How do you get more views on your YouTube videos? Well, you publish them at the right time for your audience and it just so happens that both YouTube and VidIQ have tools that can help you with that.

First, let’s start with the new YouTube feature that will let you know the best times to publish your video content. To access this tool:

Click on your YouTube profile image in the top right-hand corner of any desktop screen

From the Studio dashboard screen, click on the ‘Analytics’ link from the left-hand navigation bar

From the main analytics screen, click on the ‘Audience’ tab at the top

On this dashboard, you'll see a new module labeled ‘

’. Now, to be clear, this isn't specifically about your viewers watching just your content. It's when viewers who watch your content are on YouTube watching any video.

Think of it like this. There may be somebody at home, sat on a sofa, watching Friends because they're a huge fan of sitcoms. Chances are, they're probably going to also enjoy The Big Bang Theory, so programming logic suggests that The Big Bang Theory should come on straight after Friends.

If you know when your audience is on YouTube you can schedule your videos to be published at that time.

In this visual representation, the deeper the color shade, the higher volume of viewers there are. For example, many of our viewers are on YouTube at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time Wednesday mornings while fewer viewers are online at 8:00 p.m. on a Friday evening.

Best Time to Publish to YouTube: Exclusive vidIQ Data

That’s YouTube's new ‘best time to post’ feature, but we’ve had very similar data in the 

To access it, click on ‘Videos’ in the left-hand navigation bar in YouTube Studio. Next, click on the ‘edit’ details page for any video (the little pencil symbol). Scroll down a little, and on the right-hand side of this new screen, you will see this ‘Best Time to Post’ tool from vidIQ.

This tool will show you when your audience is most active on YouTube, giving you three-hour windows for when you may want to publish your content. You can click through all the days of the week and see an overall weekly view too, like the one above.

vidIQ is able to provide this data by analyzing your subscriber activity. To see this in action, just click the VidIQ extension button in your browser to activate the drop-down menu, then click on ‘Subscriber Insights.’

The link will take you to a brand new dashboard. It will show you the other channels your subscribers are subscribing to, and which videos they really enjoy watching. Since we know subscribers tend to watch your content for longer, this can be a more reliable data source, albeit from a smaller sample size.

The logic is fairly straightforward. You set up your hotdog stand at lunchtime outside the office because people are hungry. You don't go there at 3:00 a.m. in the morning because there's gonna be no one there to buy your hotdogs. When you know there are more people online who enjoy your content, that's when you should publish it with a few little things to consider:

Firstly, YouTube state themselves that the publish time is not known to directly affect the long-term performance of videos and this can certainly be true of search-based content that needs time to establish itself before momentum really starts to kick in. I wouldn't be surprised if this very video follows a similar trajectory.

Secondly, depending on the content, sometimes YouTube and your audience are not going to wait for your best time to post. For example, if Apple announced their latest iPhone or Marvel released a trailer for their latest Avenger movie at 4:00 p.m. on a Monday, are you going to wait until 7:00 a.m. the following day to add your voice to the conversation? Chances are, the YouTube audience has already got its fill from an alternative source by then.

Also, consider exactly when you publish your video because you might want to miss the on-the-hour and half-hour peak times. At the top and bottom of every hour, loads of creators publish their videos and loads of notifications get sent out to subscribers. Do you want to compete with these or publish your content a few minutes before or after these peak spikes of traffic?

Also, treat your videos a little like stocks. You don't want to invest when their value is at its peak because there's only one direction that can go. You want to get involved when the velocity is starting to ramp up. So if your potential audience's peak time on YouTube is noon then maybe you want to publish your video at 9, 10, or 11:00 a.m.

Finally, when you upload your video to YouTube, remember that it takes time to prepare it and process it. You've got titles, descriptions, tags, thumbnails, end cards, info cards, all of that stuff to consider, and if it's a 4K video, you want it to look the best it can do when people first watch it. So give yourself one or two hours before you actually unleash it on your audience.

 then make sure to download vidIQ. Over 1 million creators use vidIQ to help with keyword and competitor research, channel audits, and so much more. 

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

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

graphic showing YouTube logo with a clock and calendar

Finding out the best time to publish a video to YouTube is a neat trick. We show you two ways to uncover these insights.

How to Find Out the Best Time to Publish a Video on YouTube

Contrary to popular belief, going viral is a skill that can be learned. That's what YouTube sensation MrBeast claims in 

That doesn't apply to small YouTube channels, especially those lacking millions of subscribers.

 work? What if we told you that viral YouTube videos aren't all that mysterious?

3 Ways to Discover Viral YouTube Video Ideas

Viral videos gain popularity through internet sharing, typically on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X. In fact, Harvard Business Review reported that videos reach their viral peak faster when shared within 

. Videos are considered 'viral' when they reach 2 million views (or more) in just a few days.

Let's return to the HBR article to answer this question. In the post, HBR shares interesting data from Unruly, a marketing technology company that has studied 430 billion video views. The findings suggested that 

 — a small group of people who share videos in the first 48 hours — kick start the viral process.

But why do they do this? Unruly noticed 10 motivators for sharing videos online.

A pie chart of 10 reasons people share videos online

Seeing what friends and family think about it

Viral videos evoke strong emotions which compel viewers to share them within their own networks. These videos have the potential to reach a 

 within hours or even minutes of being posted!

But viral content doesn't need to have a specific 'look' to attract views. Oftentimes, this is what a viral video looks like on YouTube:

The important thing to notice here is the sheer difference between views and subscribers related to this video. This disparity means that the audience chose to watch the video for its content and not just the person behind it.

Creating a viral video takes more than luck, as YouTube educator 

. It's more like cooking. Some ingredients are nice to have, but you can only mimic a dish when you have the main ingredients.

Choose a topic that resonates with your target audience.

The first 8-10 seconds should grab the viewer's attention.

Keep viewers engaged throughout the video.

 The viewer leaves the video feeling transformed.

Strategies for Making Your Videos Go Viral

Woman looking at phone with social emojis swirling around her head

Strategy 1: Creating Compelling, Shareable Videos

The first step to creating a viral video is to ensure that it is compelling and shareable. People are more likely to share content that evokes strong emotions, etc such as laughter, awe, or surprise. So, try to be entertaining, informative, or thought-provoking while keeping the video short and concise to maintain viewers' attention.

What this typically comes down to is telling a good story

. Make viewers feel giggly, happy, or sad, but no matter what, make them feel something. You can even surprise them with plot twists and cliffhangers.

Social media platforms play a crucial role in making videos go viral. With billions of users worldwide, platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter offer a vast audience for your videos to be seen and shared. 

To leverage social media platforms effectively, consider the following tips:

 Different social media platforms cater to different demographics and content types. Research your target audience and select the platforms that align with their preferences.

 Hashtags can help increase the discoverability of your videos on social media. Research popular hashtags related to your industry or topic and include them in your video posts.

 Responding to comments, messages, and mentions on social media shows that you value your audience's feedback and want them to engage with your content.

A search bar overlayed on top of the image of man typing

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a key aspect of virality. 

 for search engines can increase their visibility and improve their chances of going viral. If you've been putting a lot of effort into your videos, but they aren't seeing the big numbers, you could be lacking in SEO.

To optimize your video SEO, consider the following tips:

 Research keywords related to your industry or topic and include them in your video titles, descriptions, and tags.

Provide a comprehensive description of your video that includes relevant keywords, so search engines understand your content.

 Captions and subtitles make your videos accessible to a wider audience, including those who are hearing impaired or watching without sound.

 Design an eye-catching thumbnail that accurately represents the content of your video (thumbnails are shown on search pages).

Strategy 4: Analyze Performance and Apply New Insights

The final strategy for making your videos go viral is analyzing their performance and iterating on future content. By analyzing data such as views, engagement rates, and shares, you learn what works and what doesn't. 

To analyze and iterate effectively, consider the following tips:

 that tracks views, watch time, engagement rate, and audience demographics.

 Look for patterns or trends in your successful videos by carefully observing performance data.

 Adapt your content based on what performs well and discard strategies that don't produce results.

Quite recently, one of our videos went viral on YouTube and is currently sitting at 

 and how he's grown his channel exponentially in 2023.

Our in-house expert, John, explained how he made it happen in a separate video (above), and here's what you need to know:

 Our viral adventure began with Sam Sulek, a rising YouTube sensation. We saw a potential story in his rising subscriber count and the authenticity trend that's been sweeping YouTube since the pandemic. Combining a trending topic with our audience's desire (YouTube growth) helped us produce an interesting video.

 As we know already, a video's success often hinges on its title and thumbnail. They're like the cover of a book, enticing viewers to dive in. We used the ICE method (Imagery, Curiosity, Expectation) to craft ours. Remember, your title and thumbnail should not only grab attention but also set the right expectations.

 Have you ever clicked on a video and realized it's not what the title and thumbnail suggest? Annoying, right? We made sure our content aligned with what our thumbnail and title promised. It's all about respecting your audience and delivering what you've promised.

 Our first cut for the video wasn't perfect. We had to re-edit to better match our title and thumbnail, but we didn't stop. Here's a golden nugget for you: 

. Your first draft doesn't have to be your final. Be open to feedback and willing to make changes.

 Initially, our video didn't do great. But then, the YouTube algorithm picked it up, and the views skyrocketed. So, focus on creating content that engages. Even if your video doesn't take off immediately, don't lose hope.

Check the video above to get a deeper understanding of how we made it all happen. And while you're at it, swing by the description box to get a free template for making viral YouTube videos!

identifying your unique voice as a creator

 leads to virality. Authenticity is the soul of what makes a video viral; it's what makes people relate to your content and share it with others. So, be yourself and let your unique personality shine through.

Creating a viral video might seem like finding a needle in a haystack, but it's not an impossible task. So, fellow creators, take heart. Your viral moment could be just around the corner, waiting for you to seize it!

Going viral on YouTube isn't just about luck; it's a skill to be learned. Find out how you can maximize the chance of going viral with your content!

How to Get Your First Viral YouTube Video: The Blueprint

 is, you've taken the longest break from YouTube in recorded history. Because seriously — this Shorts creator has been pulling in millions of views since 2022.

Jenny is in the finance niche, so she loves to film extreme budgeting challenges: making $1 meals, giving $5 gifts, and other cool stunts. Her viewers love it, and all the praise has lifted her channel to 1.69 million subscribers and 954 million views. But her most impressive feat is getting over 10 million views per YouTube Short.

gaining 10 million Shorts views in 90 days

 is one way to enter the YouTube Partner Program. And once you're in, you can monetize your Shorts with YouTube ad revenue.

If that's your main goal as a creator, keep scrolling or check out the video below. We interviewed Jenny to learn how she goes viral with short-form content dozens of times each month!

1. Find a Unique Niche (Blue Ocean Strategy)

Finding the right target audience for your content is more complicated than most creators know. You have to go deeper than deep, avoiding the crowded niches if you want a real shot at standing out. Or in Jenny's own words, you need to look for a blue ocean — not a red one.

Red ocean = Bloody waters. Creators don't survive because hundreds of "sharks" go after the same video topics and angles.

Blue ocean = Smooth sailing. You have room to explore many video topics and stand out within your niche.

So, how do you avoid a red ocean and find those crystal, blue waters? It's all about finding a 

"At first, I was actually copying Graham Stephan.... That's a red ocean because everyone's trying to be him. But then I looked at the money/finance industry and realized nobody's doing it for kids," Jenny says.

A hook is a three-second introduction that reels people in and compels them to keep watching. According to Jenny, the best hooks are concise, visually compelling, and tell the gist of the story within seconds. This gets people to stop scrolling and increases the odds of earning millions of views.

"It needs to be so good that you can be watching the video on mute and still know what it's about," Jenny says.

For example, pay attention to the first three seconds of the video below, where Jenny recreates a chicken sandwich (at Chik-fil-A) for $1.

The first words you hear are "$1 chicken sandwich." She wastes no time getting to the point, and she shows 

 Give a sneak peek of what happens at the end of your video.

Some phrases grab attention much better than others. Experiment with intros like "Did you know about this...?" or “I never do THIS, and here’s why…”

 Starting a video with someone laughing or crying makes viewers curious about what led up to those moments.

Storytelling has taken over on YouTube. The days of giving information without having unique characters, scenes, and conflicts are long gone! Today, YouTube videos are more like 

That may sound intimidating, but it doesn't have to be. According to Jenny, you just need three key elements, which involve:

You can bring this to life by using the words "but" and "so," Jenny says.

 I followed him for a few miles. He led me to a dark tunnel, 

 I saw a bunch of abandoned puppies at the rim of the opening.

Each "but" stops the viewer from scrolling away as conflict rises.

Setting a good pace for any story is crucial, and Shorts are no exception to the rule. But the real challenge is figuring out 

 to pace a short video. After all, you only have 60 seconds to make your point.

Make your initial hook brief (fast-paced).

Make the middle a bit slower (medium-paced).

Make the peak of your story memorable and sharp (fast-paced).

Make the resolution a bit slower (medium-paced).

A graphic showing the peak end rule using a simple line graph of peaks and valleys

"There are multiple theories to back this up. One that I want to get into is the Peak-End Theory. It's this theory that people only remember their favorite part of a movie and the ending," Jenny says."

Take your viewers on a rollercoaster of fast and medium-paced scenes. That way, important moments have more room to stand out.

5. Entice Returning Viewers with 'Content Buckets'

Did you know that viral Shorts aren't created in a vacuum? Successful creators have a strategy for each video 

 the collection of videos surrounding that one masterpiece. That's why Jenny prefers to create "content buckets", or themes that viewers can easily recognize.

"Buckets are repeatable formats, and I try to build mine around very similar titles. For example, my bucket would be '$1 fast food item versus restaurant'.... All the videos are [metadata-linked using that title]. YouTube will say, "Oh, the viewer liked when she made '$1 pizza.' They're going to like it when she makes a $1 sandwich or $1 burger too," Jenny explains.

Creating content buckets (based on what worked in the past) is the fastest way to get returning viewers and increase your Shorts views.

YouTube Shorts Monetization: It's Easy When You're Going Viral

Compared to long-form content, YouTube Shorts don't bring in as much ad revenue. Going viral helps in that department, but many creators make as low as $100 for a Short with millions of views. It's a common problem that pushes Shorts creators into making long-form videos.

But what if you have no desire for that? What if you love making Shorts and nothing else on YouTube? 

"If you have products, courses, and sponsorships, that's where the money is made. I know a couple of creators who literally make a million dollars per sponsored Short," Jenny says.

Of course, going viral is the best way to get lucrative sponsorships or sell the right number of products to support yourself.

So, if you haven't already, learn how to boost the YouTube Shorts views on your channel!

Jenny Hoyos pointing to the words 10 million views formula

Are you still working your way toward 10 million YouTube Shorts views? Learn how Jenny Hoyos, a viral creator, reaches this milestone with each video!

How Jenny Hoyos Gets 10M Views Per YouTube Short

Do you want to boost your chance of going viral this holiday season? The good news is that you don't need tons of 

 to grow your views. With a good strategy and the right type of content, you can snag a million or more views by Christmas!

How do I make my video go viral on YouTube?

 It helps to prioritize short videos, find trendy keywords, and share your content across social media. Keep scrolling for more ideas!

1. Research Holiday Videos that Went Viral Last Year

One underrated hack is to find videos that where popular last Christmas and Thanksgiving. This kind of research has the power to reveal themes and topics that lend themselves to viral moments. After that, it's just a matter of reverse-engineering those traits to build newer, trend-worthy videos.

1. Go to the YouTube search bar and type in the word 

the word christmas typed into the youtube search bar

r. If searching in November, this will pull videos from 2022. Then, filter by 

Instantly, we found a video called "$5 Christmas" with 60 million views. That's an intriguing idea to recreate this holiday season!

Try not to limit yourself to just YouTube as you research. Check out videos that went viral on TikTok, Instagram, and other corners of the internet too.

No matter what season it is, your YouTube channel needs a healthy dose of 

 (SEO). Fortunately, optimizing your videos to attract the most views, likes, and watch time isn't hard. Just follow these steps:

Find trending holiday keywords on YouTube.

Add the keywords to your video titles and descriptions.

That's it! But remember, this strategy works best if holiday topics blend well with the content you're already posting.

For example, let's say your channel is about interior decorating. You might be wondering if "Christmas" and "interior decorating" will combine to produce a viral video.

According to vidIQ, "Christmas decor" has a high search volume on YouTube this month. Viewers typed the keyword into the search bar 

 Best of all, the topic isn't oversaturated or plagued by competition from large, established channels.

vidIQ gives a high keyword score of 68 for 'christmas decor'

Here are more keywords (low competition, high volume) to help you out:

Christmas gift ideas 2023: 41,514 searches

Thanksgiving streusel pumpkin pie: 3,070 searches

Free Thanksgiving meal Ibotta: 2,519 searches

During the holidays, viewers have numerous distractions competing for their attention. Ads, holiday specials on TV, winter events, and other types of media will 

. That’s why it’s wise to create bite-sized content this time of the year. It’s less overwhelming, and you get to hold viewers' attention much longer.

YouTube Shorts will become your best friend if you pick this strategy. Try filming some punchy video ideas, like:

60-second tutorial for Thanksgiving turkey

Quick guide to spending less during Christmas

Micro-vlogs of almost anything (wrapping presents, cooking, etc.)

Need some help making your YouTube Short go viral? 

This guide covers 8 elements of short, viral content.

Sometimes, going viral is about giving people something to remember. For example, make a video that 

 of their favorite Christmas movie from the '90s. Transport them back to 2003, where they savored their first bite of Thanksgiving turkey.

As you do this, know that it's about more than pumpkin pie or a rainbow of Christmas lights. People are connected to the 

 they get around the holidays. Nostalgic moments bring them back to their childhood and spark the holiday spirit.

So, can nostalgia truly bring more YouTube views? The answer is yes! And to prove it, here are two videos that went viral using 

5. Avoid Vlogmas — Create a Holiday Series Instead

Vlogmas is a popular YouTube trend where creators post one video per day until Christmas (or the end of the year). It's holiday-themed, so topics revolve around decorations, shopping, and winter events.

Vlogmas is fun, but there are better ways to make a YouTube video go viral. Instead of doing a general Vlogmas, choose a topic that interests your viewers and use it to build a series.

For example, a crafting channel might pursue a series called "12 Days of Christmas Crafting: Fun DIY Projects.” A health channel might go with "12 Days of Christmas Fitness: Easy Fat-Burning Workouts." Both ideas use the popular 12 Days of Christmas theme plus the holiday to attract more viewers.

Lastly, don't rely on YouTube to blast your video content. Real channel growth happens when you share your Shorts and long-form videos across the internet!

To start, post your content on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and other platforms. This will kickstart 

 will realize that people love your content and attempt to share it with even more viewers.


Remember, going viral is 100% possible this season if you know your audience, cling to the holiday theme, and keep your content brief and engaging. 



If you need more tips, this guide will help you make a viral YouTube video!

A camera wearing a christmas hat in a thanksgiving themed room

Viewers may be distracted this holiday season, but that doesn't mean you can't go viral. Here are 6 ways to grow your YouTube views at the end of the year.

Holiday Hacks: How to Go Viral on YouTube at the End of the Year

Nothing hurts more than spending hours on a YouTube video only to get 

 views in return. It’s discouraging for any creator, but the sting of failure hits some people harder

Unfortunately, it's the creators running small YouTube channels (and struggling to get noticed) who tend to feel the burn the most.

This raises an important question: How do you go viral on YouTube? 

To get the answer, we interviewed three small creators about how they did it and their advice for fellow YouTubers. We spoke with 

, a basketball enthusiast (1.68K subscribers); 

, a documentary-style creator (9.8K subscribers); and 

, a Minecraft gamer who's into storytelling (16.6K subscribers). 

Collectively, they earned over 1 million views without the luxury of having anything close to a million subscribers. So, in their own words, here's how to make your YouTube videos go viral!

1. Experiment Until You Have a Clear Passion/Expertise

It’s best to have a clear niche lined up for your YouTube channel, but it’s not a big deal if you’re still searching for the right fit. After all, there’s no rush to grow your channel. You can try different things until a topic resonates with you, your audience, and the goals you've set as a creator.

Esiar, who went viral with a few thousand subscribers, explored many ideas before settling on one. He went from gaming videos to YouTube growth advice to documentaries about online personalities. It was his final idea — documenting the rise of famous YouTubers — that birthed the viral video below. It has over 

2. Choose a Topic You Know Well or Love Deeply

Whether you stumble upon a topic or develop it over time, one thing is true on YouTube. It's easier to go viral when you understand the ins and outs of what you're posting. The more you know, the faster you grow.

And truthfully, you’ll need plenty of time to brainstorm new ideas and test them on your channel. That’s why creators like NuHoops find it easier to film what they know or showcase hobbies they already enjoy. In his case, covering the NBA was the perfect fit.

“During the season, I would already spend a couple of hours each night just watching the games. And so for me, it was a no-brainer. If I’m already invested so heavily in the NBA, why not double down on that and create a channel about it?” he says.

3. Figure Out What’s Not Going Viral Yet

Do small channels go viral on YouTube? Absolutely! Here are 10 tips to get millions of views on your videos, even if you have a few hundred subscribers.

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