Promote Your YouTube Channel: 17 Tips for Small Creators

Are you ready to start promoting yourself on YouTube? At a minimum, you should have two things covered already:

1. Understanding your YouTube niche/audience
2. Knowing the YouTube keywords you want to target

If you’re good in both of these areas, here’s how to promote your YouTube channel for free!

1. Write a Good Description for Your Channel

One of the easiest ways to promote your channel is by simply describing it. Explain your YouTube niche, the type of videos you make, and most importantly, what viewers gain by subscribing. Use clear terms for your topic so viewers can understand what your channel covers.

Take Rix Flix, for example. This theme park channel has keywords like “Universal Studios” and “Florida” in its channel description. Plus, they accurately describe the channel’s purpose.

2. Write Fascinating Video Titles

If you want people to pay attention to your channel, write engaging titles they can’t ignore. Typically, the best titles appeal to our strongest emotions, like fear, desire, and curiosity.

Here are some examples:

• Fear: “The Dark Side of the Stock Market (Protect Your Money Now)”
• Desire: “What You’re Doing Wrong in the Dating Scene”
• Curiosity: “How Getting Rejected by Harvard Changed my Life”

Write a title that accurately describes the video and gives the intended viewer a reason to watch. Use a relevant topic term naturally when it helps explain the video.

3. Write Accurate Video Descriptions

Just like your channel needs a description, so does every YouTube video. Use the first few lines to explain what this specific video covers. Include relevant keywords naturally and give each video a unique description.

But writing a good description is an art form. You definitely want to use the right keywords and make your content sound intriguing. But beyond that, you want to get the length right, not too many words and not too few.

Plus, here’s a complete guide for writing video descriptions.

4. Add Hashtags to Your Videos

Relevant hashtags link your video to results pages for that topic. They do not guarantee placement or views.

So, how does it all come together? When viewers click a hashtag, they go to the official hashtag page for a specific topic. For example, #babysongs has dozens of nursery rhyme videos for young children.

5. Design Clear, Accurate YouTube Thumbnails

The power of thumbnails can’t be overstated on YouTube. The more intriguing they are, the more people want to click on them out of sheer curiosity.

Read More: YouTube Thumbnail Guide - 9 Ways to Boost Click-Through Rate

Here are some best practices for thumbnails:

• Use images related to the video’s topic.
• Create a design that’s simple and easy to understand.
• Add some text that explains the video.
• Create harmony between the thumbnail and video title.
• Use a thumbnail style that matches your niche.

That last piece of advice is critical. While MrBeast can have a colorful, action-packed thumbnail (because he makes challenge videos)...

…a channel like Wolf Tea uses calm, minimalistic thumbnails to attract tea drinkers.

6. Promote Related Videos with Cards and End Screens

Did you know you can use one video to promote additional content? This is called cross-promotion, and the best way to get it done is with YouTube cards and end screens.

YouTube cards can appear at any point during a video. They’re used to recommend other videos, and that content is usually related to the topic at hand. If the creator is talking about YouTube monetization, they might use a card to refer viewers to a video about that subject.

End screens appear in the last 5 to 20 seconds of a video that is at least 25 seconds long. Use a relevant video or playlist as the next viewing choice. End screens are unavailable on videos set as Made for Kids, and external website links require membership in the YouTube Partner Program.

7. Create YouTube Playlists

You might think playlists are only helpful when someone’s browsing your channel, but they play a much bigger role. Group related videos into a playlist so viewers can find the next part of a topic. Playlists can also appear in search results.

So if you want more people to discover your channel, start making playlists!

8. Host YouTube Live Streams

Host a live Q&A, tutorial, or demonstration when real-time questions add something to your topic. You need a verified channel, no live-streaming restrictions in the past 90 days, and must meet YouTube’s age requirement of at least 16. Mobile live streaming also requires at least 50 subscribers, and first-time activation may take up to 24 hours. Check the current requirements before announcing a stream.

9. Collaborate with Other Creators

If you have a decent number of subscribers, it’s never too soon for a YouTube collab. It’s the ultimate form of promotion, as you can partner with a creator who agrees to feature you in their videos.

But you won’t grow from any old collab. Here are some tips to make sure you get what you need:

• Find creators on your level (in terms of subscribers).
• Collaborate with people in your niche.
• Brainstorm video ideas before sending collab emails.
• Pick a video collab style (in person, remote, etc.).
• Set a realistic date to publish collabs.
• Promote each YouTube collaboration.

10. Connect with Viewers Through YouTube Posts

Use YouTube Posts to ask a question, share an image, or start a poll about a topic your viewers care about. Posts can appear on your channel and may also appear on Home and in the Subscriptions feed.

11. Comment on Other YouTube Videos

Leave a useful, specific comment when you have something to add to the discussion. Do not repeat promotional messages, drop unrelated channel links, or trade subscriptions.

The golden rule for this strategy is to comment within your niche. So if you’re a gardening channel, start networking with other creators in that community. Comment on their videos to say what you liked or agreed with, so like-minded viewers know you exist!

12. Promote Your Channel on Social Media

Some of the best places to promote your YouTube channel are outside the platform itself. A few of those apps and websites include:

• Facebook groups
• Instagram Stories
• Reddit communities
• Discord servers
• TikTok

Choose a community where people already discuss your video’s topic. Share a useful takeaway or a short preview, then link to the full video where the community permits promotion.

13. Embed Videos on Your Website

Do you have a blog or company website? If so, try embedding some YouTube videos on the different pages of your site.

When deciding which videos to embed, pay attention to the page’s overall topic. Your video should add context in a way that helps readers understand what the page is all about.

For example, you can embed the following:

• A tutorial explaining how something works
• A documentary of your adventures (travel, nature, gardening, etc.)
• A product testing video that supports a written product review
• A video Q&A

14. Link a Related Video from Your YouTube Short

Use a Short to introduce the same topic as a longer video, then add that video as its Related Video. In YouTube Studio, select Content, open the Short, choose a Related Video from your channel, and save. This requires advanced feature access, and the selected video must be public or unlisted. Viewers see a clickable link below your channel handle. URLs in Shorts descriptions and comments are not clickable.

So if you haven’t already, start growing your views with YouTube Shorts.

15. Participate in YouTube Trends and Challenges

Use a trend only when it fits your channel’s topic and the viewers you want to reach.

The key thing to remember is that all trends aren’t worth pursuing. Some of them will be far outside your niche, which makes it hard to turn those random viewers into a real audience. Some challenges will be dangerous, and others won’t align with your personal beliefs.

Before you jump in, make sure the trend benefits your channel. You can also read this article to find trending topics for your videos.

16. Post Videos Consistently

Choose an upload schedule you can maintain without sacrificing the video. A schedule can help viewers know what to expect, but uploading more often does not guarantee more views.

So sometimes, showing up is the best promotion plan you can have!

17. Ask Viewers to Promote Your Channel

Lastly, ask your audience to promote your channel for you. It takes less than 10 seconds to ask viewers to like, subscribe, and share your videos, so the effort is well worth it! These calls to action remind people that you need their support.

Choose a Promotion Tactic and Check Your Results

Choose one promotion tactic for your next upload. In YouTube Studio, open Content, select the video’s Analytics, and use Reach to see how viewers found it. If you shared it outside YouTube, inspect External sites or app; if you promoted a next video, review end-screen performance. Use those results to decide what to try again.