It can be frustrating when you start on Youtube to figure out why you’re not growing. Why haven’t you become an instant sensation over night. Don’t people understand and appreciate your genius? Why do people click off when I have this one moment of serious introspective silence in this part of my video…..
Here’s a few tips about how I go about growth on Youtube:
You need to make good content.
Work on your story telling first. Make concise, easy to consume content. Cut out the Dead Space and anything that's not relevant.
Make sure you have good audio. A new sub is not invested in you, and if they have to work to understand you because the music is too loud, or they can't hear you over the wind noise they will not stick around.
Then make visually stimulating content. Try multiple camera angles. Just watching helmet cam footage while you talk over it just isn't quite cutting it anymore. We need to strive to become better film makers.
Seriously. B-Roll is your friend.
Give some attention to your SEO and Thumbnails.
No one will know if your content is good if they don't click on your thumbnail. Do research. Look at successful content (not just motovloggers). Learn how to use a photo editing program. GIMP is free and is has a lot of the capability of Photoshop.
Same goes for Titles, and ESPECIALLY your description and your tags. How is Youtube supposed to know how or where to recommend your content if you don't include *accurate* relevant tags/keywords. Youtube also looks at your description to make this determination.
Have 3-5 Tags that you include on EVERY video. This would be tags that are relevant to all of your content. Including your Channel Name, maybe your Bike make and model, maybe the area you ride in most of the time, 'motorcycle', or motovlog etc. This makes it easier for Youtube to recommend more of YOUR content in the side panel on YOUR content.
It's important to include your social links in ever single video description, as well as making sure you're including a few keywords you used in the title in the Description of the video. Make like a 2-5 sentence summary of the video in the first paragraph of the description, then include any relevant links or things you may have talked about that people may not know how to spell just from you saying it.
This will set you apart form people who aren't taking it very seriously, have the added benefit of making you seem more professional and helpful to your audience.
BE CONSISTENT.
Figure out a schedule and STICK TO IT. Audiences respond really well to knowing they'll get to see content from you on a regular bases. Whether that's once a month, once ever two weeks or once a week, whichever. Make sure whatever schedule you pick you can keep up with it. Don't burn yourself out trying to do two videos a week, your audience will be plenty happy with once every two weeks if it means you're on time. It's more important that you upload when you say you're going to, than it is to upload a crappy video sporadically.
Find your niche and embrace it. Yes we're all motovloggers, but there's a lot of micro-niches within the Motorcycling Genre. There's ADV, Dirt, Street, Cruiser, and even more niche than that is the style of videos that you create, do you make How tos, do you make philosophical content, do you make travel vlogs. Variety channels are going to be a LOT harder to grow. Offer your audience more than you're asking for in return. People are more likely to stick around if they feel like they're getting something out of the content , that's why How-Tos or list videos do so well, you're offering your audience value. Entertainment is also value, but you have to actually be entertaining.
If you make garage how tos for a while then suddenly start making Vlogs, your engagement and views will noticeably drop because that's not what your current subs signed up for.
ENGAGE with the Community.
The first 48 hours a video goes up is the most vital. Respond to Every single Comment, in the 48 hour period. It does make a huge difference in whether Youtube will push your content on the home page of your subscribers or not. If YT doesn't see any engagement from you with your audience, it's less likely to show up in places like Searches, Home pages, and sometimes even Subscription lists.
Build a Relationship with your Audience, spend time really learning what they're there for, Understand who they are, and what there interests are, it will help you make better content that connects with them better, which will in turn help you grow. If someone asks a question respond to it and if it's good make a video answering that question. Chances are others were wondering the same thing.
Watch other people's content and leave /good/ comments. Don't just lurk and leave shitty comments like "hey.... good video... look at my channel please." People who leave comments like this get instantly blocked on my channel. Don't be that guy. Show that you engaged with their content, answer any questions they put out to their audience ya know, respond to what they talked about in the video.
Set aside like 30min to an hour like once a week to watch like 10 videos or more and comment on their videos.
A great way to consume a lot of content at once is to utilize the Playback Speed Settings and watch videos at like 1.5 speed
If you leave a few engaged comments on people's videos in a row they're going to take notice after a while because they'll start to recognize your name, and they'll come check out your stuff.
Engage with Active Moto Communities on Facebook
This doesn't have to be just video groups, but other groups like MMV (Minimalist Moto Vagabonds), or Moto groups related to your bike, motocamping etc.
Engage GENUINELY in that community. DO NOT SPAM YOUR LINKS EVERYWHERE. That's like asking for the ban hammer to drop on you. Read the rules of the group you're joining and don't break them. If you do drop links, make sure it's relevant to the conversation. Try to give more than you take.
Build Audiences on Other Platforms.
Start an Instagram, Facecbook Page, Twitter etc. build an audience there so you can share your videos with them when they go live. Pick one to start with and go from there. It's better to be active on one social platform than have a bunch that are dead.
Share good photos that aren't just screenshots of your YT videos/channels.
Again pay attention to Hashtags, and your descriptions. I won't go into how to grow on other platforms but it's kind of the same idea. Be Genuine, make good content, and engage with comments.
If you like to write, think about making a website and post on a blog, you can embed some videos in your blog and elaborate more on a topic in writing etc.
Accept the long Haul.
Blowing up over night is a story that is few and far between. Most times there's also a GOOD reason they blew up. For the rest of us, growth comes with lots of hard work over a long period of time.
Enjoy the work you’re doing. If you don’t enjoy making video, if Editing is super tedious for you, or you have to drag yourself around just to record a video. This isn’t for you.
Do research, watch channels that focus on learning how to grow on Youtube, and adapt your content. Never stop Learning.
A few channels to watch to learn a little more about growth on Youtube:
I hope this helps a few people, enjoy the process and I’ll see you in the comments section.