Imagine deciding to upload a YouTube video, only to hear a ring at the door. You take about 10 min to attend to that and jump back on to hit the upload button. In the 10 minutes that you took, 5000 hours of content have already been uploaded to the platform.
Let that number sink in.
The fact that only 1% of the videos cross 1000 views is both motivating and discouraging. The 5000 hours of video that got uploaded right before you probably will never see the light. This also means the chances of yours getting seen is equally hard.
Luckily, there are certain ways you can get your video seen. With the right tips and tricks, you can even get your video on trending and this is a highway to getting tons of views and subscribers.
1. Create long-form content
Given the low attention span people have these days, you might assume that short videos do well. While this might work on platforms like TikTok and Vine (R.I.P), YouTube loves long-form content.
Research has shown that videos with a duration of 8-min tend to perform better than 5 min videos. They do so by a very large margin, approximately 350%.
Long-form videos get better session duration and lifetime views in general. Given the overwhelming stats, it makes sense to make videos this long. Make sure you don’t compromise on quality just to stretch it out. This can cause more harm than good.
2. Encourage subscribers to watch your videos the moment they come out
This is a key point when it comes to getting your YouTube videos on Trending. The first 3-4 days play a vital role in determining if your video gets up there or not. While it can do so after this, your best shot is in this time frame.
Logically, it makes sense you have your best chances with your existing subscribers. Encourage them to check your video out as soon as you post it. Getting your subscribers to hit the bell icon also helps out tremendously.
3. Drive new traffic to the video from external sources
Make use of your following on other social platforms to drive traffic to your videos. Such traffic comes in bulk and nudges the algorithm to push it to “Trending”.
As a creator, you have the option of using Instagram stories, Snapchat stories, and Snaps, WhatsApp statuses, among many others. With all the recent updates on different platforms, the possibilities are quite endless.
You can even use trusted services like SocioBlend to buy YouTube Views, Likes and Subscribers and get the ball rolling.
4. Aim to increase repeat viewers
Another key fact to get your video on Trending is to make sure you get repeat viewers. If the same people keep clicking on all your videos, this tells YouTube that your quality and niche appeals to people.
YouTube then takes it upon itself to get more people to check it out and this is how your video will find itself on people’s recommendations. Those views in turn will tell the platform that this is worth showing to the entire world in a bid to get maximum views, subscribers, etc.
5. Optimize metadata for the video
This is more about getting your video seen in the more traditional sense of things. When people search if you can make sure your video pops up first, it’s going to get the most views. This then snowballs and before you know it, you’ve gotten your video on the Trending page. The better SEO you do for your videos, the longer it stays relevant, and the higher its chances of getting up there.
Read More: Top 10 Most Subscribed YouTube Channels in the United Kingdom
Do not put irrelevant metadata just because those keywords and titles are trending. That’s click-bait and YouTube flags that since click-baits cause disappointment and lead to unhealthy discussions in most cases.
If you’re looking for ways to promote your videos during lockdown check out this article that dives deeply into this.
(How to Promote Your YouTube Views under Lockdown)
6. Use an engaging thumbnail
This isn’t rocket science. An engaging thumbnail will get people to click on your videos. The more people that click, the more chance you are going to have in getting your video into the Trending page on YouTube.
Try not to cross the click-bait line since the algorithm could flag your video/ channel making everything else ineffective.
If you are looking for more insight into how YouTube’s algorithm works, we suggest checking out the an article written by Matt Gielen. The information is quite fascinating and definitely useful if you’re looking to beat the algorithm.
7. Stay consistent in uploading
YouTube rewards consistency. Stop uploading for a long time and see what happens to even the best of creators. It does not look good. The platform wants you to churn out quality content regularly.
By uploading quality content regularly, you greatly increase the chances of getting your video on the Trending pages.
With the right techniques and perseverance, it isn’t impossible to get your videos on Trending. Is it hard? Quite possibly. Is it worth it? Most definitely.
