Advice on advertising and growing my youtube channel

[Broderick]

As the title says, I would like advice on how to advertise my youtube channel so I can increase my subscriber base. I wont link it here, as I do not want to break any rules. I know basic things, like don't spam other people's videos and stuff, but does anyone have any advice to help advertise the right way?

I do Let's plays(yeah, another channel dedicated to them, who would have thunk?) so does anyone have any special advice specifically regarding that type of channel?

 

[Gaius Livius]

Pop me a pm with the channel link and I should be able to give a better answer but for now here goes. This might sound really obvious but make sure to tag the videos with appropriate things like Lets Play, Gaming, *Insert game title*, funny (If that's the sort of angle you've got going) and you can even include some extra tags with the same things but with common misspellings. It's also worth taking a bit of time (Usually at the end) to prompt viewers for comments, likes and subscriptions. Your best advertising space for individual videos is the title and thumbnail and to do good ones you are generally going to need to do custom ones if you are able to yet. After that channel art and trailers are the next most important thing. I know this is a bit vague but I am being more general since I don't know a lot yet but yeah I'll check it out when I have the link then should have more specific answers.

 

[Aerosteam]

Well, if you want to show your YouTube channel here you can link it with your account, just put the url in the blank space when editing it.

The number one thing to get subscribers... remind people to do it. Either put it in the description, at the end of your commentary in a video or have clickouts at the end of your video. Believe it or not it helps, when Game Grumps started doing it their sub count shot way up.

 

[Broderick]

Well, if you want to show your YouTube channel here you can link it with your account, just put the url in the blank space when editing it.

The number one thing to get subscribers... remind people to do it. Either put it in the description, at the end of your commentary in a video or have clickouts at the end of your video. Believe it or not it helps, when Game Grumps started doing it their sub count shot way up.

Yeah I have actually heard that helps. It is a bit odd though, you would figure people would subscribe if they like the content almost immediately. I might start doing that. I do put a reminder to do so in the description of every one of my videos, but I suppose not everyone reads those.

Pop me a pm with the channel link and I should be able to give a better answer but for now here goes. This might sound really obvious but make sure to tag the videos with appropriate things like Lets Play, Gaming, *Insert game title*, funny (If that's the sort of angle you've got going) and you can even include some extra tags with the same things but with common misspellings. It's also worth taking a bit of time (Usually at the end) to prompt viewers for comments, likes and subscriptions. Your best advertising space for individual videos is the title and thumbnail and to do good ones you are generally going to need to do custom ones if you are able to yet. After that channel art and trailers are the next most important thing. I know this is a bit vague but I am being more general since I don't know a lot yet but yeah I'll check it out when I have the link then should have more specific answers.

I tend to do most of what you said, although I currently lack channel art and a trailer, which is something have been meaning to work on for a while. I will send you a link to my channel.

 

[L. Declis]

My advice is don't bother advertising; you won't get nearly enough views and you'll just drive people off.

Have no adverts, make good shit, and then put a Patreon into every description.

Don't put "like me and subscribe pls" into every video, people know that shit already.

Get your presentation up to scratch. Intro, cover art, title art, etc.

Get good sound equipment. People will put up with a lot, but if the sound is bad, it's painful to take in.

Learn editing. All aspects of it. Learn to edit video and how to do it well. Learn to edit sound and how to do it well. Lots of programs, tricks and tips.

Realise what you are shit at; try to find someone who can do this. Work together.

Invite other people to work with you. Helps spread networks and helps build contacts.

Read what other Youtubers do. Watch their Q&A's. They will tell you most of what they do for free. Pick up the advice they drop.

 

[Hitch 22]

Why do you come to the Escapist and read their articles and watch their videos? I assume you have channels you subscribe to. Why do you subscribe to them?

It's because they have content you want to see. Build the content first, then worry about will it get popular. I would say if your work in the former is good enough you won't have to think about the latter.

 

[Broderick]

My advice is don't bother advertising; you won't get nearly enough views and you'll just drive people off.

Have no adverts, make good shit, and then put a Patreon into every description.

Don't put "like me and subscribe pls" into every video, people know that shit already.

Get your presentation up to scratch. Intro, cover art, title art, etc.

Get good sound equipment. People will put up with a lot, but if the sound is bad, it's painful to take in.

Learn editing. All aspects of it. Learn to edit video and how to do it well. Learn to edit sound and how to do it well. Lots of programs, tricks and tips.

Realise what you are shit at; try to find someone who can do this. Work together.

Invite other people to work with you. Helps spread networks and helps build contacts.

Read what other Youtubers do. Watch their Q&A's. They will tell you most of what they do for free. Pick up the advice they drop.

Thanks for the reply, I suppose I should have been more clear in my OP, but I am not completely new at this. Been doing it for a while, and have made about 50 or so videos, with quality slowly increasing over time. Thank you for the information however, it is good advise all around I think.

 

[Zeljkia the Orc]

step one, pick a pewdiepie video

step two, copy/paste the bob meme- OH, without advertising on other people's videos? Make good content. Minecraft will always net you a few dozen views, even more if it's an ironic playthrough (one of my subscriptions does a playthrough of Minecraft in addition to trolling Omar and playing funny games on streams and constantly reminds people that the series wont get any better), but at this point Minecraft is a give-away for a LP.

I would look for games that other LP'ers haven't made a video of, or at the least they are starting to make videos on, like ARK for example. Sadly though you gotta find a good mixture of games to play that YOU like and games that your AUDIENCE would like. The two wont always be in the same category.