By Clàudia Martínez, on 9 February 2024
In today's digital marketplace, a compelling YouTube presence is indispensable for brands aiming to captivate and engage their audience as part of their marketing strategy. With the sheer volume of content and competition, merely having a channel isn't enough. But how do you create video that not only get views but actually make a lasting impact? We've got the answers! From choosing your keywords well and perfecting your thumbnails to diving deep into your channel analytics and structuring your videos effectively, these tips will help you elevate your content from good to great.
1. Build Each Video Around One Keyword or Topic
If your goal is to grow your YouTube audience and drive traffic to your channel, it is important to focus your content around a single keyword or topic. You can use keyword tools like keywordtool.io, which allow you to focus your research on YouTube to find the topics that are being searched the most.
Besides using keyword tools, consider leveraging YouTube’s autocomplete feature. When you start typing a keyword in the search bar, YouTube suggests popular search terms that can give you new content ideas or optimize your video for search.
2. Respond to Your Community
It's always a good idea to respond to the comments on your videos. It shows that you are an active and involved member of the YouTube community.
Even though you may get the occasional negative ones, comments give you a lot of information about what your audience likes and what they feel is missing from your channel. By showing that you are willing to listen and respond, you'll convey confidence and encourage viewers to interact with your brand.
Additionally, consider launching community polls or Q&A sessions on your channel. This not only facilitates direct communication with your viewers, but can also provide valuable insights into their content preferences.
3. Develop Your Brand's Style
It is very important that your channel has a well-defined tone and style. Be consistent with the graphics, colors, and lighting you use.
Having a well-developed aesthetic makes it easy for users to quickly identify your videos, even when they aren't on your channel. This not only strengthens your image and helps you develop your brand; it also increases brand loyalty and recognition.
Introducing recurring themes, segments, or characters can also enhance your brand's identity on the platform. These familiar elements can be comforting to your viewers and encourage them to return to your channel regularly.
4. Use a Unique Thumbnail
Thumbnails are one of the most important elements of your YouTube videos. When viewers search for a specific term on YouTube, the results are displayed in the form of thumbnails. The more appealing the thumbnail, the more likely it is that a viewer will click on the video.
The keys to a good thumbnail are:
- Having a person in the image, so that its more personal
- Including the title of the video in the featured image, to make it more descriptive
- Staying consistent with your brand's aesthetic
Here's an example from our video above:
You can A/B test different thumbnail designs to see what drives more engagement. This means uploading different versions of the same thumbnail, then using analytics to see which one performs better.
5. Give a Personal Touch to the Channel
If you want to reach your audience, you'll need to connect with them on a human level.
If you regularly follow YouTubers, you’ve probably noticed that many of them have a unique phrase, gesture, or intro song that identities them. Think about how you can incorporate these elements into your channel to differentiate yourself from the rest.
Sharing behind-the-scenes content can also add a personal touch. Audiences often appreciate getting a glimpse of the 'real' people behind the videos, as it makes them feel more connected to the brand.
6. Recording Quality
When it comes to recording, there are several key factors you have to pay attention to like lighting and sound quality. When planning your video, keep your shots close to the person and have them look directly at the camera. This simple trick gives the impression that the subject is talking directly to the person watching the video. Similarly, use a friendly and conversational tone so that the viewer feels like you are speaking directly to them.
Investing in a good microphone is crucial. Even if your visuals are excellent, poor sound quality can significantly detract from the viewer's experience.
7. Tell Stories and Convey Emotions
Try to be creative and present your content in a unique way. Don’t just explain a concept as if you were Wikipedia, instead look for ways to connect with people.
You can achieve this connection through storytelling. Stories not only help us understand and remember complex concepts, but they also create images in the viewer’s mind and appeal to their emotions.
When you use storytelling, make sure your stories reflect the values of your brand. This way, you can not only entertain your audience but also enhance your brand image.
8. Create Clearly Structured Videos
Before you start recording a video, clearly organize your ideas and prepare a script. This allows you to sort through your ideas and simplify your concepts as much as possible. When recording, try to speak slowly and enunciate, as well as incorporate audiovisual resources to explain the concepts. In short, the clearer, the better.
Animated explainer videos or whiteboard animations can also be effective for conveying complex ideas in a digestible and entertaining way.
9. Offer Added Value
There are many brands and people creating content on YouTube, so you're likely to find videos that are similar to your own content. How do you make yourself stand out from the crowd? Offer value that your competition can’t.
For example, you can invite someone relevant to the topic you're talking about and interview them. Or, if you're an industry expert in a certain field, give your opinion on the topic instead of just explaining it.
Another way to provide value is by offering downloadable resources related to your video's content. This could be an eBook, a checklist, or a template, depending on your industry and the video's topic.
10. Keep Looking for New Ideas
If you’ve found a format that works, it can be easy to get trapped into a cycle of doing the same thing over and over again. Don’t fall into this trap!
In video marketing (and in marketing in general) never stop innovating. If you stop, you run the risk of being left behind. Compare your videos with those of other YouTubers (even if they talk about totally different topics) and look for new ways to improve your videos over time.
Using trend forecasting tools can also help you anticipate future content trends and themes. Capitalizing on these trends early can give you a competitive edge and keep your content fresh and relevant.
11. Leverage YouTube SEO
One often overlooked aspect of YouTube content strategy is the importance of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Just as keywords are vital for website SEO, they are equally crucial for YouTube. When crafting your video titles, descriptions, and tags, ensure that you incorporate relevant keywords. This increases the likelihood that your video will appear in YouTube's search results, in 'Recommended Videos,' or in 'Up Next.'
Tags are particularly important for YouTube SEO, so don’t forget to add all the relevant ones. This includes not only the primary keyword but also related phrases and topics covered in your video. Another essential factor in YouTube SEO is the watch time.
The longer your viewers watch your videos, the more YouTube will promote your channel in its search and discovery system. Therefore, strive to create engaging content that keeps your viewers watching until the end.
12. Relax and Be Yourself
Even if you're recording for a corporate channel, personality is essential to connect with your audience.
You shouldn't come off as a robot; aim to find a balance in your tone between sounding calm and spontaneous. Your community will enjoy meeting the person behind your brand and will follow you for who you are, not just the content you offer.
