7 YouTube Video Tips for Higher Engagement
Youtube is the most popular video platform and practically every internet user consumes video content on this platform.
With the growing popularity of video content, when 82% of traffic comes from videos, it's no wonder that a big number of users hope for the attention of video fans, making the competition on YouTube stiff.
You may have an excellent idea for a Youtube channel and even know what you will talk about or the type of content you will create. That's all great and an essential step in the process of having a successful channel, but you should make sure that your videos generate high engagement among your target audience to stand out from the crowd.
In this article, there are tips and tricks which you can apply to grow your YouTube channel and fan base as long as you are willing to put in the effort. The most crucial part in helping you grow your channel is ensuring your engagement is present and active. The tips you find here will put you on a direct path to understanding how to engage better and grow your audience.
About the Importance of YouTube Video Engagement
You may be wondering what's it to you if you have engagement on your channel. Does it even help? The short answer is yes.
Youtube is tied to search engine algorithms. The more views, clicks, and shares you get, the higher your chances of a video going viral. Your watch time, comments, shares, subscribers, and likes/dislikes strongly affect your video's performance.
Meaningful interactions with your audience are a reward in itself, but there's so much more.
Highly engaging content is much more likely to be shared by the audience, meaning more eyes on your content and potential engagement.
Getting more traffic to your videos will also put you in a better position to be automatically pushed by Youtube's algorithm to the masses. Engagement also shows your audience isn't passive or bots. People are actively listening and taking the time to respond.
This looks very good to sponsors that may be interested in you or you in them. You gain trust as well, and if you were to introduce affiliate links or products, the audience would be more willing to trust your opinions.
To increase engagement on YouTube, you should take into account your viewers' content consumption behavior and the following data can be handy:
Want to know more about the importance of video engagement?
Having better engagement will also help you to improve video marketing as a content creator, as the feedback you receive will allow you to observe and correct or adjust your content where necessary.
It will allow you to create content you know with certainty will get views and people engaging.
Engagement can build a better relationship with your audience and sponsors, create workable analytics, and sell whatever you have. Measuring your engagement rate will help you understand whether people are enjoying the content or not.
Key YouTube Engagement Metrics to Know
To boost video engagement, it's important to understand what metrics affect it and focus on the right kind of data.
Here's a simple image that can tell you more about the process of calculating an average engagement rate on YouTube:
In short, the following metrics matter: likes/dislikes, comments, and the number of YouTube subscribers. However, professional video makers also put into account shares, rewatches, and total views.
Always keep in mind that the majority of sponsors look at engagement because it shows real people consuming your content, especially if they plan to use your video channel as a part of their CRO marketing. Keep in mind that different niches have different engagement rates on Youtube.
Below are some quick tips you can go through to get an idea of how increasing engagement can be achieved.
1. Create Trendy Videos
Video content comes in many formats and forms. From how-to videos to live streams, there are many ideas on what content you can create for your channel.
But if you want to get a higher engagement rate, you should put your viewers first and give them the right content they crave. Simply put, you need to create trendy videos.
There is always a challenge to follow on Youtube.
Take this opportunity to pick one that you know can fit in with your content and create eye-catching YouTube videos.
Avoid trying every and any challenge as this can do more harm than good.
Your audience will get confused about exactly what your content is about. Stick to your niche and what will work best when doing challenges.
Also, not all challenges trend, so pick those that have traction and will increase your odds of new audiences viewing your content and engaging with comments, and even subscribing.
2. Team Up with Niche Influencers
If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, teaming up is better.
Working with another content creator means that new people from their audience also discover your content.
It is a symbiotic relationship where both parties win. You get to create content and interact with others in the same niche as it helps to present a stronger united front and creates more engagement as the audience, both new and familiar with your content, are exposed to it. It's something new, which for the most part, is usually exciting YouTube video content.
Here's how it looks in action:
3. Know about YouTube SEO
SEO is short for Search engine Optimization. This means that the Artificial Intelligence of YouTube SEO has been created in a certain way to prioritize certain content over others.
The video content, video captions, titles, and even your thumbnail are part of the criteria of how videos are pushed more by the platform.
Several apps automatically generate the most suitable SEO for your content, which will help the A.I. categorize your video better to an audience that is more willing to engage in your content because it is similar to the content they like consuming and interacting with.
Once you know how to make the most out of YouTube SEO, you can optimize your videos to get in front of your target audience when they are looking for a particular video type. All in all, it results in higher engagement.
4. Make Your Videos Watchable without Sound
Most content creators believe that putting time and effort into creating professional-looking videos is enough to stand out from the crowd and grab the attention of your audience.
Although high-quality video content matters, it's also important to keep in mind users' preferences. For instance, 69% of people watch videos with the sound off.
This means the importance of making your videos watchable without sound.
First, ensure you have captions and your video has enough visuals and graphics will go a long way. Check out an example below:
This attitude helps people who may opt to watch videos without sound for whatever reason will be able to follow your videos easily. As a result, you are able to widen your scope and target audience with this small but inclusive manner of content creation.
5. Understand Your Subscribers' Preferences
When it comes to content creation, most of the time, it's personal.
It's based on interests that are near and dear to you and have a great sense of importance that can lead to blind-sided content.
This is where you create content that you really enjoy without accounting that the content is mainly for the audience. It is important you do what you have an interest in.
However, also understand your audience has a need for your content. If engagement is what you want, put up content you know will get your audience excited and engaging.
So you must understand their preference, and this can be done by observing the engagement you have had so far, especially comments that can help get inside their minds. Also, research and see what the audience in your niche love or asks on Google.
Here are several proven reasons to understand your subscribers' preference:
- Analyze best-performing videos
- Invite viewers to share their thoughts
- Read the comment section
- Spy on your competitors
6. Experiment with Video Types and Ideas
If you have a YouTube channel, it's more likely that video content creation is your cup of tea.
This means you know how to create videos, but posting the same type of videos isn't the best idea to increase engagement.
It is also essential to experiment with video types and ideas to find out what works best for your audience. What is more, your video content should fit your goals, so take a look at the list of video genres and their types to get inspiration for your next video:
Sometimes it takes several trials and errors before you find what works for you and your audience. Remember, you must enjoy the content you create so as not to run quickly into burnout. This process should be fun and enlightening since you will find that sweet spot that clicks, and you can run to the bank with it.
7. Hook Video Viewers
From making eye-catching videos to including an engaging story in your video, there are several ways to hook your video viewers.
However, you can think about the video hook every time you work on your next video. It could be your intro, style of editing, or just exposing your authentic self in a relatable manner.
This helps to keep the audience on your videos longer. By doing so, they may proceed to watch more and, once enthralled, will subscribe and engage to feel more connected to you, the creator. Avoid cliches and overdone strategies of videos, especially in your niche. You run the risk of being ignored as you'll appear just like all the others, with nothing unique or outstanding.
The Bottom Line
Youtube is the largest video-sharing platform, and there are millions of creators and billions of viewers. The pie is big enough to share.
The amount of content on youtube would require several lifetimes if you were to watch every single one. There is no shortage of content, but not all of it is good content.
Separate from the crowd, try our tor engagement, and see how far you can go. Stay consistent and committed to the process; you will see engagement and growth. It also shows potential brands and sponsors you have real people engaging with your content.