Video is undoubtedly the most interactive and engaging content you can create, this is why platforms like YouTube have always performed well. They have managed to stand out amongst a packed market full of different social media platforms. Arguably, the most unique thing about them is they were one of the first platforms to allow creators to not only build a large audience but also a full-time career, just from creating content and uploading it to the YouTube website.
If you were to go into a school today and ask 100 children what they want to be when they grow up, at least 25% of them would reply with “I want to be a YouTuber”. It is a rare thing to have that much influence over society and this is all because of video content. Our point is, that video content is king when it comes to entertaining and retaining an audience. It can increase your business profits like you never imagined, at a quick rate. So after creating a channel, what can you do to start building up your YouTube subscriber base? This is what we are going to cover in this blog.
1 – Consistency
Audiences like to know when they can expect content to become available. Think about your favourite TV show or series. Each show you follow will most probably have a set day and time when a new episode is released. This means you may make sure your dinner is ready at that specific time, so you can sit back and relax whilst watching. Although YouTube content isn’t as formal as this, it does help to create a schedule for your uploads and is even more beneficial if you share this schedule with your audience, as they are more likely to tune in soon after you upload.
Letting your audience know what to expect is the easiest way to keep them interested. If they liked your previous content, and are aware of your upload schedule, they are much more likely to subscribe to your channel to be alerted of each new upload. They may also be more likely to follow you on social media if you announce your uploads on your platforms. That way they can be one of the first few views.
If you want to learn more about how consistency can help improve your other social media channels, check out our blog How to get more engagement on Social Media
2 – Interaction
Most audiences like content creators that interact with their fanbase on a regular basis. This can be as simple as saying “let me know what you think in the comments below”. It makes people feel more included as well as encourage them to interact further with your videos. The more interaction you encourage and receive, the more YouTube is going to share your content with its users.
You may hear many Youtubers ask the people watching to “like and subscribe!” in every video. This is an efficient way to remind people to engage with their content. It’s unique to this channel as you don’t normally see content creators on Instagram asking for users to like and follow their profile. It works for YouTube though and is something to keep in mind when creating your video content. If your main aim is to increase your YouTube subscriber base then asking your audience directly to subscribe could be a good place to start.
3 – Trending Topics + Hashtags
You may be familiar with the use of hashtags on Twitter & Instagram. They are used to reach a very specific audience that may be searching for matching content. Even some days of the week have hashtags that are used millions of times, such as; #motivationalmonday, #wednesdaywisdom & #tgif. Content creators on YouTube also use Hashtags to highlight or hint at what their video is about. This means anyone searching for specific information may stumble across their content. Hashtags are different for each platform, so it’s worth experimenting with what hashtags to use on your content. With time, you will be able to measure which ones are working for you and which ones aren’t. Using hashtags may enable you to reach a wider audience and therefore increase your YouTube subscriber base.
The other thing that is worth experimenting with is trending topics. Now, not every trending topic is going to be relevant to your business and it’s important to not just create content to fit around popular themes. What is worth trying though is looking at what trending topics are relevant to your business and using the relevant hashtags in order to give your upload a boost. Just like all social media, these trending topics will appear quickly and disappear at the same rate, so it will take some off the cuff thinking and speedy content creation.
Conclusion
So there are a few things that you can try when working on increasing your YouTube follower base. As we mentioned at the start, video is the most interactive and engaging content out there and because of this, it can be easier to attract an audience. If you focus on creating great content that you would like to watch, you are likely to see a slow and steady increase in your YouTube subscriber base. Implementing the things mentioned in this blog will also help build your audience as well as set up a good foundation for your channel.