#10 Give back to the community

Uploading videos and managing your channel can sometimes feel tedious. Trust me, I know. Sometimes it feels like I am working rather than enjoying my hobby. However all the hard work is definitely worth it and I’ll tell you why.

It’s the community. The community drives me to do what I do and it really is a great feeling. Giving back to your viewers is very important if you want to be viewed as an icon. Here are some ways in which you can show your viewers you truly care:

• Respond to messages. Now I’ll admit it right now; I do not reply to all the messages I receive. Honestly it’s overwhelming sometimes and I just do not have the time to get to everyone. You will probably end up feeling the same way, but try to take the time to reply to at least some viewer messages. Viewers love to hear back from you and it really is a rewarding experience.

• Listen to feedback. It is extremely important you listen to viewer feedback. You are the content provider, after all. It is up to you to provide what your viewers want. Sometimes certain things are not possible, but definitely listen to what everyone has to say. Viewer feedback is the key to quality content.

• Provide contact information. Viewers really enjoy getting in touch with you outside of YouTube. I always have subscribers asking for my email and I have no problem giving it out. Keeping in touch with viewers via email really makes the community feel that much better.

Community, community, community. Without the community, there would be no point in uploading video content. Always remember that. The viewers come first, you come second.