How can you increase views on YouTube?

The dynamic growth of the platform means that content competition increases across every category, and capturing the audience's attention on the platform is the greatest reward for creators. This allows channels and YouTubers to grow. The platform itself must also adapt to this competition and distribute content effectively, relying on recommendation algorithms so that, colloquially speaking, the right content reaches the right users. If we see a video's thumbnail on the homepage that matches our interests, we are more likely to click on it, thereby increasing the time we spend on the platform.

How Important is Watch Time on YouTube?

"Time" in the context of optimizing activities on YouTube is the keyword, as watch time is the most important metric in evaluating viewer satisfaction. Based on many factors, including the time spent on a particular video, the content recommendation algorithm decides whether this material is worth recommending to a broader audience. Therefore, the "caloric value" of a YouTube view is extremely important. One view where the viewer has watched 60% of the entire content is much more valuable than 10 views where the viewers clicked on the video and only watched 5% of the content. The measure of the viewer's attention also serves as a security measure on the platform, verifying the "reliability" of the content in relation to its thumbnail and title. In short, it protects viewers from misleading and deceptive clickbait.

YouTube Studio

YouTube provides creators with extremely rich analytical tools, far superior to its competitors in this area. Thanks to YT Studio, we can, among other things: review the overall state of the channel, analyze each video in detail, check how long viewers watched the content, whether they subscribed to the channel while watching, when they decided to stop the video, what other content they watched on the platform, their age group, and the country from which the views originated. While many factors influence how content is recommended, it's important to remember that the importance of each component will vary depending on the stage of the channel's development.

Thumbnails on YouTube

Creators must first ensure that their thumbnails stand out against the "competition," are transparent, and convey emotion or information. It's also essential to consider building a specific brand for the channel, understood as a particular graphic layout or color scheme. This way, frequent viewers will immediately recognize which channel it is when they see the thumbnail. When creating thumbnails, it is also worth considering the viewer's perspective and asking oneself, "Which thumbnails do I usually click on?" This can be a valuable lesson that will influence the final shape of the thumbnail in our content. The title should always complement the graphic message in text form. If there is any text on the thumbnail, the title should not duplicate it. Try to expand the message and use these two components to provide as much information as possible to the viewer and encourage them to watch our content.

How Does the YouTube Algorithm Work?

The platform's algorithms know which previous videos have reached a certain audience, what type of content they watch most often, what they skip, their age, and what type of device they use to access YouTube. The platform's audience is categorized based on many factors. With this knowledge, the algorithms can immediately evaluate after the video is published whether it is worth recommending the material to viewers or not. Therefore, when creating content, the audience must always be the focal point. The creator must know which series or topics the current audience prefers and take that as a sign to create more content.

The click-through rate of the content, along with watch time, is a key metric that directly affects how the algorithm responds to the video.

When browsing YouTube's homepage, we observe the video's title and thumbnail. Through them, we strive to capture the viewer's attention, which is crucial on the platform. However, this does not mean that the loudest will always win. Thumbnails and titles should always be adjusted to the expectations of the viewers. Among younger age groups, more colorful and expressive thumbnails may work better, while for more mature audiences, more subdued and orderly thumbnails that reference the film's topic may be more effective.

Some rules for increasing views on YouTube remain constant, even with a very diverse audience. You should regularly monitor the performance of your content, experiment with new solutions, and implement optimization strategies that suit the needs of your channel.

The original text was published in issue 21 of the magazine "Social Media Manager."