5 Keys for Building Your Brand’s YouTube Following

YouTube has become a key marketing platform, with 62 percent of companiesOpens a new window launching their own channels.

That’s not surprising, given the sheer size of YouTube’s user base. People worldwide watch more than 1 billion hours of videosOpens a new window on YouTube every single day (more than Facebook video and Netflix together).

And these videos can make a real impact on users’ purchase decisions, with 90 percent of people discovering new businessesOpens a new window and/or products on YouTube through ads, reviews, demonstrations, tutorials and so forth.

But it can be difficult to actually attract new viewers and build your list of subscribers when starting out. Here are five keys for building your brand’s YouTube following, with advice from experts.

1. Post Videos Often

“Post relevant content often,” says Daniel Harmon, chief creative officer for marketing firm, Harmon BrothersOpens a new window . “Once hooked, users expect content often, so keep up with this demand.”

Brands should position themselves as a reliable resource for the value they provide (entertainment, actionable tips, news, etc.). And the best way to do this is to videos consistently.

Followers are likely to lose interest in a brand, or forget it entirely, without fresh videos for weeks or even months. Aim for between one and three uploads per week. But it’s not just the frequency of your videos that matters: the days and times at which you post your videos affects viewership, too.

Research shows brands should release new contentOpens a new window on Thursday to Sunday, from noon until 3pm on weekdays and 9am-11am on weekends. Users tend to have more free time across these days, and may be watching videos on their lunch breaks. Establish a posting schedule and stick to it consistently.

2. Invest in High Production Values

Posting multiple videos each week is a major commitment: videos need to be written, shot, edited and uploaded with a quick turnaround.

This means it may be tempting to rush videos, prioritizing quantity over quality. But followers have thousands of videos to choose from, and if one brand’s videos is a blurred, awkward mess, they can switch to another brand’s videos in seconds.

“Most vloggers professionally edit their videos,” Harmon says, “so unless you’re a prank channel or a channel where low production value makes sense, creating highly professional content is of the utmost importance. Users can tell when videos are edited poorly or when the sound is off, etc.”

Consider working with a professional team to shoot and edit videos instead of handling it all in-house. This incurs extra expense, but high-quality videos can attract and keep more followers than poor-quality ones.

3. Partner With Other Channels

“Working with other channels to help build each other’s following is a tried and tested method to build your channel,” says Jordan Scheltgen, founder of marketing agency, Cave SocialOpens a new window .

Collaborating with other YouTube channels is a simple way to expand your brand’s following by essentially presenting your business to an established audience of viewers with similar interests.

This may involve having a representative of your brand appear on another channel’s videos or vice versa, even if only to briefly demonstrate a new product. Or it could be as easy as guest posting a video on a regular basis.

“YouTube rewards collaboration — massively,” says Darren Kramer, CEO of User Experience ConsultantsOpens a new window . “Seek out other channels related to your niche — even competitors — and produce guest content for each other’s channels, then crosslink those videos.”

4. Keep a Tight Thematic Focus

“When you’re just starting out, being ‘all over the place’ can be a turn-off to potential subscribers,” says Harmon. “Sticking to one theme (i.e. skincare, video games, beauty) is helpful until you achieve a good brand reputation and following, at which point you can then branch out into other categories.”

He considers this “irrelevant for established brands that spend a substantial amount on YouTube marketing, as reputation/brand equity is established there as well.”

Focusing on a specific area can help gain loyalty and earn a reputation as a trusted source, rather than trying to cover too much and spreading your content too thinly. Define who your target viewers are, why they watch your videos, and what value you aim to offer.

“The more you train the algorithm that your channel is an authority on cute puppies,” adds Kramer, “the more videos you will rank for your target searches.”

Be sure to name and describe videos accurately too. YouTube organizes videos based on keywords in your channel descriptions and video titles. Research shows strategic keywords can be effectiveOpens a new window in boosting video rankings, and shorter titles (between 20 – 40 characters) perform best.

5. Ask Viewers to Subscribe

How can you win more subscribers?

“Ask!” says Scheltgen. “You have to ask people to subscribe to your channel at the end of your videos. This will help get people back over and over again.”

Countless YouTubers invite their viewers to click the subscribe button at the end of their videos, even those with millions of followers already. Users benefit from this by having the channel’s latest videos displayed on their feeds, or even notifications direct to their smartphone.

Content creators can only start to monetize their videos after they have 1000 subscribers, so it’s important to keep asking.

Follow these five key tips to build your brand’s YouTube following. Your videos can help drive traffic to your site, earn brand loyalty, build trust and serve as a valuable marketing platform for products or services.

Invest time and money into creating high-quality videos that engage viewers and provide real value. Focus on giving followers a reason to keep watching, stay invested and share your videos with others.