How do I get more views on my channel?

THIS IS A LONG ONE, GET COMFORTABLE

There are many reasons, in my personal opinion, why your channel is not getting that many views after a year or so of doing YouTube. There are a lot of fatal flaws in your channel. I've reviewed a handful of channels on this forum, and for this one I feel I need to be harsh. Might even make this a default response for me that I draw quotes from in future reviews.

1. Audio and Video Quality
Your audio and video quality are not up to standard. Even with a cheap mic and camera, a lot better can be done than you are doing now. I personally don't believe you when you say that audacity "never really works", but then again I don't know the REAL quality of your mic. But the only excuse I see holding some ground is that your microphone is from an At-Home Karaoke Machine from the early 2000's. Look up "noise removal tutorial for audacity" on YouTube (I can't link a video since the link will be removed by mods even though I'm not promoting anything, only trying to give advice. If you want the video I used, you can message me). Before you start talking into your mic, let audacity record the noise in the room for about 5 seconds. From there you can get a noise profile and remove all background static from your audio. Just recording in audacity isn't going to make audio quality better, you need to actually edit it. If you did noise removal and it still sounds like it's current state, it's time to invest in a new microphone. Even a set of turtle beaches for $20 will do the trick, there's probably even cheaper alternatives than that. If you're really serious about making videos I'm sure you can find a way to get $20. As for video quality it's also below average. Your Minecraft skyblock videos lag a lot, and it bothers me to watch it.

2. Originality
The fatal flaw that brings down most YouTubers like yourself. All of these other points could be completely perfect, but if you don't have this one then you could still be stuck at very little views and maybe gain traction if you're lucky. Originality to videos is what makes subscribers LOOK for something from you in their subboxes. A channel needs to offer something that nobody else offers, whether it be a unique opinion on topics, a new spin on let's plays, or something completely radical. Ask yourself the question "does anyone on YouTube do the exact same series that I do?". Two survival island series on two different channels are okay, if each YouTuber brings something different to the table. If one is doing the exactly the same thing as the other, at best they split the audience, and at worst (and the most common scenario) viewers remain loyal to who made it first. There is an endless, ever flowing stream of minecraft, happy wheels, and TF2 YouTubers. Not saying you can't be successful with that content, but keep in mind whether you bring something original. Would you choose watching yourself over someone else who creates the same content, like PewDiePie or Captain Sparklez?

3. Commentary and Content
The commentary in your videos has many flaws. I'm going to go off of the Minecraft skyblock videos rather than your vlog: which I could also critique, but it seems like you're doing Minecraft content now. The commentary does not keep my attention very well. There are many silent moments where no one is talking, and when you do talk I find it hard to focus on what you're talking about. You seem to already have a context in mind when you're speaking rather than informing the viewers on what skyblock is and what you plan to be doing in this video. The audio quality also does not help in keeping my attention. A good tip is to have very few moments of silence when commentating and to make the video fast paced. The nature of the internet is fast paced: someone will click off your video in as fast as google can let them once you begin to get stale. Just think how you are while watching a video: how long would it take you to click off? If you're wondering whether your video is good enough to keep the average viewer's attention, after you finish your video make sure to watch it all the way through and see if you can pay attention yourself the entire time without blinking an eye, as if you were watching your favorite T.V. show. This is a good test to see if your content is matched with the standard of the average viewer. This flaw is holding your content back severely.

4. Graphics
This is the least important problem with your channel, but is also very important in the long run. The thumbnails on the videos that do have them are very bland and generic. The banner is a little bit better but still is bland. Your AVI is just text with a gray background. Graphics do not have to be AMAZING for a channel to be successful: just google one of my all-time favorite YouTubers, GradeAUnderA. His graphics to most people would be considered mediocre, but they do their job: they express what the channel is all about and the thumbnails drive you to click on his video. Your thumbnails do not stand out to me; they look very generic and are reminiscent of every other Minecraft user who just started out, using the minecraft text with solid colored backgrounds and that's it. Make your graphics stand out from other Minecrafters: don't blend in with the crowd or otherwise you'll just become another account in the endless ocean which is Minecraft on YouTube.

5. Networking and Publicity
This is just general advice, since you asked how to expose your videos more, I'll share my tips with you. And to drop a bit of ethos on you or anyone reading this for advice, I was able to get around 100 views on my latest video with these networking techniques. Not to get caught up in numbers and not saying that's a lot of views, but my channel has very few subscribers considering it is so new. And it's better than nothing. These tips work for exposure.

The key to getting your video out there is by communicating with potential viewers through social media. This is the most effective way in my opinion. Sites like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook work by retweeting, favoriting, and most importantly replying, to small youtubers with similar sized channels and large youtubers. The more active you are on your channel, the more people notice you, for better or for worse. If a big youtuber retweets or interacts with a tweet of yours, you're bound to get at least a little bit of exposure from that. And once people find your twitter, they can find your youtube channel. This happens to me often and it works. The same goes for smaller youtubers, except instead they themselves will check out your channel. Smaller youtubers are more likely to interact with you because they themselves know the struggle. Just make sure not to tweet at anyone saying "hey would you like to check out my channel?". That's just rude and being a d**k, and will only gain you inactive subs.

Another form of networking is YTtalk and the YouTube comments section. Already from this thread other small youtubers have probably given you views. And the YouTube comments section, as cancerous as it can be at times, can really help you out. Be active on other people's channels: ESPECIALLY smaller YouTubers. You know as well as I that when a comment appears on your video, you feel pretty good, even if it's not exactly nice. Other people feel the same way. So try to make friends in this community: most likely if you are active on someone's channel for a couple of weeks, not just checking them out for a day, they'll end up clicking on you and checking out your content. Trust me on this one because I've been prone to do exactly what I'm saying.

Lastly, an untapped resource that a lot of people don't use is Reddit. Reddit is a great forum site, where unlike YTtalk, you can get away with posting a video and leaving (with some obvious catches). First off, it's necessary to post your video in a sub that is relevant to the video topic: don't go posting a CoD gaming commentary in /r/askreddit or /r/funny: not only are those subs ridiculously huge and your video will surely drown, but you'll probably have your thread deleted or suffer other penalties. Post where you're relevant. Also, make sure that your reddit account is active: don't only use it for posting videos (similar to YTtalk). Reddit and reddit users will know that your account is a spammer. And if you want to be really nice and practice good forum etiquette, you'll be active in a sub for a day or two before posting your video and spamming like the bottom leech view ***** we all know you are! (It's a joke by the way, we all know the YouTube view grind).
If you aren't familiar with reddit, look up a video or article explaining it.

And that's my advice. Take it or leave it, but I suggest you read it carefully, because not only did it take me a long time to write, but it could possibly help your channel become a lot more successful than it currently is.
 
THIS IS A LONG ONE, GET COMFORTABLE

There are many reasons, in my personal opinion, why your channel is not getting that many views after a year or so of doing YouTube. There are a lot of fatal flaws in your channel. I've reviewed a handful of channels on this forum, and for this one I feel I need to be harsh. Might even make this a default response for me that I draw quotes from in future reviews.

1. Audio and Video Quality
Your audio and video quality are not up to standard. Even with a cheap mic and camera, a lot better can be done than you are doing now. I personally don't believe you when you say that audacity "never really works", but then again I don't know the REAL quality of your mic. But the only excuse I see holding some ground is that your microphone is from an At-Home Karaoke Machine from the early 2000's. Look up "noise removal tutorial for audacity" on YouTube (I can't link a video since the link will be removed by mods even though I'm not promoting anything, only trying to give advice. If you want the video I used, you can message me). Before you start talking into your mic, let audacity record the noise in the room for about 5 seconds. From there you can get a noise profile and remove all background static from your audio. Just recording in audacity isn't going to make audio quality better, you need to actually edit it. If you did noise removal and it still sounds like it's current state, it's time to invest in a new microphone. Even a set of turtle beaches for $20 will do the trick, there's probably even cheaper alternatives than that. If you're really serious about making videos I'm sure you can find a way to get $20. As for video quality it's also below average. Your Minecraft skyblock videos lag a lot, and it bothers me to watch it.

2. Originality
The fatal flaw that brings down most YouTubers like yourself. All of these other points could be completely perfect, but if you don't have this one then you could still be stuck at very little views and maybe gain traction if you're lucky. Originality to videos is what makes subscribers LOOK for something from you in their subboxes. A channel needs to offer something that nobody else offers, whether it be a unique opinion on topics, a new spin on let's plays, or something completely radical. Ask yourself the question "does anyone on YouTube do the exact same series that I do?". Two survival island series on two different channels are okay, if each YouTuber brings something different to the table. If one is doing the exactly the same thing as the other, at best they split the audience, and at worst (and the most common scenario) viewers remain loyal to who made it first. There is an endless, ever flowing stream of minecraft, happy wheels, and TF2 YouTubers. Not saying you can't be successful with that content, but keep in mind whether you bring something original. Would you choose watching yourself over someone else who creates the same content, like PewDiePie or Captain Sparklez?

3. Commentary and Content
The commentary in your videos has many flaws. I'm going to go off of the Minecraft skyblock videos rather than your vlog: which I could also critique, but it seems like you're doing Minecraft content now. The commentary does not keep my attention very well. There are many silent moments where no one is talking, and when you do talk I find it hard to focus on what you're talking about. You seem to already have a context in mind when you're speaking rather than informing the viewers on what skyblock is and what you plan to be doing in this video. The audio quality also does not help in keeping my attention. A good tip is to have very few moments of silence when commentating and to make the video fast paced. The nature of the internet is fast paced: someone will click off your video in as fast as google can let them once you begin to get stale. Just think how you are while watching a video: how long would it take you to click off? If you're wondering whether your video is good enough to keep the average viewer's attention, after you finish your video make sure to watch it all the way through and see if you can pay attention yourself the entire time without blinking an eye, as if you were watching your favorite T.V. show. This is a good test to see if your content is matched with the standard of the average viewer. This flaw is holding your content back severely.

4. Graphics
This is the least important problem with your channel, but is also very important in the long run. The thumbnails on the videos that do have them are very bland and generic. The banner is a little bit better but still is bland. Your AVI is just text with a gray background. Graphics do not have to be AMAZING for a channel to be successful: just google one of my all-time favorite YouTubers, GradeAUnderA. His graphics to most people would be considered mediocre, but they do their job: they express what the channel is all about and the thumbnails drive you to click on his video. Your thumbnails do not stand out to me; they look very generic and are reminiscent of every other Minecraft user who just started out, using the minecraft text with solid colored backgrounds and that's it. Make your graphics stand out from other Minecrafters: don't blend in with the crowd or otherwise you'll just become another account in the endless ocean which is Minecraft on YouTube.

5. Networking and Publicity
This is just general advice, since you asked how to expose your videos more, I'll share my tips with you. And to drop a bit of ethos on you or anyone reading this for advice, I was able to get around 100 views on my latest video with these networking techniques. Not to get caught up in numbers and not saying that's a lot of views, but my channel has very few subscribers considering it is so new. And it's better than nothing. These tips work for exposure.

The key to getting your video out there is by communicating with potential viewers through social media. This is the most effective way in my opinion. Sites like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook work by retweeting, favoriting, and most importantly replying, to small youtubers with similar sized channels and large youtubers. The more active you are on your channel, the more people notice you, for better or for worse. If a big youtuber retweets or interacts with a tweet of yours, you're bound to get at least a little bit of exposure from that. And once people find your twitter, they can find your youtube channel. This happens to me often and it works. The same goes for smaller youtubers, except instead they themselves will check out your channel. Smaller youtubers are more likely to interact with you because they themselves know the struggle. Just make sure not to tweet at anyone saying "hey would you like to check out my channel?". That's just rude and being a d**k, and will only gain you inactive subs.

Another form of networking is YTtalk and the YouTube comments section. Already from this thread other small youtubers have probably given you views. And the YouTube comments section, as cancerous as it can be at times, can really help you out. Be active on other people's channels: ESPECIALLY smaller YouTubers. You know as well as I that when a comment appears on your video, you feel pretty good, even if it's not exactly nice. Other people feel the same way. So try to make friends in this community: most likely if you are active on someone's channel for a couple of weeks, not just checking them out for a day, they'll end up clicking on you and checking out your content. Trust me on this one because I've been prone to do exactly what I'm saying.

Lastly, an untapped resource that a lot of people don't use is Reddit. Reddit is a great forum site, where unlike YTtalk, you can get away with posting a video and leaving (with some obvious catches). First off, it's necessary to post your video in a sub that is relevant to the video topic: don't go posting a CoD gaming commentary in /r/askreddit or /r/funny: not only are those subs ridiculously huge and your video will surely drown, but you'll probably have your thread deleted or suffer other penalties. Post where you're relevant. Also, make sure that your reddit account is active: don't only use it for posting videos (similar to YTtalk). Reddit and reddit users will know that your account is a spammer. And if you want to be really nice and practice good forum etiquette, you'll be active in a sub for a day or two before posting your video and spamming like the bottom leech view ***** we all know you are! (It's a joke by the way, we all know the YouTube view grind).
If you aren't familiar with reddit, look up a video or article explaining it.

And that's my advice. Take it or leave it, but I suggest you read it carefully, because not only did it take me a long time to write, but it could possibly help your channel become a lot more successful than it currently is.
Nailed it... :)
 
I've been trying to make awesome content for the limited time I have to make videos with school and basketball on my main channel. The problem is, no one in my school likes my channel. I want people to comment on my videos, but mainly just watch my videos for a long time. What am I doing wrong? Why are these channels doing better than mine?

Main Channel:
kphiefer

Friend's channels(Channels that are doing better)
Gamerboy Price
Connor Price

There are alot of stuff you can improve on your channel but because I don't want to get in to much detail like Average bars, I'll bullet point them instead.

  • Read the other comments - ALL THE COMMENTS on your thread is a GREAT way to improve your channel and people will INSANTLY see a different if you use them in the right way.
  • Your channel trailer - It's bad. Not to sound rude but NOBODY unless you ask them to or they know you are gonna want to watch any other of your videos. To be honest I didn't even watch the whole video cause it was that bad!
  • Your audio - You NEED to save up for a decent mic. I honestly don't know what kind of mic you use but DON'T USE IT! It only makes me want to click off the video even more. Also, I can hear people or maybe even your TV in the background.
  • Your commentary - Your gaming commentary aren't that good either. You seem to have nothing to talk about when doing them and it makes me think you don't have a topic to talk about. I won't go in detail with your vlogs since you don't do them alot but I find them VERY uncomfotable to watch.
  • Your music - Turn it down a little.
  • Your channel art - The thing is with this one is that you can do this for FREE and EASILY! Idk what software you're using but DON'T USE PAINT IF YOU ARE! Gimp or Paint.NET are great FREE alternatives of Photoshop! Plus many more softwares if you are willing to take the time to learn how to use them!
  • Attitude - This is a bit off topic from your channel but is STILL NEEDED if you want it to grow! When I was scrolling through this thread, your repiles sounded pretty rude and unwelcoming. Instead of talking about what they didn't say or excuses on why you can't do this or that, JUST SAY THANKS! They spent time to check your channel out after all! You should ask your question after that and they'll WANT to answer back and they'll in return be more OPEN and NICE when doing so.
  • Problems with improving? If you can't IMPROVE on ANY OF THESE THINGS then I don't think you SHOULD be doing YouTube to be completely honest. Doing YouTube WILL cost you MONEY if you want to GET MORE VIEWS AND SUBCRIBERS! I myself use to make videos like what you are doing until I realized that I'm NOT IMPROVING and I stop doing you until I could afford to do YouTube. If you REALLY want to IMPROVE then you won't care about spending money on it and your parents and friends WILL notice that too!
I'm sorry if this sounds mean or rude but it's MY feedback and I'm only trying to answer your question.
 
Okay so I checked out one or two of your videos and the first issue I picked up on was - surprise, surprise - sound. My cinematography lecturer always tells my class that good sound is important and your video can be amazing but once your audio is poor, your audience will lose focus which is exactly what happened. I also noticed that in your most recent video, the one you JUST uploaded, there are so many background noises(sounds like a TV show playing in the back?), you need to be in a quiet environment and your audio needs attention whether that means buying, hiring or even borrowing your equipment. Your 'Skyblock #1 with Ryan' video seemed to have good audio so whatever you did there could maybe be worked with but be sure to make sure that background music does not overpower your voice. So yes, my main issue was sound.
 
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Thanks for replying, but if you knew my parents, they don't like me doing youtube, that is why I can't get equipment that I want, but I have the money. BUT I WILL consider working out the audio problem, which is one I personally have been trying to do for a long time. I can't commentate because my mind is usually bank and I don't really have anything to say....

But if you can plz watch my akinator video and tell me how I improved with my other videos, I would be thankful[DOUBLEPOST=1449372123,1449371902][/DOUBLEPOST]
  • Your audio - You NEED to save up for a decent mic. I honestly don't know what kind of mic you use but DON'T USE IT! It only makes me want to click off the video even more. Also, I can hear people or maybe even your TV in the background.
I am using my internal mic sadly....
 
Thanks for replying, but if you knew my parents, they don't like me doing youtube, that is why I can't get equipment that I want, but I have the money. BUT I WILL consider working out the audio problem, which is one I personally have been trying to do for a long time. I can't commentate because my mind is usually bank and I don't really have anything to say....

But if you can plz watch my akinator video and tell me how I improved with my other videos, I would be thankful
I am using my internal mic sadly....

You don't need to buy a new mic: you can edit static out with audacity very easily. Like I said in my earlier comment, just while recording through audacity don't talk for the first five seconds. Then when you're finished your recording, highlight those first five seconds, go to effects, noise removal, and click on "noise profile". Once you do that, unhighlight the first five seconds, go to effects, noise removal, and click "ok". Your static should be gone, or a good portion of it.
 
Just eat a lot of garlic.
That helps me out into getting a few views on YouTube.

Trust me
 
could anybody check out the two channels I put on my post and could you compare and contrast to them and me plz?


(BTW: Garlic? why garlic?)[DOUBLEPOST=1449439377,1449439305][/DOUBLEPOST]
1. Audio and Video Quality
Your audio and video quality are not up to standard.

I do have a s****y computer, and if I do get enough money, I want to get an Xbox One, because I want a good BO3 version, plus gaming desktops are SUPER DUPER expensive, but I do want a better computer 'cause mine has 4 gb RAM and 4 gb storage....
 
could anybody check out the two channels I put on my post and could you compare and contrast to them and me plz?


(BTW: Garlic? why garlic?)[DOUBLEPOST=1449439377,1449439305][/DOUBLEPOST]

I do have a s****y computer, and if I do get enough money, I want to get an Xbox One, because I want a good BO3 version, plus gaming desktops are SUPER DUPER expensive, but I do want a better computer 'cause mine has 4 gb RAM and 4 gb storage....

Decide whether you want a xbox one or a better pc. You don't need one of the best pc if your playing something like Minecraft ect. since they are easy to run. A gaming pc is not even NEEDED if it's something like Minecraft or web games that you are playing! And if you have a terrible computer, don't have a good pc and no capture card to record Xbox One meaning it doesn't really affect your channel in anyway but you still want to make videos then get a better PC/Laptop. Like I said YouTube does cost money. Chirstmas is coming soon, maybe ask for a better PC/Laptop!

As for comparing. Doing so ain't gonna be really helpful. It won't help your channel if you're comparing because your friends' channels are only a just better than yours in my opinion.
 
Thx for your feedback, i appreciate it, but my parents are not what you think. you see, they don't really like me being on a computer or an xbox for a long time, so in the end, why would they get me a better computer?
 
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