to your uploads is a completely different thing.
2. Customize your channel’s look
One thing that an average YouTube user usually does is to check your channel after watching your video. Typically, they would want to ensure that your content is their cup of tea— hence you need to prepare your channel’s visual appeal.
You need to make sure your channel’s visuals will leave a strong, lasting impression on anyone who’s checking out your content. This would greatly increase the chance of earning a new subscriber. You may also add custom URLs to your channel header so your audience can easily track your social media channels.
Creating a personal branding will also make your channel look unique from the rest, making it easy for anyone to distinguish and know it’s you. With thousands of other YouTubers out there, it’s only best that you differentiate yourself and stand out.
3. Use other social media channels for promotion
Your promotion strategies shouldn’t be only limited to YouTube alone. In fact, most content creators always share their latest uploads on various social media channels like Twitter or Facebook.
This alerts their audience and fans to go check it out. If you’re lucky, someone browsing through their newsfeed might even stumble across your promotion and may even end up subscribing to your channel.
Unleash your creativity in the way you do video promotions! For one, you can drop a teaser for the full-length upload on YouTube so that fans will be left curious for themselves.
Social media is a great tool that can help you gain more recognition and channel growth, so use it to your advantage.
4. Add a more personal touch to your uploads by showing your face
Putting a face to your brand is always a great decision especially if you aspire to make it big in the industry. Doing so also makes it easier for your fans and audience to form a connection with you as a content creator.
If you’re doing vlogs or sharing your gameplays, it’s encouraged to get a decent camera and show up. Your subscribers can then recognize you easier.
Some YouTubers aren’t comfortable with the idea of showing their faces in front of the camera for thousands to see, hence they resort to other options such as having a V-Tube model or a animated 3D model of themselves.
In fact, many VTubers managed to build a tight-knit online community on the platform without personally revealing their faces.
Their channels are doing well despite having digital avatars generated by computer graphics to represent themselves in various videos and livestreams.
As this trend grew more popular, more creators are jumping on the VTube hype. Even Twitch star Pokimane debuted her own VTuber model to use on days when she doesn’t feel like appearing on camera, but it was then met with public backlash.
5. Edit creative thumbnails
Make your thumbnails impactful enough to capture anyone’s attention at first glance! On YouTube, thumbnails are your best friend, especially if you want to bring in new viewers to check out your videos.
Having great thumbnails can bring a big impact to your channel. The platform suggests other videos’ thumbnail on the sidebar, so you’d typically want to stand out from the crowd.
In a typical YouTube search, videos with catchy titles and visually-pleasing thumbnails usually rank higher. If you want your video to appear at the top of search results, add highlighted areas, emojis, symbols and large text, or relevant high-quality images.
6. Remind your viewers to subscribe
In each video you upload on the platform, remind your viewers to subscribe to your channel. You can do this at the beginning of your video, in the middle, or at the end part… Whatever floats your boat!
Aside from focusing on bringing in new viewers, do not forget to stay engaged with your existing subscribers. They’re still the main reason why your channel is enjoying some growth.
Although having thousands of followers is ideal for monetization purposes, we strongly advise against having paid subscribers just so you can attain a certain count.
Doing so will only ruin your channel’s authenticity and engagement rate in the long run. You wouldn’t want ghost subscribers, anyway.
7. Be consistent
Work on increasing your uploading frequency if you want to get your name out there. Remember that there are plenty of other aspiring YouTubers doing similar or related content to what you do, hence you need to keep up.
Aim for uploading at least one video in a week. The idea might seem tedious, but if you’re truly passionate in what you do, creating new content will come easy.
Nowadays, you don’t need a high-end PC set to edit a YouTube video. You can easily crop and combine clips on a smartphone, producing a neatly edited video that could be uploaded on your channel.
Keep your audience updated about when you’ll upload your new videos, and make announcement or teaser posts on Twitter or on your FB page. After figuring out an effective uploading schedule, be consistent and stick to your regular programming!
Don’t ghost your subscribers. This is one of the many other Streamer mistakes you should avoid doing, especially during the early stage of your YouTube days.
8. Learn from YouTube’s Creator Academy
Learning never stops! Even as a content creator on YouTube, there are so many things and concepts for you to learn. This is why the platform came up with its very own Creator Academy, where aspiring YouTubers can learn a few tips and tricks in growing their own following.
It includes learning a quickstart guide to YouTube (setting up your channel and uploading your first videos), getting discovered (how to enhance your channel’s search and discovery potential), and figuring out your monetization options (once you’re eligible for YouTube’s Partner Program).
The platform’s creator resources also guide its users on how to make great content, produce great videos, and follow the community guidelines and policies.
9. Do a Video Series
If one of your videos is gaining more traction than others, it might be a good sign for you to consider starting a video series related to the said upload.
This is a great way to turn one-time viewers into full-time subscribers on your channel, where they’ll stay updated for your next videos.
For it to become a successful and compelling video series, it has to be about a trending topic or content that a lot of people are currently searching for.
Having a popular video series on YouTube will help you establish your presence as an influencer in your chosen niche while working on your channel’s growth. Take for instance, Kelsey from the Buzzfeed Multiplayer team started a 100 Baby Challenge Youtube series on The Sims 4. It has been going on for almost two years now, but the viewers remained consistent.
If you think starting a whole new series is too much work, you can organize your existing videos in a typical playlist style for new viewers to easily check out your uploads.
Don’t forget to use relevant keywords in your videos, as these will help you take advantage of ranking potential on both Google and YouTube’s search results.
10. Take part in Video Collabs
Twice the YouTuber, twice the fun… and audience reach! Collaborating with a fellow YouTuber can help you grow your channel as it helps to bring in double of your current audience size.
If you’re a video game content creator, you can host a multiplayer room with other YouTubers. Don’t forget to mention their names on your video title or description, or add an image of them on your thumbnail for easier promotion.
A collaboration typically means combining the current subscribers of the YouTube channels involved, potentially bringing in new viewers, subscribers and a greater reach.
It would be better if you’re choosing someone with a bigger audience on the platform, so you can effectively boost your channel. But, having the same number of subscribers is also okay since you can both support each other with your current audiences.
Bottomline
Achieving success on YouTube isn’t an entirely impossible feat, but it’s not gonna be easy for just about anyone. If you’re a popular online sensation, it would be easier for you to build your audience on the platform compared to someone who’s starting from scratch.
This is no reason to get discouraged though. With pure passion for content creation combined with the daily hustle, nothing’s impossible!
