Your thumbnails suck
Thumbnails are the first thing people see on search results.
If I don't find a thumbnail attractive, I skip right past it. I am sure every viewer does the same.
According to YouTube, 90% of their most-viewed videos come with a custom thumbnail. Now, what does a custom thumbnail mean?
You can create custom thumbnails using images and screenshots from the actual video.
Creating a custom thumbnail is tricky. But you can get that right using the BOGY approach.
Let me explain...
If you check YouTube's official homepage, you'll see black, red, and white everywhere.
Creating a thumbnail using these colors will allow your videos to blend in with the site's theme. You don't want that.
That's where BOGY thumbnails step in.
BOGY thumbnails use blue, orange, green, and yellow as primary colors.
Sure, you can use a bit of white and black. But don't let these hues dominate your thumbnail.
Speaking of consistency…
You’re not consistent
If you’re inconsistent about what you do, subscribers will have zero interest in your posts.
Take the example of Claudia Ayuso here. She is a famous YouTuber and producer of The Cheeky Revolution podcast.
You can find Claudia talking about environmentalism and social change in her videos.
People expect the same type of content from her on a schedule she usually follows. Any change will affect her viewership.
How about another example?
What if I post cooking videos instead of eCommerce-related content Or Neil Patel's sharing videos containing tips about health and fitness?
Makes no sense?
That’s what people think of your videos when you cannot maintain consistency. The YouTube algorithm also places a lot of value on consistency.
When discussing YouTube marketing, consistency is more than posting new videos only at a set time.
It’s about how consistent you’re in your selection of topics. It’s about maintaining the theme of your activity, like the videos above. And above all, it is about sticking to the core message.
Sounds good? Up next is…
You’re not making videos for your audience
Each video you post should revolve around your site statistics to understand your audience’s interests and needs.
That’s okay if you have only 5-10 viewers in the beginning. Those 5-10 viewers will attract millions of other viewers with similar interests.
YouTube will also show your videos as recommendations to those people.
Now, this is important. Why? Because you need to start somewhere.
What if your videos do not contain what those 5-10 people watch?
They will lose interest in your content and eventually unsubscribe you. The result? No clicks on your homepage and tailored ads on your videos.
You will not only lose your current subscribers. But also lose an opportunity to get visibility in front of other potential viewers.
I love the personalized and engaging content and ads that BMW creates for its audience. The brand knows its buyers.
People who invest in BMWs are real car enthusiasts. So, the company always shares technical specs and historical information in its videos which can encourage viewers.
And now it’s time for...
YouTube optimization sounds mainstream to you
Looking to get millions of views, likes, and shares overnight by posting your video on YouTube?
I hate to burst your bubble, but that is impossible. As I mentioned earlier, YouTube has turned video engagement into a million-dollar industry.
You can only think of such viewership if you already have millions of subscribers.
Which you probably do not have. So how can you go about it?
YouTube optimization is your answer...
Here's how you can optimize video performance of your YouTube videos by:
✅ Using the right keywords and quality descriptions
✅ Creating custom thumbnails
✅ Targeting
✅ SEO
✅ YouTube Channel design and more
Should you use all these strategies? Short answer: YES!
Why am I saying this? Because I have seen all top YouTubers using all these tactics. Even those having millions and billions of views use them.
Optimizing videos can increase the reach. Also, you’ll gain better visibility in search results.
The best part?
You don’t have to use hundreds of keywords to take full effect. A few keywords/keyphrases would do the job just fine.
Let’s move on to the next reason...
You’re not active on platforms outside of YouTube
What other social media platforms are you active on other than YouTube?
None?
Then you’re not benefiting from the resources that are at your disposal.
Starting fresh on YouTube is no joke. But if you’re already active on other platforms, you can leverage that to get more views.
For example:
You can promote your Youtube videos on Facebook if you have a massive following.
You can promote your YouTube channel on forums like Quora or Reddit.
I’d suggest starting with three platforms at first. Review each platform’s posting guidelines and try to contribute value to the users.
‘Buy from me,’ ‘I know what I am doing kinds of songs will annoy your readers. They will feel you’re trying too hard to get views on your posts.
So make sure you go easy with it.
Another possible reason could be...
Your audience retention rate could be too low!
There is nothing worse than seeing viewers leaving your video before it ends.
Even worse, if your videos are only a couple of minutes long.
What’s stopping your viewers from watching videos till the end?
That’s because your viewer retention rate is too low.
The audience retention rate is important for two reasons.
First, the whole YouTube rankings algorithm favors watch time. And channels that meet this criterion get a better ranking on Youtube.
Second, if your audience finds it hard to finish your one video, they’re less likely to continue to youtube or subscribe to your YouTube channel.
You got that, right?
How can you fix this?
Through YouTube Analytics.
YouTube Analytics is my favorite feature. It includes everything you need to know to grow your YouTube channel.
Look at the average watch time of your most popular videos and see at which point viewers left.
Once you know what’s causing this, improve it.
The next on my list is...
You’re not providing any value!
You probably know this one. Nobody will watch your videos if they don’t find value in them.
Okay, let’s make this a little easier. Ask yourself, why should someone watch your video?
If you already know the answer, great. If not, provide your viewers with a reason to watch your videos.
Value is the most important thing you can use to beat the YouTube algorithm.
Now, providing value is not something anyone can achieve.
Take a step back and be honest with yourself.
If I want to attract people interested in ecommerce, I have to share valuable insights with them. Things that are trending and not available anywhere else.
Once you have such knowledge, then you can then create content and videos that will hook your delivery and maintain google audience’s interest.
Create videos that:
answer your audience’s questions;
are entertaining;
revolve around relevant content your target audience wants to watch.
The next three are the most important ones. So keep reading if you want to nail your YouTube videos in 2023 and beyond...
Your audio and video quality are horrible
Does working on your video and audio quality seem unnecessary to the content you're currently viewing here?
Do you spend all your budget on personalized content and ads?
Then you are a step away from ruining everything.
Many things contribute to making your video unbearable - poor lighting, editing flaws, and terrible voice-overs, to name a few.
Finding the best video-capturing and audio-recording devices for you is worth taking a few minutes.
If this sounds too expensive or tricky, you’re wrong.
Many good-quality devices and tools are available in the market.
Affordable 4k camcorders are there.
You can find USB condenser microphones in your nearby gadget store.
Or even take help from online YouTube video editors. The sky's the limit…
You’re expecting overnight results!
So it’s been a week since you started your channel. Great!
Oh! You still haven’t gotten 100k views?
I am sorry to hear this.
But, time to wake up...
What outcomes can you expect to see in this time window?
Patience is the key.
Everything takes time. If you want to have more views, likes, and shares, give more before expecting anything in return.
Remember, good things only come to those who wait.
