Desire more than views on Youtube? Of course yous do. Yous're a man with a pulse and a video to share! It's only natural.

YouTube is the world's second most visited website. More than two billion people utilize it every calendar month — that's 1-third of all internet users. 74% of adults in the U.South. are watching videos there. (We could keep, but you can read all the latest YouTube stats on your own time.)

We've compiled this guide to point out all the like shooting fish in a barrel wins that will dilate your brand's message on YouTube, but we're also going to item some of the more than advanced techniques the pros apply to get more YouTube views.

To see how we're getting views on our YouTube channel (which we started from scratch, because yolo), bank check out our cool video:

Psst: If you lot're starting from scratch too, we have a primer on how to create a YouTube channel.

Now, let's get those views rolling!

Bonus: Download the complimentary 30-twenty-four hour period plan to grow your YouTube following fast , a daily workbook of challenges that will help y'all kickstart your Youtube channel growth and track your success. Become real results afterward one month.

What counts as a view on YouTube?

Each time a viewer intentionally initiates the playing of a video on their device and watches for at least xxx seconds, that counts as a view. Pretty simple!

If you play your own video, that volition exist counted as a view.

If a viewer watches your video more than one time, each screening volition be counted as a new view. (That being said, refreshing over and over again to effort to game the system will exist detected by Youtube.)

Any views that take place with embedded Youtube videos or Youtube videos shared on Facebook will also be counted.

Live views are counted on YouTube, besides.

Youtube analytics are updated every mean solar day or ii, so if you're not seeing an instant reflection of your activity, check dorsum subsequently.

What doesn't count as a view on Youtube?

Youtube'southward algorithm is designed to disregard whatever plays that might expect similar they were automatic. Information technology just wants to count the number of times a real homo watched your video on purpose.

So when a single user or bot refreshes a video over and over, or if a website auto-plays a video, these views are not counted towards your total view numbers.

16 ways to become more YouTube views

Globally, people watch over one billion hours of YouTube every single 24-hour interval. If you want to stand out from the oversupply and snag some of those eyeballs, here's how to do it.

1. Ensure your YouTube basics are up to snuff

Kickoff we walk, then nosotros run. Take a await at your fundamentals and brand sure you've ticked all the boxes. Read our list of beginner tips for YouTube, then come up back to dig into our avant-garde tactics.

Your basic YouTube housekeeping includes:

  • A consequent visual identity (your channel icon, YouTube channel art, like in the Rupaul's Drag Race case beneath, etc.)
  • A completed and informative About section (unless you are a breakout YouTube star like Joana Ceddia)
  • Up-to-date contact data (so all your potential customers and time to come brand partners can get in touch)

RuPaul's Drag Race YouTube channel description

Source: Rupaul's Elevate Race

2. Cypher in on your specific niche (and your ideal audience)

If you're aiming to optimize your YouTube marketing strategy, you want to get precise and ruthlessly selective about your goals—and the content that will get you there.

Because yous aren't making videos for everyone. You're here for someone special: your audience.

Yoga with Adriene has thrived because she makes ultra-specific videos with titles like "Yoga for Joy" and "Yoga for Courage," and fifty-fifty releases versions of her videos in Spanish. She'south only one of the thousands of Youtube yoga instructors, walking people through poses, but her ultra-inclusive concepts and attitude have struck a chord — she's got well-nigh 10 one thousand thousand subscribers.

Pro tip: Accept you lot worked up your audience personas yet? They're kind of similar Dungeons & Dragons characters, except go far business.

iii. Practice your inquiry, and amend your video's search ranking

Yes, YouTube is a social platform, only it's also a search engine. And 1 of the tiptop strategies for getting more views is YouTube SEO, i.e. optimizing your videos for search.

In other words, when your platonic viewer types in your chosen keywords, yous want your video ranking near the top of YouTube's results list. That means you demand to know what your audience is looking for—tutorials, inspiration, or amusement.

YouTube results list keyword ranking

Ranking in search results is the all-time mode to get brand new eyes—not just subscribers and people who are already interested in your channel (although we'll talk more most them later) — on your videos.

But, this is easier said than done. Then, what can you do to better your videos' search ranking on YouTube?

Research. Y'all're going to want to use a tool like Google Keyword Planner (note that yous'll need to set upwardly a Google Ads business relationship) to do two things:

  • Discover inspiration for your next video based on what people are already looking for (i.e., take a look at search patterns and see what keywords take a lot of search queries, but few videos, a.k.a. low competition)
  • Take those relevant keywords and utilize them in your metadata (i.due east., your video title, tags, video description text, subtitles)

Pro tip: If y'all haven't already, now is the time to familiarize yourself with how the YouTube algorithm works. This AI determines not simply search results, just recommendations for that important "what'due south up side by side" suggested videos sidebar, too.

Just think that information technology all comes back to your ideal viewer: the algorithm doesn't care if your video is "practiced," it cares if a specific user wants to watch it. That being said, users typically want to spotter "good" videos.

iv. Use metadata to go recommended after a popular video

If your goal is to get more than YouTube views, take a cue from the most pop videos in your niche.

Start by taking a expect at your height competitor's near pop video. (Get to their video library and sort by "virtually popular.")

YouTube's principal goal is to keep viewers on the platform for as long as possible (and then that they'll run into as many ads as possible.) Thus the algorithm's job is to feed viewers one (hopefully appealing) video later on another.

But how does YouTube figure out what people might similar? The algorithm takes the following into consideration:

  • Videos that are often watched together
  • Videos the user has watched in the past
  • Topically related videos (which requires some keyword finessing!)

The only bespeak y'all can control hither is the third.

So when you're choosing keywords, think similar a librarian. Describe your video's topic and describe its overall category, and think of other words a person might utilize to search for that topic. (Check out more tips on constructive YouTube descriptions and keywords here.)

Need a trivial inspo? You can actually peek behind the scenes of a competitor'southward video to come across what keywords they use past right-clicking on the webpage and selecting View Page Source. And so CTRL-F "keywords" until y'all find the list.

popular video keywords

But earlier you go ahead and just copy-and-paste a more pop video's metadata over to your similar video, think about your audience: they won't want to watch the aforementioned video over again. Peradventure the starting time video raised a new question that needs answering, or at that place's an interesting tangent to exist explored. How tin your video add together value to what they just saw and then that they'll desire to click on it?

Take the ball and run with it.

5. Increase your views with custom thumbnails

When your potential viewers are in discovery mode—skimming through search results and recommendations—thumbnails are a major role of what they decide what to watch.

custom video thumbails

While a lot of advice out there is a graphic designer's nightmare — screaming fonts, cluttered information — let's go objective: what are the properties of an effective thumbnail?

  • The thumbnail is clear and accurate almost the video it's describing (if your thumbnail misleads people into clicking, YouTube will know because your watch time will go down when the viewer gets annoyed and stops watching. The algorithm won't like that.)
  • The thumbnail stands out.
  • The thumbnail works in tandem with the video'south championship.

'Standing out' can be every bit elementary as picking a vivid colour. Or making certain your behemothic hi-res face is making a weird expression in good lighting. Or, if your niche is full of shrill, loftier-key visuals, and the all-time way your channel can stand out is past being the calm, minimalist vocalization of reason.

half dozen. Multiply your views past creating playlists

Organizing and creating video playlists on YouTube is the best manner to minimize the chances that a viewer will move on to another channel once they've consumed your content.

Why? Because playlists go by the same rules as Netflix: as soon equally one video ends, the adjacent begins.

Since you've already done the hard work of helping your viewer find your video, click on it and watch the entire matter, information technology makes sense to guide them towards the video content they're going to desire side by side.

J.J. McCullough's YouTube content covers a range of cultural commentary, so he's divvied everything up nicely into thematic playlists. His fans who love his content on world leaders (and who wouldn't?!) will be served up striking later hitting.

J.J. McCullough playlists

7. Direct traffic to your videos using cards and cease screens

Likewise playlists, cards and end screens are 2 of the merely tools that YouTubers tin use to bypass the algorithm and directly influence our audience's adjacent choice.

Cards are clickable, interactive areas that appear any fourth dimension during the video. They come up in a diversity of formats that can be used for things like fundraising or selling merch, but in this case, nosotros're interested in increasing views, so cull a card that links to another one of your videos — or even better, playlists.

(Note: cards aren't available to use on videos identified as for kids.)

Cards are pop-ups, and then it'southward very of import that they add value. You don't desire viewers feeling spammed. The videos or playlists you link to demand to be relevant to the moment and provide additional data or entertainment.

For a super-meta instance, check out how this All About Cards video has a card itself about learning well-nigh different kinds of cards.

Pro tip: If you have a noticeable memory problem with significant audience drop-off at a specific point in one of your videos, try inserting a link card at that moment.

Meanwhile, end screens are visual calls-to-activity that y'all can add to the finish of your video (in the last v to 20 seconds) to encourage viewers towards a next step. They're valuable because you know if a person has reached the biting end of your video, they are probably pretty interested in your nifty content.

Using end screens to encourage viewers to subscribe to your channel or visit your website are both good choices. But if y'all want more views, using your end screen to promote your other videos or playlists is the best choice.

(Notation that to use finish screens, you'll need to include a few actress seconds at the finish of your video when yous're editing it.)

Youtuber SssniperWolf features end cards that direct to 4 more of her videos. It'south like a cull your own take a chance for… whatever her shtick is.

SssniperWolf end cards with related videos

8. Get across the how-to video (i.e., make videos no one else is making)

Chances are, when you're researching your target keywords (like we did back at indicate #three), you're going to see a lot of search terms that involve the phrase "how to." (The championship of this commodity included, ahem.) This is considering in that location's a lot of search volume for how-to content.

Simply while you must piece of work to attract new eyes, you likewise desire to make time to preach to the converted. On YouTube, your brand's value-added features come in the form of content that is meaningful to people who are already your fans.

Youtube chef Tabitha Brown, for instance, doesn't merely share her vegan nachos recipe… she sits down with her husband to talk near their relationship, giving fans an intimate await into her personal life. (And if they happen to go inspired to whip up their ain batch of guac in the procedure? That'due south a bonus.)

9. Build relationships with your viewers

"Audience appointment" is merely another term for building relationships. The end goal here, of course, is actually just the realistic, organic and sustainable path to getting more YouTube views.

That is, engaging with other YouTubers (creators or commenters both) will increase the chance that they'll care most your brand, that they'll subscribe to your channel (run into #12), and picket more of your videos overall.

Bonus: Download the free 30-24-hour interval plan to abound your YouTube post-obit fast , a daily workbook of challenges that volition help yous kickstart your Youtube channel growth and track your success. Get existent results after one month.

Get the free guide right now!

Ideas for breaking the fourth wall, and creating a two-way conversation might include:

  • Reply to comments (it's polite!)
  • Run a YouTube competition
  • Make reaction videos
  • Include other people'due south content in your videos (with their permission)

Pro tip: This tutorial on how to engage your community on YouTube using Hootsuite's annotate and sharing features will salvage you fourth dimension as y'all build your audience.

x. Partner upward

Crossovers, guest appearances, brew-ups, covers: people dear that jolt of unfamiliar familiarity. Find the He-Man to your brand'south She-Ra; and the Billy Ray Cyrus to your Lil Nas X.

Maybe yous're a brand with a budget, and hiring a creator with their own following is an obvious option. But if y'all're a creator or aspiring influencer yourself, getting more than views is your first step on the style to making coin on YouTube, non spending it. In which instance your all-time bet is to partner with agreeing creators.

Ideally, your potential partners are fairly aligned in values, popularity, and charm. And you really like them. And you take fun together, and it shows, and information technology makes people happy to see you happy, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Piece of cake, right?

This video is similar a super crossover: 2 drag queens plus e.50.f. cosmetics plus Chipotle all get in on the mix. The cantankerous-promotion opportunities are quadrupled, past our count.

Pro tip: If y'all practise a crossover that involves a bunch of unlike videos—like one from your partner's perspective to live on their channel, and i by yous to live on yours, and maybe some supporting outtakes, any necessary background, etc.—make a playlist to compile them so that interested viewers can stan it all.

11. Promote your YouTube videos beyond all your social media channels

You're going to want to leverage all of your social media might to promote your YouTube channel.

But, if you want more YouTube views, DON'T practise the following:

  • Become to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok and post text or an prototype with a link to your YouTube video. Linking to YouTube makes objective sense, merely the problem is that social platforms desire to continue people on their platform (only like YouTube does). So their algorithms will not promote a text-just post with an off-platform link. In other words, your impressions and CTR are going to exist low, and so will your YouTube views.
  • Upload your unabridged video onto those platforms. This is what Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter want you to do (IGTV is a direct competitor for YouTube, don't @ me). Posting your full video will probably go you swell engagement and reach on those platforms. Only organic Facebook video views aren't monetizable, are they? And they aren't going to get y'all YouTube views.

Promote your video by doing this instead:

  • Post a short teaser video to your social accounts equally native video, and add a link to the full video back on YouTube.

Annotation that you are not going to want to mail service the same affair across your social channels.

Fiscal counsellor Max Mitchell puts a little trailer for his coin-themed Youtube videos on his Instagram feed to pique interest, and links to the full video in his bio.

Pro tip: Brusque of hiring an assistant to handle your social media, a scheduling tool like Hootsuite is the all-time way to craft and schedule those posts for your followers.

12. Ask your viewers to subscribe to your channel

Your subscriber count corresponds to your organic reach on YouTube. The more subscribers your channel has, the more views your videos volition get right off the bat when you hit publish.

Especially if those subscribers take their notifications turned on.

Growing your subscriber count is its own challenge with its own tactics, only one that is intertwined with increasing your views. For that reason, we take a total guide on how to get more than YouTube subscribers.

It's common do to ask viewers to "like and subscribe" as a sign-off in a video, simply many YouTubers — like beauty pro Patricia Bright — even include this phone call to activity as a visual at the end, too.

Patricia Bright like and subscribe call to action

xiii. Enable embedding

Give your fans a take a chance to help spread the proficient word nigh your work past enabling embedding. The more fresh eyeballs see your video, the more views you rack upward (and maybe even snag a new subscriber or two in the process).

To enable embedding, become to Youtube Studio and click Content. Select your video and tap Edit. Select Embedding, and toggle on or off.

channel content embedding YouTube Studio

xiv. Amp upwardly the watch fourth dimension

While Youtube counts anything over xxx seconds every bit a view, in that location are benefits to getting viewers to stick around longer.

If you can become people to watch your video for longer, Youtube will learn that yous've got some content with quality. And videos with college Watch Time are favored by the Youtube algorithm, giving y'all a leg up in the recommendation engine.

audience retention analytics

15. Transcribe your videos

Adding captions to your videos helps hearing-impaired viewers follow along, and makes your content more highly-seasoned to the 69 percent of people who watch mobile video with the sound off.

Having a transcript also makes translation an selection, opening your video up to international audiences. Global views! Can you imagine!?

Youtube's help page can walk you step-by-stride through just how to prep your transcript file — you just need a .txt certificate.

YouTube transcript file

16. Post your video at the correct time

Dropping your video at the exact moment your biggest audience of subscribers is online means that they'll all receive that sweet, sugariness "new post" alert correct when it goes live.

Only what if that's in the middle of the night? Or while you're on vacation? That's where the power of a scheduling tool similar Hootsuite comes in. Tee your video up to go out at the exact predetermined time of your pick to fit with your content agenda, and then get on and alive your life.

Grow your YouTube audience faster with Hootsuite. Schedule videos and moderate comments in the same identify you manage all your other social networks. Effort it gratis today.

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