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

average video length on YouTube still hovers around 11.7 minutes

, even after the meteoric rise of YouTube Shorts and other forms of short-form content. The need for longer content is still quite high, and one of the best ways to capitalize on it is through video essays.

YouTube video essays have exploded in popularity over the past few years, with creators building massive audiences, diving deep into everything from film analysis to social commentary. Yet despite the high interest in becoming a video essayist, there's a surprising lack of real, actionable advice online about how to actually succeed in this space.

So, today, we'll explore how you can go about achieving this successfully as a YouTube creator. Let's get started!

How to Create a YouTube Tutorial Video: Full Guide

A video essay is an essay that is presented in a visual format instead of the conventional written method. It pretty has the same components as a standard essay, consisting of 

an introduction, a main body (which may be divided into sections), and a conclusion.

Walk through YouTube video essays, and you'll find countless videos rehashing the same tired takes. 

"The Last Jedi ruined Star Wars." "Marvel movies are formulaic."

The issue isn't having these opinions—it's presenting them as fresh insights when they're actually echo chamber repetitions. Viewers can sense when you're simply repackaging existing discourse rather than adding something new to the conversation.

But that doesn't mean your takes need to "stand out" just for the sake of it. Instead of trying to be different for the sake of being different, focus on finding a way of creating videos that only you can make. This isn't about being different—it's about being irreplaceably you.

The Secret to Standing Out as a Small YouTube Creator

Before diving into the how-to, let's clarify what we mean by "voice" in video essays. Your voice isn't about:

Copying another creator's presentation format

: Your authentic self coming through the screen

: The unique understanding you bring to topics

To develop your voice, you need to identify three core elements:

: Your areas of expertise or deep knowledge

: The unique perspective only you can provide

: Experiment with various approaches to see what feels natural. Some creators are naturally analytical, while others are more emotional; some are humorous, while others are serious.

: Initially, it's acceptable to incorporate small elements from creators you admire. Notice how they structure arguments, pace their videos, or present information. But avoid wholesale copying.

: After each video, ask yourself: "Did this feel like me? What parts felt forced? What came naturally?"

: Your voice will develop and change as you create more content. Embrace this evolution rather than trying to lock yourself into a rigid style.

Let's get on with the uncomfortable truth that many aspiring video essayists don't want to hear: 

You cannot provide insightful analysis when you have no insight.

Too many creators jump into making video essays about topics they understand only at a surface level. They watch a few other videos, read some Reddit threads, and think they're ready to contribute meaningfully to the discourse.

Before you make your first video essay, ask yourself:

Have I studied beyond surface-level takes?

Can I offer perspectives that aren't already widely available?

If the answer to any of these is "no," you're not ready to make that video yet—and that's okay.

Choosing Your Niche: Become a Student First

The path to becoming a respected video essayist starts with becoming a dedicated student. Here's how:

Choose a topic you're either deeply passionate about or willing to dedicate yourself to learning inside and out. This could be:

Film analysis (specific genres, directors, or eras)

Once you've chosen your focus, immerse yourself completely:

Take online courses from reputable institutions

Join communities of serious students and practitioners

Becoming truly knowledgeable enough to offer valuable insights takes time—often years. This isn't a shortcut to YouTube fame; it's a commitment to expertise.

The goal is to become someone with significantly more insight than the average person interested in your topic. Only then can you offer something genuinely valuable.

Your voice isn't something you can pick off a shelf or decide on in advance. As the saying goes about wands at Ollivander's, "the voice chooses the creator." Finding yours requires experimentation and patience.

The 54 Best YouTube Niches, According to Viewers

Step-by-Step: How to Make a Great Video Essay

If you've followed along so far, you now know the headspace needed to become a YouTube video essay creator. Now, let's get you ready for your first video upload!

Look at what’s already been said—and ask how you can go further

Clear structure (intro, body, conclusion)

Read it out loud—does it sound like you?

YouTube Skills: How to Become a Pro at Speaking on Camera

Get a decent mic (USB condenser mics are a good start)

Use visuals to support your points, not distract

Add transitions only where they make sense

4 Editing Hacks to Make Any YouTube Video Go Viral

What makes a good YouTube video essay? Here's everything you need to know about voice, research, scripting, editing, and building a lasting channel.

How to Create a YouTube Video Essay: Full Guide

Replying to comments is absolutely critical for growing your subscribers

Contains Positive Words (positive sentiment)

Contain Negative Words (negative sentiment)

For instance, you can find all positive questions being asked and make sure those questions get answered, oh so nicely. 🙂

This is all available right now with our chrome extension.

Screenshot of comment moderation interface showing spam filters and search options

What happens when you are overwhelmed with too many comments? We’ve created filters that help you find the comments that matter.

YouTube Comment Filters with vidIQ

A large part of creating high quality content involves passion and dedication, but when you look a little deeper, there’s a science to engaging audiences too.

Here are 8 tips to help you reach the right audiences on YouTube and keep them coming back.

Match your expertise to the type of content you want to produce. Be consistent too.

Before you start thinking about the audience you want to reach, ask yourself what you’re good at. Are you a total movie buff? Experienced make-up guru? Comedian at heart? Choosing to focus your channel on an area that you’re well-versed in sets you up to succeed. When you speak to your passions, your knowledge and personality shine through. Bonus: you’ll come across as genuine and authentic (we’ll speak more on that later).

Do your research on the audience you wish to reach, and start speaking their language.

Once you’ve figured out the type of content you want to produce, it’s time to consider your audience. When it comes to targeting the right one and getting them to engage with your content, you need to do your research. Find out the names of relevant fan communities, learn their lingo, and incorporate their official names and vocabulary into your speak. From Tumblr to Reddit, communities congregate in specific places and you want to help shape those discussions.

YouTube may be the hub for television, movies, music, and entertainment in general, but it’s still a social media platform at the core. Like any other social media platform, you want to get involved in conversations and, well, socialize. Like and comment on videos that catch your attention, give shout-outs to other influencers and content creators, ask interesting questions, and engage with your subscribers. The YouTube community values authenticity above all, and being genuine in your videos is what keeps viewers involved. Don’t treat your channel simply as a means to self-promote. If you’re going to engage in some self-promotion though, be transparent and have fun with it!

Use the YouTube tools available to help measure and build audience engagement. Try other tools too.

YouTube’s attention score measures the length of time and attention viewers give to your videos. This insight is great for identifying what excites your audience and what you can do to improve. If your score reveals that viewer attention is high during the latter half of the video, but low during the first, then perhaps you should work on your hook. Viewers will generally decide within the first 5 seconds of a video whether they want to continue watching. With that in mind, make sure your opening gives enough context to keep viewers intrigued.

Video annotations are another way to engage your audiences, prompting them to take action. Use clickable annotations to link to other relevant videos or blog posts. You can even encourage viewers to subscribe to your channel here. The key here is do this smartly and sparingly.

With YouTube popularity growing every day, new tools and services are available too. Take for example vidIQ’s Chrome Extension that displays detailed metrics allowing you to look more deeply into keywords, historical data, and more. By leveraging what’s out there, you’re just upping your odds of succeeding.

Get comfortable looking into your channel’s analytics to find out what works. This is important as it can help you replicate success. Tools are helpful, but what’s better is staying on top of all the information in general and setting aside time to do so. vidIQ’s web app is the go-to place to do this as you can monitor your videos, your competitor’s channels, and find key insights to help when producing future content. Setting aside time to capitalize on research will payoff in the long run.

Optimize your videos for search (for YouTube and the web in general).

Optimizing your videos for search will help build traffic, much like how SEO is a critical component of ensuring written content succeeds across the web. Craft your video headlines and descriptions carefully, incorporating any trending topics and keywords that are relevant to it. Avoid the urge to overuse video tags though, and only use those that actually apply to your video. vidIQ Pro’s proprietary Keyword Research Tool makes it super easy to discover powerful tags to help improve your videos’ search ranking.

As search engines crawl text when processing search queries, adding an audio transcript (where you describe, in writing, the contents of your video) can help them index higher in search. Not only does the audio transcript add additional context to your video, it also gives you an opportunity to throw in some more keywords to help people discover your content when searching.

Partner with other content creators and share the YouTube love.

Collaborating with other content creators is an effective way to grow your audience. Whether you’re partnering with YouTubers that focus on similar topics, or just users that interest you, both will act as an introduction to new audiences.

Don’t be afraid to mention other YouTubers your fans should check out! Unsurprisingly, YouTubers know other YouTubers, and earning your way into the ranks of this influential network will help drive your traffic through cross-channel promotion.

Share your videos on other social media platforms and content discovery engines.

Other social channels are great places to share YouTube videos. They provide an opportunity to tag/mention friends, brands, and other content creators too. Not only will this attract more viewers, it’s also a great way to generate and keep a conversation going outside of YouTube. Pick the channel where your desired audience is the most active. Then, make sure the content you’re adding contributes to the conversation. Seeding your content into discovery engines like StumbleUpon can also be a good way to drive additional traffic to your videos.

Silhouettes of concert crowd with raised hands and bright stage lights in background

Building a loyal YouTube audience doesn’t happen overnight.

8 Ways to Reach the Right Audience on YouTube

Let’s get straight to our latest on our extension of Top Holiday Keywords and Videos with our New Years YouTube research.

This time we are taking are research to the next level and breaking down the trending types of videos.

First, Top New Years Keywords Used (to find this content and keywords you might want to consider):

happy new years, happy new years eve, fireworks, holidays, happy new years 2015, makeup, beauty, holiday makeup, new year’s eve( holiday), new year (holiday), happy new year songs

If you’re video touches on these subjects, think about including them in the title, description and tags!

For researching these keywords yourself..

Best Performing Types of New Years Videos:

Fashion and Makeup videos are crushing it with 90+% of search results & trending videos are returning videos of this nature. It appear women are searching for New Years preparation makeup videos.

If you’d like a specific video added to these playlists don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!

New Year Happy Holiday Eve fireworks makeup beauty holiday songs years words

Just need to get that next video out so you can sip back some champagne and celebrate with friends?

YouTube SEO For The Holidays

We built vidIQ Pro for content creators and video marketers of all shapes and sizes with one purpose in mind.

To provide an industry-leading toolset that makes it easy for anyone to get the most out of Youtube. In addition to all the tools in vidIQ Basic, vidIQ Pro adds the following features across our chrome extension and web suite:

Best Time of Day- vidIQ crunches the numbers and provides you the most optimum time to post your videos to ensure they get the most views and engagements. Historical Statistics for popular videos – Go back in time and see exactly when a video took off. Embedded Sources – Ever wonder the actual URLs that are generating embed views on your video? vidIQ provides a list of embed locations for any video. More Metrics On Your Uploaded Videos- See trending countries, what devices are driving views, and demographic information right from the chrome extension. YouTube Keyword Tool

The most notable new feature in vidIQ Pro is the new vidIQ Search Companion. The vidIQ search companion appears on the YouTube search results page via the vidIQ chrome extension and provides high level metrics along with trending videos and related search words.

We wanted to make sure the product was affordable for everyone too, so we focused on a price point that wouldn’t break the bank. vidIQ Pro starts at less than $9 a month for a yearly subscription.

YouTube search results for "youtube marketing" showing video titles and vidIQ keyword insights

It’s been just a few weeks since we soft-launched the new vidIQ Pro platform and I’m happy that today we make it official–vidIQ Pro is now available for everyone!

vidIQ Pro and YouTube Keyword Tool

Resisting the brute efficacy of “listicles,” True Facts, and relatable gifs is – as I’m sure you realize – futile.

Between mobile and desktop users, the Buzzfeed website enjoys about 10 million unique visitors daily…and that’s on a bad day.

For the non-Mathletes in the audience, that’s 30% of YouTube’s total unique user traffic over the course of a month (which is 1 billion) – on a website that is younger, less prolific, and does not rely on user-generated content.

That share-of-voice takeover escalated quickly, am I right?

Obviously, BuzzFeed is not in competition with YouTube – instead, these two monolithic content platforms function as partners on this epic, shared journey of Social Media domination. And while their business models share little in common, the media giants are both swaddled and secure in the knowledge that they have perfected – together and independently – the Internet-reinforced concept of “content as communication.”

Pictured: YouTube and BuzzFeed’s concurrent sense of self-satisfaction.

Both in Ze Frank’s 2013 Vidcon presentation and during Jonathan Perelman’s REEL Video Summit speech last week, the BuzzFeeders tip their hand by declaring that content should be made for how it is consumed – as a shareable form of communication. They’ve cleverly discerned that share-worthy content – taken holistically – keys almost exclusively into 3 drivers of human communication:

Identity (“this article/video communicates something about me or my life experiences better than my just telling you would.”)

Emotional gift (“this content made me feel X, I want you to feel X too.”)

Information (“HEY GUYS – this stuff is factual and cool.”)

By playing to these 3 share-driving principles, BuzzFeed has exploded in popularity over the last 24 months and has, perhaps more notably, rendered Google Search secondary to content discovery. In its place, Facebook – the gold standard of Social Media referral – now leads the bulk of users to BuzzFeed’s content watering hole.

The implications for SEO, by the way, are semi-staggering. (Source.)

Ahh, yes. Share-worthy content is indeed successful content. But, why? Is it because of the complex network of overlapping human needs resulting from our schizophrenic relationship with empathy? Is it because LOL cats have driven us to over-identify with memes? Is it because Ze Frank has perfected mass hypnosis from high up in his ivory, BuzzFeedian tower and we are all victims?

Nay, my friend – it is so much simpler than that.

“Sup, bros. I’m basically the neurological foundation of human society and community sentiment. No biggie.”

Oxytocin is a fun little mammalian neuromodulator that most of you will more readily recognize as the “bonding hormone.” This is the stuff that gets mothers (naturally) high after childbirth, the stuff that gets you (naturally) high after sex, and that makes menial tasks like grocery shopping – when shared with someone you like – (naturally) less terrible.

Interestingly, oxytocin is released in small amounts into the human brain during 3 common, share-worthy experiences:

Now, let’s play a game called, “Find the Synonyms.”

“Identity” = “Social belonging” (we reinforce our sense of self by seeking out external reinforcement and relationships.)

“Emotional gift” = “Intimacy” (shared feelings/experiences are the root of actual and perceived intimacy.)

“Information” = “Information discovery” (not really a synonym so much as exactly the same word.)

Wait a minute. Does that mean that BuzzFeed is just exploiting your fiendish biological addiction to oxytocin?!

Not at all, my dear reader – everything good on the internet is just exploiting your fiendish biological addiction to oxytocin. Whether it’s a Wikipedia loop or social media FOMO or LOL cats, your sustained interest is no more mysterious than is a mild heroin habit (for even less mystery, check out the structural parallels between oxytocin and heroin molecules).

Ain’t neurochemical stimulation neat? Evolution certainly thinks so – that’s, like, its entire community-building strategy.

In short, the secret sauce of successful content is also the secret sauce of all human endeavor – a high dependency liability.

Thanks for reading. I got you some oxytocin. (Source.)

More info means more oxytocin. Got a craving? 

 to see YouTube video analytics and a whole mess of metrics right in your browser.

BuzzFeed logo with red background and upward trending arrow symbol for media brand

It is the professional opinion of this blogger that Buzzfeed has won the content marketing war and that, shortly, they will rule the world.

Successful Content’s Secret Sauce, Explained by Science (and Exploited by BuzzFeed)

And this is the highlight reel for the 2014 REEL Video Marketing Summit, carefully optimized with cat gifs.

Highlight #1: 8AM Advanced YouTube SEO & Audience Development for Marketers Workshop with Mark Robertson, Tim Schmoyer, Mark Ballek, and Derral Eves…Or, Everybody Just Wants to Talk to Tim Schmoyer

“That’s a fascinating insight, other panelists; but, I was mostly curious what Tim had for breakfast and if he thinks I’m pretty. #Reel Summit”

Highlight #2: REEL Summit Intro Video – Evolution of Video Marketing…Or, Everyone Briefly Remembers that Weird/Awesome Poo-Pourri Viral Video from Last Year

“LOL – ‘you won’t believe the mother-load I just dropped’…wait, wasn’t that actually an ad for poop perfume? Yeah, 2013 was weird. #ReelSummit”

Highlight #3: Googler Jon Klaff Addresses, “The Next Big Leap in Video Advertising”…AKA Envisioning a Dystopian Future Where All Consumers are Chronically Attention-Divided, Under-Slept, and Device Co-Dependent to the Point It Destroys All Traditional Marketing Paradigms

“Welcome to the new normal, populated largely by Millenials – a mutant race of Buzzfeed-addicted, Social Media drip-fed, 3-hours-of-sleep-a-night-getting, seamless-experience-demanding super-humans whose data we’ve been mining since they went through puberty. Also, that Brand Relationship Arc graphic is SO COOL. #ReelSummit”

Highlight #4: BuzzFeed Presents, “Creating Content for How It’s Consumed”…Or, We All Erupt in Applause Over a Friskies Ad

“We don’t care if this video is inauthentic – our love for zefrank1 voiceovers is real. All hail Friskies! #ReelSummit”

Highlight #5: JW Presents, “New Innovations in Video Technology”…Or, I Can’t Even with Your Industry Advancements Right Now

“Jesus, we’re talking adaptive streaming, interactive & searchable transcripts, a friggin’ in-video table of contents…just stop – it is literally too much. #ReelSummit”

Highlight #6: YouTube Strategies for Brands with Jonathan Hunt, Christine Ngo, Brendan Gahan, and Ross Everett…Also Known As the REEL Summit Drinking Game

“Shhhhhhhh – just take a shot any time I say ‘authenticity’, ‘community’, or ‘storytelling’… #ReelSummit”

Highlight #7: Closing Keynote – Is Your Company’s Culture Killing Your Video Marketing Potential?…Or, Sourabh Kothari & Peter Agnus Medlock are a Hyper-Natural Comedy Duo that Need to Start a YouTube Channel Immediately

“10/10 would hit ‘Like’ & ‘Subscribe’ so hard. #ReelSummit”

Highlight #8: Closing Reception & Party…Or, Everybody is Now Drunk

Last week, industry insiders and industry newcomers mingled, saleswomen and salesmen schmoozed, a veritable lovefest erupted on Twitter under the never-quite-trending #ReelSummit – this was the 2014 REEL Video Marketing Summit.

Your In-Depth Guide to Building a Successful YouTube Channel

How to Create a YouTube Video Essay: Full Guide

YouTube Comment Filters with vidIQ

8 Ways to Reach the Right Audience on YouTube

Top 4 Type of Videos Being Created for New Years

Top Trending Holiday Videos 2014

YouTube SEO For The Holidays

vidIQ Pro and YouTube Keyword Tool

Successful Content’s Secret Sauce, Explained by Science (and Exploited by Buz...

8 REEL Video Summit Highlights Cheekily Articulated via Cat Gif

FIFA’s Battle of the Brands: A Competitive YouTube Analysis of the 2014 World...

From the vidIQ Archives | AOL Case Study

8 YouTube-Worthy Tips from History’s Greatest Content Creators

First Ever YouTube Speedometer – vidIQ Velocity