Here in this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about staying relevant on YouTube.
According to Statista, Over 2.6 billion people use YouTube once a month, which is a reason for it to be referred to as the “second-largest search engine.”
As we both know, it’s a place for creators to make real money online. However, that is if you can find a way to stay relevant and grow your audience.
Building authority, beating the competition, and Staying relevant areas are one of the hardest parts of being a creator on YouTube.
Over the years, I have grown several YouTube channels and I have also seen several others grow within my reach.
What are the secrets to growth and staying relevant on YouTube? Answers are already below, so, read on.
1. Do Keyword Research Before Your Videos
Keyword research is a very important part of content creation, both for blogging and Vlogging.
It is the first step you need to focus on before creating a video that is worth staying relevant.
Keyword research involves finding the easiest keywords you can rank for in your niche and how people search for them.
Whenever you are creating your videos, make sure you carry out keyword research first, it would help you plan what your focus keywords and characters will be.
Also, they help your target audience find your channel faster if the process is followed appropriately and you optimize your keyword around your videos.
Somehow, you will need some tools to help keyword research for YouTube, some of which include:
- Video
- Tube Buddy
- Google Trends
- Exploding topics
- Answer the public etc.
This tool shows the difficulty and search volume of some keywords.
2. Create What People Want to See
You should create a video that your target audience would like to see.
This would help improve your watch time on Youtube. In turn, you will gain more subscribers.
How do you even know this? Competitor research.
Check out the first 5 videos that were ranking for the particular keyword.
Find out how the visuals were arranged. What are the contents of the videos? How was the transition? What can you do to improve the video?
This is stuff you should look out for and note down.
Then create your video on that basis, add more valuable content to it and optimize it for your audience and YouTube algorithm.
YouTube and Google, always give credit to websites or YouTube channels that add unique things to what their audience offers.
All the same, find a keyword you can rank for and create a video that your target audience can relate to.
3. Be Consistent With Your Uploads
Bruce Lee once said, “Long-term consistency kills short-term intensity.”
If you can be consistent with your YouTube channel, it would be easier to build something your audience would be able to relate to.
You should upload high-quality content regularly on your youtube channel.
Consistency depicts seriousness.
The frequency of posting must improve if you are keen to succeed on your YouTube channel.
This is it, try to post at least once every week.
Better still, you can increase your frequency of uploading every 3 days.
Even uploading every day is much more realistic if you have the time.
Uploading often would help increase and retain subscribers too.
More upload means, more visibility, and better relevance.
Also, it would help build your reputation on YouTube as an expert.
4. Create a Playlist
YouTube has a particular section known as a playlist.
The playlist is just a category of videos put together under a particular folder.
So, if your viewers should view one of your videos now and in turn move to other related videos under the same playlist, you will be getting more views.
More views equal more watch time, eventually bringing in a lot more subscribers.
In fact…
According to Youtube Creator Academy,
“Your channel also gets a boost when people watch anything anywhere on YouTube after watching your content.
…and when you make content that makes people watch more from your channel, then you’re helping us out.”
So, once your viewers can become interested in other videos on your channel after watching a particular one, then you’d get more visibility on YouTube.
In addition, make sure you are optimizing your playlist now and then.
Don’t add unrelated videos to the playlist.
Also, make sure you give your playlist an SEO-optimised name.
5. Use all Youtube Growth Features
What I mean by growth features is what would improve your click-through rate, session time, subscribers, and watch time on YouTube.
They include an End card, thumbnail, intro video, an optimized about, optimized tags, etc.
First of all, create enticing thumbnails for your videos. I mean scroll-stopping YouTube thumbnails.
There are several free YouTube thumbnail creator apps out there. Even Canva offers free YouTube thumbnail templates that you can just drag and drop.
Make sure you are adding an end card to every video you are creating. An end card is just a visual CTA, telling your viewers to subscribe to your channel.
There are several templates on Canva which are mainly for end cards.
Similarly, your intro should be simple, concise, and easy to understand. It gives viewers a pick behind the curtain.
If your intro is far from your viewer’s interest, they would probably not view your videos.
In fact, According to a study, Approximately 20 percent of viewers who begin watching a YouTube video leave after only 10 seconds.
6. Analyse Your Analytics (Watchtime and Watch hours)
If you want to stay relevant on YouTube, analyze your analytics chart.
This would help you find better ways to optimize your videos for your viewers and increase your session rate.
First of all, check out all your videos and note down those generating good numbers of subscribers.
Also, note down those that are generating the highest watch hours, session rate, etc.
Then, create relevant videos for those.
The new videos would be likely optimized for a related keyword or even the same keyword but the context of the video would be improved.
Also, you should look out for the “referring videos.”
Whenever YouTube users are watching those videos, your videos are likely to show under the videos as “Related or Watch Also videos.”
7. Promote Your Videos on Other Social Media
If you want to become more relevant on Youtube, promote your videos outside of YouTube.
When your videos are being viewed from other platforms, it would improve the visibility and watch time.
Also, it is tantamount to more credibility and authority for your videos.
Similarly, you can always post teasers on your social media channels for new YouTube videos.
So, the curiosity for your videos would be high already.
You can also add YouTube videos to your blog post.
If you have a massive audience on TikTok, it would be very easy to turn them into YouTube subscribers.
8. Engage with Your Audience
Youtube is a social platform that allows users to post videos, and comments and give their opinions.
But then, the mistake a lot of creators make is creating their videos and not working on engaging with their audience.
Anytime your viewers comment on your videos, make sure you respond.
It would give YouTube an insight that you are ready to do anything for your audience.
YouTube rewards channels with great engagement – likes, comments, sharing, watch time, and session duration.
9. Brand Your Channel
Branding is very important in the online space. It depicts professionalism, diligence, and uniqueness.
Users would be able to recognize your content easily if it is branded.
You can create a logo, custom colour, tagline, etc for your youtube channel.
So, if you have a website, you can move all the branding identity to your YouTube channel too.
10. Competitors Research
Finally, make sure you follow your competitors very well.
Your competitor’s practices would be beneficial to you too. They would discover new stuff before you.
You can follow them now and then, and follow their growing practices.
Besides, it doesn’t have to be a rat and cat practice, you can establish a good relationship with your competitors.
You guys can exchange ideas.
What’s your thought?
Those are our best practices for staying relevant on YouTube.
Back to you, buddy.
Is there anything you’d like to add?
Have you tried any other practice so far that has helped you grow your youtube channel and stay relevant?
I would be glad if you could share it with me.
Similarly, do not hesitate to share this article if need be.
