First thing’s first: Who are you talking to on YouTube? Is your content for teens obsessed with the latest video games or adults on the hunt for the perfect lasagna recipe? Knowing your target audience is like having the key to the doors of the algorithm.

Views are great, but an engaged audience is the lifeblood of your channel. After all, you need a healthy number of YouTube subscribers to turn viewers into a real community. So, create your ideal audience persona and prepare accordingly!

Even though you may have spent days filming and editing your video, the work isn’t over just because you’ve uploaded it to YouTube. Part of the excitement of publishing video content is the audience reaction, and if viewers have taken the time to watch your video and then comment on it, you should respect their time and energy by replying to every single one (or at least as many as you can).

If you are getting a lot of comments, block off an hour a day in your calendar to respond to, and engage with those commenters. You could even pin the best comments to your videos, or pin your own comments to continue the conversation in the comments section!

If replying to every comment feels overwhelming, remind yourself that the comments section is where connections begin, which could evolve into collaborations, brand deals, friendships, and more.

Viral videos evoke strong emotions which compel viewers to share them with their own networks. They have the potential to reach a massive audience within hours or even minutes after being posted! And contrary to popular belief, it’s a skill that can be learned.

Read More: How to Get Your First Viral YouTube Video: The Blueprint

There are several strategies to look at if you want to go viral, such as:

Make sure your material is engaging, shareable, and elicits powerful feelings like amazement or laughter. Aim to tell a gripping story that moves the audience; add plot twists for even more engagement. Keep it brief to hold viewers' interest, and be sure to follow trending topics!

Sharing your videos to the right platforms can increase visibility and attract engaging audiences who may not have come across your content.

Optimizing your videos for search engines can increase their visibility and improve their chances of going viral. Remember to use relevant keywords, write detailed descriptions, use engaging thumbnails, and add captions to your videos!

Read More: How to Optimize Your Videos for Maximum Views

But, the fundamental idea is simple. 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.

And remember, one of the best ways to go viral is with an insanely popular YouTube Short. So, try experimenting with brief, punchy videos!

This is something not everyone considers, but both end screens and well-designed playlists have a positive effect on your channel.

YouTube wants its viewers to stick around, and end screens encourage them to do that. Instead of just pushing viewers to any other video, guide them to content that complements what they've just watched. In fact, the more specific your video, the higher the likelihood of your audience going on a binge session.

Speaking of bingeing content, a good playlist will captivate viewers for hours upon hours. Figure out which topics they care about the most, then create YouTube playlists that hold 10 or more videos. It's one of the easiest ways to increase your views!

In the YouTube ecosystem, trends act like rocket fuel for the algorithm. Catching a trend early can skyrocket your video's visibility, connect you with new audiences, and offer you insights into what makes your viewers click that "subscribe" button. In short, it's your fast track to YouTube stardom.

But, creators can easily go wrong in following trends if they don’t put their audience first. Make sure you can incorporate the trends in your videos without ruining the essence of your channel. Identifying a trend is one thing, but capitalizing on it is a whole different ball game. You've got to bring something unique to the table. Whether it's a fresh perspective, a comedic twist, or an in-depth analysis, make sure your video adds value to the ongoing conversation

Read More: 6 Places to Find Trending YouTube Topics for Your Videos

As a YouTuber, staying ahead of the curve isn't just a nice-to-have; it's your lifeline! While some trends can be accidental, others are seasonal and happen every year — for example, popular holidays and festivals. So, planning accordingly is a good practice.

Two (or more) heads are always better than one, especially when it comes to reaching new audiences. That’s why collaborations are a great way to expand your reach. They are refreshing for your own audience as well because they get to see new content from you.

Read More: YouTube Collabs: 6 Tips for an Awesome Video Project

Working together with another YouTuber to produce original material has a lot of advantages. Along with increasing interactions, views, and subscribers, you'll also produce more engaging material. So, slide into the DMs of potential collab partners you’ve always wanted to team up with.

When you get a chance to provide more information on your videos while enhancing the viewing experience at the same time, you should take it! Adding accurate captions to your videos is one of the simplest ways to increase traffic and interaction on your channel. They also improve viewing duration and the likelihood that people will watch your videos all the way through.

Read More: 4 Reasons to Start Adding YouTube Captions to Your Videos

By incorporating them, you’ll be able to open your videos up to a larger audience, especially those who have hearing impairments. With the help of subtitles, you can translate your content into various languages and attract more viewers. So, if you haven’t already, don’t forget to add captions and subtitles to your videos.

The YouTube Studio has analytics for everything you need, and views are no exception to that. Two important things to look for are Audience Retention and Average View Duration. These metrics show you how long your viewers are staying on a video to watch what you've posted. They fall under the umbrella of YouTube watch time, which is the cumulative duration that individuals spend watching a video.

Returning vs New viewers shows you which videos appeal to specific types of viewers, which can help you make informed decisions on how to attract different audiences. You can also see when your audience is most active on YouTube which helps you choose the best time to make a new upload!

This is perhaps one of the most underused features on your YouTube channel. Not only does it keep your viewers engaged, but the community tab also comes with quizzes, image polls, videos, and other creative ways to start a conversation with your audience. It's the perfect tool for small channels on the rise.

Read More: How to Use the YouTube Community Tab and Engage with Viewers

For years, the community tab has helped creators stay in touch with their audience, especially when only publishing one or two videos each week. So, if you haven’t already, start using the community tab! Challenge yourself to post something every day for the next three to six months — polls, animated GIFs, or anything that brings you closer to your audience.

Boosting your YouTube views isn't a sprint; it's more like a marathon with hurdles, pit stops, and occasional rain showers. So keep creating, keep leveling up, and most importantly, keep that self-belief burning bright. And for everything else, you’ll have vidIQ supporting you every step of the way!