How to Grow Your YouTube Following

 

Today, YouTube has over one billion viewers. If you aren’t using YouTube to grow your audience, you’re missing out on a substantial portion of the population, and a great way to increase your influence online. It’s not just viewers you need though. You need users that are actively engaged in your channel. YouTube is a massive opportunity to grow your following for the long-term.

Let’s take a look at some of the best ways to grow your YouTube following. There is no secret formula or unique guide to building up your user base. It’s merely being consistent, providing quality content, and rewarding those who follow you. What does that look like? Here are a few ideas.

Consistency is Key

As we previously mentioned, one of the keys to a successful YouTube following on your channel and a loyal following is consistency. Pick a theme and stick with it. There’s nothing worse than finding a YouTube channel you like, only to discover that it’s changed direction or not what you thought it was. It’s a good, quick way to lose followers.

Build your brand, and doing it in a way that doesn’t require users to take a lot of time to figure out who you are and what you’re selling. Users subscribe for two reasons: 1) Because they like the content they just viewed, and 2) Because they expect more of the same in the future.

Figure out before you launch your channel what your premise and platform will be. Communicate it effectively across all of your videos so visitors will be able to identify your brand at a glance. You can do this in a variety of ways, whether it is through a channel trailer, via a pitch that lets users know when the next post will be, or through customized thumbnails which will grab the attention of visitors to your channel.

Quality Content

When a person is introduced to your channel, the more of our videos they watch, the higher the chance they will subscribe, thus growing your YouTube following. Watching your videos gives visitors an excellent opportunity to follow you, while also showing them why they should.

One way you can do this is by creating playlists of your content. Organize your videos in a manner that will get good traction through searching on YouTube. You can choose important keywords to drive traffic to your channel. Create themed segments with your videos, which allows you to have control over which video the user will see next. This is especially important as YouTube could wind up playing other content, as opposed to your own after the video is over.

When creating your content, be sure to make it viewable in a format conducive to a mobile device. That does not mean it needs to be recorded and viewed on a smartphone, but rather that you should keep in mind that a lot of content is seen on a mobile device. Create short, consumable videos that will keep followers returning on a regular basis, eager and hungry for more.

As stated previously, there’s no shortcut or secret recipe to growing your YouTube following. Anyone trying to sell you a “get rich quick scheme” is nothing but a waste of your time and money.

When it comes to your YouTube following, more often than not, quality trumps quantity, especially when it comes to your users. It’s more important to have an engaged, valued audience of a few thousand than it is to have a million followers who have no idea who you are or what you’re selling. Find your niche, create your content, and build your following.