Hi, guys! I still remember when I hit the upload button for the very first time on my YouTube channel. Excited, nervous, and not a clue what I was doing. Fast forward a little bit, and I have a few lessons learned to share with you that might help. Here’s my own personal story about how to get views on YouTube!

Identify Your Target Audience and Channel Identity 

When I started out, I naively thought I could make videos for everyone. Spoiler alert: “everyone” isn’t actually a target audience. It was only when I honed in on a specific group, like college students and young professionals looking for quick tips that I saw real engagement. And trust me, once your audience feels like you’re talking directly to them, you’ll see a big difference.

Ask yourself who your ideal viewer is and what they’re searching for on YouTube. Are they busy parents needing 10-minute recipes? Techies craving gadget reviews? By narrowing your focus, you’ll attract the right crowd. 

Crafting a Solid Content Strategy

Random vlogs can be an answer to how to get views on YouTube, but people like having a reason to subscribe. For me, switching to a consistent theme—like “DIY Weekend Projects”—gave my viewers a solid reason to come back each week. It made content planning easier, and my audience knew exactly what to expect.

Plan a Content Calendar: I keep a basic spreadsheet or even mark things on my phone’s calendar about video ideas, shooting dates, and publication dates.

Solve a Specific Problem: If you can, you’ll be in the unique value zone very fast. Things like tutorials, how-to videos, or even niche-interest pieces stand out.

How to get Views on YouTube with SEO and Optimization

I never realized how powerful SEO is on YouTube until I started using tools like TubeBuddy and VidIQ. I started naming my videos with descriptive and keyword-rich titles, and my traffic immediately improved.

Titles & Descriptions: Think about how people might search for your video. For example, “DIY Weekend Project: Refurbishing a Vintage Lamp” is specific and includes keywords people actually type into the search bar.

Subtitles & Accessibility: Adding subtitles not only helps viewers who are hard of hearing but also boosts SEO!

The Power of Thumbnails

A thumbnail can get views on YouTube to increase your popularity. When I first started, I would just use random screenshots from my videos—big mistake. Now, I design them with bold text, clear images, and consistent branding. My click-through rates definitely went up!

Video Quality and Production Value

I started using my phone’s camera and an add-on clip mic from some ancient phone accessory package. Was it professional quality? Absolutely not. But it had decent lighting, and suddenly, my videos didn’t seem too cringeworthy because of clear mic pick-up. Not the most expensive set, just clean audio and a decent lighting environment. Record near a window for natural light, and invest in a basic lavalier microphone. Clear audio, trust me, it makes people stay longer.

Engage with Your Community

This was a game-changer for me. When I started responding to comments, asking viewers for feedback, and even doing some live Q&As, my subscribers became way more loyal. People love feeling seen and heard.

Promote Across Other Platforms

I noticed, after some time, new viewers coming from Instagram and Twitter. Share your YouTube content in your Instagram Stories, or even just tweet out a short teaser clip—anything that makes people curious enough to click. Also, when you collaborate with other creators, it exposes you to a totally new audience.

This is a pro tip for you to get views on YouTube, if you have a blog or website, embed your videos there. And if you send newsletters, include a link to your latest upload!

Stay on Top of Trends

Seasonal trends, holidays, and viral challenges can give you a temporary (or even long-term) boost. I once did a holiday-themed DIY series in December and saw a nice spike in views. Ride the wave of what’s popular, but don’t lose your channel’s identity in the process.

Use YouTube Analytics

YouTube Analytics is pure gold. You have to keep an eye on watch time, audience retention, and click-through rates to find out what works and what doesn’t. After realizing my audience was dropping off in my longer intro, I made them shorter—resulting in a massive engagement spike.

Look for where your audience tends to drop off most frequently. That will be the spot where you have to do some adjusting—whether it be your styling or how you incorporate hooks.

The hardest part, I would say, is consistency. When life got in the way, I would find it very hard to maintain consistency. However, when I committed myself to at least one video a week, my subscribers would know when to expect new content. Growth doesn’t happen overnight; stick with it, keep improving, and celebrate those small milestones.

It will feel like you’re talking to an empty room at first, but every YouTuber started at this spot and just kept showing up.

Final Thoughts

Building a YouTube channel and learning how to get views on YouTube are rollercoasters since they are thrilling, scary, and oh-so-rewarding. With patience, dedication, and loyalty to one’s self, you can build a channel that won’t just grow; it would really thrive.

And if you need to speed things up or optimize your channel, YourSiteName has the tools and services to help you take your presence on YouTube to new heights.

Remember, success on YouTube is more of a marathon than a sprint. Don’t be discouraged by slow growth. Keep creating, keep learning, and keep pushing forward. Before you know it, you’ll see all your hard work pay off. Good luck and happy creating!

FAQs

How do I pick the right target audience?

Think of what you know or are interested in. Then think of who would enjoy that most and use polls or analytics to find out if you’ve hit that target audience.

What’s the best content for new creators? 

Start with what ignites your fire—be it cooking, tech, DIY, or personal finance. Passion is contagious!

Does video quality really matter?

Absolutely. But you don’t need a fancy setup. Good lighting and a decent microphone can drastically improve viewer satisfaction.

How often should I post? 

Pick a schedule and stick to it: weekly, biweekly, or monthly. Consistency is more important than sheer volume.