Snowflake, Libtard and Trumpeteer. CNN now represents a fake news network while Twitter is the pulpit from which Donald Trumps spews his rhetoric. The fact of the matter is that we live within more politically fractured times than ever before.
Bipartisan politics have now given way to outright hate speeches and many of us are unsure how far this situation will go. The unfortunate fact is that the average individual feels rather powerless. After all, what possible actions could you take to have your voice heard? While social media profiles are important vehicles, streaming video sites such as YouTube represent powerful tools.
Were you aware that the average user spends more than 40 minutes every day viewing videos and commenting on content? How can you become a portion of this growing digital community? Let us take at some top tips if you are hoping to start a YouTube channelthat will gain followers and possibly even influence the opinions of others.
The Mechanics Behind a YouTube Account
Before delving into specific content-related suggestions, it is important to know the basics. As you are likely already aware, it is free to create a YouTube channel from scratch. In fact, you do not even have to upload any videos. All that will be required is an email account which can be confirmed.
Gmail is the most common email server although other options such as Yahoo! and Yandex are supported. If you are concerned about anonymity, it is possible to open up other accounts such as those associated with Mail.com.
You will then need to choose a name for the channel. Of course, it is important to remain within the YouTube community guidelines. You should also take into account the audience that you are trying to reach as well as the image that you wish to represent.
This can be augmented by an image although you always have the option of choosing a generic profile picture (the classic YouTube silhouette).
Uploading videos is simple and YouTube supports the majority of most codecs. You can break up longer content into easily manageable sections (generally segments of at least ten minutes) or you can choose to upload the entire bundle at once.
Some feel that segmented videos generate more hits, as they are appealing to those who have only a limited amount of time. It is nonetheless a good idea to experiment with both options in order to determine which receives the most interest.
How to Gain All-Important Views
The success of most YouTube channels can be directly correlated to the number of views that they receive. This is important for two reasons. First, those with a higher number of views tend to be featured at or near the top of the on-site search results. Secondly, these very same channels are associated with more social media clout.
You should first begin by researching the most popular content within your niche sector. What do the most successful channels have in common and what are the trending topics? This involves a bit of what is often termed “analytics” within the online marketing community and yet, a bit of foresight can go a long way.
You should always include a call to action within every video; even if this is simply an outbound link to a separate website or social media profile. Users tend to respond to CTAs and those who like what you have to say will be more likely to subscribe if they are provided with a direct means.
Try to post a video at least every 24 hours when you first create your channel. Never forget that you will be in competition with other channels that might have been in existence for years. Channels associated with fresh content are more likely to appeal to the intended audience.
If you are unable to post daily videos due to time constraints or you simply do not have a sufficient amount of material, it is wise to schedule one day every week when a post will occur. Viewers will come to expect a new video and they are more likely to watch what you have to offer.
Try to keep the content as light as possible. Research has shown that the majority of viral videos are short and that they contain a certain amount of humor; even when dealing with a potentially sensitive or divisive topic. Content that is boring or otherwise “dry” will likely fall upon deaf years and as a result, the chances of the viewer becoming a follower are dramatically reduced.
Do not expect to garner millions of followers overnight. Even the top YouTube celebrities such as Logan Paul have taken years to reach this digitally stellar status. Still, the suggestions mentioned above will put you on the right track so that your voice may be heard.