#11 Make your channel look nice

You may find yourself busy with uploading videos and satisfying your subscriber base, but you can be forgetting one very important thing: the design of your channel. Now you may be thinking, why is channel design so important? I’ll explain why.

You want to look professional for your subscribers and new visitors. Having a well designed channel allows you to do this. This means choosing a nice color layout and background, as well as having it all blend together in the final product. Think of it as a guest room in a house. You have visitors, therefore make them feel welcome. Take the extra time to decorate a little. Your viewers will appreciate it and you’ll feel good about yourself. Clearly there is no harm in that, right?

#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.

#9 Keep things interesting

Do you have a favorite TV show? You probably do. And why is it your favorite? If I had to guess, it is because the writers do a nice job of keeping you entertained. They keep the content fresh and the story line flowing. Producing videos for viewers on YouTube is no different.

If you are serious about providing content, you have to keep things interesting. This is especially true if you have a growing subscriber base. The more viewers you have, the more difficult it is going to be to please everyone. Instead of randomly uploading video after video, try to plan the order of content in an
interesting manner. In other words you have to vary your content and space out your topics. Not everyone has the same taste, therefore you have to compromise sometimes.

For example I provide a wide variety of videos. While most of my videos are technology related, once in a while I upload more family-oriented content. One week I will upload a video relating to computers, while the following week I share the moments of a family vacation down the shore. I try to
divide my content equally, therefore I attract the majority of my viewers at different times. It’s really quite simple; it just takes some planning ahead of time.

Also if you have a particular style you record in, try to mix it up once in a while. I guarantee you your viewers will notice and content will feel “fresh” for the most part. Treat your YouTube channel like a TV show and you will be a success.

#8 Relate to current events

This is something that seems so obvious, but is also very easy to overlook. There is always something going on in the world. Whether it be the topic of global warming or the latest results of the presidential race, the people are interested. It would be wise to create a video relating to today’s popular current events, no matter the subject. If it’s in the news, the people want more.

How to go about this is totally up to you. Do what you think would attract a good amount of viewers and go from there. You would be surprised at how popular a simple video blog with your thoughts could turn out to be. You don’t know without trying!

#7 Learn from others

Earlier we discussed the importance of being yourself. While this is crucial to getting yourself out there, there is another important factor to consider: other users. Sometimes the key to success is right in front of your own eyes. I’m talking about your competition; even your friends.

There are so many different users providing similar content, but in different ways. In some cases, these users have what you need. Let’s face it; numbers have to do with everything if you want to become known on YouTube. It’s the number of views... how many comments a particular video receives... and most importantly, the number of people you convince to subscribe to your channel. While you can certainly gain all your exposure on your own simply through content, it also helps to keep a close eye on users providing the same kind of content you are. This is where it gets competitive.

The first thing you can do is study your competition’s content. Decide which user is bringing in more subscribers and why. What makes you or them that much better? Also be sure to read viewer comments on both sides. Doing this will give you a good idea of who wants what.

The second strategic action is a pretty sneaky one, but it definitely works. If you see your competition has a video that is attracting a lot of viewers, take advantage of the situation. Post a video as a response to that video and some of your competition’s viewers are likely to see your contribution. This alone can bring in more than a few subscribers. Stealthy? Yes. Does it work? Oh yeah.