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

Amidst the countless creators, getting verified is one of the best ways to distinguish yourself and set your channel apart. Creators that get verified on YouTube are basically recognized by the platform as trusted channels. This can help improve the channel’s visibility and bring various opportunities within and outside the platform.

This is why YouTube verification is highly sought-after status for creators, brands, and businesses alike. This post will delve into the YouTube verification process, explain the necessary steps to qualify, and explore how smaller creators can improve their chances of earning that prestigious checkmark.

What Is YouTube Verification and Why It Matters?

YouTube verification is a process that provides a gray checkmark next to your channel’s name. This symbol is more than just a badge—it indicates to your audience that your channel is authentic, trustworthy, and officially represents the creator, brand, or business it claims to be​.

The checkmark appears across YouTube, from search results to comment sections, making it easier for viewers to distinguish your official account from imposters.

 A verified channel appears more legitimate, making it easier for new viewers to trust and engage with your content​

Verification helps protect your brand from copycat channels and impersonators who may try to capitalize on your name

Verified channels often receive more visibility in search results, increasing the chances of growing your audience.

What are the Eligibility Requirements for YouTube Verification?

To get verified on YouTube, your channel must meet specific criteria. While these requirements may seem stringent, they’re essential for ensuring that only authentic and established channels are granted the checkmark.

For YouTube verification, a channel must meet a few essential criteria that demonstrate its authenticity and activity on the platform. YouTube requires channels to have a minimum of 100,000 subscribers, which shows a significant following and credibility. However, subscriber count alone isn't enough. Your channel must accurately represent the creator, business, or entity it claims to be. This involves having a complete profile, including a well-designed banner, recognizable profile picture, and an informative description that clearly reflects your brand or identity.

Beyond appearance, YouTube values consistent engagement. Channels that actively post content, interact with their audience, and follow community guidelines are much more likely to be approved for verification. In contrast, inactive or dormant channels, regardless of subscriber count, are often rejected. By maintaining both a professional profile and regular activity, your chances of getting verified increase significantly.

How to Get Verified on YouTube: Step-by-Step Process

Once you’ve met the basic requirements, you can apply for YouTube verification. Below is a step-by-step guide to help you through the process.

Ensure your channel meets YouTube’s subscriber and content standards before proceeding. Even if you haven’t hit 100,000 subscribers, building a strong community and consistently creating quality content can improve your chances of approval.

, where you’ll find the form to apply for verification. If your channel qualifies, you will be able to access the form.

You’ll need to input your channel name and ID. If you’re unsure of your Channel ID, you can find it by navigating to your YouTube settings under "View advanced settings."​

Advanced settings feature on YouTube account

Once you’ve filled in your information, submit your application. The review process can take several weeks, and YouTube may ask for additional documentation to confirm your identity​.

After submitting your application, YouTube will review several factors, including your channel’s age, activity, and authenticity. If everything checks out, your channel will receive the verification badge.

Can You Get Verified Without 100K Subscribers?

It’s widely known that you need at least 100,000 subscribers to apply for verification, but there are exceptions. Smaller channels may qualify if they have a substantial presence outside YouTube.

If your channel represents a well-known brand, celebrity, or entity, YouTube may consider verifying you even with fewer subscribers.​ Musicians can also apply for the Official Artist Channel badge, even with fewer than 100,000 subscribers. This requires having an official music video distributed on YouTube and being part of the YouTube Partner Program.

While it is rare, exceptions can occur, so if you believe you have a significant presence or impact outside YouTube, you can reach out to YouTube’s support team for consideration​.

How to Increase Your Chances of Getting Verified?

Even if your channel doesn’t yet qualify for verification, there are ways to boost your chances. Focus on building a robust channel, improving engagement, and increasing your subscriber base.

1. Create High-Quality, Consistent Content

YouTube prioritizes channels that post regularly and create valuable content. Focus on producing high-quality videos that engage your target audience. Having a consistent upload schedule helps, as it demonstrates your commitment to building your channel.

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

Ensure that your profile is complete, professional, and aligned with your brand’s identity. This includes:

Choosing a clear, recognizable profile picture.

Writing a compelling description that explains who you are and what content you create

Customizing your channel banner and organizing playlists to improve user experience.

Actively engaging with your audience through comments, likes, and discussions is a great way to show YouTube that you are dedicated to fostering a community. Encouraging viewers to subscribe and interact with your content signals that your channel is authentic and active​.

How to Use the YouTube Community Tab and Engage with Viewers

Optimizing your videos for YouTube search is crucial for increasing your visibility. By using relevant keywords in your video titles, descriptions, and tags, you can improve your chances of ranking higher in search results. High-performing videos help demonstrate your channel’s influence and authority.

YouTube SEO: How to Optimize Your Videos for Maximum Views

Approach your channel with a long-term strategy in mind. Focus on building a solid brand, setting goals for content creation, and using data analytics to improve your performance. Collaborating with other creators and being active in the YouTube community can also give your channel the boost it needs

If you thought the hard part was over, you were wrong. Once you’ve earned your verification badge, you must ensure that you remain compliant with YouTube’s rules to maintain it. Some key points to remember are:

Any breach of YouTube’s Community Guidelines or Terms of Service could result in your badge being revoked​.

Changing your channel’s name will automatically remove the verification badge. You’ll need to reapply under the new name, which could delay the process.

Keep posting content regularly and continue engaging with your audience to show YouTube that your channel is still relevant.

Getting verified on YouTube is a major milestone that can set your channel apart and boost your credibility. By focusing on growing your audience, optimizing your content, and adhering to YouTube’s guidelines, you can work toward achieving that coveted checkmark. Remember, success on YouTube takes time, patience, and dedication, but with consistency and effort, verification is within reach.

While verification is a worthy goal, it’s more important to build a loyal audience and create a sustainable channel. Verification will come as a natural consequence of your growth and impact on the platform​. If you’re just starting, focus on creating great content and engaging with your viewers. So, what are you waiting for? Get creating and 

Getting verified on YouTube is a dream for most small creators. Get a well-rounded understanding needed to achieve this goal through this post!

How to Get Verified on YouTube

Struggling to come up with video ideas and titles? The good news is you’re not alone!

If you’ve ever found yourself staring at a blank screen, unsure of your next YouTube video, you’re at the right place. Whether you're just starting or you’ve been creating content for years, every YouTube creator faces the challenge of consistently coming up with fresh, engaging video ideas. Hence, we creators look to content that has already been successful on YouTube and use what’s relevant.

The biggest problem with drawing inspiration from click-worthy titles in any YouTube niche is the extensive research and hours of work required. That’s why we’re thrilled to announce a powerful new tool available in the vidIQ Chrome extension, designed to make your life a whole lot easier! Readers, say hello to 

In less than 120 seconds, Remix can take any successful video, from any niche and create video ideas for YouTube relevant to your channel and audience. Below, Rob will take you through how the tool works with real-life examples and demonstrate its true power:

Why Great Video Ideas and Titles Are Crucial for YouTube Success

Before diving into how Remix works, it’s important to understand why video ideas and titles are the foundation for YouTube success. The YouTube landscape is highly competitive, and with over 500 hours of content uploaded to the platform every minute, you need more than just great production quality. It starts with a solid video idea and an irresistible title.

A strong idea is the base of any great video. It has to be relevant to your niche, engage your audience, and be original enough to stand out. Not only does a great video idea improve your chances of getting clicks, but it also increases the likelihood that viewers will stick around for the full video and return for more content in the future.

Your video title is often the first thing a potential viewer will see, and it can make or break your chances of getting a click. A title needs to create curiosity and be keyword-optimized to perform well in YouTube’s search algorithm. A well-crafted title helps:

The better your title, the more likely people are to click on your video.

Optimized titles help your video appear in relevant searches, making it easier for new viewers to find your content.

A great title can build curiosity, urgency, or intrigue, making it hard for viewers to resist clicking.

But coming up with great ideas and titles can be time-consuming. That’s where Remix can help streamline the process.

How Remix Simplifies Your Content Creation

Remix takes the heavy lifting out of finding YouTube video ideas and crafting the perfect title. The tool is designed to help creators like you discover what’s already working in your niche and easily adapt those concepts to your style. Whether you’re looking to ride the wave of trending topics or repurpose a successful format, Remix provides a fast, simple way to do it.

Quickly find successful video titles and formats that have already worked for other creators.

Easily adapt these winning ideas to create videos that resonate with your niche, channel, and viewers.

Create engaging, high-quality content that attracts more viewers, watch-time, and subscribers.

You can also change the chosen channel topic to any other niche and Remix will refresh the same video ideas for the new niche within seconds! And it’s not just about saving time—it’s about making smarter decisions with your content creation. Instead of guessing what might work, Remix helps you lean on data-driven insights.

Now that you know why Remix is a game-changer, let’s break down exactly how to use it. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned YouTube creator, these steps will help you use Remix to streamline your video ideation and title creation.

1. Go to YouTube and Find a Title That Works

Start by heading over to YouTube and looking for a video title in your niche that has performed exceptionally well. But how do you know which videos are outperforming others? That’s where the 

vidIQ extension features VPH and Outlier score on YouTube

With vidIQ’s Chrome extension, you can check key performance metrics such as the 

. These metrics help you identify videos that are currently getting a lot of traction and outperforming their peers. Look for videos with a high Outlier Score or a high VPH. This indicates that the title and format of the video are resonating with viewers.

Once you’ve found a video that’s performing well, it’s time to Remix it! Click on the Remix button, and the tool will allow you to customize the video title to fit your niche, audience, and style. This is your opportunity to take a proven concept and make it your own.

For example, if the trending title is “How to Lose Weight Fast,” you could Remix it to better suit your audience with a title like “How to Lose Weight Fast for Busy Professionals” or “How to Lose Weight Quickly Without Hitting the Gym.”

Once you’ve created a title you’re happy with, it’s time to move to the next step: content optimization. Right next to the awesome video ideas that Remix has produced for you, there’s a small button labeled “

Remix integrates seamlessly with vidIQ Generate, another powerful vidIQ tool that helps you:

 to make the video creation process smoother.

By using both Remix and Generate, you can quickly go from an idea to a fully optimized video ready to perform on YouTube.

After you’ve fine-tuned your video title, description, tags, and more, you’re ready to shoot and upload your video. With Remix and Generate handling most of the ideation and optimization work, you can focus on recording high-quality content and growing your audience. This is how our tools can ease you in your creative process reliably.

vidIQ Remix on different pages of YouTube

Once you've signed up for the vidIQ extension, you'll be able to see the Remix features on different parts of YouTube on hovering your cursor. You'll find it on the homepage of any channel, on the search results for any content, on channel pages, and even next to the subscribe button!

Crafting Titles That Drive Clicks: Best Practices

A title is a promise that you’re making to the viewer- and it needs to be fulfilled. Even though Remix helps you find and adapt successful video titles, it’s important to understand what makes a title truly effective. Here are a few best practices to keep in mind:

Your title should speak directly to your audience. Avoid jargon that might confuse new viewers, and instead use simple, clear language that resonates with your target audience. For example, if you’re in the fitness niche, instead of “HIIT Workouts Explained,” you might use “Simple HIIT Workouts to Burn Fat Fast.”

SEO matters. Your title should include keywords that people are actively searching for. vidIQ’s Keyword Research Tool can help you identify high-volume, low-competition keywords to include in your title.

Shorter titles tend to perform better because they display fully on all devices. Aim for around 60-70 characters. If your title is too long, it might get cut off, especially on mobile devices.

People love lists because they offer a sense of structure and predictability. Titles like “5 Ways to Grow Your YouTube Channel” or “Top 10 Travel Destinations in Europe” tend to attract clicks more easily.

Why Remix is Perfect for Both Beginners and Pros

Regardless of where you are in your YouTube journey, Remix can help streamline your content creation process. For beginners, it takes the guesswork out of what types of videos to make. Smaller creators already have a lot on their plate with filming, editing, and designing assets for videos. So any time saved is time earned!

For more experienced creators, it provides a faster way to adapt successful content ideas without spending hours on research. Looking at well-performing videos through the Remix tool will give them more perspective on the type of content that might work better for their channel.

Remix is about working smarter, not harder. Instead of starting from scratch every time, you’re building on concepts that are already proven to work, and then tailoring them to your unique audience.

Supercharge Your YouTube Channel with Remix

YouTube content creation doesn’t have to be a guessing game. With Remix, you get instant access to video ideas for YouTube that have already proven themselves in other niches, and with the help of Generate, you can quickly create optimized titles, descriptions, and tags that boost your video’s performance.

If you’re ready to take the guesswork out of video creation and focus on what matters most—creating great content—

 for web browsers and give Remix a try today.

Take any video on YouTube and use it to create content for your channel! Learn more about vidIQ Remix here.

How to Find Winning YouTube Video Ideas in Minutes with vidIQ Remix

Do you know which video category your Channel falls under? To check, log into Creator Studio on YouTube, go to ‘Settings’ which you’ll find in the left hand navigation menu. From the pop-up, go to ‘Upload Defaults’ followed by the ‘Advanced’ tab. On this page in the top right hand corner you will find the category drop down which allows you to select from one of 15 categories. This is the video upload category default, but if you want to change the category of an existing video you can go to the ‘Video’ section in the Creator Studio, click on the video you want to adjust, click on the ‘Advanced’ tab and change the video category.

Why are YouTube Categories Important for Creators?

What's the point in confirming the right YouTube category for your video? That’s an interesting question because when you search on YouTube and filter, there is no option to sort by video category. Also, if you click on the trending page your category options are limited too. Also, to the best of our knowledge, there is no algorithmic boost or penalty if you do indeed put the video in the right or wrong category.

However, when it comes to advertisers finding the right videos to place their adverts on setting a video category is important. So to make sure you get football related adverts from your football content make sure to put it in the sports category so you get more clicks from those adverts and earn more money.

Now sometimes these categories will not be a perfect fit for your channel. For example vidIQ could be in the how to and style section, the education section, or even science and technology. Personally I think it should be in the comedy section, but as long as you put the video in generally the right category you should be fine.

If you want to take your YouTube channel to the next level then make sure to download vidIQ. It will help you research YouTube, analyze videos, audit your own channel, and take actionable steps 

YouTube creators who monetize their content should ensure they select the right category before publishing. We show you how to change your YouTube categories by default or from video to video.

How to Change Your YouTube Video Category: Easy Tutorial

First of all, let's congratulate T Series, the first non-YouTube aggregated channel to surpass 95 million subscribers. That's quite a feat, and PewDiePie should achieve the same milestone soon, which is even more remarkable, for an individual video creator.

Second of all, that subscriber gap got big in a hurry, didn't it? In the short space of just seven days, T Series increased its lead by more than half a million subscribers. Seven days versus seven months of back and forth puts things into a little perspective, doesn't it? And we're now into a phase of the game where PewDiePie never really catches back up irrespective of the world clock. Day or night, T Series is storming ahead. At this rate, by the end of this week, T Series will be more than a million subscribers ahead of PewDiePie in this race, and at that point, do we even call it a race anymore?

So, what happened over the last week? Well, as we mentioned, on April the 19th, T Series launched their music collaboration with western rapper Pitbull, and in five days, it's amassed more than 66 million views.

The video gets a perfect vidIQ video score, a perfect vidIQ SEO score, most of the tags rank number one, and the video was running at over one million views per hour for a solid 12 hours. The data that vidIQ is collecting here (

which it does for every single video on YouTube

), presents the average data analyst with some remarkable numbers. But when it comes to T Series, they operate on an entirely different level to PewDiePie, where single videos, or single campaigns, can drive many subscribers.

With T Series, it's just sheer weight of numbers from the entire channel. Since the release of the Pitbull video on T Series, which brought in 63 million views, the entire channel has generated 534 million views, along with nearly 800,000 subscribers, and those are only the numbers when I recorded this video. By the time you read this, they'll be even higher.

Is PewDiePie Suffering From YouTube Subscriber Fatigue?

Another factor that seems to be weighing against PewDiePie right now is subscriber fatigue. The last time PewDiePie's channel got more than 100,000 subscribers in a single day was April the 8th. As for T Series, well, I had to do little bit of digging here and, with the exception of a massive subscriber purge in the middle of December, the last time T Series got less than 100,000 subscribers in a single day on their channel, was the beginning of October 2018. That just shows you the difference between the numbers and the channels.

However, ‘International PewDiePie Day’, which marks the YouTube channel's ninth anniversary on April the 29th, could be the catalyst for something extraordinary. And, of course, there is still the YouTube community at large, making videos and starting campaigns to get their audience to subscribe to PewDiePie, whether PewDiePie wants that help or not.

By this time next week, we'll know a number of things. First of all, we'll know whether or not International PewDiePie Day had any effect on the subscriber race. We'll know whether or not T Series is more than a million subscribers ahead of PewDiePie.

As T Series becomes the first non-YouTube aggregated channel to generate 95M subscribers, its lead over PewDiePie stands at over 840K. Is the race for the most-subscribed to YouTube channel finally over?

PewDiePie vs T Series...Is the Race for the YouTube Crown Finally Over?

 and best practices, we spoke to one of the very best thumbnail artists in the business, 

 are the creators behind the wildly popular 

 series. Creating stand-out custom thumbnails for their content is an integral part of the process, and Vy gave us a sneak peek into what works across their YouTube channels.

Over the past few years, Vy and her team have been testing and refining the type of thumbnails that drive viewers to click through to watch. It’s a strategy that’s worked to generate a combined 

 across the five YouTube channels Vy manages. She gives us some exclusive insights into the use of color, graphics and text to create the perfect image.

#1Use Color to Make Custom Thumbnails Pop

Take a look at any of Vy and Chad’s YouTube channels and the first thing that hits you about the custom thumbnails is the extraordinary use of color. As experts in the game this is absolutely intentional.

Vy explains that the content they create appeals to a younger demographic who respond really well to bright and vibrant colors. In order to maximise the appeal of the thumbnails, Vy and her team play with, enhance, and even radically change the colors on the image until the get the results they know will work.

Using just Photoshop, colors are saturated, backgrounds are blurred to make the foreground objects stand out, and drop shadows and outer glows are used to further make those objects or text pop. Vy will also separate out the background and foreground on different layers for added image clarity and depth. To break this process down further, let’s take a look at the thumbnail Vy and her team created for ‘

You can see the image-editing expertise fully in action on this thumbnail. Vy has used a fairly blurred 2 color background on one layer, with herself and the hacker on another layer. The two figures have been outlined using the outer glow tool so they stand out, drawing the viewer's attention to Vy’s bright jacket and the white mask of the hacker.

The jacket is actually blue denim but Vy changes the color for every thumbnail she wears it for based on the other colors she's using. The team mix and match complementary colors based on the background and the objects in the thumbnail, and Vy will often change the color of the jacket so it’s the opposite to what anyone else in the thumbnail is wearing. So while it looks like Vy owns 30 denim jackets of the same design, it’s actually just the one clothing item that’s been manipulated to bring out the very best in the custom thumbnail.

Vy and the team also use colors to create a sense of consistency across their thumbnails with splashes of the same color popping up across different images. This creates a motif that runs through their thumbnails and reinforces the branding and familiarity of the channels.

#2 Keep Text on Custom Thumbnails to an Absolute Minimum

Another thing you’ll notice from the thumbnails created across Vy’s, Chad’s and the Project Hacker YouTube channels is that text is kept to an absolute minimum, or not used at all.

Obviously this creates extra pressure on the designer who has to get the focus of the content over without spelling it out for the viewer. Vy and her team are world-class experts at this and know exactly when to use text only when necessary. When they do, it’s big and bright and it counts.

Vy confirms that a lot of rookie mistakes she sees with custom thumbnails on YouTube is trying to cram in as much text as possible. Unfortunately, it becomes almost impossible to read when you shrink the thumbnail down. When the graphic becomes too busy the viewer is going to have a hard time understanding what your video is about and they may not even click through to find out.

Vy’s team have solid rules for text use: use three words or less for any thumbnail, keep that text precise, and only ever use if it makes the story complete. Also, think about the colors you use for the text to make it stand out. And don’t repeat the title in the thumbnail - ever!

Another vital component of the successful custom thumbnails that Vy and her team create is the use of emotion to draw viewers in. If just one person is in the thumbnail, they will use the face that shows the stronger emotion, and if there are two or more people, each will have a slightly different emotion to foster attention. This is incredibly important for capturing the eyeballs of the younger audiences scrolling through the YouTube feed on their mobile devices.

Another very effective way of conveying a strong emotion in a person is to actually show the whites of their eyes. Vy spends a lot of time on faces and knows how to make the most out of them. In the thumbnail for ‘

’ Vy accentuated Chad’s green iris and the whites of his eyes with Photoshop’s Saturation tool to make them really come alive. This really helps when it comes to the human connection.

But Vy goes even further to create a sense of emotion with viewers. Not only does she want to attract viewers with facial expressions, but also with a sense of action and purpose from the people featured in the image. As this is rarely achieved from someone just standing still, she makes sure that Chad, herself, or the Hacker are in some kind of motion - like running or fighting back. The aim is to create a need for the audience to find out what happens next.

#4 Don’t Make the Custom Thumbnail an Afterthought

The art of the thumbnail is something Vy’s team considers before shooting even begins. The topic of the video, and the story around it is a critical starting point for the graphic. The base image isn’t taken from a screenshot, it’s shot separately and taken from one of many images created during the photoshoot.

Vy will take multiple shots from multiple angles so she has a wide range of creative assets to work from. Thumbnails are never an afterthought for the team, and are as important as creating the main video content.

#5 Keep on Testing Thumbnails - and Replace if You Need To

Vy will monitor click through rate very closely after uploading a video, and is quick to respond if she feels a thumbnail it isn’t working as well as she expects. She tracks the click through rates of all of their custom thumbnails in a spreadsheet and analyses the data for performance insights. But as an expert, she’ll use her experience and instinct to change up a thumbnail within the first 48 hours if the video isn’t getting the views - even before she can confirm the CTR. Talking of 

Huge thanks to Vy for letting vidIQ in on her insights and process around creating the best custom thumbnails on YouTube. As you can see, creators who are pulling in millions of views never leave their thumbnail to chance. And you shouldn't either. For a recap of this expert's guide to creating stunning YouTube custom thumbnails, check out our video below:

Want To Get More YouTube Views & Subscribers?

We give you 5 expert tips on why creating the best YouTube custom thumbnails should NEVER be an afterthought if you want to grow views and subscribers fast.

Why YouTube Custom Thumbnails Should NEVER Be an Afterthought: 5 Expert Tips

At Brandcast, Susan Wojcicki, the CEO of YouTube, said “the new primetime is personal.” She added, “Most people say the content they watched on YouTube is related to something that they are passionate about. And according to our joint research with Omnicom, relating to a passion is three times more important than whether or not there’s a big Hollywood name attached.”

Now, we should have seen this trend coming months before Brandcast was held. At the beginning of March, Think with Google published “

Forget about primetime. To attract viewers, follow their passions

.” And in April, that was followed by “

6 industry leaders on the changing nature of primetime.

So, how does this impact you? Well, there’s still a lot of idle chatter these days that video viewers have shorter attention spans than goldfish. People scrolling through their Facebook News Feed may watch videos autoplay for only a couple of seconds, but the average viewing session on YouTube lasts more than 40 minutes. And viewers aren’t “snacking” on a random assortment of 300 videos for an average of eight seconds each during the typical 40-minute session. So, what are they doing?

People are delving deeply into topics that they truly care about for long stretches of time and skipping content that isn’t relevant or interesting after eight seconds. And, in a world where viewers have total control and a seemingly endless amount of content to choose from, this means traditional primetime has been replaced by highly engaged personal primetimes. Personal relevance and passion are now the key drivers of engagement, with over 60% of consumers who’ve watched something on YouTube in the past 24 hours saying it was related to something they’re passionate about. And, as viewer passion takes center stage, marketers must rethink their approach to video from creating “snackable” content to building long watch-time sessions that maximize viewer engagement and satisfaction.

2.	YouTube is Taking Responsibility Seriously

At Brandcast, Wojcicki said, “Let me be very clear, living up to our responsibility is my number one priority. And we are making significant progress. My leadership team and I – along with thousands of people at YouTube – are laser-focused on this.”

For additional context, you can read her recent post in the 

, which says, “We’re always balancing maintaining an open platform with managing our community guidelines. But to combat a number of concerning incidents we’ve seen in the last few months, we’ve had to take more aggressive action.” In February, YouTube announced the suspension of comments on most YouTube videos that feature minors. And in March, YouTube took unprecedented action in the wake of the Christchurch tragedy.

And if you haven’t already, you should also read Daisuke Wakabayashi’s recent article in The New York Times, which is entitled, “

The Most Measured Person in Tech Is Running the Most Chaotic Place on the Internet

.” The article concludes, “After a long conversation, Ms. Wojcicki became introspective. She said she joined Google because she wanted to do something meaningful with her life, and saw the company’s mission of helping people find the right information as inspiring. But now she recognizes that her ultimate legacy will be whether YouTube can get a handle on its problems.”

3.	YouTube TV Lineup Available in Google Preferred

YouTube TV’s 70 broadcast and cable channels will now be available as its own lineup in the Google Preferred reservation program during this upfront season. This change, along with audience guarantees and show-level exclusions, allows advertisers to zero in on live and on-demand inventory. And most importantly, brands can go beyond demographics to reach audiences based on their interests – just like with the core Google Preferred offerings.

What does this mean? Well, it depends. If this pulls more ad dollars out of TV budgets and shifts them to YouTube, then a rising tide may lift all boats – including your channel(s). If it doesn’t, then the giant sucking sound that you will hear is live sports, news, and shows on 70 broadcast and cable channels taking a bigger piece of the video advertising pie chart.

4.	Karate-chopping the Paywall for “Originals”

At Brandcast, YouTube also announced that all of its forthcoming original series and specials will soon be available for fans around the world to watch for free with ads - just like they enjoy everything else on the platform. In addition, YouTube also unveiled a new and returning slate of original series and specials focused on music, learning and personalities that will all be free with ads, including seasons 1 and 2 of “Cobra Kai” beginning this fall.

In case you haven’t seen it yet, “Cobra Kai”, which stars Ralph Macchio and William Zabka, is a critically-acclaimed scripted series that picks up the Karate Kid storyline decades after the original film. In its rookie season, “Cobra Kai” received an Emmy nomination, the Golden Tomato Award for Best TV Drama, and a 100-percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes – making it the highest-reviewed reboot of all time. And just after its season two premiere last month, which reached 20 million views in six days, Parrot Analytics confirmed Cobra Kai is the most in-demand digital original series in the world right now. And you can binge-watch season 1 for free from August 29 to September 11 and then binge-watch season 2 for free starting on September 11.

5.	Celebrating Creator and Influencer Success Stories

At Brandcast, Robert Kyncl, YouTube’s Chief Business Officer, said, “Creators are driving record audiences to YouTube.” He added, “

200 million people come to YouTube every single day just to watch gaming videos. That’s twice the audience of this year’s Super Bowl.

” And he reveal that, “Over the last three years, the number of channels with over 1 billion views has grown by 400 percent.”

Kyncl concluded, “But creators aren’t just driving big numbers...they’re also redefining culture. They are using YouTube to break through to a generation of early adopters; the same way that 20th century media icons did through television and print.”

And several YouTube creators and influencers spoke at this year’s Brandcast, including Coby Cotton of Dude Perfect and Tiffany Haddish. Cotton said, “Ten years ago, we were just 5 college roommates at Texas A&M trying our best to balance studying with, what always seemed like, one too many intramural sports. Today, we’ve turned our passion into a career, and we’re grateful to now be one of the most watched creators on all of YouTube with 41 million subscribers and 7.7 billion views.” And Haddish added, “I’m a mechanic now, because of YouTube. I’m a therapist. I’m an ordained minister. I’m a reiki healer now. I can also make Red Bottom shoes, but you can’t walk that far, because they turn into brown bottoms. I can build a house from the ground up. I’m a carpenter now. I can do hair. I can do anything because of YouTube. I think it’s the most awesome thing in the world.”

6.	YouTube is Updating its Algorithm for Google Preferred

YouTube announced it is updating its P-score algorithm to include more of the content that is frequently watched on the TV screen and content that exhibits higher production value. How significant is this going to be? Well, Wojcicki said watch time of YouTube on television screens alone tops 250 million hours per day. Now, more than 70% of YouTube watch time still comes from mobile devices. So, the smartphone is still your first screen. But, the connected TV is going to be a significant screen, too.

The 2019 YouTube Brandcast featured a ton of announcements that concern creators and advertisers. Here are the top 10 takeaways you should know.

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