Video content is one of the top content marketing trends in 2018, and no platform is more popular, or more powerful, for video content than YouTube. Whether your business has an established Youtube channel or is preparing to start one, these are the must-know YouTube channel strategies for success in 2018.
Effective YouTube channel strategies for 2018 focus on a professional, branded presence and strong search engine optimization. Businesses should upload branded logos, cover images, and custom thumbnails, organizing videos into playlists for easy discovery. Optimizing content with keyword-rich titles, descriptions, and tags is crucial, treating YouTube as a search engine where the first three lines of a video description are most important for visibility. Incorporating 5-10 second intro bumpers and end cards with calls-to-action also helps increase brand awareness and subscriber engagement.
How to Optimize Your YouTube Channel Images for a Professional Look?
Like so much else in life, you want to make a good first impression on your channel. All successful YouTube channels have a complete profile, and the best have a sleek, branded design. Make your YouTube channel attractive and easy to recognize with the following strategies:
- Upload a branded logo and cover image.
- Create custom YouTube cover images (thumbnails) for each video. These will give your channel a cohesive, professional look.
- Organize your videos into playlists to make your content easier to find.
Take the cohesive, branded look a step further by creating unique YouTube cover images (aka thumbnails) for each of your videos. These custom images make your channel look a lot more professional, and can make specific videos easier to find.
How to Optimize Written Content for Your YouTube Channel's SEO?
YouTube may be a video-driven platform, but quality written content should not be overlooked. In fact, it can make all the difference between a channel with thousands of subscribers and a channel that gets lost in the shuffle. The first thing to keep in mind is, YouTube is a search engine; keyword-rich titles, descriptions, and profiles will boost your channel’s SEO, and help your audience find you more easily.
Here are some content strategies to keep in mind when optimizing your YouTube channel:
- The first 3 lines of a video are the most important. Make them count with clear, compelling writing, a focus keyword, and a link to your website.
- Like WordPress, YouTube uses tags. Treat them like you would hashtags on Instagram (don’t be shy about using them).
- A little creativity is great, but make sure both the title of a video and the video filename are SEO-friendly.
What are Essential Video Strategies for Your YouTube Channel?
The video content of your YouTube channel is by far the most important element. Entire books (not to mention blogs and YouTube channels) are dedicated to the best lighting, equipment, and topics. On the channel level though, these are the must-know video strategies:
- Increase brand awareness with a 5-10 second “intro bumper” at the start of every video.
- Similarly, include “end cards” at the end of every video. Make sure these include links to similar videos, and a strong call-to-action to encourage new subscribers.
- Mix things up once in a while: publish videos on diverse topics to reach a wider audience.
With quality video and some solid marketing strategy, a YouTube video channel can be a very valuable asset to your business. Be sure to check out our article on social video benefits for businesses, and as always, feel free to reach out to our team of experts.
