In no particular order. Also, feel free to add your own must do items to this list. This list was given to me by someone at the top of the food chain as a critique of my own channel. We are hard at work getting this fixed. Also, this is assuming you're using the new YT channel design (you should be).
1. Make sure your banner/graphic identifies your brand quite easily AND lists your video posting schedule ON the banner. The first thing people will see on your channel is this banner at the top. Giving them a graphic that identifies you and tells them WHAT you post and when, will tell them immediately if they are interested and encourage them to have a look at more.
2. You need to film a personal trailer where you detail WHO you are and WHAT your brand/channel is about. This needs to be concise, very short and very detailed. It needs to be interesting immediately. I would suggest 30 seconds long.
3. Define yourself and your brand EVERYWHERE you post your content. That means use the same logo/icon and username everywhere you go. Use the same signatures on forums etc...
4. You NEED good thumbnails. For Let's Plays or gameplay vids, bright and interesting with very large and clear episode numbers or titles works. For anything like a Vlog or live action, you need the PEOPLE on the thumbnail with very large episode numbers. If you want to know exactly how to make them look, just look at any giant youtuber that does the same kind of stuff you do and emulate their thumbnails.
5. Always put a subscribe annotation in your videos within the first 30 seconds. I suggest putting it in immediately and leaving it up for at least 10 seconds. If your video is only 30 seconds long, leave it up the entire time discreetly in the TOP LEFT CORNER. The top left corner is the FIRST place a person in the U.S. looks on any form or document. There are a LOT of other tips/rules for annotations but this is the most important one.
6. No credits running at the end of ANY video you produce. If you want to put credits in a video, put them in the description, at the bottom.
7. Extremely specific description of each video you list, maximizing the usage of keywords in the TOP 3 LINES of the description area. If it's a single video that's not in a series, it will have its own custom description. If it's a video that's part of a series, THESE DESCRIPTIONS SHOULD MATCH MOST OF THEIR KEYWORDS IN EVERY VIDEO OF THE SERIES! There are a lot of reasons to do this. Most of the reasons involve making videos of a series show up in each others end screen ads and sidebars. YouTube puts a heavier weighting on the first 3 lines of the description as far as keywords go.
8. Link to the front page of your YT channel at the bottom of the description in EVERY VIDEO you post.
9. Keyword Optimization - Mix of VERY niche specific keywords as well as very broad keywords. It works a little differently than optimizing for just google search. For example, if I do a game video about Don't Starve the game. I want to use the keywords, "Wilson" (name of character i'm using in game) as well as "Video Game".
11. YouTube is now about showing love and engaging with viewers. It hasn't always been this way but it is now. This is where Vloggers can easily shine but it's harder for a let's player or a person like me that puts out a Web Series that's basically a short film. If you do a video game series, make sure at the end or during the video you ask specific questions to your viewers and ask them to respond in the comments with their answers. When you start getting these responses, make sure you answer them and respond/refer to them in the next video. This is the type of quality interaction people are looking for.
Never be afraid to ask your viewers for thumbs and comments. This is expected on YouTube at this point. Don't irritate them with it but saving a short 10 second bit at the end of the video do this as part of your format is fine.
If you do a type of production that doesn't allow you to do this often, like we do, consider starting a weekly, short Vlog video to do specifically this. Ask your viewers questions and interact with them. In your next Vlog, respond to what they said, even if it was only 1 or 2 responses. Those 2 people will be loyal viewers if you do this and it will build.
What we did is start a Podcast called Filmmaking With Noobs. This way we can really interact with our viewers.
Always keep in mind you are trying to find ways to ADD VALUE for you viewers, not for yourself.
I hope some of these tips were helpful. Please post your own tips to "Square away a YT channel" if you have the time. These are only a handful of MANY.
1. Make sure your banner/graphic identifies your brand quite easily AND lists your video posting schedule ON the banner. The first thing people will see on your channel is this banner at the top. Giving them a graphic that identifies you and tells them WHAT you post and when, will tell them immediately if they are interested and encourage them to have a look at more.
2. You need to film a personal trailer where you detail WHO you are and WHAT your brand/channel is about. This needs to be concise, very short and very detailed. It needs to be interesting immediately. I would suggest 30 seconds long.
3. Define yourself and your brand EVERYWHERE you post your content. That means use the same logo/icon and username everywhere you go. Use the same signatures on forums etc...
4. You NEED good thumbnails. For Let's Plays or gameplay vids, bright and interesting with very large and clear episode numbers or titles works. For anything like a Vlog or live action, you need the PEOPLE on the thumbnail with very large episode numbers. If you want to know exactly how to make them look, just look at any giant youtuber that does the same kind of stuff you do and emulate their thumbnails.
5. Always put a subscribe annotation in your videos within the first 30 seconds. I suggest putting it in immediately and leaving it up for at least 10 seconds. If your video is only 30 seconds long, leave it up the entire time discreetly in the TOP LEFT CORNER. The top left corner is the FIRST place a person in the U.S. looks on any form or document. There are a LOT of other tips/rules for annotations but this is the most important one.
6. No credits running at the end of ANY video you produce. If you want to put credits in a video, put them in the description, at the bottom.
7. Extremely specific description of each video you list, maximizing the usage of keywords in the TOP 3 LINES of the description area. If it's a single video that's not in a series, it will have its own custom description. If it's a video that's part of a series, THESE DESCRIPTIONS SHOULD MATCH MOST OF THEIR KEYWORDS IN EVERY VIDEO OF THE SERIES! There are a lot of reasons to do this. Most of the reasons involve making videos of a series show up in each others end screen ads and sidebars. YouTube puts a heavier weighting on the first 3 lines of the description as far as keywords go.
8. Link to the front page of your YT channel at the bottom of the description in EVERY VIDEO you post.
9. Keyword Optimization - Mix of VERY niche specific keywords as well as very broad keywords. It works a little differently than optimizing for just google search. For example, if I do a game video about Don't Starve the game. I want to use the keywords, "Wilson" (name of character i'm using in game) as well as "Video Game".
11. YouTube is now about showing love and engaging with viewers. It hasn't always been this way but it is now. This is where Vloggers can easily shine but it's harder for a let's player or a person like me that puts out a Web Series that's basically a short film. If you do a video game series, make sure at the end or during the video you ask specific questions to your viewers and ask them to respond in the comments with their answers. When you start getting these responses, make sure you answer them and respond/refer to them in the next video. This is the type of quality interaction people are looking for.
Never be afraid to ask your viewers for thumbs and comments. This is expected on YouTube at this point. Don't irritate them with it but saving a short 10 second bit at the end of the video do this as part of your format is fine.
If you do a type of production that doesn't allow you to do this often, like we do, consider starting a weekly, short Vlog video to do specifically this. Ask your viewers questions and interact with them. In your next Vlog, respond to what they said, even if it was only 1 or 2 responses. Those 2 people will be loyal viewers if you do this and it will build.
What we did is start a Podcast called Filmmaking With Noobs. This way we can really interact with our viewers.
Always keep in mind you are trying to find ways to ADD VALUE for you viewers, not for yourself.
I hope some of these tips were helpful. Please post your own tips to "Square away a YT channel" if you have the time. These are only a handful of MANY.
))?