Increase views on YouTube

YouTube is now the king of video content on the web. As a platform, it is developing dynamically every year more and more.

Both in terms of reach (exceeding 2 billion logged-in users per month), as well as the number of creators and new channels. As a result, YouTube reaches a diverse age target. From the youngest (YouTube Kids) through 20-, 30-, 40-year-olds, up to people aged 65+. How to increase views on YouTube?

The dynamic development of the platform makes the competitiveness of content increase in each thematic category. Audience attention on the platform is the largest form of remuneration for the creator. It is thanks to it that channels and authors can develop. The platform itself also had to adapt to this competitiveness and distribute content in an appropriate way. Thanks to referral algorithms, the right content goes to the right user.

If on the homepage we see thumbnails of videos that correspond to our interests, we will be more willing to click on them, thus extending the time we spend on the platform. “Time” in the context of optimizing activities on YouTube is the key word, because it is the watch time, or watchtime, that is the most important indicator of the satisfaction of the recipient. Among other things, based on the time spent with the video, the algorithm decides whether it is worth recommending it to a wider audience.

Is it worth it to increase views on YouTube? How much is one display worth?

The measure of the attention of the recipient also performs the function of a certain security on the platform. Verifies the “credibility” of the content against its thumbnail and title. In short, it protects us from worthless clickbait that can confuse and mislead.

How to create thumbnails on YouTube?

It is also worth taking care of the branding characteristic of the channel, understood as a specific graphic layout or, for example, color scheme. Thanks to this, a regular recipient, seeing a thumbnail, will immediately recognize that it comes from a particular channel. In the process of creating thumbnails, it is also worth taking the perspective of the recipient and asking yourself the question “What thumbnails do I usually click on?” This can provide a valuable lesson that will influence the final shape of the material thumbnails. Titles should always complement the graphic message in text form. If an inscription is placed on the thumbnail, the title should not be a duplicate of it.

During development, it is necessary to keep in mind the recipient, his comfort and expectations. The channel should be clear, readable and attractive. This can affect the fact that a given viewer decides to leave a subscription after himself. Channel graphics should catch the viewer's attention and talk about what they find on the channel. Trailer, aimed at a new audience, should contain the essence of information about the content category and encourage you to stay longer. The home page should contain clearly organized thematic sections of playlists and series. Well-tailored aesthetics and categories can increase YouTube views of our content.

You have to think twice about the recipient

The process of optimizing and effectively distributing content on YouTube is extremely complex and includes a whole bunch of components. In the whole process, however, the most important thing is the viewer and his satisfaction.The creator of the YouTube channel must think twice. At the same time, look through the eyes of the recipient, as well as perceive yourself as the recipient. The whole system of algorithms is an extension and reflection of the behavior of the viewers. Therefore, always thinking about the algorithm, one should think about the recipient and his satisfaction. With this in mind, you can gradually expand your YouTube channel.

How does YouTube's algorithm work?

The platform's algorithms know which viewers have reached previous videos, what type of content they watch most often, what they skip, what age they are and what type of device they use YouTube on. The platform's audience is profiled based on many factors. Having knowledge of them, algorithms immediately after the publication of the film can assess which viewers should recommend the material to and which not. Therefore, when creating content, the recipient should always be the main point of attention. The creator needs to know what series of videos or what topics his current viewers liked and take it as a guide to creating the next content.

Content clickability alongside watch time is a key metric that directly affects how the algorithm will respond to videos. When browsing the YouTube homepage, we observe the titles and thumbnails of the videos.

Through them, we fight for the viewer's crucial attention on the platform. However, this does not mean in any case that the one who shouts the loudest wins here. Thumbnails and titles should always be tailored to the expectations of viewers. In the younger age range, miniatures that are strongly saturated with color and expression can perform better, and in the case of a more mature audience, more subdued and orderly, referring to the theme of the film.

Some of the rules to increase views on YouTube remain the same, even with a very different target audience. The creator must ensure that the miniature stands out from the “competition”, is transparent, represents a carrier of emotions or information.

The text originally appeared on pages 21 of the magazine “Social Media Manager”.