As you launch your new YouTube presence, you likely have a solid understanding of the steps required for success. Yet, knowing what not to do is equally, if not more, important than knowing what to do. Here are four critical mistakes to actively avoid as you build your YouTube channel.
Pitfall #1: Ignoring Your Viewer Community Your audience is the sole reason your YouTube channel exists. Without their support, achieving sustainable growth will be impossible. If viewers take the time to leave questions, feedback, or general comments on your videos, you must prioritize responding to them consistently. Be sure to provide thoughtful, relevant replies that directly address their input. The more you interact with your viewers, the deeper their loyalty and connection to your brand will become.
Pitfall #2: Neglecting Video SEO and Metadata Since Google owns YouTube, it stands to reason that both search giants incorporate titles into their search algorithms. If you fail to strategically include relevant keywords in both your video description and your title, your target demographic will struggle to discover your content in search results. It is essential to craft unique, compelling titles that strategically incorporate necessary keywords to help your videos rank higher.
Pitfall #3: Skipping the Branding of Your Content If your videos lack consistent branding, it becomes significantly harder for viewers to recognize your content as yours. This problem is especially pronounced when your videos are embedded and viewed on external websites, blogs, or other social media platforms. Luckily, properly branding your YouTube content is simple and extremely valuable. You can achieve this by adding a branded introductory clip, showcasing your logo or brand name in the video background, or even displaying branded merchandise.
Pitfall #4: Relying on Auto-Generated Thumbnails YouTube gives you the power to select any image as the thumbnail—the clickable graphic displayed next to your video title in search results. If you don’t manually upload a custom thumbnail, YouTube will automatically select a random frame. To maximize engagement and pique viewer curiosity, you should always create and upload your own custom image that vividly and accurately represents the content of each video you publish.
Keep these four frequent blunders in mind as you develop your channel, and you will be well on your way to building a successful YouTube platform for your business.