Ask any YouTuber and they will tell you that generating significant views and subscribers isn't easy. But with the right strategy and tools, any video creator can build an engaged subscriber base when they understand what those subscribers want to watch.

Appealing to an audience to watch content you are passionate about making is just the first step, you need to know how to reach them and get your videos discovered. Our guides to how to guide more views on YouTube will give you the best tips to succeed on the platform.

Getting Views

How To Get More Views on YouTube

Getting thousands or even millions of YouTube subscribers is a dream for most creators. In the articles below, we'll show you how to turn casual viewers into long-term fans. 

Subscribers

YouTube Subscribers

Do you want to make money on YouTube? Millions of creators are earning a very good living from monetizing the platform and uploading content that drives huge views and engagements. Whether that YouTube income is from advertising revenue, merchandise sales, or brand deals, or subscriptions, we keep you updated with best practices and ideas.

Monetization

How To Make Money on YouTube

Want to see how your channel is performing? Read these YouTube analytics articles to discover what's working and what isn't. You'll learn how to identify which videos have the most Watch Time, clicks, audience retention, revenue, and more.

Analytics

YouTube Analytics

Watch Time is arguably THE most important metric on YouTube right now, and creators won’t be able to monetize their content without 4000 hours of it. But what is it and how can creators increase the amount of Watch Time their videos attract? We keep you updated on the best practices around Watch Time, and how you can increase how much your video content generates.

Watch Time

YouTube Watch Time

YouTube Shorts content is set to explode! 

All the latest tips, tricks, and rock-solid advice you need for this new feature.

YouTube Shorts

Do you know how to do keyword research so you understand what videos people are actually searching for on YouTube? Do you know how to create a custom YouTube thumbnail? Do you know how to create a Playlist on YouTube?

vidIQ has a ton of tips that will help every creator maximise their video content. We publish content every week to keep you up to date with all the best practices.

Tips & Tricks

YouTube Tips & Tricks

At vidIQ we have incredible insights into what viewers are searching for on YouTube. Not only can we confirm the top keywords being searched for, we can also show you how you can leverage that interest to create content around trending topics and tentpole events. That's going to give you a clear edge over other creators!

Insights

YouTube Insights

Your In-Depth Guide to Building a Successful YouTube Channel

We’ve been hard at work refining our tools that help creators grow, and this summer’s drop is proof that vidIQ today isn’t what it was even three months ago.

a brand-new feature and other major updates

 - all built to help you stop the scroll, boost engagement, and turn casual viewers into loyal fans.

 you’ll want to experience the new power we’ve packed in.

One of the biggest struggles for creators is getting viewers to click on their content. With millions of videos out there, you need to stand out in a pool of endless scrolling.

Stopping the scroll is more of a science than an art. And like all sciences, you need tools to accomplish your goals. You haven’t seen vidIQ tools like this. Smarter AI. Faster workflows. Real results.

. This tool is like your own personal AI-powered design studio.

If you’ve been in the YouTube game for more than five minutes, you understand that 

 and best way to stop the scroll. A great thumbnail is clear, compelling, and makes viewers think, “I need to click this.”

Now it’s easier than ever to make thumbnails that 

. Whether you start with a prompt or upload your own assets, our AI builds out designs that look pro — without you needing any Photoshop skills.

 (we’ll remove backgrounds automatically)

 to match a visual style you love. Upload your own or choose from our library of top-performing YouTube templates. 

 to influence your thumbnail’s aesthetic

 with easy prompt tweaks, image edits, or by dropping in text

Thumbnails aren’t just art - they’re strategy. They’re decision points. The better your thumbnail, the higher your click-through rate. And a higher CTR means the algorithm actually works for you.

, you’re not just making something that 

 good — you’re making something that 

You stopped the scroll with killer thumbnails. Now keep them watching.

 helps you write stronger YouTube scripts in a fraction of the time, backed by real YouTube psychology.

: Continuously trained on what’s working 

: Include callback cues, pacing variations, and cliffhangers

: Adjust your scripts’ tone, add keywords, sound more like your favorite creator. All with one click.

 Automated research provides accurate and relevant information and stats.

 helps keep your message clear, your viewers hooked, and your content performing. And now, it doesn’t have to take days. With 

, you can go from idea to polished script in just 3 minutes - making it easier to publish consistently and keep your channel growing.

“I used to spend an hour and a half scripting videos that came out wordy and boring. Someone even commented saying my videos were 'so wordy' — that really stung. But vidIQ's Script Writer changed everything. Now I get organized, concise scripts in just 10–15 minutes.”

“When I used it for my next tutorial, I was so impressed I printed it out to study it. For creators like me who tend to over-explain on camera, this tool does wonders.”

Shorts are still one of the fastest paths to YouTube growth - but understanding why one takes off while another flops? That used to be a mystery.

We built our Shorts tools to tell you exactly what’s working, what’s not, and how to make your next one blow up.

Think of it as your personal highlight reel, performance breakdown, and growth strategist all in one. Now you can discover when a video truly gained popularity and understand what made them successful. 

All of these statistics can be seen directly in-line without having to exit the Shorts view:

including views & views per hour, engagement rate, views history graph, and outlier score.

including channel subscriber count, monthly & total uploads, and subscriber and view growth graphs. 

 now supports YouTube Shorts, giving you even more insight into what’s trending and outperforming expectations across the platform. 

Instead of just surfacing the most-viewed content, Outliers identifies videos that are gaining momentum relative to the creator’s usual performance. That means you’re seeing videos that are beating the odds, not just riding on big subscriber counts. 

Now that this includes Shorts, it’s an incredibly powerful way to discover smart video ideas, fresh angles, and unexpected winners across any niche.

Let’s say you search for a keyword like “budget travel.” Outliers might surface a Short from a smaller creator that’s getting unusually high engagement and rapid growth, even outperforming videos from much larger channels. That’s your signal: something in that format, topic, or style is connecting. Use it to guide your next idea, ride the wave, and post with confidence.

 now works with YouTube Shorts, giving short-form creators the same data-backed recommendations long-form creators have used to increase views and visibility.

Optimize analyzes your video and delivers clear, actionable recommendations for improving your title and adding the right tags to your description. You’ll also get an overall optimization score, so you can instantly see how well your content is aligned with what’s working — and where there’s room to improve.

Most Shorts get lost in a sea of swipes. To rise to the top you need smart packaging. Optimize helps ensure your content gets the visibility it deserves, boosting your chances of landing on the Shorts feed, reaching new audiences, and turning quick views into long-term growth.

 can now submit a video for personalized feedback from one of our expert creator coaches.

A coach will watch your video and record a response, pausing at key moments to explain what’s working, what’s not, and what changes could help you get more views and subscribers. You’ll see the exact moment-by-moment breakdown behind every suggestion. No vague advice, just direct, actionable advice.


Our initial rollout supports Boost users in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, and New Zealand, for English language videos only.

__________________________________________________________________

If you’re looking for more than just one video review, you can work directly with a 

 who will take a deep dive into your entire channel and build a custom-tailored growth plan designed to break through the roadblocks holding you back. 

These aren’t cookie-cutter tips, they’re real, personalized strategies you can start applying immediately to unlock quick wins and build lasting momentum.

Want to see what’s possible with coaching?

. After joining vidIQ Coaching, they refined their content, followed their tailored plan, and watched their channel take off.

TL;DR: This Summer, You Grow or You Ghost

Here’s the latest features you get with the vidIQ Summer 2025 Drop:

 - Create high-impact, click-worthy thumbnails with AI and proven templates

 - Hook viewers and keep them watching with YouTube-optimized storytelling

 - Instantly spot top-performing Shorts and track breakout metrics

 - Discover overperforming videos across YouTube to inspire your next big hit

 - Find the best title and keywords to get your Shorts discovered

The Summer 2025 Drop is here: scroll-stopping science, smarter tools, and real coaching to help you grow on YouTube.

☀️ Welcome to the vidIQ Summer 2025 Drop!

Do you like foraging for wild berries? Baking bread? Working with your hands to make stoneware pottery? Then perhaps you’ll also like C

, an aesthetic that romanticizes agricultural and domestic life from an era long ago.

Cottagecore (AKA Farmcore, Countrycore, Grandmacore, Witchcore, and other variations on a theme)

 has blown up online this year, but underneath the viral glitz and glam, this trend is a nod to simpler times. In some of the most chaotic and demanding months most of us have ever lived through, this content has proved something of a digital sanctuary.

Cottagecore celebrates traditional crafts, such as cross stitching, rustic baking, and handwritten poetry, plus outdoor pursuits such as gardening. Influencers across Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Tumblr, are encouraging the trend by posting

 nostalgic photosets and calming countryside clips. 

Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cottagecore has gone way beyond the aesthetic. Lockdown created the perfect conditions for slowing down, and in response, many people have embraced older household crafts. In March, one of those nostalgic tasks was baking sourdough bread from scratch. 

It became such a popular trend that quarantiners bought 

 to bake away their isolation woes. And although influencers are driving the views, some big-name publishers like 

and Twisted have jumped on the bandwagon:

But what does all this mean for YouTube creators? Well, Cottagecore has been growing in popularity for a while now. It’s evolved from a 

 to something many people know about, which means it might be a trend worth capitalizing on. Want to explore the possibilities? Here are the top keywords and content ideas we’ve seen:

, more than 200,000 people searched for ‘Cottagecore’ on YouTube in the past month. That’s an extremely high search volume, which means now’s a good time to post that kind of content. 

To help you reach more viewers, here are nine additional keywords to use in video titles, descriptions, and tags.

Another thing we’ve noticed about the trend is just how popular it is with “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” fans. If you’re not familiar with the game, it’s a simulation where players turn a deserted island into a lively community of animal friends. Along the way, gamers play as a character that decorates the island with furniture, flowers, bridges, plazas, and more.

Unsurprisingly, this created tons of design opportunities for fans. On YouTube, some creators are uploading videos where they tour Cottagecore-themed islands designed by various gamers.

, for example. In one of her videos, she toured a Cottagecore island with large pink and red flowers, densely wooded areas, and cobblestone pathways. Her tour guide was 

, who designed the entire oasis and used her “Animal Crossing” character to show Liss the Lass’ character around the island. Watch the tour below to see her beautiful haven:

The most exciting thing about this video - other than the gorgeous island - is that more than 200,000 people watched it. Liss the Lass has 12.9K subscribers, which proves even an up-and-coming channel can use trending topics to get more views on YouTube.

Creative Cottagecore Lookbooks Are Popping Up on YouTube

Cottagecore isn’t just about spending time in nature and doing traditional crafts. It’s also an aesthetic, and YouTube creators have taken the trend to the next level with fashion hauls and lookbooks.

 lookbook is the perfect example. Back in May, she uploaded a video of her modeling three outfits while wandering through flower fields and forest trails. It’s one of the best lookbooks out there, so take a few minutes to watch her calming, farm-style video:

Did you see the dainty overalls? The sandals from another era? It’s safe to say Anna nailed this look. Her video highlights the important parts of Cottagecore fashion, which are:

Like Liss the Lass, Anna has a small but growing YouTube channel of 3.46K subscribers. Yet somehow (because keywords!), her Cottagecore video has amassed more than 55K views.

So now you know: Cottagecore is a lovely YouTube trend that even the newest or smallest creators can capitalize on. All it takes is the great outdoors, a farm-style aesthetic, and bam - you’ve got a video in the making.

Want to Get the Most Out of YouTube as a Creator?

If you want to take your YouTube channel to the next level and get more views on YouTube then make sure to 

. Join over 1 million other users and use vidIQ to help you research YouTube, analyze videos, audit your own channel, and take actionable steps to succeed.  ​ ​ ​

And if you’re really serious about growing your YouTube views and subscribers, sign up for exclusive access to the 

 and learn how to launch a successful YouTube Channel.

Rustic kitchen shelf with blue floral dishes, utensils, oats, eggs, and wildflowers.

The Cottagecore trend is helping YouTube channels of all sizes get noticed. Perhaps yours could be next?

What is Cottagecore and Why is it Taking Over Social Video?

If you haven’t heard of YouTube Shorts yet, it's a new feature that lets creators 

 and add special, TikTok-style effects to their content. 

Eligible creators can access the Shorts camera in the YouTube app, but for everyone else, uploading a vertical video under 60 seconds with the hashtag #Shorts achieves the same thing. 

To learn more about the feature, read our blog post on “

YouTube Shorts: What We Know About How They Work.

” It shares some early testing results of YouTube Shorts, how to create your own, and predictions for the future.

However, if you've been following us for a while, you know what Shorts are, and that we started a 

 to test the feature. We've also posted some of these shorts on our main channel. 

They’re doing well so far, and we’ve heard similar stories of success from other YouTube creators.

To witness their testimonies, watch our latest video about how YouTube Shorts is affecting creators:

When we first analyzed YouTube Shorts, we didn’t have enough data to know whether they’d hurt or help creators on the platform. We didn’t know if they’d cause a decrease in channel 

 or if viewers would unsubscribe after watching short videos they never asked for. 

To some extent, we still don’t know how bad the outcome could be. But for now, despite some unknowns, we know YouTube creators are getting more views with YouTube Shorts.

How to Analyze Your YouTube Shorts Performance

Let’s start our YouTube Shorts analysis with a video we posted on the main vidIQ channel called, “YouTube Shorts: The @MrBeast Effect.” So far, it's given us the data we need to understand how Shorts are performing.

While you’re here, go ahead and watch it for maximum clarity.

As with any video launched on a channel with many subscribers, most of our initial views came from YouTube notifications. Eventually, this spike in views decreases as dedicated viewers stop watching.

However, our video didn’t follow that script entirely. There was a small boost in views long after uploading, so we had to figure out what was happening. Our theory was that YouTube was featuring the video on its Stories and Short Videos shelf. 

This is a newer feature in the app that lets viewers explore short content in a never-ending, TikTok-style format. To learn more about how that works, read our blog post, “

Can You Get 1 Million YouTube Views By Making Short Videos

To confirm whether our video was being featured, we opened the YouTube Studio and viewed the traffic sources list. Many creators hypothesized that views from the 

shelf showed up as direct or unknown views, which ended up being true. In fact, while viewing our real-time analytics, we found a surge in direct or unknown views for our short video. That means it was being discovered on YouTube’s new shelf.

Just to confirm, we didn’t post the Short on social media, YouTube’s community tab, or anywhere else. To make sure our data was conclusive, we made zero attempts to boost the video’s views.

Optimizing a short video isn’t too different from optimizing a normal YouTube video. For each YouTube Short, we made sure to:

However, those things don’t impact whether your video appears as a Short. And as many creators have shared, it takes days before YouTube decides to test (or feature) a video on the Stories and Short Videos shelf, where exposure leads to more views.

The big takeaway is YouTube Shorts don’t perform like normal videos, where the first 48 hours are crucial for getting more views.

 The video could take off at any time in the first couple of weeks.

Testimonials and Lessons From Creators Using YouTube Shorts

We told the vidIQ community about YouTube Shorts before they even had a name, so creators have had a few weeks to test the feature. And interestingly, there are plenty of success stories.

 has nearly 600 subscribers and got 11K views on a Shorts video. Read what they had to say about that experience below:

For those wondering about the aspect ratios of vertical videos, Interesting Igloo is having success with the 9:16 format. This channel also pointed out that Mr. Beast is using the same format for his Shorts, as shown below:

 is going all-in with the new feature and started a Shorts channel about his funny dog. The new channel only has 10 subscribers, but he's getting 400 views on some of his shorts. Read more on that below:

 gave YouTube Shorts a try and one of their videos suddenly collected more direct and unknown views before normalizing again. One interesting thing to note is LeigerGaming's thumbnails suit both landscape videos and vertical Shorts. If YouTube ever decides to use custom thumbnails in the Shorts shelf, that decision could pay off. Check out LeigerGaming’s thumbnail and comment below:

Nicksbankrpt told us a video of his from March 2019 recently took off with 1,000 views. We asked him to check the traffic sources and they all came from direct or unknown views, as shown below:

Wealth Insiders is gaining subscribers from YouTube Shorts, which is an interesting outcome. Check out their comment below:

Despite this channel’s success, there is a danger to testing YouTube Shorts on your main channel. For one, you're testing your audience's patience with completely different content. Many viewers subscribe to a channel expecting videos of several minutes, possibly more - and not all of them want to see shorter content.

Although the YouTube Shorts we’ve tested on our main channel are getting decent views, they do seem to be ticking off subscribers. We’ve lost a few whenever we post a Short, so that’s one analytic to keep an eye on.

Our last testimonial is probably the most interesting. It’s from 

, and that channel’s comment recounts a private video meeting with YouTube about how Shorts really work:

YouTube hasn’t separated Shorts from regular content yet.

Channel audience view duration will decrease when you make Shorts.

When someone doesn’t watch the full 15 or 60 seconds of a Short, that could hurt your previously positive analytics.

You don’t need to use #Shorts in the title/description of your video. YouTube knows it’s a Short if the video is vertical and within certain time constraints.

Many of these points contradict what YouTube is saying publicly about Shorts. For instance, YouTube publicly instructed creators to use the hashtag #Shorts, but this comment suggests it’s not needed.

Whether that’s true, false, or somewhere in between, only time will tell.

Will YouTube Shorts be the next big thing? We don’t know for sure. But we can confirm YouTube Shorts is no longer a mild curiosity for the platform. It’s definitely a real, concrete thing. And while TikTok continues to be in turmoil, YouTube Shorts has the potential to keep growing.

If you want to take your YouTube channel to the next level and 

 then make sure to download vidIQ for more subscriber insights. Join over 1 million other users and use vidIQ to help you research YouTube, analyze videos, audit your own channel, and take actionable steps 

 and learn how to launch a successful YouTube Channel in just 30 days.

Man pointing at a YouTube Shorts graph showing growth in video views and engagement.

Can you get more views from YouTube Shorts? The evidence so far says - Yes. Here are a few testimonials from creators who’ve earned more views with short content.


How Creators Can Get More Views With YouTube Shorts

At vidIQ, we encourage YouTube creators to 

niche down on content if they want to successfully grow their channel

 in terms of views and subscribers. This is especially true when we see that their channel covers a range of topics that can often prove confusing to the viewer.

However, we're often met with resistance from more skeptical creators. But in this episode of TubeTalk, we chat with Abbey Howe, who was also skeptical at first but she went for it anyway and her 

Will niching down limit your opportunities?

How a focused channel grows without the "whiplash effect"

Process of creating new content when you are in a niche

If you're a YouTube creator who has listened to all the expert advice but your channel is still not attracting the views and subscribers you'd hoped it would what can you do now? Well, take a listen to this episode of TubeTalk and find out what it takes 

TubeTalk has been informing video creators and marketers for 8 years, and is one of the most respected and listened to podcasts in the online video industry. Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to TubeTalk on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode!

You can also find the complete list of all the TubeTalk episodes here!

Young woman in yellow sweater smiling, TubeTalk logo on blue background beside her

Focusing on one specific type of content can really make you stand out as a creator. It can also make your YouTube channel grow fast! Find out more on this episode of TubeTalk.

Why You Must 'Niche Down' if You Want to Succeed on YouTube

A ‘let’s play’ is or gameplay video is content that almost any gaming creator can make. It involves one or more gamers who collaborate on Roblox, Fortnite, Fall Guys, or any of the popular games circulating the web right now.

With so many fun titles about, let's play videos are extremely popular - and for good reason. They're hugely entertaining for both the participants and the viewer, plus that type of content can be an important part of 

With that being said, you need to have a specific strategy when posting gameplay content. To discover what this strategy entails and whether you can 

How Popular Are Let's Play & Gameplay Videos on YouTube?

Before we dive in, let’s discuss how popular these types of videos are on YouTube. We had a gut feeling that gamers loved them, but we decided to get an official answer using a vidIQ community poll. 

We had one simple question to ask our audience: In your free time, what type of gaming videos do you watch on YouTube?

As we suspected, let's play videos won in a landslide with 53% of votes. Montages of funny gaming moments came in second with 23% of voters choosing that option.

Like most gamers, you may have built your channel around those topics. But even with this extra fanfare around them, you might not be seeing significant growth. Now, this doesn’t mean you should stop making let’s play videos or gaming montages. There will always be a time and place for gamers to sit down, hit record, and play games with their audience.

However, if that’s the only content you create, it's time to rethink your strategy. 

To get more views in the gaming space, try your hand at informative content too, such as how to's, reviews, and listicles. 

, and that’s what’s going to help you grow your channel over time. 

To learn more about this, watch our explainer video about gameplay content and how it should be executed within your YouTube strategy:

Do a search on YouTube using the terms ‘lets play’ and 'gameplay' and you’ll see a list of videos from massive, million-subscriber channels. That’s your competition, and the only way to stand out is by sharing with valuable, informative content.

Roblox Let's Play Videos: Could You Rank on YouTube For the Term?

To determine just how stacked the competition can be for lets plays, we used vidIQ’s keyword tool to get a score for certain search terms. A low score means a video optimized with a specific keyword may not perform well on YouTube; a high score means it could get many views. For our keyword test, we typed ‘Roblox lets play’ into YouTube’s search bar.

Immediately, we got some promising data. ‘Roblox lets play’ had a high search volume, which means people were actively looking for that kind of content. But unfortunately, competition for the search term was too high to capitalize on. That resulted in a low score, as shown below:

This data tells us everything we need to know about the likelihood of a Roblox lets play video taking off on YouTube. And guess what? The search results page tells us even more.

Are you a gamer working toward your first 1,000 subscribers? Here’s how let's play videos can give you a boost.

Your In-Depth Guide to Building a Successful YouTube Channel

☀️ Welcome to the vidIQ Summer 2025 Drop!

What is Cottagecore and Why is it Taking Over Social Video?

How Creators Can Get More Views With YouTube Shorts

Why You Must 'Niche Down' if You Want to Succeed on YouTube

How to Reach 1000 YouTube Subscribers with Gameplay Videos

How to Get Your Videos to Rank on YouTube

How To Get a Custom URL For Your YouTube Channel

How to Get a Brand Deal as a Smaller YouTube Channel

How to Customize Your YouTube Channel

YouTube Shorts: What We Know About How They Work

Why Your YouTube Subscriber Count Sometimes Looks Wrong

How to Block Unwanted Ads on Your YouTube Content

Why You Don't Need to Be On Camera to Be a YouTube Sensation