The Top 5 Things To Improve Your Youtube Channel

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Being a YouTube content creator is difficult. On paper, it looks like a lot of fun; you make a few videos, you get a bunch of views, and people love you, and then you get famous and buy a modest but still kind of expensive vehicle because you want to come across as genuine and not full of yourself.

But what happens when you make 20 or 30 videos, and that doesn’t happen? You’re spending hours creating 100s of videos, but nothing is happening. People aren’t watching, or if they are, the numbers are poor. What if you’re still making videos, and nobody cares? What do you do now?

 You need to realize that YouTube creators have to wear a lot of hats… they don’t just make videos. Our thumbnails require us to master graphic design and human psychology as well.  We are statistical nerds (admit it, you checked your YouTube studio views three times before you read this). We are social media divas and late-night copy editors, script-writers, asset designers, public speakers, entertainers, merchandise distributors and salesmen.

Oh, and to get as far as any of us did, we had to do it all based on the niche that we mastered before we even started filming.

So what do you do when it just isn’t working. What can you do to fix a channel with slow growth or a lack of views? There are so many things that go into making a successful YouTube channel and as such there are as many reasons for failure. Luckily there are three things that you can do to make vast improvements in video performance and we are going to break them down right now.

Getting the tags and more importantly, the titles right is a key part of getting views on YouTube. You’re letting YouTube know what your video is specifically about with the right title. Crafting a title that specifically describes what the video is about and reinforcing that with a solid description of this topic, you are getting your channel into the head of the YouTube algorithm. The more specific you get with your video’s, tags and titles, the better off your channel.

It gets a bit more complicated when you begin researching keyword phrases, and you try to cram in as many as possible… and these are things that you really should do. But at the end of the day, you need to make sure that the topic is at least focused. Make it easy for YouTube and your viewers to understand what this video is about.

This helps you attract the right people and helps viewers determine whether or not they want to watch it. Beating around the bush doesn’t help anyone and drives potential viewers away. When your title represents your video’s content, people are less likely to click away, which means you are more likely to be found.

This pattern also helps YouTube realize who the core audience for this video is and the easier it is for them to share it with the correct audience. Do your keyword research and fill as much metadata and keyword phrases as possible into that title/description/tags… but don’t do so by sacrificing clarity.

Let’s talk about thumbnails. So here’s the deal, you need to make better thumbnails. No matter how amazing you are and you have a beautiful layout for your thumbnails, no matter how many times you’ve tested them and put a lot of time into the design, It’s time to take it up a notch.

There is no such thing as a single thumbnail that will be the greatest, most-clicked thing of all time. Cultures adapt, trends change, and what is popular now is not going to be popular tomorrow. Today it can be all bright colors and poppy text, and next year, the fad may be dramatic overlays and muted tones.

This changes across platforms, demographics and audiences as well as niches. You need to always look at what other successful channels are doing and take note of your own viewership. Study others, study what is working. If you want views, the first thing that must happen is that your video must be clicked on. And the decision to click is based on the thumbnail and title. That is all the information the viewer has to go on.  You need to make a good impression and use both the thumbnail and the title. When potential viewers look at your thumbnail, you need to be the obvious choice. 

We have a guide to improve Youtube thumbnails, please refer to this post

So, you’re a master of SEO. You have a 100 SEO Score on 50+ videos, your titles and descriptions are impeccable, and your thumbnails were handed to you from on high. But something is still going wrong.

However, there’s still something holding you back, something to fix. If you’re going to fix one thing… if you want that single, solitary thing to adjust to seeing real growth and change in your views… then you need to improve your video.

Watch channels like Lila and Peter McKinnon and subscribe to those channels. Watch what they do on their end; the format, the content, the pacing. How often they update and how long those videos are. It’s time to study your competition and other successful channels like you were studying for a science exam. If things get confusing, don’t be afraid to use an editing service like Vidchops that can provide you with an expert opinion on what you can improve.

Also, spend some time improving your sound design. Figure out how to key colors and use a green screen. Learn how to use Alight Motion and make your visual assets. These are just a few things you can do to slowly level up your content and get ready for the big time. Improve the thing you are worst at. 100 videos from now, you are going to be a different creator, your videos are going to be on a different level and that thing you are worst at… well, it’s going to be pretty freaking decent by then.

If you only have one hit, make it a home run. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket, and don’t think that the success of this video isn’t going to carry over into others. If you’re going to release a video, why not do everything in your power to make sure that the next day you have another equally successful video waiting in the wings?

So maybe you were hyping up a future vlog and your subscribers are subscribed to see exactly that. Maybe you do a series of videos about product reviews or how-to guides. Doesn’t matter. You won’t get away with just one video. People will leave if they struggle to find the thing they were promised.

 Remember, you are being judged on your past videos and other people’s response to those videos. The viewers that found you through that one video won’t always stick around if the next thing isn’t just as great. And if people are unsubscribing, then it’s time for a change in content. If people are always dropping off, then it’s time to diversify and not rely on that one video. 

Not all videos need a thumbnail step, nor do they need a thumbnail at the very least. Sometimes you can get by with video titles and descriptions alone, and other times you need to make a thumbnail for it. There is no rule. Don’t be afraid to experiment, and don’t think that one thing is always going to work or not work because of what you’ve seen on Youtube before.

If you’re going to release a video, why not do everything in your power to make sure that the next day you have another equally successful video waiting in the wings?

A lot of what you will find on Youtube is people doing things the same way. They do their thumbnails exactly like other influencers, and they follow the advice of “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” But if your first concern is about making an impression with thumbnails, you are already dead. Many people on Youtube have made thumbnails their way and have done extremely well because of it. Don’t hamstring yourself by putting all your focus into thumbnails.

If you’re not doing one thing differently, you’re not growing as much as you can. Do something new; do something different; experiment with something.

YouTube can be a stressful endeavor. We’re all trying to provide an amazing experience for our audience while also trying to accommodate the relentless YouTube Algorithm. In doing so, we are all torn in many different directions.

As long as you continue to put work into your channel, in however small of increments you can afford, then you can grow your channel and that’s the most important thing.

Do you need help creating eye-catching thumbnails? Are you looking for expert services that will give your viewership a significant boost? Look no further! Vidchops is here to help.

Vidchops delivers thumbnail services under YT helper plan for clients. Signing up for YT helper service offers a complete package where our team uploads videos to your channel, provide SEO descriptions, tags, as well as engaging thumbnails. Visit YT helper page to learn more