The UpFlip Youtube channel has published only 19 videos and has over 9,000 subscribers. How did we grow so quickly, against the strong competition out there in the business niche? In this article, we’ll reveal our secrets and give you some helpful tips to follow when launching your own channel.
Multi-media content is key to building your online brand. A YouTube channel can be an easy, effective way to distribute your videos and attracting new customers, especially in today’s increasingly virtual world.
Of course, there’s more to creating a successful YouTube channel than throwing some videos together and hoping for views. Just like with any online content, a successful YouTube channel gives viewers real value that makes them want to keep coming back.
Ready to find out how we did it? Here are our top 5 tips!
1) Target topics that rank high in search results.
UpFlip videos consistently rank in the top positions of search results and that’s not something that happened by chance. Before we choose the topics for our videos, we conduct keyword research to find out which topics are most likely to get views.
Like so many aspects of business, it ultimately comes down to a matter of supply and demand. To get high search result rankings, you need to post videos on topics that users search for often while avoiding topics that already have a lot of existing content. The fewer other videos come up for a given search term, the less competition you’ll have in securing those views.
Checking the keywords before you choose your video topics ultimately results in a more authentic and successful channel. Rather than trying to fit popular keywords onto existing videos, you can create videos your target customers want to find, directly filling a need. Using this approach can also help you identify the specific niche where your channel belongs. This lets you streamline and focus your other marketing and advertising strategies to match.
The right YouTube marketing tool can be a huge help in finding and analyzing this data. UpFlip uses VidIQ to identify low-competition topics in our niche. Crafting our early content to rank high in search results netted us more views and ultimately allowed us to build subscribers more quickly. As an added advantage, analyzing search data with a tool like VidIQ can give you customer insights that are beneficial elsewhere in your business.
2) Provide content with real value.
As you can see from the UpFlip channel, you don’t have to generate a huge amount of content before you can be successful. The quality of the videos on your channel is far more important than the quantity. If your videos give viewers useful tips or information, they’ll want to subscribe to see more—it’s as simple as that.
Padding your channel with videos can actually hurt your chances of getting subscribers. Every video you post should give viewers a clear idea of what your channel is all about, even if that’s the only video of yours they’ve ever watched. Off-topic and unrelated content dilutes your channel’s message and value. You’ll be better off posting high-quality videos less frequently than rushing to fill your channel with subpar posts.
Part of this is understanding what your target audience is looking for. UpFlip’s viewers are entrepreneurs and business owners who are either running a business or considering whether to start one. Knowing this helps us craft content that focuses on their needs.
3) Make smart use of the title and description.
The title and description of your video serve two purposes. First, they’re where you put the keywords YouTube’s algorithm looks for when ranking search results. Just as importantly, though, it’s also what tells the viewer whether your video is worth clicking on and watching.
Both the title and description should be concise and informative. Avoid obvious “keyword stuffing”. Getting those search terms in there is important, but it should also read naturally. Descriptions and titles that are just lists of keywords obviously written to draw search results are a turn-off for many viewers.
Your video title should let the viewer know exactly what value they’ll gain from watching. Use active language and keep it under 70 characters. UpFlip has been successful with titles that use a how-to format, such as “How to Start a Car Dealership (and Make 5-Figures a Month)” or “How to Make $25/month on a Cleaning Business.” Both of those titles tell the viewer what they’ll learn in the video and how that could benefit them, and both videos have been viewed thousands of times as a result (38,000 views in 7 months, in the case of the coffee shop video).
Accuracy and honesty are important here, too. Potential viewers should be able to tell from reading the description exactly what they’ll see in the video. Keep in mind views isn’t the only metric YouTube tracks. The system also considers how long viewers watch, and a title that’s misleading—intentionally or otherwise—will drive down those numbers.
Don’t forget to end your description with a call to action. A quick reminder to subscribe, like and comment is an easy way to increase engagement. The more of your viewers interact with the page, the higher videos will rank in search results.
4) Use cross-platform content to increase traffic on all of them.
The UpFlip blog provides the same kind of actionable business advice as the YouTube channel. The ideas in this how-to article on starting a pressure washing business, for example, reinforce the advice and tips in our videos. Having a consistent brand identity across online platforms helps turn your readers into viewers and vice versa.
If you haven’t thought about your over-arching brand identity in the past, now is a good time to start. Not only can a unified content strategy build your online audience, it also helps you make the most efficient use of your marketing resources. Analyze which kinds of content are the most successful on which platforms and tailor your strategy accordingly to play to these strengths.
Keep in mind this doesn’t mean posting the same exact things on all your social outlets. The goal is for someone who’s watched the videos on your YouTube channel to find equal value and interest in posts on other platforms. When you think about it this way, a cross-platform approach builds a community of online followers for your brand.
5) Gain extra exposure by connecting with influencers.
Influencers have a massive platform of potential viewers and customers. It isn’t just about the numbers, either. People who follow influencers are more likely to be active YouTube users than the average person who stumbles across your video in a search result. That means viewers are more likely to engage with your page and drive up your value in the rankings.
There are a variety of ways you can go about leveraging YouTube influencers to increase your channel’s exposure. Marketplaces like FameBit offer a place for influencers to connect with brands and are an excellent way to find influencers in your industry if you’re not sure where to start.
Keep in mind what your end goal here is: not just to increase traffic but to grow your following. Focus on influencers who are in your specific niche, whose followers will be the most likely to be interested in and engage with your content. A huge boost in views isn’t much of a long-term gain if those viewers never come back.
Bringing an influencer onto your channel as a guest can draw their fans to you, giving your views a boost. In some cases, an offer of reciprocal linking is enough to get their involvement, though don’t be surprised if major influencers expect to be paid for their appearance. The larger the size gap between your following and theirs, the more likely you’ll need to pony up some cash to get them involved. If you have the budget it’s often worth the investment, especially if your goal is to quickly grow subscribers.
The Bottom Line
A YouTube channel can be one of the more daunting platforms for those building their online brand. Creating high-quality videos requires more time, effort, and expertise than other media like Instagram posts and blog entries, and that can make it especially frustrating when it doesn’t yield the results you were hoping for. Done correctly, though it’s one of the most effective ways to provide valuable content to your customers.
This is one of those areas where you’ll be best-served by working smarter—not harder. Rather than filling your channel with dozens of sub-par videos, focus on making each post exceptional and build your channel over time, targeting your content on the topics with the greatest need in your niche. You don’t need to be a marketing or videography whiz, either. With the right tools, any business can create a vibrant YouTube channel and build their brand.