Hey man! How’s it going? Many creators are struggling and making easily avoidable mistakes. Are you one of them? This blog post will expose common errors that could be sabotaging your channel and will give you the secrets to make your videos actually get watched!
Is Your Video Length Killing Your Channel? The Shocking Truth
Are your videos too long? Or maybe they’re too short? It might sound crazy, but the ideal length isn’t a fixed number. The key is to make your videos exactly as long as they need to be to provide the value your audience expects. Don’t add unnecessary fluff just to hit an arbitrary time marker because people will leave anyway.
- If you can say everything you need to in five minutes, do it in five minutes.
- If it takes 20, take 20 minutes.
- The goal is to give viewers what they want and what they expect when they click.
The Ugly Truth About Thumbnails: Why “Cool” Isn’t Always King
Are you spending hours making the most “aesthetically pleasing” thumbnails? Guess what? It might be a HUGE waste of time. Sometimes, an ugly thumbnail is more effective than a pretty one. Instead of focusing on “cool,” prioritize effectiveness.
- Test, test, test! Try different thumbnail styles and see what your audience responds to.
- What makes people click is key.
- An ugly thumbnail that grabs attention might beat a pretty one that doesn’t.
- Even a plain white thumbnail can get clicks. It’s all about what grabs people’s attention.
Are You Ignoring THIS Critical Metric? (Hint: It’s Not Views)
Are you so focused on view counts you’re forgetting what really matters? The secret to channel growth isn’t just views, it’s audience retention. YouTube gives you second-by-second graphs showing how people are interacting with your content, so use it!
- Study your audience retention reports religiously!
- Learn what makes people leave your videos.
- Figure out what keeps them engaged.
- Adjust your content based on these metrics.
- Always be experimenting because viewer preferences and interests change.
Stop Guessing! The Secret to Improving Your Channel (It’s All About Data)
Are you creating content based on your own preferences rather than what your audience actually wants? This is a common mistake that will keep your channel stagnant! The best way to improve is by understanding how people are interacting with your videos, and then modifying from there.
- Don’t get stuck doing things the way you want.
- Stay open to adjusting to improve the viewer experience.
- Experiment with your “hook”.
- Find the intro that grabs people’s attention.
- What question can you ask that opens up a story?
The Thumbnail & Title Combo: Your Secret Weapon
Do you think your thumbnail and title are working together? They’d better be! They’re like a power couple. Your thumbnail and title work as a team to win the click.
- Your thumbnail should make it clear what your video is about.
- Write a compelling title.
- Make sure your title and thumbnail complement each other.
- Before filming, sketch out thumbnail ideas.
- Think about title ideas, too.
- Make sure what you promise in the title and thumbnail matches the content of your video.
Are You Missing This Easy Way to Get More Views? (It’s Not What You Think)
Are you neglecting a super simple way to increase your views? It’s time to utilize the “watch time trap”. This is a fun way of saying you make it super easy for viewers to find more of your content, based on their interests.
- Pin a comment recommending other relevant videos or playlists.
- Link to playlists whenever possible to stack views.
- Use end screens to recommend other videos at the end of your content.
- Include video links in your descriptions.
- Share community posts linking to your videos, especially when you get a traffic surge.
- These missed opportunities can interrupt a viewer’s experience before they can even get to your end screens.
- These are all things that you should be doing on every video you publish.
- It doesn’t matter if you have one video or a thousand.
- Get into the rhythm of doing these things, so you are ready when you get more activity.
The Viral Video Trap: Are You Ready to Capitalize?
Did you have a video go viral? Congrats! But are you capitalizing on it? Viral videos can be amazing for your channel if you do it right!
- Make it easy for people to watch more of your content.
- Build a framework that leads people to your other videos.
- Not everyone will click, but many will if you make it easy.
- More watch time tells YouTube your content is great.
- YouTube will then show more content from your channel.
The Shocking Truth About YouTube Comments
Do you dread the comment section? What if those comments could either help or hurt your channel, even if you aren’t being negative? Comments are a reflection of you and your channel.
- You are not obligated to respond, but it is a good idea to respond with a heart or a reply.
- Appreciate the time that people take to comment.
- Be intentional about the community you’re building.
- If you want a positive community, interact positively.
- If a company sees you arguing with people in the comments, they might not want to sponsor you.
Don’t Fall For These Sponsorship Scams
Are you dreaming of brand deals? Be careful! There are scammers out there, and they are getting smarter. Protect yourself!
- Never click on a link from an email.
- Type the website into a browser directly.
- Research the company by Googling the company name and the word “scam” or “hacked”.
- See what reviews pop up.
- Check where the email came from.
- Emails ending in “.cz” are instantly gone.
- Never download a PDF or zip file unless you trust the sender.
- Have them put the info into the body of the email instead.
- Make sure they are from the actual company, not an agency.
- Get someone from the actual company with a company email to contact you.
- There have been scams where people send contracts as PDFs that give the scammer access to your channel.
- Always use two-factor authentication, change passwords regularly, and be hyper-vigilant.
Shorts: Friend or Foe? The Truth About YouTube’s Latest Obsession
Is your channel not making use of shorts? You need to decide if this feature will be a friend or a foe to your channel!
- Shorts can boost your long-form videos.
- If people like your shorts, they will explore your channel.
- YouTube will recommend your other content.
- Shorts are a way to get in front of new audiences.
- Don’t just focus on getting short viewers to watch long-form.
- Make good shorts for the sake of good shorts content.
- Use them as a way to practice making good content.
The Real Reason Your Videos Aren’t Getting Views
Are you trying to trick people into watching your content? That’s not how it works! The goal is to make it make sense for them to watch.
- Make it crystal clear that your video is something they are interested in.
- Start with a specific thing in the thumbnail.
- Build the rest of the thumbnail and title around it.
- Pre-plan your thumbnails and titles.
The Most Common Mistake That Will Destroy Your Channel
What is the absolute biggest mistake you can make as a content creator? Is it your content? No, it’s about YOU! It’s not thinking about what’s in it for your audience.
- Are you trying to entertain them?
- Are you telling them a story?
- Are they learning something?
- What exactly are they getting out of your video?
- Once you know what the goal is, you can structure your content around it.
- Make sure that you are always seeing things from your viewers perspective and that the intention translates well.
The Secret to Consistent Growth: It’s Not About Luck
Are you looking for the secret to getting your videos out there? There are no tricks, but there are things you can do to help your video perform better.
- When you change a thumbnail, YouTube doesn’t automatically push it to more people.
- When you make changes it changes how people respond to the video.
- The changes might cause more people to click and come into your video.
- Or it could work against you.
- YouTube keeps doing the same thing, but it’s the humans that react differently.
How to Decide on Your Channel Niche: The Ultimate Guide
Are you struggling to decide what your channel should be about? It’s time to commit!
- Choose something sustainable.
- Can you make 1000 videos about it and still be interested?
- What are you truly passionate about?
- Are you already immersed in it?
- If you’re only chasing views you might end up hating it.
- If you are immersed in something you know the nuances and you can show that in your content.
- It’s important to enjoy what you are doing if you are planning on doing it for a while.
Subscriber Loss: Is Your Channel Dying?
Losing subscribers can be discouraging, but it’s completely normal.
- Not everyone will stay subscribed forever.
- Some people will subscribe for one video and then never watch again.
- If someone is spamming, then their accounts can get shut down and you will lose them as a subscriber.
- Focus on activity and watch time instead of subscribers.
- When people get removed due to bots or spam they will still get served your videos.
Conclusion
The world of YouTube can seem like a confusing maze, but by understanding the strategies and advice given above, you can avoid the common pitfalls that keep many channels from succeeding. Remember, it’s not about tricks or luck, it’s about providing real value for your audience while being smart about how you present your videos. Don’t let easily avoidable mistakes hold your channel back any longer. By implementing the steps detailed in this post, you can take control of your channel’s growth, connect with more viewers, and achieve your YouTube goals.
FAQs
How many videos should I produce before launching my channel? While it’s good to have some content ready to go, don’t get too far ahead. It’s better to launch with a few videos and learn from how your audience responds before committing to a large batch. Consider recording the content, but hold off on editing and rendering so you can make changes, if needed, based on feedback.
How important are tags for YouTube videos? While tags used to be very important, now they are not as important. You don’t have to spend hours on them. There are tools that will help you select relevant tags quickly, but remember that the content itself, along with your thumbnail and title, will be what actually drives views.
Is it better to focus on long-form or short-form content? Both have their place. Short-form content can be great for learning and getting the dopamine hit of views, and for practice, while long-form is where you can build a community and generate ad revenue. But remember to make the content that is appropriate for the feature that you are using. Don’t focus on getting short views to long-form videos. Instead focus on creating good content for each feature.