What’s the point of creating a YouTube video if no one watches it?
How do you increase the number of views to your videos for free?
YouTube videos receive billions of views each day so your job (should you decide to accept it) is to siphon off a small fraction of that traffic to your own videos. Once you know how to attract viewers to any video you can convert them into sales.
Here are 10 ways to get more views on YouTube…FAST
1. Optimize your video for YouTube and Google
If your video attains first page rankings on YouTube and/or Google it will automatically get more views based on the number of people searching on that keyword.
Here’s a brief optimization checklist:
- Insert your main keyword phrase in the video file, title, description, tags and anchor text (text of links pointing back to your video).
- Create a title that will captivate the attention of your visitors.
- Repeat your title and include the full URL of your landing page at the beginning of your description
- include the full content of your video in the description
- Enter your main phrase plus related phrases in the tags
- Upload a transcript of your video content
- Embed the video on your blog and other related web properties to gain backlinks.
Read 12 Steps For Optimizing YouTube Videos
2. Announce your video on social media sites
After uploading your video announce it on Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, Pinterest, Google+. The purpose of this is to build up a community of regular viewers.
3. Add annotations within your video
Ask viewers to share your video with their friends within your video by adding an annotation within the video. that says something like “Please share this video with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, Linked In.”
Read 10 Ways To Use YouTube Annotations To Increase Viewer Engagement
4. Write a blog post about your video
Write an article about the content in your video. Post the article to your blog and embed the video within your content.
5. Re-purpose your content
Convert your video content into a PDF file and submit it to document sharing sites such as Scribd, Slideshare, etc. This helps build backlinks which will increase your rankings.
6. Write a press release
Write a press release on one of the main points within your video then submit it to free press release sites such PR.com, PressExposure.com and PRLog.com.
Here’s a list of FREE Press Release Submission Sites
7. Interact with the YouTube Community
Comment on related videos on YouTube. These can be textual comments or video responses. Also subscribe to related channels so you stay abreast of the latest developments in your niche.
8. InVideo programming
This features your favorite video or channel across all of your videos. It displays a video thumbnail (a clickable link) within each video. I usually position it at the top right hand corner so it’s easy to see.
9. Create a custom thumbnail for each video
I always create a customized thumbnail instead of allowing YouTube to choose one they created. More people will watch the video if the thumbnail stands out in the search engines.
Example
Google “How To Create A YouTube Custom Thumbnail That Attracts More Viewers.” The first result displays the custom thumbnail I designed for this video.
10. Playlists
Playlists help increase video views across your YouTube channel by automatically playing another video or list of videos at the end of your video. This keeps viewers on your own channel (watching more of your own videos) instead of getting redirected to an unrelated video.
Read “The Complete Guide To YouTube Playlists”
Note: Avoid the temptation to buy YouTube views because Google can detect false views and may shut down your account.
Tip
Your video may not receive thousands of views immediately however they increase over time as more people discover your videos.
