Confession L – We, as a brand, do not have 50,000 subscribers on YouTube, but, as an agency working for our clients, we are slowly getting there. We have done our entire research on how to hit that “magic 50,000” subscribers’ number, We interviewed many channels on how they achieved their first 50,000 number, and what they would have done differently, if they were to do it all again.
So, if you’re planning to make YouTube, a part of your brand or struggling to increase the number of subscribers to your channel, follow these tips. These tips are not in any chorographical order, these are just tips targeted towards getting an engaging subscribers list.
Commit to the platform – Understanding the mission and core values of your brand will help you deliver the right type of content. It’s easy to get lost while you generate content, but, understanding your core values will make sure your content is always relevant to your audience. And the first 50,000 subscriber list, is the hardest, as you progress to a bigger number (let’s say a million subscribers.) The time and energy to increase another 1000 subscribers becomes a lot easier than you did before. So, stay committed to the platform!
Understanding the Algorithm – Take time to understand how the YouTube algorithm works. YouTube changes their algorithm almost every month, so keep a tab on the algorithm updates (subscribe to relevant channels and newsletters that keep you informed upon these updates).
Building YouTube as an organic channel – No one cares about your products or service related videos on YouTube. People go to YouTube because they want to get entertained. So, create valuable content that entertains or educates, and then integrate it to your products or services. To start with, try making “How To” videos, the goal here is not to tell people that “hey! watch this video, here is the CTA, now click on this, and go buy the product”, try to build a relationship with your audience. So, no hard Sales! Not with YouTube.
Be Authentic – Do not pretend to be someone else on your channel. It is intimidating to put content based on how your favorite channels create. Be authentic with whatever content you generate; your audiences are different from someone else’s who generates a similar type of content.
The Daily Video Schedule – Build systems and processes to generate more content as you progress towards your goal.
- There is no point in generating amazing content once a month, rather, generate good content consistently / regularly.
- Generate content that will be worthwhile in the next 2-5 years.
- Create content that even a 5-year-old kid can be in the room while you are watching; YouTube wants to make sure your content is advertiser-friendly and family-friendly as it can be pushed to more eyeballs.
- “The Daily Video schedule” means creating content for 7 days a week, not 5 days a week!
- Look to improve your videos as you progress.
Budgeting – You need someone with knowledge of video production, try Fiverr.com to start with, freelancers should charge between $20 to $30/hr. Later, you can hire your own crew, once you start getting a lot of YouTube traction. It’s advisable to spend 5% of your revenue on your YouTube Channel as you progress. You can further increase this once YouTube starts adding value to your brand. The growth that YouTube makes to your ROI is a compound interest ratio. So, just like SEO, YouTube is also an investment for the future.
Power to utilize your data– Once you have a lot of videos on the board and you’re generating enough monthly content and views, stack up all your videos with their data points on the views and engagement. Look for videos that were viewed more and liked more by your audience, and understand why they engaged more with that video. What did you do different there? Was it the content? Was it the video angle or editing? Every channel is different, so what works for you will not work for someone else. So, utilize your own data to make the right videos.
The Final Tip – Just put anything out there, whatever idea you have just put it there. You will get comments on “could you do this or that?” with which you can refine it further, that’s the power of the YouTube community. So, the more content you generate, the more inspiration you create on YouTube. So, always look for this opportunity.