While short-form video platforms like TikTok and Reels have made a huge impact on social media in recent years, one video-sharing platform still rules all: YouTube.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the most popular social media site in the US and the second most visited site on the web<\/a>, with more than 2.1 billion users worldwide. To harness the platform\u2019s potential, you must learn how to promote your YouTube channel.<\/p>\n Here are some of our favorite tricks for optimizing your YouTube content to help new users find your channel, both on the platform and on other social channels. Each of these tips is simple, effective, and, better yet, 100% free.<\/p>\n A great YouTube channel starts with great SEO. And great YouTube SEO<\/a> starts with understanding what users are searching for.<\/p>\n Optimizing your channel and videos with keywords that people are searching for not only helps your videos show up in YouTube search results but also on Google.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no set rule for which keywords will help your YouTube video rank well. But a bit of reverse engineering can go a long way.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how to find a Google-friendly keyword for any video:<\/p>\n For example, tutorials and how-to videos work really well as video content, so Google will prioritize those. As you can see below, when you search for \u201cPhotoshop Tutorial,\u201d a YouTube video is the first thing in the results after a web page for Adobe (the creator of Photoshop).<\/p>\n YouTube\u2019s autocomplete feature is another great way to find popular keywords. Start by searching for a particular theme or topic, and see what title YouTube suggests.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Get your free pack of 5 customizable YouTube banner templates now<\/strong><\/span>. Save time and look professional while promoting your brand in style.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n The title is the first thing users see when they find your content. And if it isn\u2019t punchy, it might be the last.<\/p>\n Here are some basic tips for writing strong YouTube titles:<\/p>\n Thumbnails matter, maybe even more than titles. That\u2019s because our brains are hardwired to notice visuals first. We process them in less than 13 milliseconds, according to an MIT study<\/a>.<\/p>\n YouTube produces automatic thumbnails for all videos, but they can be blurry or out of focus. To boost views<\/strong><\/a>, create an eye-catching custom thumbnail for every video you post<\/strong>.<\/p>\n We recommend these simple \u201crules of thumb\u201d for best results:<\/p>\n Which of these two thumbnails are you more likely to choose? The first graphic has text that clearly defines what the video is about. It\u2019s more eye-catching and more clickable!<\/p>\n Many YouTube creators skip the profile section and get straight to content creation. But a compelling profile is one of the easiest ways to promote your YouTube channel\u2014and boost your SEO.<\/p>\n When you search for \u201ccake decorating for beginners,\u201d one of the first channels that pops up is Georgia\u2019s Cakes<\/a>. Not only does she optimize her video descriptions and titles, but her channel description includes essential keywords and phrases that help boost her SEO.<\/p>\n Here are some best practices for creating an effective YouTube profile:<\/p>\n We have a complete guide to writing effective YouTube descriptions<\/a>, which has tips for both individual video descriptions and channels and free, customizable templates.<\/p>\n In a nutshell, here\u2019s what you should consider when writing your YouTube video descriptions:<\/p>\n You can also mention keywords in the video itself. But just like with text, people lose attention quickly. Use a couple of keywords during a brief intro for best results.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how that looks in practice:<\/p>\n This video description on Hootsuite Lab\u2019s channel includes relevant keywords and hashtags, a \u201cchapters\u201d section with video timestamps, and links to learn more.<\/p>\n YouTube\u2019s metadata guidelines<\/a> emphasize two things when it comes to using keywords:<\/p>\n These rules also apply to features like tags and categories. Only include tags in the \u201ctags section\u201d of your upload\u2014not the video description. Add one or two categories to help YouTube understand who to recommend your video to.<\/p>\n This may seem obvious, but it\u2019s still worth mentioning.<\/p>\n Great content is the best way to keep viewers engaged<\/strong>\u2014and the most effective way to rank well in YouTube search. That\u2019s because YouTube\u2019s algorithm<\/a> prioritizes the viewer\u2019s experience.<\/p>\n Before you publish any video, ask yourself:<\/p>\n Poor video quality can undermine even the best content. So, make sure your content looks professional before you post it. Use a decent camera, do a soundcheck before recording, and learn some basic editing skills.<\/p>\n Of course, not everyone is a natural filmmaker. Brush up on these best practices for social videos<\/a> if you\u2019re a little rusty.<\/p>\n Real engagement doesn\u2019t end at content creation. The most successful YouTubers constantly monitor and interact with their fans.<\/p>\n Respond to viewers\u2019 comments\u2014even the negative ones\u2014and \u201creact\u201d to your favorites<\/a>. You can even post response videos. Just remember to use analytics<\/a> to identify your top fans and show them some extra love.<\/p>\n Your viewers, and your subscriber count, will thank you for it.<\/p>\n Check out the comments section under this video, and you\u2019ll see the creator reacts to nearly every comment (and there are over 800 of them!):<\/p>\n Source: <\/em>@AdamaLorma<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Audience Q&As are one of the most effective ways to build a community on YouTube. These can also be an opportunity to describe what your channel is about for new viewers.<\/p>\n Ask your subscribers to drop questions in the comment section, then create a video to address them.<\/p>\n Source: <\/em>@aspynovard<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n By showing your fans that they matter, you\u2019ll boost watch time, view counts, and engagement.<\/p>\n Plus, Q&As can be lifesavers when you\u2019re out of fresh content ideas.<\/p>\n Contests are another great way to promote your YouTube channel by involving your audience. With a single video, you can collect viewer data, encourage likes or comments, and gain subscribers.<\/p>\n Source: @PurpleStars02<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Psstt: <\/strong>We have a whole blog post about making the most of YouTube contests<\/a>. But some quick takeaways include:<\/p>\n YouTube is all about finding your niche and building your following within it.<\/p>\n Subscribe to channels that target a similar audience as you. Watch, like, and share their content. Leave thoughtful comments or mention them in your videos.<\/p>\n Not only will this give you a better sense of what your competition is up to, it can also help you reach new viewers.<\/p>\n Partnering with influencers is another way to broaden your reach. YouTube personalities can help you tap into existing, highly engaged communities. They can also help you come up with new content when you\u2019re stuck for ideas.<\/p>\n Though, there\u2019s one golden rule to any successful partnership: Be authentic.<\/strong><\/p>\n Identify influencers who represent values aligned with your brand. Does it make sense to partner with them? Will it provide value to your viewers?<\/p>\n If not, keep looking. Inauthentic content can do more damage than good.<\/p>\n For example, this collaboration between Jackie Aina and Sol de Janeiro makes perfect sense\u2014a makeup artist and beauty creator partnering with a beauty brand.<\/p>\n Source: <\/em>@jackieaina<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n If you want to promote your YouTube channel and get more views, the last thing you want to do is disregard YouTube\u2019s community guidelines. In fact, YouTube has cracked down on removing inappropriate content, and when you consider that YouTube is one of Gen Alpha\u2019s favorite content channels<\/a>, it makes sense why.<\/p>\n So, a good rule of thumb if you want your videos to be shared: Don\u2019t post anything you wouldn\u2019t want your little brother to see. Otherwise, your video will get flagged and removed from YouTube\u2019s recommendation feature.<\/p>\n In the second<\/a>\u00a0quarter of 2024 alone, the platform\u2019s automated flagging process removed over eight million YouTube videos<\/span>.<\/p>\n TL;DR: <\/strong>If you\u2019re unsure of what\u2019s considered risky, it\u2019s worth double-checking the community guidelines<\/a> before posting.<\/p>\n Consistency pays off. Post videos on a regular schedule to keep viewers coming back to your channel again and again.<\/p>\n Choose a catchy, keyword-friendly name for your YouTube series<\/a> for the best results. You should also create a custom thumbnail throughout the series to give each video a similar look and feel.<\/p>\n NYT Cooking<\/a> regularly creates series featuring a variety of recipes, like this series on cookies for Cookie Week:<\/p>\n Source: @NYTCooking<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Playlists are a great way to get people watching more of your content in one go. That\u2019s because these collections are a little addicting. As soon as one video ends, the next begins.<\/p>\n Playlists also help with discoverability. Videos in a playlist are more likely to appear in YouTube\u2019s Suggested Videos column. Plus, playlist titles and descriptions are a great place to add keywords.<\/p>\n You can create effective playlists<\/a> in two ways:<\/p>\n The Cut\u2019s \u201cLineup<\/a>\u201d playlist is more than a little addicting.<\/p>\n Source: @cut<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n YouTube is one of the most popular livestreaming social platforms on the internet<\/a>. Take advantage of this by creating content that really engages viewers.<\/p>\n Posting on YouTube Live is a great way to promote your channel and get it in front of a new audience.<\/p>\n Webinars, Q&As, and events all work well live. If you\u2019re looking for inspiration, check out YouTube Live<\/a> to see what other live streams are happening.<\/p>\n Include a compelling CTA in your video to make the most of your hard-earned audience.<\/p>\n Maybe you want to push your viewers to like or share your video. Maybe you want them to click through to your website. Whatever the \u201cask,\u201d the best CTAs are always clear, compelling, and urgent<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n YouTube has a call-to-action extension<\/a> for in-stream ads. But there are also lots of free ways to add CTAs to videos:<\/p>\n Check out how we used an end screen in the video<\/a> below to boost subscriptions:<\/p>\nKey Takeaways<\/span><\/h3>\n
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29 ways to promote your channel on YouTube<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
1. Choose search-friendly keywords<\/span><\/h3>\n
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![\"Photoshop](\"https:\/\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image8-2-620x741.png.webp)
\n<\/picture>\n<\/noscript><\/figure>\n![\"social](\"https:\/\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image16-1-620x308.png.webp)
\n<\/picture>\n<\/noscript><\/figure>\n2. Use concise, descriptive video titles<\/span><\/h3>\n
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3. Create custom thumbnails<\/span><\/h3>\n
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![\"2](\"https:\/\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image15-2.png.webp)
\n<\/picture>\n<\/noscript><\/figure>\n4. Fill out your profile information<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"cake](\"https:\/\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image3-2-620x370.png.webp)
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5. Optimize your video descriptions<\/span><\/h3>\n
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![\"Hootsuite](\"https:\/\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image21-1-620x358.png.webp)
\n<\/picture>\n<\/noscript><\/figure>\n6. Don\u2019t forget about metadata<\/span><\/h3>\n
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7. Offer value to your viewers<\/span><\/h3>\n
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8. Create high-quality videos<\/span><\/h3>\n
9. Interact with your fans<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"Adama](\"https:\/\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image23-1-620x418.png.webp)
\n<\/picture>\n<\/noscript><\/figure>\n10. Try a Q&A<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"Aspyn](\"https:\/\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image24-620x417.png.webp)
\n<\/picture>\n<\/noscript><\/figure>\n11. Run contests<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"BACK](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Screenshot-2024-09-17-at-12.12.27%E2%80%AFPM-620x421.png?resize=620%2C421&ssl=1\"\/)
![\"BACK](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Screenshot-2024-09-17-at-12.12.27%E2%80%AFPM-620x421.png?resize=620%2C421&ssl=1\")
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13. Work with (the right<\/em>) influencers<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"Jackie](\"https:\/\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image2-2-620x549.png.webp)
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15. Create a series<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"NYT](\"https:\/\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image26-620x383.png.webp)
\n<\/picture>\n<\/noscript><\/figure>\n16. Create playlists<\/span><\/h3>\n
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![\"The](\"https:\/\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image7-2-620x262.png.webp)
\n<\/picture>\n<\/noscript><\/figure>\n17. Go live<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"YouTube](\"https:\/\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/image4-2-620x126.png.webp)
\n<\/picture>\n<\/noscript><\/figure>\n18. Add a call-to-action<\/span><\/h3>\n
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