Self-promotion is a valuable skill that's easy to learn if you know what tools are available to you. YouTubers can become expert self-promoters, taking their videos and channel to new heights in a few simple steps. All of the below methods are free, with zero cost to you except for some free time and creativity.
Below are our favorite tips and tricks for promoting YouTube channels and videos organically. You don't need to purchase software or artificially buy views! Your channel will gain popularity even if you incorporate just a handful of the below methods.
Among many methods, this article includes:
27 Proven Ways to Promote Your YouTube Channel :
- 1. Try word-of-mouth promotion
- 2. Use keywords for discovery
- 3. Be active in the YouTube community
- 4. Go to meetups
- 5. Optimize your metadata
- 6. Create clickable thumbnails
- 7. Brand your channel
- 8. Stay connected on social media
- 9. Use polls for engagement
- 10. Get involved with forums
- 11. Create an upload schedule
- 12. Hold a contest
- 13. Use Instagram for video promotion
- 14. Try out a Q&A session
- 15. Create playslists
- 16. Use Google Ads
- 17. Particpate in a collaboration
- 18. Shoutout other YouTubers
- 19. Make discoverable videos
- 20. Focus on quality
- 21. Market with a newsletter
- 22. Jump on trending content
- 23. Start using the Community Tab
- 24. Create a YouTube blog
- 25. Promote Yourself on Quora
- 26. Insert cards in your videos
- 27. Promote videos on Facebook
- 28. In Conclusion...
1. Try word-of-mouth promotion
It's common knowledge in social media that word-of-mouth recommendations are the most valuable in terms of promoting your channel. While valuable, they can be difficult to achieve since it requires that you reach out and connect with your following in a different way, beyond simply sitting behind the screen.
There's a communication app that will make it much easier to get these kinds of unique shoutouts on social media - it's free to download and did we mention you can earn money while you use it?
This app, called Callmart, has two purposes:
1. Connect you with your following via one-to-one phone calls. You simply spend time having casual conversation with your followers.
2. Earn you money for spending time talking on the app.
Most YouTubers put their Callmart listing link on their YouTube channel and offer to spend time talking with subscribers for a small fee.
How YouTubers use Callmart for promotion
Pewdiepie asks fans for video ideas - a popular technique for YouTubers
Tip: We recommend making a fan-based video once a week and at the end of the video telling fans to use Callmart if they want to submit their ideas to you for next week!
2. Use keywords for discovery
Learning how to use keywords and tags effectively will make your videos and channel become more discoverable in Google and YouTube search results.
SEO, or search engine optimization, may seem like it's reserved only for professionals or big businesses, but YouTubers are using SEO to self-promote all the time!
Below we've listed our favorite tools for finding highly popular keywords. Just use these in your title, video description and tags whenever you upload. Make sure to only choose keywords that are relevant to your video's topic. YouTube forbids using tags that don't relate to your actual video as a way to get more views, so be careful!
Uses Google autocomplete data to find top keywords. Free to use but the paid version reveals extra information such as search volume.
Helps you generate ideas for your content by suggesting popular keywords. Great if you're struggling to come up with video ideas!
Completely free to use without any data hidden. Shows the keyword trend and search volume. Great if you want an in-depth look at a keyword.
Allows you to compare multiple keywords against one another to see their trends over time and popularity. Useful if you are struggling to choose between two similar keywords.
3. Be active in the YouTube community
Most YouTubers have some form of social media, be it Instagram or Facebook, but often times the social aspect of YouTube is ignored. This is a common mistake and missed opportunity to promote your channel.
The trick is to be the first to comment on your videos. That's right. As soon as you upload, go down and leave a comment (pin it so everyone can see it) asking a question, telling a story, or with a COA (call to action) asking viewers to do something such as subscribe or watch your other videos.
By being the first to comment you will motivate others to interact with your channel and leave comments too.
Now here's the important part. You also need to go and comment on other videos. Don't just stay within the safety of your own channel. Branch out and interact with other creators. You'll get your name out there, and if your comments are clever enough, people will be curious and click on your username.
Note: Be sure not to simply self-promote when you comment on other creator's videos. Your comments should be relevant, friendly and respectful. Pure self-promotion will likely get your comment removed right away, plus it reflects poorly on you and your channel.
4. Go to meetups
Getting your face out and in the public sphere is a classic form of promotion, and it works for YouTubers too! The more often you can meet your followers in person, the stronger relationship you build with your community.
This kind of strong bond with followers is what catapulted many top YouTubers to success, such as Markiplier who has a very dedicated following and regularly interacts face-to-face with fans.
To arrange meetups we recommend the following two tools:
- YTtalk Collaborations & Meet Ups
As mentioned previously, the YTtalk forum is a community of YouTubers who network and communicate with each other about all things YouTube from editing to collaborations.
Check out the Collaborations & Meet Ups category to see if there is a meet up nearby. If not, you can go ahead and arrange a meet up yourself! Taking initiative is an important part of self-promotion.
- Meetup
You can find local YouTuber groups in your area and network in-person at events if you join the Meetup website. If your area doesn't have any YouTuber groups, then take the initiative and make one yourself! Being the organizer of a meetup group is very rewarding and reflects positively on your channel.
5. Optimize your metadata
So what is metadata?
Metadata is all the information you enter to tell YouTube about your video, such as the title, description and tags of your video.
Here are some tips for optimizing your metadata to promote your content through search engine optimization. This will make it easier for viewers to find your videos when they search on YouTube.
1. As the above image shows, put keywords within the first sentence of your description. Try to put them as close to the beginning of the sentence as possible.
2. Use the same keywords in your title, again, as close to the beginning of the title as possible.
3. Actually say the keywords in your video! Yes, your spoken word in the video matters too for the metadata.
4. Don't use over 15 tags. It is against YouTube's policy and if you do, all the tags will be ignored.
5. Use about 3-4 broad tags, meaning very general terms like business, cooking, or exercise. Then choose 3-4 specific tags such as mortgage, NYC bakery, or cardio workout. This will give YouTube a very good idea of what your video is about, making it easier for the algorithm to do its job well.
6. Try to write as much as possible in your video description. The character limit is about 1,000 characters according to Google, and you want to try to fill this space with links to other videos, a bio about yourself, social media, and of course an overview of the video.
7. Keep your title within 70 characters. If you go over this limit, the title will be cut off and this doesn't look very appealing in search results.
6. Create clickable thumbnails
Thumbnail design matters. A lot. It greatly affects the way people view your entire channel, so if you have poor design, it may be causing potential viewers to turn away.
Below we'll outline some best practices for designing your channel's thumbnails.
Point 1: Tools
You can't hope to design beautiful thumbnails if you don't have the right tools on hand. Below we recommend our top three trusted design tools that anyone, from beginner to advanced, can use to get professional looking results.
1. Canva: This is the classic fan favorite among YouTubers. Try Canva first if you're just starting out. They have an abundance of free content, including templates, and tools to make the best designs.
2. Picmaker: This design tool has 100000+ graphic elements and 700+ templates. It was designed specifically for making YouTube thumbnails!
3. Adobe Spark: Although not specifically for YouTubers, Adobe Spark offers a thumbnail maker with plenty of free stock photos to choose from.
Point 2: Dimensions
The YouTube thumbnail size you want to be using is 1280 x 720 pixels. So, 1280 pixels is the width and 720 pixels is the height. Keep in mind that the ideal ratio for a thumbnail is a 16:9 aspect ratio.
Point 3: Consistency
No matter what design you settle on, you'll want your thumbnails to be consistent. You can achieve consistency in one of two ways:
- Use some consistent elements across all thumbnails, but not necessarily the same design. You can just use the same font or filter every time for a cohesive look.
- Use the exact same design across every thumbnail, changing only the title and images used.
Below we will show you two examples of the above variations on consistency to give you a better idea of what this looks like in practice.
Similar elements, not 100% consistent
There's a blue background every time and the font is always the same, but otherwise the design varies.
Identical elements, 100% consistent
"Vogue" is written in the same font and location every time. Photos are all similar. All design elements are identical.
7. Brand your channel
According to YouTube, "Your channel brand is the set of unique characteristics that separates your channel from the rest and communicates your key messages and content strategy."
Do you have a content strategy? If not, it's time to start developing one. If your goal is promotion and gaining views on YouTube, then you want to have a focus to your content, which includes defining your content strategy.
Content strategy
To define your content strategy (the focus of your videos) you want to find the sweet spot where your audience's interest and what your brand stands for intersect.
Think carefully about your key audience. Find out who's watching your videos by checking your YouTube Analytics page under "Build an audience".
Image source: www.thinkwithgoogle.com
Don't abandon your brand's message for what your audience cares about, but at the same time, you need to cater to your audience's interest. That's the sweet spot.
Spend some time brainstorming the above Venn diagram and what content you can create that would fall into the center of the diagram. Make a list! This will become your new content strategy.
For even more information see the below short but informative video explaining how to brand a channel in just a few minutes!
8. Stay connected on social media
When you share your video across social media platforms, you want to make sure of two things:
1. Your branding stays strongly consistent across all platforms. Use the same style of language and promotion when you post to each platform. Make sure your profile picture is the same on all accounts too.
2. Change up the caption each time. Don't simply copy and paste the same caption for each post.
If you pay attention to those two things, you'll see more success by cross-promoting to several platforms.
Next, you'll want to be sure to follow-up with your social media posts. Don't just post something and forget about it, even if it's on a platform you don't usually use. Go back and interact with followers who leave comments!
Finally, try to post consistently across all platforms. You don't want to grow one social media account while neglecting another. So post regularly to all social media profiles and be active as much as possible!
9. Use polls for engagement
Most social media platforms have polling options, and you should be taking advantage of this tool to drum up interest in your videos.
People like to be asked their opinion, so when you make your polls try to make them opinion-focused. Don't simply ask, what city are you from. Ask them what their favorite app or social media platform is instead.
See the collection of poll ideas below for inspiration, and remember to run polls across all your social media platforms, even on YouTube (see the details below)!
Poll question ideas:
1. What's your favorite time of day to watch YouTube videos?
2. What length of video is the best?
3. What kind of video do you want to see from me next?
4. How much did you enjoy this video?
5. What improvements would you like to see on my channel?
6. Who do you want to see me collaborate with next?
7. What are some of your favorite YouTube channels?
YouTube poll cards:
A poll card is placed in your video at a certain time that you decide, and it allows you to ask the viewers a question. You can select up to 5 possible answers for your poll and the results are shown in real-time. You can make a poll card in the cards section of YouTube where you add other cards and an end screen to your video. Try out this polling option on your next video to boost viewer engagement!
10. Get involved with forums
Did you know there are forums online dedicated to YouTubers, helping them promote their channels, meet other creators, and seek advice?
It would benefit you to join at least one of the below forums to get your channel name known and somewhere highly visible and public.
These forums get thousands of views every day. Explore these below three recommended forums and choose one for your self-promotion.
Tip: Make sure to be active in the forum for awhile first. Make a name for yourself and be friendly. After that, you can start lightly self-promoting your videos and channel. Don't just barge in and drop links to your channel without at least introducing yourself to the community. You likely won't get a positive reaction in that case.
YTtalk
YTtalk is a forum made specially for YouTubers, and with nearly 100,000 members, it is a thriving community that any YouTuber should join to promote their channel and meet other creators.
You can discuss collaborations and find collab partners on YTtalk, plus introduce yourself and your channel to self-promote or ask for advice on your content. Basically all topics relating to YouTube are covered on the YTtalk forum. Need help with your video editing? Question about copyright claims? The YTtalk members are there to help you!
To use YTtalk when you're away from your PC download Tapatalk for iOS or Android.
Reddit is "the front page of the Internet", and it earned this title by being the 8th most popular website in the world with 82 billion pages viewed annually. Below we'll introduce two of the many YouTuber communities (called Subreddits) on the website!
As the name implies, this subreddit is for newbies on YouTube or small channels hoping to grow. Come and introduce yourself and become a part of the community!
This is the official subreddit for YouTubers called, "A place for the YouTube community". It's primarily for networking with other creators and giving or receiving reviews on your content.
Discord
Discord is a community-based voice and text chat forum that has been traditionally used as a hub for gamers.
However, as you can see in the image above, there are now many Discord servers specifically made for YouTubers! This is a great opportunity to help your channel grow by interacting online with like minded creators. There are currently 157 servers made on Discord for YouTubers, so you can definitely find the right community, just search "Discord for YouTubers".
11. Create an upload schedule
There are a couple reasons why an upload schedule will help you to get more views and better promote your channel to viewers. First, if viewers know when you're going to be uploading, they can plan their schedules around your uploads and make time to watch your videos as soon as they go up. The first few hours are the most important for a YouTube video, so you want to be getting a lot of clicks and watch time right after uploading.
Also, if you have an upload schedule you can stick to, then you can post a tag line in your channel's banner. A tag line is simply a short line of text on your channel's banner that tells new viewers what your channel is about, and many popular YouTubers will write their upload schedule in their tag line. See some examples below.
12. Hold a contest
Before we dive into the best ways to hold a contest on YouTube, be sure to check out YouTube's contest policies so that you are certain to hold a contest that falls within what's acceptable based on YouTube's terms. Probably the most important of YouTube's contest terms is that your contest must be free to enter.
Now that we've gotten that out of the way let's have a look at the best ways to run a contest on YouTube
1. As mentioned earlier, check with all of YouTube's contest policies and local/state laws to ensure your contest falls within what's allowable.
2. Choose a prize that will make viewers want to enter the contest:
3. Choose your type of contest. The most common is a sweepstakes-style contest where contestants leave a comment on your video and you choose a winner from among them.
4. Try to collaborate if you can. If there's a brand willing to sponsor your contest, that's great! Reach out and see what's possible. You can also partner with other YouTubers. This will get your channel in front of an entirely new audience with a guaranteed increase in views.
5. Promote, promote, promote! Release a video dedicated to the contest, explaining the rules of entry and the prize. Post about the contest on all your social media profiles, and let people know how long they have to enter. Keep reminding people to enter up until the contest is closed.
13. Use Instagram for video promotion
Check out the below 5 top tips for how to promote your videos and YouTube channel using Instagram:
How to promote on Instagram:
1. Link to your most recent YouTube video in your profile. When you post a new photo to Instagram, take the time to promote your latest YouTube video and direct your followers to the link in your bio.
2. Give everyone a sneak peek! Show your Instagram followers little behind the scenes videos or photos of your video production routine. Show them a clip of an unreleased video as a teaser. Get people excited about your channel.
3. It's important to cross-promote, so make sure to also tell your YouTube subscribers about your Instagram. You should always link your social media accounts in every video description. Tell your subscribers that they can sneak peeks over on your Instagram account to drive more traffic that way.
4. Don't forget to interact! It's not enough to just post sneak peeks or self-promotion posts on Instagram. You have to interact with your followers to really boost up your engagement. Be sure to make new Instagram posts at a time when you can dedicate yourself to reading and replying to comments for at least 15 to 30 minutes after posting.
5. Shoutout your subscribers on Instagram. Did you get a fantastic comment on one of your videos? Take a screenshot and share that with your Instagram followers. Your subscribers will be thrilled to get this kind of personal attention from you, and it builds up interest in your channel at the same time.
14. Try out a Q&A session
There's a secret that you may or may not be aware of - viewer stay for the content, subscribers stay for the person. Most subscribers begin to build up a kind of friendship with their favorite YouTubers and will watch literally anything you upload just because they enjoy your personality and spending time on your channel.
What this translates to is many subscribers craving to get to know you better. That's what makes question and answer sessions such a popular choice on YouTube. They are usually highly requested by fans, and what's great is you can do more than one, answering a different set of questions every time!
Below we've listed some Q&A video ideas for you, so have a look be prepared for a high number of views because these types of videos are usually highly anticipated by fans!
Q&A video ideas:
1. Twitter: Ask viewers to send you their questions on Twitter and choose the ones you'll answer. Be sure to screen capture the tweet so you can show who asked the question in your video - viewers will really appreciate this gesture!
2. YouTube comment section: Ask viewers to leave comments with questions for you and choose your favorites from the comment section. Again, screen capture the questions you'll answer to feature them in your video.
3. DIY: Choose your own set of questions to answer. This is best if it's your first Q&A and you're not totally comfortable answering possibly personal questions from viewers.
4. Use a question tag: There are Q&A tags floating around YouTube, such as the Boyfriend Tag. You can follow a trend like this to gain more views since these tags are common search terms on YouTube, so more new viewers will be likely to find your channel.
15. Create playslists
Playlists are a fantastic way to boost engagement with your channel and promote it, especially to newcomers. Usually, new viewers will check for playlists if they enjoyed a certain type of your content. For example, they discovered your channel by watching one of your vlogs, so they check if you have a playlist made for vlog videos.
If they go to check your playlist page and find that it's empty, they may not go through the effort of searching through your video page for other vlogs. This is a missed opportunity! Create playlists of every type of content you produce and keep them updated.
16. Use Google Ads
With Google Ads on YouTube, you can create a video campaign that will run as an advertisement on videos to an audience that you determine. Google asks that you set some parameters for your target audience such as location, age, interests, and more. You can set a daily budget for your ad spending along with a monthly cap and Google guarantees you'll never pay more than the monthly limit you set.
You'll want to be sure the video you produce for the ad campaign is top-notch, giving it your absolute best effort. Because you only have to pay when viewers actually watch (at least 30 seconds) of your ad or engage with your ad by clicking, Google Ads is suitable for any budget. This also ensures the views you pay for are actual views, not just someone who watched a couple of seconds and skipped your ad.
17. Particpate in a collaboration
Collaborating with another YouTuber means that you and at least one other YouTuber share some type of content across your channels or social media accounts. This can happen in a few ways such as by appearing in one video together, making two separate videos together, or simply making a quick guest appearance in a vlog. Another possibility is a shoutout on social media such as a promotional tweet.
Collabs introduce your content to a whole new audience who are eager and willing to click and watch because it's being recommended by a YouTuber who they already follow. This is one of the best forms of promotion for your channel!
If you're wondering how to find a partner for your collaboration, see the below guide to help you make the right choice!
1. How old are they?
A collab with a huge age difference is usually not a great idea. The channel audience for a 14-year-old will be very different from the audience of a 30-year-old. So try to choose a partner who is around your own age.
2. Are their videos the same or similar to yours?
You want to choose a partner who makes content that is at least similar to your content so that both of your audiences will be interested in whatever you produce.
3. Is their video quality similar to yours?
Try to collaborate with someone whose effort level is similar to yours, meaning their video quality and entertainment value are on par with your own.
4. Do they upload as much as you do?
If you're uploading three times a week but your partner uploads rarely, then you may have some issues. You want your channels to be as similar as possible.
5. Is their subscriber count the same or similar to yours?
Reach out to YouTubers with a similar subscriber count for the best chances of finding a partner who will say "yes!"
18. Shoutout other YouTubers
Shoutouts on YouTube are important for channels of all sizes. Sometimes the results can be absolutely phenomenal if a big channel gives a shoutout to a smaller channel. A shoutout is typically when one YouTuber promotes another YouTuber either by recommending their channel during or at the end of a video or liking, retweeting or otherwise posting about the other YouTuber on social media.
Of course in an ideal world you would always be the one receiving shoutouts from channels with millions of subscribers, but rather than waiting for that to happen you should proactively start giving shoutouts whenever possible. If there is another channel producing similar content to yours but is not your direct competitor, then give them a shoutout if you're a fan of their work!
Note: A direct competitor of your channel would be another YouTuber making similar content and their subscriber count is very similar to yours. Channels much smaller or larger than your own are not considered direct competitors, so try focusing on those channels when you make shoutouts.
19. Make discoverable videos
There are roughly two types of videos a channel makes (1) the basic bread-and-butter type that viewers come to expect, such as daily vlogs, and (2) discoverable videos meant to bring in new viewers.
If you've been neglecting to make discoverable videos, you should try adding some to your channel. They are without a doubt an amazing way to promote your channel to a new pool of viewers. But what makes a discoverable video special?
What are discoverable videos
These videos tend to be shorter and different than what you regularly post. It would be the type of video that could go viral, appealing to a huge audience rather than your channel's typical viewers. How do you make one?
Discoverable video thumbnail example
Above is an example from the Blogilates channel. These are thumbnails of her typical exercise content, and they each have about the same number of views.
Disney Princesses Try Working Out... (ft. Lindsey Stirling, Lilly Singh, Rosanna Pansino, iJustine)
And here we see her most viewed video's thumbnail. It was highly discoverable grabbing over 16 million views. See how different it looks? It features other YouTubers, which is a plus too. You want to make these kinds of stand-out thumbnails and videos that totally change things up on your channel every now and then. These will become your discoverable videos to bring in new viewers.
20. Focus on quality
Let's talk about five ways you can quickly improve the quality of your YouTube videos with minimal effort and maximum results!
How to improve video quality in 5 steps
Step 1: Master the lighting. This is one of, if not the most, important aspect of video creation. Poor lighting can absolutely ruin an otherwise good video. If you don't have a budget for studio lighting here's a tip: Use soft light from an open window - this is the best form of natural light you can get for free and if you position the camera properly, the video will look amazing. Whatever you do, avoid dark lighting or too many shadows.
Step 2: Optimize the audio. If viewers cannot hear you properly, they will most likely click away from the video. We suggest investing in an external microphone and not relying on your camera or phone's mic.
Step 3: Edit like a pro. It's important to find an editing program that works for you so you can build up your skill with it over time. You should be familiar with what video editing software YouTubers use so you can make the best choice.
Step 4: Change it up. Using motion in your videos is important. Most newcomers use one single shot to film an entire video, and this is a common mistake. Simply move the camera when you're filming to give the video a dynamic touch, rather than still and static shots. It's that easy!
Tip: Using editing to zoom in on your face or something in the background is an easy way to achieve motion if you're sitting in front of the camera and can't move it yourself when filming.
Step 5: Choose the time carefully. If you use natural light to film, then be careful when you choose to start filming. The sun will be going down in the evening which will totally change the look and feel of your video. Try to shoot during a time when the lighting is not fluctuating for best results.
21. Market with a newsletter
Several popular YouTubers produce a newsletter that goes out, usually, on a monthly basis to their fan base. It's a way to stay in touch that is a little more personal and unique. It's a good promotion tool because you can hype up your content in your newsletter to get your viewers more engaged, increasing your watch time and clicks.
A common technique for a YouTuber's newsletter is to summarize your month in the newsletter using pictures and a blog-style format. Viewers enjoy having this closer connection with the YouTubers they watch. They will feel like they're getting a behind the scenes look at your life, making a stronger bond between you and them.
Image source: Vision6
As for a newsletter template, we recommend the website Vision6 for free, beautiful newsletter templates that are easy to customize with your own images. All their designs work for mobile users, and it's free to make an account!
22. Jump on trending content
If you take a look at the YouTube Trending page, you'll see the day's hottest videos usually with millions of views each. You'll want to spend some time scrolling through this trending page to get your next video idea if promotion is your goal. Some creators think they're too good to jump on the trending bandwagon, but this is a mistake. It's perfectly fine to follow the trends sometime because it will give your channel a boost and infuse it with new viewers who you otherwise wouldn't have been able to reach.
Try to find a trending video that has something in common with your YouTube channel, otherwise, plan on making a reaction video to one of the trending videos. However, if you can find a video similar to your genre of videos, then analyze it and think of a way you can one-up this video. That's right. You want to make something bigger and better.
How to one-up a trending video:
1. Make your video slightly longer than the other video. If it's running at 10 minutes, make your video 10 and a half minutes long.
2. Make a unique thumbnail. Check what the other person used for their thumbnail and make something different by changing up the color scheme or images so it stands out among all the other similar videos. If everyone's using blues, then you can use red, for example.
3. Find the keyword tags that video used and use them in your video.
4. Of course, make a video inspired by the trending video but do not copy it exactly. You should always be making your own unique content on YouTube, but it's okay to use a trend as a launching point for your video idea.
And that's it! Follow the above four steps and try to make the ultimate trending video. It may take a few tries, but with the above methods, you're destined for success eventually.
23. Start using the Community Tab
The Community tab on YouTube recently replaced the Discussion tab, which was like a forum for posting text-based messages on YouTube. What's special about the Community tab is that it's not limited to just text posts. YouTubers can take advantage of more features such as polls, post images or gifs, and promote by sharing videos. Basically, it is way more versatile and if you haven't been making use of it, then you've been missing out.
Smart ways to use the Community tab:
24. Create a YouTube blog
Pairing your channel with a personal blog is a smart promotion technique. Everyone likes to consume social media in different ways, and you will be happy to know that many viewers enjoy reading just as much as they do watching videos. You can cross-promote your blog and YouTube channel to appeal to a wider audience range.
Tip:
A smart way to make a YouTube blog is to take your video and break it down into a blog post. This means taking screenshots and describing the contents of the video in your blog. Release both the blog post and the video simultaneously and let viewers choose how they want to consume your content!
As for design, there are plenty of free blogging websites out there. Below we've listed some of our favorites for you to have a look at!
25. Promote Yourself on Quora
Image source: CBS News
Quora is a question-and-answer website that prides itself on high-quality discourse. As a YouTuber, you have a lot of knowledge to offer the community, and there are actually topics dedicated to YouTube issues such as topics about YouTube advice, videos, personalities, and more.
We highly recommend making an account on Quora and becoming active by answering and asking questions regularly. You can gain a following on Quora and even can become an influencer on the website!
The trick is you want to self-promote within your answers. For example, answer questions for which you've made a video on the topic, then insert the video link with your answer and guide viewers to it. You can also answer unrelated questions and simply ask for visits to your channel, but just be sure you're answering questions that at least have something to do with YouTube.
You will likely see an increase in your channel's traffic by promoting on Quora. We recommend using the website daily to build up a portfolio of questions and answers. This will make you more popular on the website, getting you more views and follows over time. Try answering some questions over your morning cup of coffee and make it a routine!
26. Insert cards in your videos
If you're not using the cards function on YouTube, then you're missing a big promotion opportunity! Make use of the cards function to link to your other social media or other videos to keep viewers engaged with your content longer. According to YouTube, "Cards work well when they are placed in conjunction with scripted calls to action or when they are relevant to your video content. For example, if you mention a specific video or a piece of merchandise, you could try adding a card at that exact moment."
You can even go back and add cards to older videos. For example, if you made an updated version of a video, you can add a card to the old version linking to the new version.
You should really be using cards in every video whenever possible. But remember, you can only have up to five cards per video, so use them wisely, and don't force it. A random card popping up without a call to action in the video can be annoying and will cause viewers to just automatically close the card.
Take a look at this video from YouTube to learn all about how to add cards to your videos.
27. Promote videos on Facebook
With over 2 billion active users, Facebook is still thriving and a smart place to advertise your YouTube videos if you know how to do it right. Among all the posts on Facebook, video posts are the most highly valued. The best way to promote on YouTube is not to simply share your new video in full to your Facebook feed. Actually, you should be sharing shortened sneak peeks of the video to your Facebook followers.
The reason for shortening the video into a promo style video is because, if the entire video is available to watch on Facebook, then users won't go over to your YouTube channel to watch it!
Tips for making a Facebook sneak peek video
28. In Conclusion...
Promoting videos or your channel on YouTube can be fun and fulfilling. It doesn't need to be a stressful process now that you understand a lot of various free ways to achieve promotion. Take advantage of all the apps and websites we mentioned in this article to bring your channel to new heights. We know it's not easy to grow a channel, especially if you're in that awkward phase between 1,000 and 10,000 subscribers.
Just keep up the good work and try out some of the above tricks and we know you'll see a positive result sooner than later.
Promoting your videos is also a good way to start earning money from your YouTube channel. If that's something you're interested in, then we have plenty of other articles about how to monetize your account with and without AdSense. Check some of them out below!