We broke 10 million views on YouTube.
In this article, I’ll break down the 11 steps we took to get there – and how we plan to grow even faster.
How to Get Views on YouTube
Let’s start with what we did right.
Here are the steps we took to increase YouTube traffic and engagement.
1. Target a Keyword
One of the best ways to get more views on YouTube is to target a specific keyword.
Target relevant keywords in your video title, description, tags, and subtitles. Doing so will help boost rankings and general visibility. You can use keyword research tools or conduct searches to determine what to target.
Tools like VidIQ are specifically designed to help you target the best keywords for your channel.
2. Script Your Content
Consider scripting videos if you want to keep your content tight and engaging. By writing a clear script, you can ensure your videos run neither too long nor too short. You’ll also keep your videos to the point to maximize engagement.
3. Optimize Videos with Cards and End Screens
Add cards throughout your video when you mention another video or related topic. This element pops up in the top right corner and allows you to link to related videos, playlists and your channel.
Don’t forget to add end screens. These elements keep viewers on your channel. You can add the options to subscribe to your channel, watch a singular video, or view a playlist on a similar topic.
4. Create a Unique Thumbnail
Another step to take is to customize your video’s thumbnails. An appealing title can attract viewers, but your thumbnail is also crucial. One way to do this is to create a template for your thumbnails. A template makes your videos unique to your brand and helps people instantly recognize you.
5. How to Get Views on YouTube: Publish Regularly
You can maximize visibility and engagement by publishing regularly. Not only will this help you rank on YouTube and in search engines, but it will also build a loyal following. If people expect to see content from you more frequently, they’re more likely to engage with you.
6. Ask People to Like and Subscribe
If you want to grow your following faster, ask people to like your videos and follow you. You can do so at the beginning of your videos in a brief intro. Don’t be pushy here, as appearing too desperate for engagement could turn people away.
7. Interlink Videos
Interlinking videos will help increase your views and point viewers to other helpful content on your channel.
To interlink your videos, include recommended videos at the end of each video. These could include clickable previews that make it easy to keep users engaged. Additionally, you can include links to relevant videos in your description.
8. Promote Your Videos to Email List
Promote new videos to your email list every time you create and publish a new one. This is a great way to expand your reach, increase views on YouTube and potentially attract more followers.
9. Host Events
This year, we started hosting live events on our YouTube channel and saw a huge upswing in views. If you haven’t already, try hosting an event of your own.
This could involve hosting interviews, live Q&A sessions, and more. Hosting events your audience will love will drive even more engagement and views. People will also be more likely to tune in if they’re able to engage and interact with you directly. For instance, you could turn on live comments and respond to them during each event.
10. Promote Your Videos Everywhere
You’ll want to post your videos everywhere. Promote your videos like an event. You can create a blog post and embed the video into the post, add it to landing pages, send out an email blast, promote it internally, and share it on social media. Get creative. The more places you can promote your video, the more views it will get.
11. Go Live and Host Premieres
Use live streaming to interact with your audience and establish a strong connection. When hosting live events, you’ll attract people who might not attend physical events. You’ll also be able to boost rankings because of the increased engagement seen with live videos. Be sure to use YouTube Premiere for live videos. Using Premieres, you can send reminders to audiences to watch your live stream. Premieres also allow viewers to chat and leave comments.
If you’re wondering how to get views on YouTube, all these strategies can help. The more time and effort you dedicate to YouTube, the more you’ll succeed with this platform. These are the exact strategies we used to break ten million views with our videos.
4 Action Items to Increase Your YouTube Views
Here are a few steps we’re adding to our strategy to help us get to the next 10 million.
Want to know how to increase views on YouTube even more effectively? Keep the following tips in mind.
1. Heavier Edits Increase Watch Time
This is one of the most effective ways to increase watch time on YouTube. The best channels leave viewers almost no time to think about changing the video. Strategic editing will make for more active, engaged viewers.
2. Publish only Evergreen Content
We like to cover industry news every week for clients. We also want to keep the team on the cutting edge. Unfortunately, YouTube holds the entire channel down because of it. As such, you should produce plenty of evergreen content that maximizes staying power.
3. Better Thumbnails, Titles, and Descriptions
More effort here will make a significant difference in growth. High-quality custom thumbnails complement eye-catching titles. Meanwhile, well-optimized descriptions can help with rankings and interlinking.
4. Use Deliberate Connection Between Videos
Users should never have to decide where to go next. Instead, the channel should point them toward a related video to watch. This is why your recommended video topics should always apply to the root video. You can use these recommendations to take viewers on a journey that carries them down the funnel.
How Else Can You Get Views on YouTube?
Want to learn more about how to get more views on YouTube? These are just a few of the many strategies you can use. By investing enough time and energy into your YouTube campaigns, you’ll get the most from them.
Thank you to those who subscribe to our channel. Also, thank you to anyone who has viewed it. We’re excited to grow it over time and appeal to more viewers.
Check out our LinkedIn post on this topic and put these and other strategies to use.