Search engine optimization is becoming incredibly challenging and unpredictable. As search engines are integrating generative AI and learning to surface more diverse results, creating a strategy to rank your pages in the top 5 takes a lot of trial and error.

Video marketing is almost equally challenging. Gone are the days when you had to invest in professional equipment and hire an editor to be able to create a video. These days anyone can create great videos at home and edit them using affordable software. The competition is insane.

So where is the opportunity here?

It’s in combining these two marketing channels.

Let me explain:

• Videos rank incredibly well in Google (they have their own sections in search results, so you are not competing with giants)
• Not many video marketers are optimizing their videos for organic Google search, so it is actually doable.

Video opportunities we are targeting here

Videos are very search-friendly if you optimize them the right way. In this post, we’re going to look at the ways you can optimize your videos on the top networks, YouTube and Vimeo, for increased search rankings and views.

When it comes to organic search, there are two distinct opportunities we are targeting here:

• Video rich snippets (these are usually earned when you embed your Youtube code on your page)
• Video carousels (or video packs): These are separate sections within organic search results, and they are pretty easy to capture. All you need is a traditional SEO.

Here is how to best optimize your videos on YouTube and Vimeo for better search rankings and increased views.

Titles

The title is one of the primary elements of optimizing your video for search as it is equivalent to the SEO title for the video page on YouTube and Vimeo. Therefore, the standard rules apply.

Keep it under 65 – 70 characters, including the main keywords you want it to rank for, and make it appealing for visitors to encourage more views. Think of your video title just like the headline for your blog posts – eye-catching and SEO-friendly! Keyword stuffing is not advised. Using ChatGPT to brainstorm better video titles is a great idea.

If you are using videos as a way to boost your personal reputation or the reputation of your business, be sure to include your brand name.

Descriptions

The description of your video is important for a couple of reasons. For starters, the first 160 characters count as the meta description for your video page on YouTube and Vimeo. While meta descriptions don’t necessarily help with rankings, they do come up in search results in both the major search engines and the networks’ own search results.

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The descriptions also come up as a snippet when you share the video on Facebook and other social networks. This makes the description highly valuable for encouraging views.

As an added bonus, you can include links to your website in the video description. You just need to try to include your links earlier on in your description as most of the description gets cut off at a certain length on both YouTube and Vimeo, and visitors will need to click on the See More / Read More to see them if they are past that point.

Transcription

Is it important to say your primary keywords, name, and business name in a video? It just might be. YouTube automatically transcribes your videos. This means they can make search results for videos more accurate by indexing the video content itself.

On a side note, if you’re curious about any verbal ticks you might have while speaking during a video (like using a lot of um’s), they will be more noticeable in the interactive transcript.

Thumbnails

Take advantage of the ability to choose a thumbnail for both YouTube and Vimeo videos. A good thumbnail could encourage a view the same way a bad one could discourage a view, especially when your video is jumbled in with others in search results.

Embedding

If you want to increase your video views, allow your videos to be embedded. Better yet, add a Creative Commons license to them in the Advanced Settings on both YouTube and Vimeo. This will encourage more people to share them, and potentially increase the links to them as well. It is a good idea to use Youtube gallery plugins on your site to showcase your video content on your site.

Channel optimization

Many people will click on your channel to check out who is the video is coming from. So make sure it is optimized for those user journeys:

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• Complete the about section of the channel
• Add your links
• Set up the “Welcome” video
• Add a Youtube channel header image
• Set up a channel @username so that it’s is easier to type. This tool is great for coming up with memorable names.

Pinterest

Take advantage of Pinterest for more than just image sharing. Pin your videos in order to increase traffic and views from Pinterest to your video content. As an added bonus, Pinterest will give you a link back to both the video and your YouTube / Vimeo channel.

Videos pinned from YouTube will automatically start playing when someone clicks on your pin. Videos from Vimeo will be pinned as the thumbnail image with the ability to click through to the video.

Analytics

Want to know what is working (or not) with your YouTube and Vimeo videos? Be sure to use the video insights to find out where your video has been linked or embedded, the keywords that drove traffic to your video, and much more.

Create a sales journey from each of your videos

Once your video starts generating views and interactions, you want those viewers to go to your site and engage with your sales funnel. So keep that in mind when creating and uploading your videos to Youtube or Vimeo:

• Mention your product or service in the video content
• Use end cards with your contact details and QR codes to direct people to your site. Using IVR technology will help you funnel these calls better, that’s what we were doing.
• Include important links in the video description (and invite your viewers to check the description below the video to click the links)

Make sure to use URL parameters to segment traffic from Youtube and Vimeo. This way you can clearly see the source of each lead and personalize your follow-ups. Using CRM solutions will make segmenting your traffic easier.

Using the strategy above, we were able to create a powerful traffic generation strategy in which video was the second most effective channel for us!

Snowball effect

Videos with a lot of views tend to rank higher than others. Therefore, part of your optimization strategy should be focused on getting more views of your videos. Promote your videos just like you would your blog content. Share them on social networks, include a link to them in your email newsletter, create a blog post around them, or even create a page on your website devoted to all of your videos.

The more views you receive, the better your video will rank in search results within the video networks. As you receive more views, you will receive more shares, embeds, and links back to your video from other websites. Thus, the video’s ranking in main search engines will increase as well.

So as soon as your videos start generating clicks from Google, they will start ranking better on Youtube as well, so you will have more and more visibility for your video content.

This strategy will work even better if you collaborate with Youtube influencers to publish your videos to their channels in the form of interviews or podcasts. This way Youtube will learn to associate your name and content with popular Youtube creators, so your videos will show up in more recommended videos. Hari Ravi is a great example of implementing this strategy well.

Inexpensive Ways to Make Videos

Excited about the possibilities of creating videos, but not sure how to get started? Here are some quick ideas of ways to create a video without having to spend a lot on professional recording hardware or software.

• Host and record live videos on Youtube, Facebook, or Instagram. Gain extra views by inviting industry experts for regular panel discussions to capitalize on searches for their names.
• Record interviews on Skype or Zoom.
• Use Screenflow or Camtasia to record screencasts and tutorials.
• Use tools like VideoScribe to create animated videos.
• Ask customers to make quick testimonials at your business, at conferences, or other places you interact with them.

Ready to take your content marketing to the next level? Then video marketing combined with organic search optimization is the answer.

The post Rank Higher and Capture Leads with Video SEO appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

YouTube is a treasure trove for small businesses, filled with all kinds of would-be customers. In 2022, 27% of video marketers invested more in YouTube than any other platform. 

This post explores the rudiments of creating great YouTube videos for small businesses.

Knowing Your Audience

To make a high-performing YouTube video, know your target audience and what they care about.

• If you’ve already been uploading videos, use YouTube Analytics to track your audience demographics and engagement.
• Use Typeform, Survey Monkey, or YouTube Studio’s poll creator to gather viewer feedback on the content they want.
• If you’ve not uploaded a single video on YouTube, simply create your ideal customer’s avatar

The more you know about your audience, the better you can create videos they will love.

Set Up Your YouTube Channel

Creating a YouTube channel for your small business is straightforward. Start by going to www.YouTube.com.

Tap on your profile picture. A drop-down menu appears. 

On that menu, a button says, “Create a channel”. Click on it.

Now enter your channel’s name, profile picture, and unique handle. 

YouTube users like to engage with real people. Use your name and picture or your business name and logo if you’re not the face of the brand.New business on a budget? Use a free logo maker for a professional-looking logo.

Next, add a channel description to let people know about your channel. Click “Customize channel” to do this.

On the YouTube Studio homepage, click “Basic info” and write a clear, concise channel description that includes keywords.

Further, customize your channel’s layout and design to match your brand. According to Attrock, you can create yourself by using simple graphic creation software like Canva, Adobe Express, or PicMonkey.

Need to be more crafty? Hire a skilled graphic designer. 

Create a YouTube Content Strategy

A simple YouTube strategy saves time and increases success.

Here are some things to consider when planning your YouTube video strategy:

• Define your goals and objectives. What do you want to achieve with your YouTube channel? Are you looking to increase brand awareness, earn from ads, drive website traffic, or sell online courses? Once you know your goals, deciding which videos to prioritize is easier. 
• Establish a unique brand voice and style that aligns with your target audience and brand values. Maintain consistency across all videos.
• Create a content calendar to stay on track and publish new videos regularly. Consider your target audience, buyer’s journey, competition, YouTube, seasonal trends, and schedule.

Note: You need 1000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time to earn from YouTube ads. This usually takes a few months. Be patient and explore other YouTube monetization alternatives in the meantime.

How to Create Compelling YouTube Videos for Small Businesses

Now comes the fun part: creating engaging videos that captivate your audience. Here are 7 tips for creating compelling video content with real business value:

Choose the right video format. Choose the suitable video format (tutorial, testimonial, vlog, demo) for your target audience and business objectives. For example, product demos for products and tutorial videos for services. Craft attention-grabbing titles and thumbnails. Your title and thumbnail are the first things potential viewers will see, so make sure they’re eye-catching and relevant to your video content.

Write a well-structured script. Your video script should be clear, concise, and informative and include a CTA to your products or services. Make it engaging to keep viewers interested throughout the video.

Use high-quality video and audio. Your video should be well-lit and shot with a high-quality camera.  Natural light is often best, but you can also use artificial light to create a more professional look. The audio should also be clear and free of background noise. 

Be yourself and let your personality shine through in your videos. Tell stories that your audience can relate to and offer valuable information and insights that your audience can 

Plan your shots. Before you start filming, take some time to plan out your shots. This will help you capture the needed footage and avoid wasting time and energy on unnecessary shots.

Shoot in multiple takes. Don’t be afraid to shoot multiple takes of the same scene. This will give you more editing options and help you capture the perfect shot.

The Best Filming Equipment for YouTubers

Your choice of filming equipment makes a big difference in the quality of your YouTube videos. According to successful YouTubers, here are the best equipment for filming YouTube videos:

• Cameras: A good camera is essential for capturing high-quality video. Some popular cameras for YouTubers include the Canon EOS Rebel T7i, Canon G7X Mark II, and the Sony a6300. 
• Microphones: A good microphone is essential for capturing clear audio. Popular microphones for YouTubers include the Rode VideoMicro, the Audio-Technica AT2020, and the Blue Yeti.
• Tripods: A tripod is essential for keeping your camera steady and preventing shaky footage. Some popular tripods for YouTubers include the Joby GorillaPod SLR Zoom, the Manfrotto Befree Live, and the Velbon Sherpa 200.
• Artificial lights: Artificial lights can help improve your video’s quality by providing more evenly-distributed light. Popular lights for YouTubers include the Neewer 60W Dimmable LED Video Light, the Aputure Amaran AL-H198, and the Godox SL60W.
• Lens: A lens improves video quality by widening the field of view, zooming in, or blurring the background. YouTubers lean towards the Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM, the Sony SELP18-200mm f/3.5-6.3, and the Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 II ASPH Power O.I.S.

It is important to note that the best equipment for you will depend on your specific needs and budget. Do some research and read reviews to find the best equipment for you.

Optimize Your YouTube Videos for Search 

YouTube is a social media and search engine with over 2B monthly users. Optimize your videos for search with keyword research on Google Trends, Semrush, and YouTube Autocomplete.

Incorporate these keywords naturally in your video titles, descriptions, and tags.

To further optimize your videos and overall YouTube channel:

• Use RapidTags or Hashtagify to create a list of relevant tags for your topic. 
• Use annotations and captions to provide additional context and make your videos accessible.
• Encourage audience engagement by asking for likes, comments, and shares, as these interactions signal to YouTube that your content is valuable.
• Be consistent and stick to a regular publishing schedule.

Analyze and Improve Performance

As you continue to publish YouTube videos, you’ll have more analytical data to work it. Monitor your YouTube analytics regularly to track views, watch time, likes, comments, and shares. You get insights on what works and what doesn’t from numbers and trends. 

Make sure to:

• Identify top-performing videos to understand what resonates with your audience.
• Test different strategies to improve your results.
• Listen to your audience and make changes based on their feedback.

It’s only up from here. 

Finally!

Remember to have fun, be creative, and stay true to your brand’s unique voice. Best of luck on your YouTube journey!

The post YouTube Marketing Made Easy: Simple Step-by-Step Guide for Small Businesses appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Conversions are your bottom line. You can have the best SEO, the best relationships, and more social shares than you’d ever thought possible, but it all won’t mean much if no one is converting. 

For many companies, conversions mean making a purchase, but the term can go far beyond just monetary value. The term “converting” to you may mean completing a form, becoming a lead, calling your team, and more. 

Whatever your end conversion goal may be, it’s crucial you get there if you want to continue to grow and evolve.

1. Work on Those CTAs

A call-to-action is what drives people down your sales funnel. Make sure you take them seriously.

There are hundreds of different ways that a company can create a call to action. Consider some of these tips as you create your own call to action on your website:

1. Size: You want your call to action button to be easy to see, but not overwhelming. Websites with large call-to-action messages and links can seem like spam to many site visitors, but small calls to action can get lost (and potentially confuse a reader looking to follow through).
2. Frequency: It’s important to have your call-to-action buttons and messages dispersed throughout the page. Many first-timers only include one call to action section, but it’s best to give site visitors ample opportunity to follow through on your website. Do not be overbearing, but have at least three different ways someone can make a purchase or become active in your company.
3. Location: Make sure you put at least one call to action above the fold. This will ensure that people see the next steps they can take (especially if they don’t read the content).
4. Images: Images always make content more exciting. This is where a reader’s eyes are typically drawn, so you absolutely want to incorporate an image into your call to action. The image can be small and next to the text or be part of the text, just make sure it isn’t too overbearing and visitors can still read the page content.
5. Color: The most important thing to remember about color is that the text can still be read. Make sure the background is in direct contrast with the text of the call to action button. Also, make sure that this button is a different color than the rest of your website (while still matching). This will help draw attention to your call to action.
6. Linking: You ideally want people to click on your call to action button, but there will always be people who click on an image or your logo. Make sure that these aspects of your website also send site visitors to your call to action page.
7. Voice: Try to avoid passive voice. Tell your site visitors what you want them to do in a clear and straightforward manner. If you have a deal that won’t be around forever, let your site visitors know. Give as much information as possible in as few words as possible and you’re sure to get more clicks.
8. Mobile Considerations: You should always consider that your website or email marketing message might be viewed through a mobile phone. Make sure that your call to action button is large enough for those clicking with their fingers, and make sure that your images can be loaded quickly and clearly on a mobile phone. There are quite a few CTA plugins to make this step easier for you.
9.  Secondary Call to Action Buttons: Many site visitors are not ready to buy right away, so it’s a good idea to have another option for these people. If there is a change that someone would need more information, have a “more information” type button and put your primary call to action button on that page.
10. Use your CTAs across all your channels. Consistency is key when it comes to conversions. People see the same colors and wording in two or three places, and they feel much more confident taking an action. Use your CTAs as end screens on Youtube, on your social media, and, of course, in your reps’ email signatures when they reach out to your prospects. Have your salesperson create an email signature including your main CTA and branding, and you will notice your company’s emails convert much better.

You can also use AI-powered tools to come up with some ideas for creative CTAs if you feel stuck:

2. Shorten Your Sales Funnels

Do you know why you lose most of your site visitors or prospects?

Your conversion funnel is too long.

Email back-and-forth, waiting time spent waiting for a reply, manual invoicing, conflicting schedules – all of that can get lots of people to give up on your brand.

The solution: Shorten your sales funnel.

Automate what you can automate and let your site visitors convert instantly.

Here are a few ways to do that:

• Scale your phone support using technology like Interactive Voice Response (IVR) which would interact with your prospects, collect information about customer inquiries, and even help them make a purchase right away
• Use instant appointment scheduling option: Let your site visitors set up a meeting with you right away by clicking a link and choosing a day and time that works for them. There is online booking technology you can use for it, and it will even manage payments and reminders for you to immediately convert your site visitors into clients.
• Automate your invoicing process allowing your site visitors to pay instantly without waiting for your team to get back to them with an invoice. Depending on the nature of your business, tools like Quickbooks or PayKickstart can help you do that.

Something that can be considered an umbrella for many of the things we have already discussed is that your checkout process should be optimized. This extends beyond length and speed –  it should appear secure, be intuitive, easy to use, and require as little information on their end as possible while also giving you the data you need for future marketing.

Optimize checkout in every way possible! Make it easy for people to make a purchase with you.

2. Use Youtube Remarketing

While there are several powerful remarketing channels available to businesses these days, Youtube is often overlooked. And that is unfortunate. YouTube is the world’s second-largest search engine with billions of active users each month. Perfecting your marketing strategy for such a large platform can have enormous benefits for companies, and what many are realizing is that the remarketing aspect of YouTube has huge potential.

Youtube presence is a great way to generate more quality leads to help you drive your business growth forward.

The reason YouTube is so great for remarketing is not only the fact that they have a large audience, but the platform (or search engine) itself allows you to create remarketing lists of target audiences based on the type of content a viewer generally watches – even if that content isn’t yours. This offers you several different benefits, many of which are either weaker or simply don’t exist when thinking about remarketing on Google:

• Better ROI. Remarketing almost always has better results than simply putting out an advertisement to hook new consumers. You can also optimize for cost-per-view as opposed to using impressions or the number of times your video displays in order to yield a higher ROI.
• Longer ads. Unlike social media where you only have a few sentences to get someone’s attention or an ad where you have a character limit, Youtube gives you 30 seconds to make your case in a video as opposed to a static ad and image.
• Better engagement. The average Internet user spends more time on a website with video. With more and more people interested in watching videos over reading articles, there is a good chance you’ll reach an entirely new and relevant group of people (in addition to the large number of visitors discussed earlier).
• Location targeting. YouTube is very helpful when it comes to location targeting, much like other remarketing campaigns you may run on other platforms.
• Brand Awareness. In other words, traditional remarketing benefits. This includes staying on a viewer’s radar and capturing their attention frequently. It helps build brand awareness and gives targeted users more repeated options to engage with your brand, YouTube or otherwise.

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So what does this have to do with leads? For starters, all of the points mentioned above will help bring people back to your page and hopefully help people engage with your page. Because of the nature of YouTube and the enhanced features of AdWords remarketing, you can remarket to anyone who shares your video.

Don’t Forget Your Existing Customers!

Obtaining new customers tends to remain a top priority for many e-commerce companies. While this is important, it is really critical that you don’t forget about your current and returning customers. These consumers are much more likely to make another purchase from your site than a new consumer is likely to make a first transaction.

Offer incentives to returning customers at the time of check-out or send emails with rewards after purchase. Always remember the importance of returning customers.

The post Three Ways to Turn Prospects into Instant Clients or Leads appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

Creating a video is a creative process which involves a lot of brainstorming, editing and producing. But the success of your video does not 100% rely on the quality or originality of that video.

Whether your video is going to be a success is determined by how many people will be able to find it and watch it.

Don’t underestimate the discoverability of your video. It may make or break your whole video marketing strategy performance.

One of the biggest channels that can drive findability of your video is search engine optimization, i.e. optimizing your video page for it to rank in search engines (mainly Google and Youtube search) for relevant keywords.

And one of the most important SEO elements of any page is its title.

What is a Youtube title?

“Title” is what you see on the browser tab when you open any Youtube page:

It is controlled by the “Title” field which is required when you upload your video to Youtube:

In the code of the page the title can be found within <title></title> tags.

On a Youtube video page, the title is also repeated underneath the video as the main heading making it also an on-page SEO element.

Youtube allows you to enter up to 100 characters to the title field and I recommend making the most of those 100 characters.

How can titles impact the findability of your video?

Page titles are key on-page SEO elements because they do both:

• Page titles are direct ranking factors (Google uses them to understand what the page is about)
• Page titles impact click-through by being the most visible parts of standard search snippets.

In that respect, Youtube SEO is not much different from any other types of SEO. The only slight difference is Youtube videos also get an additional section in organic results which you can target: Page titles are also included next to video thumbnails in video carousels:

Since titles are so important for your video findability and clickability, spend some extra time brainstorming effective video titles. Here are a few ideas:

How to create an effective Youtube title

1. Include your keyword

This is important in the context of this article. Keywords are still very important for SEO because they still help search engines understand the main topic of your page.

Keyword research is also a great way to estimate a demand for any topic (by looking at the search volume).

Identifying your main keyword and including it into the page title will help that video page rank for that keyword driving views for your video and generating additional brand visibility to your business. There are lots of tools and plugins allowing you to identify your target keywords.

It is a good idea to grab URLs of your competing videos and run them through this SEO Content Checker to identify their keyword usage and learn from that:

2. Make it sound interesting

I know it sounds obvious but there are too many boring video titles for me not to mention it.

Your video title needs to invite a click, so make sure it is interesting enough to invite one.

I realize it sounds easier than it really is and in many cases it is also highly subjective. But there’s a tool to help.

Using ChatGPT will help you find some ideas, in case you are stuck. Here’s what the tool was able to generate when I requested the following “Generate video title ideas that will include “Youtube marketing” keyword. Make those titles sound intriguing:”

There are quite a few pretty nice ones. If you don’t like what the tool suggested, keep asking it for more, changing your request just a bit to make it think harder.

This tool is great but make sure to pick a title that won’t over-promise. There’s a fine line between “intriguing” and “click-baiting.” Try and avoid the latter as it may reflect badly on your branding strategies.

3. Include numbers

Including a number in your page title has proven to be an effective way to get more people to click it. Click-through is likely to be an (indirect) ranking factor, so if more people click your title, there’s a good chance it will rank higher.

You cannot make each of your videos a listicle though, so you won’t be able to use this trick in each of your Youtube titles. But it is a good format to keep in mind and use from time to time.

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4. Mention a brand (if there’s one to mention)

Finally, if your video is about a well-known brand (for example, if that video is of you speaking at an event) or, more importantly, if you create it in collaboration with a well-known expert and/or influencer, include that name in your title.

Not only will it help your video rank for that searchable name, it will also increase its click-though thanks to people recognizing that name. 

Youtube also allows you to tag that name in the title (much like tagging works on Twitter or Facebook). If you add @ and then start typing that name, Youtube will allow you to select that name from the drop-down (if that brand or person has a Youtube channel). This will notify them on the mention and urge them to engage with the video helping its visibility:

No need to include your brand name though (unless that video is all about you or your company). If you pick your Youtube name well, it will help you build your brand’s recognizability with every high-ranking video because the channel name is always included in search snippets.

Keep a close eye on your results

Finally, creating an effective title is something that you can never do perfectly. There’s always room for improvement and experimentation. Learn from other well-performing videos in your or outside your niche and never stop experimenting.

Monitor video carousels for your important keywords to get notified when a new video succeeds in getting there and not what may have brought them that success. There are SEO monitoring tools that can help you with that task:

Additionally, keep a close eye on your Youtube analytics to monitor keywords that generate views from Youtube search and learn from those results:

Conclusion

You spend hours creating your video. It deserves a good title which will help your video get found. Spend some time brainstorming an effective title, experiment with different formats and measure your success. Good luck!

The post How to Write YouTube Titles for SEO appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

How is automotive digital retailing performing?

Rico Glover, Chief Digital Officer of Ben Mynatt Family of Dealerships, gives you an inside scoop into this booming niche.

WHAT IS DIGITALMARKETER:

DigitalMarketer is the premier online community for digital marketing professionals. It’s a place where you can learn how to market like a pro, connect with industry experts, and get the strategies and tools you need to grow and scale your business to new heights.

The post How is automotive digital retailing performing? – Rico Glover [VIDEO] appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

I grew the Think Media YouTube channel to 1.9 million subscribers.

When I think about the journey to a 7-figure following, I look at the secrets to YouTube growth that would have made me grow faster. Tips like how many videos to post before calling it quits, avoiding ‘selfish’ content at all costs, and strategically creating search-based content.

If I could do it all over again, I would incorporate these tips into my YouTube strategy from Day 1. And if I was starting over today, I wouldn’t be fearful that I couldn’t grow back my audience. Here’s why…

Right now is the best time to create content on YouTube. Since the lockdown in 2020, we’ve seen YouTube viewership is still skyrocketing. Consumption is up over 80%, according to Cisco (EIGHTY PERCENT!).

In 2019 there were about 15 billion minutes of YouTube videos watched. As you’re reading this article, that number is closer to 32 billion in some industries.

The time to be a creator is here.

But uploading your first YouTube video is, understandably, scary. The thought of seeing a meager 10 views and having your peers know you’re just starting out isn’t exactly thrilling. It’s the reason so many people decide to put off their YouTube dreams, despite watching their favorite creators every day and wishing they were in their shoes.

Your favorite creators started with one YouTube video and, most likely, 10 total views. But, they kept pushing through—knowing that if they found their rhythm, they could turn this into a career. And finding that rhythm comes down to avoiding these 5 mistakes that I learned the hard way on the road to 1.6 million followers.

It’s time to punch fear and perfectionism in the face, and press record (while growing your audience gracefully as you avoid these mistakes).

Mistake #1: Judging Your Performance BEFORE You Post Enough Videos

You need to post your first 35 videos. I know exactly what you’re thinking. It’s the same thing *I* would be thinking if somebody told me to post 35 videos when I was struggling with getting my first video into the world.

“35 Freaking videos. That’s kind of crazy.”

There’s a reason for this number. Before that 35th video, you’re going to be judging your results way too early. You’ll see your following growing by 10-20 followers a week and feel like you’re not making progress. And you’ll be tempted to quit.

This is one of the biggest mistakes new creators make. They post a few videos, don’t get the results you’re looking for, and decide YouTube isn’t for you.

That’s why you’ll hold yourself accountable for 35 videos. Those videos will trigger the algorithm to get things going or help you see where you can pivot to find success. With over 2,000 videos, I’ve had a couple of failed YouTube channels that led me straight to the successful ones. 

You win, you learn, and you have to fail forward—and actually want to play.

Mistake #2: Making ‘Selfish’ Content

YouTube follows the same rules of marketing. You have to answer the “Who?” and “What?” questions before you commit to posting. Without those answers, your channel won’t serve your audience. It’ll only serve you, and the topic that interests you that day.

Answer these 2 questions to avoid making selfish content:

1. Who are your videos serving?
2. What problem do you solve for them?

Creators that answer this question make service content. The ones who don’t, make selfish content and eventually quit YouTube.

When my co-author of YouTube Secrets Benji Travis and I, met with Gary Vaynerchuk, multiple New York Times bestselling author and one of the leading social media experts in the world, we asked him: “What advice would you give to new YouTube creators?”

Here’s what he said:

I think it’s about, are you putting out entertainment? Are you putting out education? Because 90% of people are putting out selfish content.

Ninety percent of people are putting out press releases. They want you to think something about them. They’re making it selfish for themselves. They wanted to go to Maui and surf, so that’s the content you’re getting.

But did that bring you any value? They want you to think they’re cool. 90% of the content right now are people acting like PR agents for themselves? I’m asking people to look like educators or entertainers.

Do you think about the audience first? Or don’t you?

The reason people aren’t getting to 1,000 subscribers is that they’re not thinking about their audience first. They’re thinking about what content *they want* to create and the benefits that could come from choosing that creator path. For example, if you’re thinking, “I want to be a travel vlogger,” have you considered how your content serves the audience you want to grow? Or are you more focused on a free fancy hotel stay with a giraffe eating breakfast with you?

That’s what Gary’s saying (and I’m echoing). And here’s another Gary tip—pick either entertainment or education content to create. Both types of content are exploding right now.

As I said, there’s never been a better time to create content.

Mistake #3: Choosing to Get Your YouTube Wisdom the Slow Way

Post your first video, today.

Stop reading this blog and go shoot a video on your phone and go post your first video (for real!). Once you’re posting, it’s time to ‘skill up’ in 2 ways:

#1: Identify the skills you need to learn (like video editing, designing thumbnails, and camera presence).

#2: Identify 5-10 successful channels in your niche and study what they’re doing and how you can add your own spin to it. (Don’t be scared of competition, this means you have a market!).

There are 2 ways to get wisdom. The slowest way is through your own mistakes. The fastest way to get wisdom is through others’ mistakes. That’s the beauty of buying a book, watching other creators’ YouTube channels (like mine), and learning from experts who can tell you exactly what to do.

You don’t have to be a YouTube expert to get started with your first video. But, you do need to have the basics down. Your videos should always be improving, especially as you learn more about:

• How to create eye-catching thumbnails
• How to name your videos catchy titles
• How channels in your niche are getting views
• How channels in your niche are editing their content

Your plan isn’t to copy what they’re doing. It’s to study what they’re doing and figure out how you can add your own spin to it. The spin that attracts the right audience for *you*.

Shorten your learning curve by getting your wisdom the fast way—learning through others’ mistakes.

Mistake #4: Not Creating Search-Based Content

Search-based content answers specific questions. It’s the content that meets a YouTube search of “how to train my dog to sit” or “how to take care of a fiddle leaf fig tree.” This is the content I focus my YouTube channels around, even though there’s some debate on it.

Creators wonder how much YouTube tags really impact their views and reach. A lot of people are asking if YouTube is even still a search engine. The answer is a loud, yes. YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world (Google is the first).

Sixty-five percent of people who use YouTube are using it to solve a problem. If people are going to YouTube to solve a problem, the best way to get discovered is to answer their question.

To be clear, this isn’t the only content you’ll ever make. You’re not stuck in “answering question” purgatory. But, you should start with search-based content to help your channel get views and subscribers. If people aren’t searching for your content, it’ll be really hard for it to get seen. The YouTube algorithm isn’t like TikTok—you’ll need to strategize getting views and a following on the platform.

That’s why answering the two questions above is so important. Every video idea should start with answering:

1. Who are your videos serving?
2. What problem do you solve for them?

Once you have subscribers, you can start to expand your content because they know you. They’re not just there to get a question answered. Subscribers are there to hang out with you.

• Are you crafting content that you’ve researched and that people are interested in?

• Are you crafting content that people are interested in watching?

Mistake #5: Avoiding Committment to the Long-Term Vision

If you want to ensure your YouTube channel never gets off the ground, maxing out at 50 views per video and 100 subscribers, here’s what you have to do. Dabble. 

The main reason people don’t reach 1,000 subscribers is that they’ve never actually made a real commitment to getting there. They dabble with YouTube. But like any marketing strategy, when you dabble—you get subpar results. And those subpar results trick you into thinking people don’t like your content or you’re not cut out for YouTube.

That’s not the case, at all.

Commitment is the foundation of all accomplishments. Commitment is the little choice we make every day that leads to the final results we’re looking for. And you’ll need to commit to growing on YouTube.

I can’t promise you an easy ride. Chances are, your YouTube growth will be hard and come with its fair of challenges. But, I can promise you that it’s worth it.

Commitment is showing up and making the hard decisions consistently. You don’t get bulging biceps by doing push-ups once. You don’t watch the fitness DVD one time and all of a sudden turn into chiseled Brad Pitt from Fight Club.

You do it through daily repetitious discipline. You keep showing up. You keep sweating. You keep doing the work. Wishing is not committing. It’s about making this a priority. 

Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn. Failure is a stepping stone to success.

Become a YouTube Superstar (For Your Niche)

You don’t need a famous YouTuber friend to get your channel off the ground. You also don’t need years of marketing experience to get your first 1,000 followers. All you need is the motivation to hit publish on your first video—and these 5 mistakes written on a post-it note near your desk.

Refer back to these mistakes as your channel starts to grow, you record more videos, and especially when you’re thinking of quitting.

• Which mistake have you accidentally started making?
• Do you need to post more videos before you quit (ahem, 35!)?
• Have you been taking YouTube seriously, or just dabbling?

YouTube wants you to create content. They make money when you post videos people want to watch. That’s part of what makes this such a great time to be a creator. YouTube is on your side, but you have to play by the demands of their users. For YouTube, that’s creating entertaining or educational content that answers questions your audience is curious about while nurturing a relationship with their (soon-to-be) favorite creator.

The real failure for YouTube creators is quitting, and I know you’re better than that.

Shift into the mindset that you can dominate YouTube for your niche—because you can.

Need More Guidance? Attend Sean’s Workshop!

Sean Cannell will be hosting a live workshop for DigitalMarketer Lab members in January 2022. If you’d like to attend the live session, you’ll need to be a member. As a member, you’ll also be eligible to win a free YouTube Creator Kit if you gain 1,000 subscribers during the workshop.

Sean Cannell

Sean Cannell is one of the most watched video content experts in the world and one of his channels was listed by Forbes as one of the “Top 20 Channels That Will Change Your Business.”
He is an international speaker, best-selling author of the book YouTube Secrets and his YouTube channel, Think Media, reaches over 21.5 million people a month. Sean has been hailed as one of the most successful online video experts – first building a multiple six-figure business through affiliate marketing and then going on to build a seven-figure media company focusing on online education that he still runs today.
Sean and his team are on a mission to help 10,000 people quit their day jobs to do what they love. He is passionate about giving tactical, practical advice to use video to spread your message. 
Sean is from Arlington, Washington and currently lives in Las Vegas, NV with his wife Sonja, son Sean Bradley, and their dog Sophie.

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