It is not all about views: The guide to optimising your YouTube channel

min read

YouTube is a powerful platform for media businesses, especially in the publishing industry. With over 2 billion logged-in users visiting YouTube each month, it’s a great way to reach a wide audience and promote your brand. If we dive deeper locally per country of the Balkan region, more than 62% of all internet users use YouTube on regular basis. However, competition is fierce, and it’s important to optimize your YouTube channel and videos to stand out and attract viewers. In this article, we’ll cover some tips and tricks for optimizing your YouTube presence in the publishing industry.

Use relevant and trending keywords in your titles and descriptions

When it comes to YouTube optimization, keywords are crucial. They help your videos show up in search results and can attract more views from your target audience.

In addition to using relevant keywords, it's also important to stay up to date on the latest trends in your industry. This can help your videos stand out and attract more views from users who are interested in the latest news and developments.

1. Research relevant keywords: Use a keyword research tool, such as the YouTube keyword planner, to identify popular and relevant keywords related to your video's topic.

2. Include keywords in your title: Use your research to craft a compelling title that includes one or more of the most relevant keywords. Keep in mind that your title should also be attention-grabbing and accurately reflect the content of your video.

3. Use keywords in your description: In the description of your video, include the keywords you've identified, as well as any additional information about your video that will help viewers understand what it's about.

4. Use variations of your keywords: In addition to using your main keywords, consider including variations of those keywords to make your content more discoverable.

5. Keep it natural: While it's important to include relevant keywords in your titles and descriptions, don't stuff your content with too many keywords. This can make your content seem spammy and may even hurt your ranking. Instead, focus on creating engaging and informative titles and descriptions that naturally incorporate your chosen keywords.

Photo by Pixabay

Optimize your video titles and descriptions

In addition to using keywords, it's also important to optimize your video titles and descriptions to make them more appealing to viewers.

A catchy and descriptive title can help entice users to click on your video, while a well-written description can give them a better understanding of what your video is about and why they should watch it.

1. Use relevant and popular keywords: Use a keyword research tool, such as the YouTube keyword planner, to identify popular and relevant keywords related to your video's topic. Incorporate these keywords into your titles and descriptions to make your videos more discoverable.

2. Make your titles compelling and accurate: Your titles should be attention-grabbing and accurately reflect the content of your video. This will help attract viewers and improve the chances that they will watch your video.

3. Use descriptive and informative descriptions: In the description of your video, provide detailed information about what your video is about and what viewers can expect to learn or see. This will help viewers understand the value of your video and make them more likely to watch it.

4. Use tags: YouTube allows you to include a list of tags with your videos. These tags help YouTube understand the content of your video and make it more discoverable to viewers searching for related topics.

5. Use annotations and end screens: Annotations and end screens are interactive elements that you can add to your videos to direct viewers to other videos or channels, or to encourage them to subscribe to your channel. Using these elements can help increase the reach of your videos and improve your overall channel performance.

When writing your titles and descriptions, keep in mind that they should be concise and to the point. Use bullet points or numbered lists to make them easy to scan and include a call to action to encourage users to watch your video.

Photo by Pixabay

Use eye-catching thumbnails

Thumbnails are the small images that represent your videos on YouTube, and they're often the first thing users see when they're scrolling through search results or browsing your channel. Therefore, it's important to use eye-catching thumbnails that grab the user's attention and make them want to click on your video.

Using eye-catching thumbnails on YouTube can help improve the visibility and click-through rate (CTR) of your videos on the platform.

Here are some tips for creating effective thumbnails:

1. Use visually appealing images: Choose an image that is clear, high-quality, and visually appealing. This could be a screenshot from your video, a relevant photograph, or a graphic design.

2. Make the thumbnail relevant to the video: The thumbnail should be a representation of the video's content and accurately reflect what the viewer can expect to see in the video.

3. Use text sparingly: If you choose to include text in your thumbnail, use it sparingly and make sure it is easy to read. Avoid using too much text, as it can make the thumbnail cluttered and difficult to read.

4. Use contrast: Use high contrast between the text and the background to make the text more legible.

5. Test different thumbnails: It's a good idea to test different thumbnails to see which ones perform the best. You can do this by creating multiple thumbnails for a single video and comparing their CTRs.

To create effective thumbnails, use high-quality images that are relevant to your video's content and make sure the text is clear and easy to read. You can also try using bold colors and graphical elements to make your thumbnails stand out.

Engage with your audience

One of the great things about YouTube is the ability to interact with your viewers and build a community around your channel.

Engaging with your audience through comments and replies is a great way to foster a sense of connection and encourage them to come back and watch more of your videos.

1. Respond to comments: Make sure to regularly check your comments and respond to as many as possible. This shows your audience that you value their feedback and helps to foster a sense of community on your channel.

2. Ask for feedback: Encourage your audience to leave comments and ask for their thoughts on your videos. This can help you understand what your audience likes and dislikes and can give your ideas for future content.

3. Host a Q&A: Consider hosting a Q&A session where you answer questions from your audience. This can be a great way to connect with your viewers and give them a chance to get to know you better.

4. Collaborate with other creators: Collaborating with other creators can help you reach a new audience and allow you to create new and interesting content.

5. Use calls to action: Encourage your audience to like, comment, and subscribe by using calls to action in your videos. This helps to create a sense of engagement and can help to grow your channel.

Utilize annotations and end screens

Annotations and end screens are tools that you can use to enhance the viewing experience for your audience and promote other content on your channel.

Annotations are text or graphic overlays that you can add to your videos. You can use annotations to add extra information, add links to other videos or websites, or include calls to action. To use annotations, you will need to enable them in the video editor on YouTube.

End screens are the last few seconds of your video, and you can use them to promote other videos, playlists, or channels on YouTube. To create an end screen, you can use the end screen editor in YouTube Studio. You can add up to four elements, such as links to other videos, a subscribe button, or a link to your channel.

By using annotations and end screens, you can encourage your audience to explore more of your content and help to grow your channel. Just make sure to use these tools in a way that enhances the viewing experience and doesn't distract from the main content of your video.

There are several ways that you can monetize your content on YouTube:

Advertisements: One of the most common ways to monetize your content on YouTube is through ads. When you enable ads on your videos, YouTube will place ads in or around your content, and you'll earn a portion of the revenue generated from those ads.

Sponsorship: Another way to monetize your content is through sponsorships. This involves partnering with a company or brand and promoting their products or services in your videos. You can negotiate a fee for the sponsorship or receive a percentage of the sales generated from your promotion.

Product sales: If you have physical products that you sell, you can use your YouTube channel to promote and sell those products. You can include links to your products in the description of your videos or use YouTube's built-in merchandising tools to sell your products directly through your channel.

Channel memberships: YouTube allows you to offer exclusive content and perks to your channel members. You can charge a fee for access to this content, which can be a good way to monetize your channel if you have a dedicated and engaged audience. 

Super Chat and Super Stickers: Super Chat and Super Stickers are features that allow viewers to pay to have their messages or stickers highlighted during a live stream. As the creator, you'll receive a portion of the revenue generated from these features.

In conclusion, YouTube is a powerful platform for media businesses, especially in the publishing industry. With its wide reach and visual format, it's a great way to showcase your content and reach a diverse audience. By using relevant and trending keywords, optimizing your titles and descriptions, creating eye-catching thumbnails, utilizing YouTube's end screens and annotations, collaborating with other creators, engaging with your audience, and utilizing YouTube's analytics, you can optimize your presence on the platform and reach a wider audience. Additionally, YouTube's mobile optimization and monetization options make it an even more valuable platform for publishers looking to grow their brands and generate revenue. Overall, YouTube is an essential platform for media businesses looking to succeed in the digital age.

There has been a significant increase in video advertising in recent years due to the increasing popularity of video content and the effectiveness of video ads. According to a report by eMarketer, global spending on video advertising is expected to reach $27.82 billion in 2021, up from $19.14 billion in 2018. This represents a compound annual growth rate of 10.7%. Overall, the growth of video advertising can be attributed to a combination of factors, including the rise of streaming services, the growth of mobile devices, the effectiveness of video ads, and the increasing use of social media. 

It is more than essential to understand importance of targeted advertising to attract traffic especially from diaspora, since revenue generated from those markets is drastically higher comparing local ones. So – creatives are already prepared or will be prepared for the digital ecosystem, use the YouTube channel in the right manner and generate as much traffic as possible toward it. 

Mihailo has over 20 years of experience in sales and advertising, digital marketing, big data, loyalty and eCommerce. He’s currently holding the position of Chief eCommerce Officer at Tehnomanija d.o.o. For the last 12 years he’s been working in various industries – as Chief Revenue Officer at Euronews Serbia, Chief Executive Officer at Super Kartica and Advertising Sales Director of Media Impact at Ringier Axel Springer. He’s also a Board Member of IAB Serbia and Ecommerce Association of Serbia. Holds trainings in programmatic buying, email marketing and marketing automation.

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