How to Grow Your New YouTube Channel

Are you thinking about creating a brand new YouTube channel? Perhaps you've already created your account and need help growing your channel. If either situation applies to you, we are here to help.

YouTube now has over 2 billion monthly users, making it the 2nd most-visited website of all time. Consequently, businesses and individuals have turned to this site when they want to reach their target audience. People with a wide range of interests, goals, and pain points all upload and watch video content on this platform. In other words, if you know who you want to reach, there's a good chance you can find them on YouTube.

When you consider that 43% of consumers claim they want more video content from marketers, it's no wonder we've seen such a drastic shift to video media over the last several years. If you're ready to start growing your YouTube channel, stick around. We plan to go over several helpful strategies you can use to get more views, shares, and likes on your videos.

Let's get started!

Use Eye-Catching Titles and Thumbnails

We've always heard that you should never judge a book by its cover. While this statement is still valid, it's a bit more challenging to follow on YouTube. Believe it or not, 500 hours of content get uploaded to YouTube every single minute.

Obviously, people don't have the time or energy to watch every video from start to finish. Instead, they make assumptions about whether or not they want to watch a video based on the channel name, video title, and thumbnail.

The best way to get people to click your video is to use titles and thumbnails that are both attention-grabbing and truthful. If you use clickbait titles and images to get clicks, you could damage your reputation and repeat sales from existing customers.

Your choices will vary based on the needs of your target audience. If you know who you want to reach, create customer personas to determine your visitors' needs. Use this information to create videos that entertain, solve problems, or teach.

Once you know the goal of your new video, start thinking about how you can relay this message to your audience from your title and thumbnail. Keep the design consistent with your brand and the "cover" of your videos eye-catching, and you'll see more channel interactions.

Optimize Your Profile and Videos

Now that you know how to design your titles and thumbnails, it's time to talk about searchability. There are many SEO best practices that we follow on our websites. Did you know that many of those same techniques translate well to YouTube? It's no surprise that this is true, especially when you consider that YouTube is owned by Google, the largest search engine in the world.

The best way to sharply increase your visibility is to optimize your YouTube profile and video titles with popular and relevant keywords in your industry. You'll need to do some keyword research so you can pick the best words for your business, but this is one step you don't want to miss.

Imagine how difficult it will be for people to find your channel if there's literally no information on your profile. Similarly, think about how people will react when they eventually find your channel and discover that they're not even entirely sure what you do.

Using the right words and phrases means there's a better chance that your videos will pop up in YouTube's search results. Hold on; it gets even better. You also have a better chance at ranking on Google for video results. On average, Google sees 79,456 searches per second. There's a good chance quite a few people are looking for information about your industry. You just need to use the right words so they can discover your channel.

If you have a website, you may also want to consider creating a video landing page. Use this tool to build awareness and give visitors a taste of what they can expect if they hop over to your YouTube channel and subscribe. We suggest highlighting the value you bring to the table and putting some of your most-viewed posts on the page.

Host an Interactive Event

Next, let's talk about the benefits of sponsoring interactive events. There are countless ways to engage with your current YouTube subscriber base. If you want to grow your channel, you have to build your community. Getting to know the small group of people who are loyal to your brand is a pivotal first step.

Interactive events give you a chance to learn about your audience, get more engagement, and build customer loyalty. One of the easiest ways to get started is to host a live stream. You can get on YouTube Live for an hour and host an ask me anything event or demo one of your upcoming products or services.

Promote your stream a few days in advance so people can free up their schedule and set reminders to attend.

You can also dramatically grow your subscriber count by hosting a giveaway. For context, our most successful giveaway landed us a whopping 3,500 new users.

The prize you offer to your audience will vary based on what you offer and their needs. For instance, if you're a business owner that sells a product or service, you can offer these items as prizes for the winner. Because the prize is so specific, only people genuinely interested in your industry will enter, which means more qualified leads.

If you want to grow your personal brand, you may want to give away popular items that most people can use, like an Amazon gift card or pair of AirPods. Make sure to establish rules that lead to participants sharing your event with their followers so you can reach as many people as possible.

Work with Other Brands

Finally, we suggest partnering with other brands if you want to build your channel. Cross-promotions are one of the oldest and most effective ways to grow your business. Essentially, two businesses that offer complementary products or services work together to create content and offers.

Businesses across all industries and simple personal brands can all benefit from working together. We suggest doing a search on other YouTube channels in your industry and start watching their content. Find people that post well-researched, helpful, and entertaining content. You want to see the partner brand in a way that you hope new customers will perceive your channel.

Before you reach out, think about what kind of partnership would work for your channel.

Sometimes, companies allow representatives from other brands to post guest videos on their channels. Other times, the creator will give the brand a shoutout in their video. You also have influencers, who are social media personalities that essentially are their own brand. When working with influencers, you may have to pay or send a product trial if you want them to promote your channel.

Think carefully about the type of partnerships that suit your brand, products, and personality. Work with people that have a similar vision and continuously strive to teach you what they know. You should always return the favor when possible. Many YouTube channels got their start through partnered content.

Final Thoughts

Growing a YouTube channel is a time-consuming process, but one worth pursuing if you want to build a reputation in your industry. Use the tips outlined today to make the most of your early YouTube days. You'll find that once you hit your stride, your subscriber count and engagement will consistently improve. The key to cracking the code is understanding your audience and the type of content they want to see.