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

How To Make Money on YouTube

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.

YouTube Tips & Tricks

YouTube Shorts content is set to explode! 

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

YouTube Shorts

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.

How To Get More Views on YouTube

This post is all about how you can monetize your content on YouTube to start generating revenie. The are four golden rules to making money on YouTube, and they are:

You need to have 1,000 subscribers on your YouTube channel

Your videos have generated 4,000 Watch Time hours over the last 12 months

You comply with all YouTube's policies and guidelines

#1 The YouTube Partner Program Requirements

Commonly known as the YouTube Partner Program, or YPP for short, you'll need to hit all four requirements before your channel will be accepted.

Let's start with the 1,000 subscribers. This one is pretty straightforward, it doesn't matter how long it takes you to get to 1,000 subscribers, once you hit that milestone, you've reached that requirement.

As well as 1,000 subscribers, you also need 4,000 hours of Watch Time on your videos over the last 12 months. There is some confusion with this one, so let me try and clarify that. First of all, this is not about how much video content you, the YouTube creator watch. This is all about how much video content is watched on your channel from people all across the world. It’s all those hours of video that people have watched on your channel in the last 12 months (from any given date). You could well have well 4,000 hours of Watch Time over the lifetime of your channel, but it's only the last 12 months that count for YouTube Partner Program requirements.

Another couple of things to tell you about Watch Time. Live streams do count towards that total. Unlisted videos also count towards that total. But if you delete any videos, that Watch Time will be removed from your channel Watch Time hours. And one more final thing, if you are already in the YouTube Partner Program, and if your channel falls below 4,000 hours of Watch Time, YouTube won't automatically remove you from the partner program, but they can do it at their discretion. If you want a much more detailed video on the topic of 4,000 hours specifically, check out this video:

If you want to check the progress of above requirements, you can do so by clicking on your logo in the top right-hand corner of most YouTube pages, and then clicking on YouTube Studio Beta. You can view all of your analytics here, but to quickly check progress on monetization, hover your mouse over "Other features", and then click on "Status and Features". On this screen, you should see a monetization box, and if you click "Learn more", it will tell you exactly where you currently stand with subscribers and Watch Time hours.

But if all of that sounds like too much hard work, then we've got a free tool that will do all of this much quicker and more efficiently. If you 

 on pretty much every YouTube screen, you will see a collection of real-time stats all about your channel. It will show you your channel's views per hour, views over the last 48 hours, and your subscriber count. But the really cool thing is that it will track your progress to 4,000 hours of Watch Time too! Once you hit 4,000 hours, that number will turn green to show you you've reached that monetization requirement.

#2 Following YouTube Rules for Monetization

Next on the list is the rule book. If you want to monetize your content, you need to make sure you stick to it, as YouTube state:

When you apply for the YouTube Partner Program, you'll go through a standard review process to see whether your channel meets YouTube's policy and guidelines. Only channels that meet them will be accepted into the program.

YouTube also constantly check channels in the program to see whether they continue to meet YouTube's policies and guidelines. These policies and guidelines that are very comprehensive, given all of the growing pains YouTube have had of finding the right balance between creators, viewers, and advertisers. I highly recommend familiarizing yourself with these 

 if you want to monetize your content in the future.

However, if you are in a TLDR mood, to summarize, apply common sense. If you think a video might be inappropriate, chances are it is, and you make such content at your own risk.

#3 Copyright and Monetization Policies on YouTube

Among YouTube's policies and guidelines is the huge topic of copyrighted material. Essentially, if you use other people's work, then you could be using copyrighted material without their permission, and YouTube does not want you to do that. It will almost certainly get you demonetized or prevent you from entering the YouTube Partner Program. Let's look at this in a little more detail.

For most of you, this is the most important monetization policy. You have to make sure that you're adding value to any third party content you monetize, and that your content has significant original commentary, educational value, or editorialized statement. And let's be clear, that still might not be enough. This does not give you a license to use other people's content in your videos all the time, because if you do, YouTube may use this as an argument not to monetize your content.

YouTube confirms that if all or most of your channel is dedicated to reused content, and you're not transforming the original work by adding your own unique value, 

then your channel is not eligible for the YouTube Partner Program.

 The spirit of this policy is to make sure that YouTube are incentivizing unique and original content into the YouTube Partner Program, and that YouTube are protecting and rewarding the creators who work hard on original content.

Now, some may see YouTube's spirit of a policy as an excuse to demonetize channels they don't want in the monetization program, but let's have a look at it from this point of view. You spent days, hours creating a magnificent piece of content, and it goes viral on YouTube. And then a dozen random video creators steal that content, upload it, generate hundreds of thousands of views, and end up profiting handsomely from it. How would you feel if that happened? That's what YouTube is trying to protect - original content from video creators.

Admittedly, reused, duplicate content, and copyright content is a broad gray area on YouTube, and they don't always get it right. And you may look at some channels on YouTube and see that they're clearly flaunting these rules. Well, you don't know what their individual circumstances are, they may have permission to use that content, or they may get caught in the future, and you don't want to follow the examples of channels that are doing this. It's not a road to success.

Ultimately YouTube is the gatekeeper. They hold all of the keys. You are on rented ground, and if you flaunt these rules, and break them, then don't be surprised when YouTube comes after you.

#4 Linking a Google Adsense Account with a YouTube Channel

If you are going to earn money from your videos, YouTube needs a way to pay you, and at least to begin with, this will be done through an AdSense account. A few things you need to know about this, if you already have an AdSense account, you can use that. You can connect multiple channels to one AdSense account, and if you haven't got an AdSense account, you can set one up during the YouTube Partner Program application process.

#5 Applying to the YouTube Partner Program

Let's remind ourselves of those requirements one more time: You need:

1,000 subscribers on your YouTube channel

4,000 Watch Time hours on your videos over the last 12 months

To comply with all YouTube's policies and guidelines

When you've applied YouTube Partner Program, it may take up to a month for the platform to make a decision. That’s because actual humans will review your channel so it’s a manual process. Some channels have been approved in days, so it could be quicker. However, if it does take longer than a month, then your channel will usually be placed in further review. When this happens, unfortunately, the wait times can get very long. Three, six, possibly even 12 months. In some unfortunate cases, YouTube never seems to come to a decision, leaving the creator in monetization limbo.

We appreciate that this can be a very frustrating position to find yourself in as a video creator, as many of you have commented about this on our videos here at vidIQ. Unfortunately, we ourselves cannot help push the process forward for you, so what we recommend you do is to talk to TeamYouTube on Twitter, make sure that everybody knows that you have an issue with your monetization decision.

YouTube say that this will never speed up the process, but at least having some decision is something you should deserve as a video creator.

#6 Being Rejected from the YouTube Partner Program: Next Steps

Now let's say that you've applied for the YouTube Partner Program, but you've been rejected. What can you do?

When you are rejected from the YouTube Partner Program, YouTube will give you a general reason why. Unfortunately, they won't tell you specifically what video or content is causing the issue, so you may be left blindly adjusting your channel. However, the good news is you can reapply for the program in 30 days' time.

Again, this is where you will have to use your common sense. If you think there are videos that are walking the community guideline and policies tightrope, then they most likely are and you need to adjust them. If there are videos that have copyright content on them then those are probably causing a problem with YouTube as well, so you will need to delete them.

Creators have asked when they apply for the partner program, will having a community guideline strike or a copyright strike against my channel prevent me from getting into the program? The answer is probably no, it definitely won't prevent you, but it is going to have an impact.

There is a dedicated support page with advice on what you should do if you are rejected from the YouTube Partner Program, and 

Once you are in the Partner Program, and you want to take your monetization a step further by earning money from Super Chats, membership, and merchandise, take a look at this video on the subject:

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

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

Want to know how to monetize your channel and start making money on YouTube? Take a look at our beginner's guide!

How to Monetize Your YouTube Channel - A Beginner's Guide

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.

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.

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!

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.

At the top of the list, we saw a channel with ‘let's play’ in its name dominating with at least three videos. Below that were videos from creators with millions of subscribers who post regular Roblox content, which is hard to compete with. 

An additional search using the term ‘Roblox gameplay’ displayed some older but popular videos. This is what we call evergreen content. These videos were at the top of the search results, and new creators would have a hard time ranking for the keywords attached to those videos.

If you're a small to medium-sized channel, your competition is established YouTubers. Some of them may have teams helping them do their research and create clickable thumbnails. This is why we at vidIQ encourage creators to upload high-value videos, such as how to's and listicles. It may not be the content you search for on YouTube, but understand that this content isn't for you - it's for your audience.

How to Get Your Videos Recommended To Viewers on YouTube

When YouTube recommends your gaming videos to viewers, that does three things for your channel:

Helps you penetrate YouTube’s competitive gaming niche

Here’s an example of how this works in real-time. Let’s say popular YouTuber 

 uploads a let’s play video about a new Minecraft mod: rocket boots. He doesn’t cover the subject deeply, which sparks some curiosity among his fans about the mod’s finer details. You see this as an opportunity to stand out, so you upload an in-depth video about the mod, improving upon the information Jelly left out.

Most likely, Jelly’s fans will search for more Minecraft rocket boots content after he addresses it on his channel. Fortunately, that gives your rocket boots video a good chance of being discovered on YouTube. In fact, if enough people stumble upon your video while searching the term ‘rocket boots in Minecraft’, YouTube may recommend it alongside larger creators’ Minecraft videos.

From there, it's just a matter of letting YouTube’s algorithm work its magic. Your video will be shown to more viewers, and that could lead to higher views and new subscribers.

To Make Your Content Stand Out, Do Some Video Research

As you can see, the method above requires research. You have to be willing to watch videos on the topic you’re planning to cover and create even better content to reach success. This usually includes researching the title, length, and thumbnails of other videos.

If you’ve never thought about your toughest competitors’ video thumbnails, it’s time to make it a priority! Thumbnails are often the first thing viewers see and play a huge role in their decision to click on a video.

Luckily, there’s a vidIQ tool that can help you in this department. When you’re on a video upload page, navigate to the left side of the screen and find a section that reads ‘what search term do you want to rank for?’ There should be a text box below, and in that, you can type your term of choice. When you’re done, click the blue button that reads ‘preview in search results’.

Next, your video’s thumbnail will appear alongside other videos currently ranking for that term. By doing a visual sweep, you can decide whether your thumbnail stands out among the competition, as shown below:

Let's play content should be a part of your YouTube gaming strategy. If you’re a gamer who creates tutorials people love, uploading a gameplay video now and then will keep your subscribers interested in what you have to say. You don’t have to do this often, but some content diversity will keep your channel fresh and help it continue to grow.

Plus, if you're just starting out on YouTube, creating let's play content helps you learn the video-making process. You’ll sit down in a room, by yourself, and slowly overcome the growing pains of being confident on camera. You’ll learn how to use various editing software and have tons of fun playing the games you love.

Just remember that let’s play videos are hard to rank for on YouTube. You’ll need to do your research and niche down to specific topics/tutorials to attract the number of views you want to see.

Want To Get More Views as a Gamer on YouTube?

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

 then make sure to download vidIQ. Join over 1 million other users (many of them gamers!) and use vidIQ to help you research YouTube, analyze videos, audit your own channel, and take actionable steps 

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

How to Reach 1000 YouTube Subscribers with Gameplay Videos

If you want to get a significant amount of views on a video, ranking highly on YouTube is a must. But securing a place in the top spot isn't an easy task. Even when you do everything right it doesn't guarantee that you will be in the top position when someone searches for your keyword.

So what can you do? How can you get your videos to rank and how do the YouTube algorithms actually work? In this episode you will learn:

How YouTube research plays into creating your titles

Are you really competing against other creators for ranking?

Even perfect SEO doesn't guarantee a good position in the search results

 for more tips, tricks, and advice on being the best creator you can be.

How to Rank #1 on YouTube with Keyword Research

Are your videos ranking much lower on YouTube than expected? Find out how why on this episode of TubeTalk.

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

Lydia Sweatt

How Creators Can Get More Views With YouTube Shorts

Lydia Sweatt

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

Liron Segev

How to Reach 1000 YouTube Subscribers with Gameplay Videos

Lydia Sweatt

How to Get Your Videos to Rank on YouTube

Liron Segev

How To Get a Custom URL For Your YouTube Channel

Lydia Sweatt

How to Get a Brand Deal as a Smaller YouTube Channel

Liron Segev