1. Video Titles: Use attention-grabbing, descriptive, and relevant keywords towards for the beginning of your titles and display branding and episode numbers towards the end. Keep titles concise so they fit on one line. Represent videos accurately without using misleading information. Thumbnails should reinforce the title but not necessarily duplicate.
See how we have used attention grabbing copy, "1000+ Horse Power Drift Machine..."? Who doesn't like high power drift cars? The series title "Controlled Chaos" and episode number follow to make sure these videos show up as relevant videos in the series.
2. Thumbnails: Clear, in-focus, high-res images (640px by 360px minimum) that stand out at any size. Text should be legible at any size too. Thumbnails should never be misleading and instead, accurately represent content. Should be high-contrast, visually compelling imagery. Thumbnail support page on YouTube.
3. Descriptions: Explain your video in 1-3 concise sentences at the top of the description section. Use relevant keywords to help in discovery. Add experience-enhancing links like subscribe, similar videos, playlists, social media links, website, etc. below the video description. Titles and descriptions should be able to be understood by anyone, not just those who are subscribed to your channel or have previous knowledge of the content in the video.
4. Annotations and End Slates: Annotations are clickable text overlays that can be used to boost engagement, give more information, and help with navigation within a video. End slates are title cards at the end of a video that ask the viewer to subscribe and promote more videos with the use of annotations. Annotation support page on YouTube.
5. Playlists: These can be used to group a set of videos that you want viewers to enjoy in order. They can be grouped around a theme or event, can separate different shows, or can combine most-viewed pieces with new uploads. Great for helping viewers watch multiple videos on your channel. More on Playlists.
6. Social Media: Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Instagram, etc. are awesome tools to build your brand, give your channel exposure, and interact with fans. Promote every video you release, and go about this in a variety of ways - use links, photos, direct uploads to social media platforms, or simply text. Be a consistent, authentic and authoritative leader. Share videos on social media.
7. Consistent Themes and Characters: Having consistent themes and characters in your videos will bring viewers back to your channel time and time again. They will learn what to expect from your videos, driving watch time. You can even be that character yourself!
8. Program Schedule: If possible, make a set release schedule for your uploads and communicate that schedule to your audience.
9. Image Quality: It's important to maintain a professional level of work when it comes to cinematography. Try to avoid camera movements that are overly shaky, make sure to include a wide variety of shots, shoot images that are crisp and clear, and upload to YouTube in HD if possible.
10. Editing Quality: Editing can affect the mood, pacing, and storyline of your videos, amongst other things. Make sure your edits are tight, are not monotonous or predictable, and create a coherent piece. Text and graphics can also play a major part in your work by providing appropriate titles, pushing the story along, and giving your piece a certain feel. Audio levels should not peak and be somewhat equal throughout the video, with fades between audio cuts.
There is more you can do but we feel these 10 steps are minimal adjustments you can make on your own that will help you not only immediately but in the long run to get more video views and subscribers to help you grow your channel.
(TK)
There is more you can do but we feel these 10 steps are minimal adjustments you can make on your own that will help you not only immediately but in the long run to get more video views and subscribers to help you grow your channel.
(TK)
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