There are many ways to get more views on YouTube, but researching your audience is the most underrated. After all, you can only chase viral trends for so long. Eventually, viewers will need a deeper reason to stay on your channel, like getting a problem solved or enjoying your personality.

We’ll show you how to build that foundation in six powerful steps. This article will teach you how to research your viewers, create a persona to understand them better, and use that information to sharpen your YouTube strategy. Best of all, we’ll do it using 

 is the best place to learn more about your viewers, subscribers, and non-subscribers alike. It has almost everything you need to know, from viewer demographics to the type of videos your audience is watching.

Here’s how to find the YouTube Audience tab:

Analytics option on YouTube Studio navigation bar

Now you’re in YouTube Wonderland, aka Channel Analytics. This page has a dashboard that shows your channel's unique viewers, subscribers gained over time, and how many new viewers return to your channel.

Below that is a series of panels with even more insights, but more on that later.

Building a Persona for Your YouTube Audience

 is a fictional character that represents your most engaged fans, and it’s one of the best ways to understand your target audience. With a persona, you’ll create a snapshot of your viewers and why they take specific actions on your YouTube

Ideally, you’ll give this persona a name — Jack, Amanda, Bill, or something else. Then you’ll create a story for your character. This short narrative (around 200 words) summarizes your main viewer, from the videos they watch on YouTube to where they live. This becomes a guiding light you can reference later, especially when deciding which videos to make.

The Audience tab and all of its data will help you build an accurate persona. So let's explore it in detail, and give you the tools to develop a content strategy and make successful YouTube videos.

If you want to know your viewers better, always start with the basics:

When they’re on YouTube (days and times)

This will help you build the foundation of your audience persona. Knowing their age, gender, where they live, and more brings context to their YouTube behavior.

Which videos do your viewers watch when they’re not on your channel? This question is important because they interact with other creators’ content too — not just yours. To truly understand why they’re on YouTube, you need a broad understanding of what they do on the platform.

You’ll find this data on two panels within the Audience tab:

A list of other channels and videos vidIQ viewers watch

Here, you’ll learn which topics your viewers follow on YouTube and who your competitors are. It also answers a gigantic question: 

3. New vs. Returning Viewers to Your Channel

“New viewers” is a pretty straightforward metric, but what does 

 mean on YouTube? Overall, it’s the number of viewers who have visited your channel before 

, the breakdown of new versus returning viewers on your channel indicates your audience's loyalty.

If you have more new viewers than returning viewers

“This indicates that viewers may watch some of your videos but are less likely to return to watch more. It’s common to see this trend among channels that upload videos about different topics, which attract different types of viewers, or 'how-to' channels, where viewers watch a video to learn how to do something but aren’t likely to return to watch more.”

If more people are “returning” to your channel versus discovering it

“This indicates that a channel has a loyal audience who is likely to return to watch more. It’s common to see this trend among channels that upload consistent content about similar topics or in a familiar format, channels with consistent hosts such as familiar faces and personalities that viewers grow to love, or channels that create popular series to keep viewers coming back for more.”

Depending on what you find, it may be wiser to target new viewers (if your channel is stagnant) or aim for loyalty (if you’re new to YouTube).

4. Videos That Bring Viewers Back to Your Channel

Now that you’re familiar with new versus returning viewers, let’s take it a step further. Which videos inspire people to return to your channel?

A list of videos bringing return viewers to the vidIQ channel

Study this panel closely, and you’ll learn which videos turn new viewers into repeat viewers!

You probably know that most YouTube viewers don’t hit subscribe right away. There’s a little dance at first, where creators have to “prove themselves” by posting good videos, and viewers have to decide if the channel is right for them. Depending on the audience, you could end up “dancing” for months.

But you can end this tango by discovering which videos bring in the most subscribers. You won’t see this on the Audience tab, though, so here’s how to navigate there:

 below the YouTube dashboard showing monthly views, subscribers, revenue, and watch time.

4. See which videos attract the most subscribers. Write those ideas down because you’ll need them later!

top videos bringing in subscribers on the vidIQ channel

Lastly, check the Audience tab to see which videos get the highest watch time on your channel. 

 is the total amount of time people spend watching your content, both on your channel and individual videos.

Like the previous metric, you won’t find this information on the Audience tab. So here’s how to get it:

3. Next, you'll see a list of videos and the watch time they accumulated, starting with the highest amount. You can filter data by the last week, month, 90 days, year, or since the beginning of your channel. Be sure to write these videos down (perhaps the top 10).

Putting it All Together: How to Build a Persona for Your Audience

By this point, you should know a few things about your audience:

How many are new versus returning viewers

The type of videos they watch, in general

Which videos make them return to your channel

Which videos hold their attention (watch time)

After completing the exercise above, here’s a basic persona we could build for the vidIQ channel:

Matt is a 24-year-old male who lives in the United States. He likes to watch channels like Film Booth, VEED Creators, Creator Booth, and Channel Makers, which means his main goal is to grow a YouTube channel. He’s interested in several topics, like how to start a faceless YouTube channel, get more YouTube Shorts views, and grow his subscribers. That’s the type of content he watches, and he typically does that on Sundays between 7 a.m. and noon.

Matt is a loyal viewer of the channel. He often returns to watch videos about monetizing a YouTube channel, achieving 4,000 watch hours, avoiding the biggest YouTuber mistakes, and growing as a small creator. To make Matt subscribe, I usually have to post videos targeted to small creators.

Steps to Take After Building Your Persona

The next step is creating videos that appeal to the needs of that persona, plus using 

 that signal their deepest desires. On our channel, those phrases seem to be “small channels,” “4,000 watch hours,” and “get 1,000 subscribers.”

You should also take new versus returning viewer data into account. If you have an overwhelming amount of new viewers, maybe it’s time to “niche down” and post what they’re 

 interested in to build loyalty. If they’re loyal already, perhaps it’s time to experiment with other topics to reach a new yet similar audience.

When you’re ready, here’s how to test a video idea before you start filming.

A group of people watching a youtube video

Diverse group of young adults looking at a smartphone together in a casual setting

Want to get more views on YouTube? Create a persona for your audience, then use it as a guide for making relevant videos they can’t ignore.

Understanding YouTube Viewers: 6 Steps to Build an Audience Persona

 is never easy, but fortunately, you don't have to do this alone. On YouTube, everyone is pulling inspiration from each other. If one creator goes viral with a video title, thousands more will remix the same idea.

And that’s what title expert Jake Thomas has been studying for years. He looks at the most successful video titles on YouTube and shares those insights in his weekly newsletter, 

In this article, we’ll share the high-performing titles that Jake has discovered, plus a few others that get massive clicks on YouTube. Watch this video to hear his insights, or keep reading for the complete list of titles!

Adding “stop this” to your title is an easy way to 

take your video from “meh” to mesmerizing

. After all, viewers are bound to be curious when a video claims they’re doing something 

Just imagine it: You’ve been cooking eggs on the stove your entire life, and now YouTube is suggesting a video titled “Stop Making Eggs on The Stove.” It’s enough to make you question your whole life! Now you’re thinking, 

That sense of curiosity is why people click on a YouTube video. For example, fitness channel 

 on a video titled “Stop Doing 100 Pushups a Day. I’m Begging You!”

Millions of people want to improve their daily habits, whether that’s exercising, being productive, or detoxing from social media. That’s why titles promising a clear solution get clicked on more often; viewers are looking for tips they can use right now!

, a productivity creator, used strategy to write a title for her most popular video yet. It’s called “4 One-Minute Habits That Save Me 20+ Hours a Week.” It has over 

“This video targets a huge, broad audience. Everyone wants to save 20 hours a week. Also, the timeframe of one-minute habits makes this video way more enticing,” Jake says.

According to Jake, this title achieves two things at once. It provides quick tips (one-minute habits) and says why the video is beneficial (save 20+ hours a week). That’s a powerful pitch!

3. “This Will Change Your Life Forever.”

Titles that promise life-changing results cause viewers to dream bigger, fantasize deeper, and imagine more clearly. They create a sense of hope so strong that millions of people watch the video.

3 Secrets for Writing Click-Worthy YouTube Titles

“I used this framework in an A/B test recently,“ Jake says. “Title A was ‘This Will Have a Huge Impact on Your Mix - Excite Audio LifeLine Console.’ Title B was ‘This Plugin Will Change the Way You Mix Forever,’ and that 

But it’s not just the idea of changing one’s life that people love; it’s the idea of change in general.

That’s why a channel like BassFishingHQ can get over 

This Study Changes Everything We Know About Bass Fishing

This YouTube title plays on a viewer’s fear and curiosity at the same time. Implying that someone should 

 do a specific task or refrain from some behaviors is pretty controversial! Most people will either click on the video to see if it’s talking about them or click to start a debate in the comment section.

Controversy aside, this title gets massive views on YouTube. One example is “20 Halloween Candies You Should Never Eat” from a channel called 

People love experiments on YouTube because they learn something new without going through a full, all-encompassing experience. Think of it like 

Pairing this idea with the title “I Tried…and This Happened” allows you to introduce a challenge, connect it to a core desire, and get people excited about the outcome.

One example is “I Tried YouTube Automation For 150 Days (Channel Exploded)” from 

. This title introduces the challenge of automating a YouTube channel, from hiring voice actors to thumbnail designers. It targets the popular goal of making money on YouTube, and claiming that the “channel exploded” gets people excited to watch the video.

6. How to… [Insert Task] in… [Insert Timeframe]...

Imagine writing a title that promises to:

Remove the biggest obstacle on their path.

Help them do 1 and 2 in a short amount of time.

That’s how viewers feel when they see the “how to do something” + “how long it takes” formula. It addresses a problem they have while promising a solution that works quickly.

"What’s interesting about [these titles] is that their videos can get views from browse features, suggested videos, and also, they can help you rank in YouTube search,” Jake says.

One example is “Become a Better Reader in 8 Minutes” by 

. Many people want to read faster, but how many videos promise to do that in eight minutes? Not many! That’s why it has over 

Secrets are bound to draw eyeballs. They make people feel excluded, and that triggers a healthy dose of FOMO (fear of missing out).

. You only need six words to get the ball rolling, and those are “what no one tells you about.”

To see this in action, check out “The Best Relationship Advice No One Ever Told You” by 

What No One Tells You About Writing Video Titles

See what we did there? We used the previous tip to make you read this section. 🙂

 things no one tells you about writing video titles. The biggest one is that you don’t even have to write them. Artificial intelligence is rising, so plenty of AI writing tools will do the work for you.

Man in casual wear sitting on sofa surprised by smartphone screen content indoors

Want to write better YouTube titles? These 7 ideas are proven to get you more clicks, from the "stop doing this" formula to the “change your life” strategy.

7 Types of YouTube Video Titles That Get Massive Clicks

Did you hear the news? YouTube is introducing 

, a new way for creators to upload and organize episodes on their channels. This update comes with exciting benefits, such as:

A chance to be featured on YouTube’s podcast page

Podcast badges that appear on watch and playlist pages

So if you've been waiting to start a podcast, now's the time to get going! This guide will show you how to start a podcast on YouTube, plus six ways to monetize your show.

The first step to building a podcast is knowing what you want to talk about. After all, it would be confusing if you posted about exotic cars one week and personal finance the next. By choosing one topic, you make it easy for listeners to enjoy their favorite subject through your show.

And there are plenty of ideas to explore! Some of the most popular podcasts on YouTube cover:

True crime: Discussing criminal cases and mysteries

Comedy: Conversations and interviews with comedic personalities

Pop culture: Entertainment news, trends, and recent events

Sports: Conversations with athletes, coaches, and analysts

Personal development: Self-help and personal growth topics, like mindfulness, goal-setting, and mental health

Business and entrepreneurship: Interviews with successful business owners and experts in various fields

Politics: Discussing current events and political issues

Science and technology: Exploring the latest breakthroughs in science

History: Discussing significant events, figures, and periods in history

Education: Exploring an academic subject and speaking to other educators and experts

think about the format your show will take

. Will you do interviews with experts or have discussions with co-hosts? Will you build a roundtable of guests or fly solo and share stories from the heart? Or maybe a mix-and-match?

Now that you have a plan for your podcast, you can start putting your ideas into action. A large part of that process is 

Here are some essential pieces to consider:

A quality microphone produces clear, crisp audio. Some popular options include the Shure SM7B, the Audio-Technica AT2020, and the Rode Podcaster.

Budget-friendly options: Pyle Classic Retro, ATR2100-USB

Premium options: Apogee HypeMiC, Blue Snowball Ice

Buy a good pair of headphones so you can hear your recording accurately and can make adjustments as needed. The headphones should be comfortable, have great sound quality, and fit within your budget.

Budget-friendly options: Sennheiser HD 280 Pro, OneOdio Headset

Premium options: Sony MDR1AM2/B, Beyerdynamic DT 700 Pro X

An audio interface connects your microphone and headphones to your computer. This allows you to convert the analog signals from your microphone into digital signals that can be recorded/edited.

Budget-friendly options: Focusrite Scarlett, PreSonus AudioBox

Premium options: MOTU 8pre USB, Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (3rd Gen)

There’s no shortage of recording software, with both free and paid options on the market. Some of those include Audacity, GarageBand, and Adobe Audition. Look for user-friendly software that has the features you need to edit your recordings.

Budget-friendly options: Riverside, ZHKUVE Rechargeable Sound Audio Recorder

Premium options: Rode RODECaster Pro (console), Hindenburg Journalist (software), DYW Portable Digital Voice Recorder

A pop filter is a small screen that goes in front of your microphone. It reduces the popping noise that comes from pronouncing words with harsh-sounding letters, like “K,” “C,” and “P.” This makes your recordings sound more professional!

Premium options: Shure PS-6 Popper Stopper, Royer PS-101, Stedman Proscreen XL

If you’re recording a lengthy podcast, the last thing you want to do is hold a microphone the entire time. An arm will prop up your mic and stabilize volume levels (because the mic isn’t moving).

Budget-friendly options: CUIJU Adjustable Microphone Arm

Premium options: Rode PSA1+, TONOR Studio Suspension Scissor Boom Arm

You'll need a quality camera if you want to start a video podcast on YouTube. There are plenty of options, but the best cameras record video in FHD (full high definition) or 4K.

Budget-friendly options: Logitech Brio 4k, AVerMedia PW513

Premium options: Canon EOS M50, Nikon Z5, Canon VIXIA HF G50, Canon EOS M6 Mark II

3. Create Your Podcast in the YouTube Studio

Now that you have your equipment, you're probably wondering how to set up a podcast on YouTube. The good news is that it doesn't take long!

Here’s a step-by-step guide for uploading a podcast to YouTube:

New podcast is the last menu option after clicking create

3. Give your podcast a title, description, privacy setting (private or public), and square-shaped thumbnail. Click 

A form that shows all the necessary podcast details

The content option is on the left navigation bar

Podcasts option is on the uppermost page tab

Click the videos icon beside your podcast playlist

Now we’re getting to the fun part. If you want your podcast audience to grow over time, you need a bit more than entertaining episodes. Everything about your show should work together to keep viewers engaged, from the episode artwork to the keywords you use.

Here are some ways to grow your YouTube podcast:

 in the title and description of each episode. That will help your podcast rank higher in YouTube search results.

Turn longer episodes into short clips, teasers, and highlight reels to attract new viewers. Use them to steer viewers to your full episodes and get more views!

Invite popular guests onto your podcast, then ask them to promote the episodes they appear in. This extra bit of promotion invites new listeners to check out your show.

We talk about YouTube communities all the time, but what about podcast communities? They 

 exist, and you should nurture them just like any other following. 

 about your podcast and ask viewers for feedback!

The cover art for your show should be attractive, but don't forget to make static images for each podcast episode. They should be bold and have a consistent style for 

YouTube isn't the only place to promote your podcast. Share the episodes on Instagram Reels, Facebook Watch, and platforms that make sense for your audience.

One could argue that consistent podcasting is more crucial that dropping 

. After all, many people listen to podcasts during their commute and at work. 

Post new episodes on time so viewers and listeners know what to expect each week!

As you implement these strategies, don’t forget to check your podcast analytics in the YouTube Studio. You can do that by going to 

Analytics > Overview > Select an episode from the Podcasts card on the lower right.

This section shows the overall performance of your podcast episode, including views, watch time, revenue, and more.

Are the listens rolling in yet? If so, it's time to monetize your podcast so you 

 This allows you to buy better equipment, such as a green screen for showing different background images.

There are plenty of ways to monetize a podcast on YouTube, but here are some of the best:

Once your YouTube channel meets the requirements for the YouTube Partner Program, you can 

A man recording and filming a YouTube podcast

Man recording podcast or livestream with headphones and microphone in home studio.

Ready to start podcasting on YouTube? From setting up your show to growing a loyal audience, this in-depth guide will show you how.

Everything You Need to Know About Starting a YouTube Podcast

With over 210 million users in the U.S. alone,

 viewers' choices have become rapidly diverse on YouTube. Collaborating with a fellow YouTuber can help you attract more of those viewers and get extra watch time for your channel, a perk every creator wants!

A YouTube collab video is produced by two (or more) creators who typically work on separate accounts. By creating one video made for both of their audiences, the collaborators get to introduce new viewers to each other's content. 

So what's in it for you? Well, those new viewers may decide to visit your channel. If they like what they see, they might even subscribe!

Collabs are refreshing for your own audience as well because they get to see new content from you. Collaborations allow you to show different parts of your personality that you wouldn't usually express. You can play new games, explore exciting locations, and do much more with your new YouTube buddy.

Read More: YouTube Collabs - 6 Tips for an Awesome Video Project

Before you collab with other YouTubers, you need to be clear on who you’re collaborating with. Ideally, your collaborator has a similar audience size and shares your niche (at least partially). 

is for measuring yourself against similar creators, but it can help also help you find people to work with.

You can also check forums, subreddits, and other social communities where like-minded creators connect. Some of these will be paid communities, so you can expect a more serious crowd and look for potential collaborators.

Now that we've covered the basics, let’s dive into the five different collab ideas to try on your channel.

A YouTube classic, challenges have been a safe bet for most creators looking to do successful collabs over the years. It’s got everything a good collab needs: great clips, uncontrollable laughter, epic fails, and top-notch content. The staple challenges you can try are "Try Not To Laugh," "Never Have I Ever," "Best Friend Tag," and any 24-hour challenge, among others.

Challenges are flexible in the sense that you can do them remotely instead of meeting in person. So, no matter your niche, there’s a challenge video for you! 

With YouTube announcing exclusive dance challenges on Shorts from time to time

, you can also collaborate on trends like these!

This might not be feasible for many, but if you can, filming (or streaming) yourself doing fun activities outside is almost always a hit. IRL (In real life) might be one of the hardest kinds of content to make out there. Creators face technical difficulties, location-related issues, and the occasional “sniper” who wants to troll for fun. But the sheer variety of content that can be produced IRL should more than compensate for that.

Amusement parks, haunted houses, picturesque walks, or a short trip to the mountains, could be great ideas for IRL collabs.

The YouTube community has seen a tremendous increase in cross-channel hosting in recent years. You get to be the presenter of another person's channel and publish content on topics you both find interesting. This will expose you to a new lot of viewers who’ll probably find you interesting!

The value of cross-hosting increased after the pandemic. The simplicity with which this collaboration concept can be executed is one of its main advantages.

Why create one video collaboration when you can create a whole series? Making two or more videos will make viewers eagerly anticipate the next one you and your collaborator will share. This is a very effective way to increase views.

Upload the second video to the other channel.

Cross-promote each video on both channels.

If you have an educational channel, activities that are not educational may not be beneficial for your viewers. But there is one YouTube collab idea you can try.

The opportunities that come with posting reviews and tutorials are enormous, particularly within the home and beauty communities. It's possible to get more views on how-to videos, particularly if your instructions are thorough and helpful.

Because collaboration videos have become so common, it's not surprising that even small YouTubers want to join in. Working together with another YouTuber to produce original material has a lot of advantages. Along with increasing interactions, views, and subscribers, you'll also make your audience find your material more engaging.

Now, it’s time to partner up with another YouTuber looking for a collab! 

Collaboration videos can be hard to pull off but are awesome for promoting your channel to different audiences. Here are the 5 best ideas to try for your next collab!

YouTube Tips & Tricks

Understanding YouTube Viewers: 6 Steps to Build an Audience Persona

7 Types of YouTube Video Titles That Get Massive Clicks

Everything You Need to Know About Starting a YouTube Podcast

The Top 5 YouTube Collaboration Ideas to Try Right Now

Ask an AI Coach: 4 Ways to Spice Up Your YouTube Video Titles

5 Tools You Need to Improve Your YouTube Livestreams Today

No More Scrambling: How to Craft a Foolproof YouTube Upload Schedule

4 Common YouTube Mistakes (and How to Fix Them for Good)

6 Golden Rules for Responding to YouTube Comments

Promote Your YouTube Channel: 17 Tips for Small Creators

How to Grow Your Channel with YouTube Playlists

5 Tips to Make a Fascinating YouTube Channel Trailer