Published: September 21, 2020 | Last Updated: September 18, 2024
There are many small things you can do to grow your YouTube channel. Even though a single thing may seem insignificant to some, when you put them all together, they create a whole bigger than the sum of its parts.
And that’s the whole idea! The key to organically growing a successful YouTube channel is not to neglect any of them and to be consistent. Let’s have a look.
Use Search Tags
One of the biggest mistakes that new YouTubers make is missing the use of video tags.
Video tags are keywords your audience searches for on the platform to help them find your video in the results. So, you’re at a great disadvantage if you don’t use them extensively.
Consider what relevant terms your audience may search for to find your content. For example, a YouTube channel focusing on improving your art skills would use tags like ‘how to draw’ or ‘how to get better at drawing.’
Network And Collaborate With Others
One of the fastest ways to grow your audience is to leverage the audience of other creators. This is most frequently accomplished through collaborations where both parties contribute to a single video.
Several YouTubers mentioned this in 26 Successful YouTubers Speak Out: “What I Wish I’d Known Before Starting My YouTube Channel”.
While this is easier in some niches than others, it has utility no matter what demographic you target.
You can even accomplish this with your “competitors” in some cases. Musicians, for instance, may collaborate even though they both target the same audience. This allows them to benefit from each other’s following and grow simultaneously.
Emphasize Quality
As you may expect, growing a reliable fanbase without producing quality content is not feasible. Quality is key to ensuring long-term development, even if your channel is small in its early stages. This means that each video should be as professional as possible.
This is especially true when it comes to audio quality. Even if the video’s content is above average, a poor-quality camera or microphone can easily detract from the experience.
Here’s a guide to the equipment you need to start a YouTube channel.
Consistency Matters, Too
The YouTube algorithm seems to favor channels that produce content regularly. While this doesn’t mean you need to upload a video daily, you’ll likely notice a drop in your video traffic if you only post once every few months.
Set a schedule for content creation and upload frequency. In general, becoming more organized will significantly improve your chances of success.
The ideal upload frequency will also depend on your niche. News channels, for example, should upload relatively frequently since their content is based on current events. A YouTube channel centered around relatively static content (such as learning to code) can afford to upload less frequently.
You might like the difference between a vlogger, a blogger, and a YouTuber.
Interact With Your Audience
One of the best ways to drastically increase your following is to engage with your audience. This will help dissolve the barrier between a creator and their followers, establishing a deeper connection with your audience.
Liking comments, replying to them, and even asking your audience about their opinions are quick and easy ways to strengthen your relationship with them.
Over time, you’ll develop a base of loyal followers that will help you drive more traffic to your videos through YouTube’s search algorithm. You’ll also drastically increase the chance that they’ll share your content with others on social media.
Evolve Over Time
In many cases, evolving your content as time goes on is required. Otherwise, you’ll likely find yourself stuck in an endless loop of uploading the same type of videos repeatedly.
This is commonly seen with channels centered around tutorials since only so much information can be provided. For example, a channel that centers on beginner Photoshop tutorials will eventually run out of new ideas.
In this case, that creator can branch out by creating tutorials for other Adobe applications. So, do your best to develop a timeline of content you would like to create, which will serve as a roadmap to guide you as your channel grows.
Finally, Be Everywhere
Finally, don’t limit yourself to YouTube. If you’ve created a video – fx a YouTube short – share it on TikTok and Facebook. You’ve already done the hard work of making the video – give it life and syndicate your content!
In this saturated media environment, you must be everywhere to build a brand successfully. That’s nothing new; it’s just become easier for independent creators. Use it to your advantage!
Up Next: How to Create Videos on TikTok.
