YouTube has over one billion active users, making it one of the most active video platforms on the internet today. More and more content creators are jumping on YouTube to make a name for themselves, and because of that the platform has become highly competitive.

New YouTubers might have a hard time making a name for themselves at the beginning but that doesn’t mean it’s utterly impossible to succeed. Sometimes, all it takes is to combine killer content with adequate planning.

We see many newcomers on YouTube make some common mistakes on the platform that affect their chances of building a career on the platform.

Today, we will be discussing those mistakes so you can avoid them and be well on your way to YouTube stardom.

1. Failing to Plan, Planning to Fail

If you haven’t figured it out yet, YouTube is a cut-throat platform and content creators are always aggressively searching for ways to gain more views. Going in without a plan and a strategy in mind is almost always a recipe for disaster.

If you want to make a career out of the videos you put out on YouTube, you have to have a content and marketing strategy to make it happen.

Those who make it on YouTube commit to developing a strategy that can help them come up with relevant content and reach more people. Below are some guide questions you can ask yourself to get started in developing a strategy for your videos.

Why do you Want to be on YouTube?

This can be a good way to start figuring out your goals on the platform. Setting realistic goals as early as you can should help you come up with more valuable videos, on a consistent basis.

What do you Want your Channel to Achieve?

This is where you can be more specific. Give a time frame for every goal you’ve set from the previous step. This will help you keep your eyes on the prize as far as marketing goals go.

Who’s your Audience?

Identifying your audience can help you determine the most relevant type of videos to put out there. Asking yourself this question can also help you identify where your target audience is, along with when and where the best places to reach them might be.

Consider checking out this guide on creating comprehensive buyer personas for your videos.

What can your Audience Learn from your Videos?

Valuable content travels far on the internet. If you want viewers to flock to your videos, you have to add real value so they’ll be useful to your viewers.

By now, you already know who your audience is so you should have an easier time identifying what type of content is valuable to them and their daily lives.

2. Focusing on Content Alone

Content without strategy is nothing. While it’s true that creating content is a huge part of everyone’s success on YouTube, it’s not everything. As mentioned, there’s a lot more that goes into becoming a success on the platform.

Aside from marketing, one other thing worth investing your energy in is engagement. People on the internet are still looking for ways to connect with others and they appreciate it when content creators respond to their comments.

The comment section can become a community where fans and creators meet to share ideas and thoughts. If you want to get more people interested in your work, partake in the conversation that is happening right below your videos.

You can also visit other people’s videos that are similar to yours and join in the conversation, too. This is a great opportunity to build up a network of like-minded content creators. Send private messages as well, and see if you can look up the email of people that inspire you so you can contact them directly.

Establishing a good relationship with other content creators can make collaboration and promotion a whole lot easier down the road.

3. Neglecting the Description Box

Yes, YouTube is a video platform but the fact still remains that its algorithm and site crawlers still rely on text-based content to help determine a video’s search ranking results.

A lot of newcomers neglect to use the description box to its fullest advantage. This is actually a great place to put in comprehensive and useful text-based content that can help a video rank better on the platform’s algorithm.

One of the best ways to make good use of the description box is by including many useful and keyword-rich details about the video. A great way to do this is by transcribing your videos and putting that in the description box. This is perfect for generating a lot of text-based content for videos.

Make sure to include focused keywords in the description and ensure that the transcription is accurate to avoid any discrepancies.

4. Buying Low-Quality Views

Since YouTube is a highly competitive platform, we see a lot of content creators try to expedite their claim to fame by purchasing views.

There are providers out there who offer cheap, low-quality views by the bulk. While they may seem like an attractive option, you have to consider the fact that these views could show off the fact that they are bought, and some companies aren’t really up to snuff.

Low-quality views are nothing but impressive looking numbers that sit below your video. Aside from boosting a video’s appeal, they offer no real marketing benefits to the content creator.

Purchasing views is a viable option to boost social proof and gain more organic views – if you purchase from a reputable provider. Reputable providers offer high-quality views for a reasonable price, and you’ll be working with a legitimate company that won’t burn you. These are the type of bought social signals that are worth investing in.

These views can help you reach maximum view velocity which can ultimately help you appear as high as possible on search results. Combine those with other signals of engagement, such as video likes and comments, and you’ll be good to go. All it takes is some careful research, and you’ll be able to find the right provider who has your best interests in mind.

Finding the right company for you isn’t all that hard. We test the services of these social media service providers and provide you with comprehensive reviews, so you can easily find companies that offer quality services that are worth your time and money.

5. Failing to Utilize Existing Network

By now, it’s safe to assume that you have other existing social networking accounts aside from YouTube. These accounts are potent pools of highly convertible connections which should be funneled to your YouTube channel.

Because all these people already know you and have established a relationship with you, convincing them to watch your newly uploaded videos shouldn’t be too hard at all – all it should take is consistent promotion of engaging content.

You can start by either posting your YouTube videos on Facebook, or by uploading those same videos directly to Facebook. Here’s a great example from Walmart, a company with a consistent track record of uploading videos.

Aside from easily garnering more views and further strengthening your social proof, you can also boost your popularity on those social networking sites by simply promoting your content – that’s like hitting three birds with one stone!

6. Giving up When the Going gets Tough

Newcomers might realize soon enough that gaining viral success on the internet – and most especially on a highly competitive platform like YouTube – isn’t at all easy.

The truth is, there’s no such thing as overnight success for the vast majority of YouTubers out there.

The good news? Even some of the biggest YouTubers today were in the same spot you are in right now. They also started out with a just a few subscribers and not a lot of views, but they soldiered through it to get to where they are now.

YouTube giant Michelle Phan started out filming simple makeup videos using her university-issued laptop. She kept uploading videos, even if they were only being viewed by a few people. Her perseverance is what made her the beauty mogul she is today.

As the old saying goes “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” That means when things get hard, tough people work even harder. When you feel like nobody is watching your content, keep on uploading. This is a great way to build a channel you can be proud of down the line.

Similarly, YouTube newcomers also have to be careful about uploading way too much. Make sure to provide valuable content that is worth your viewers’ time. Be consistent, but not overwhelming.

7. Jumping on Every Sponsorship Opportunity

Sponsorships are a great way to make money on YouTube. Content creators are called influencers for a reason – they have the power to persuade viewers with their buying decisions.

As a content creator yourself, you have to be careful about the brands you work with. Jumping on every sponsorship deal possible can land you in hot water with your viewers.

Only work with brands that are useful and beneficial to your viewers – and try not to strike deals just for the sake of making those dollars. You don’t want to wind up like Nike did when they worked with athlete Oscar Pistorius, who was later charged with the murder of his girlfriend.

Eventually, if you establish yourself as a reputable influencer, you’ll be able to earn more from YouTube without compromising the integrity of your videos and your reputation.

Make it Big by Being Smart

Aside from dedicating your time and energy towards developing valuable content, follow the tips above to help you come up with a solid marketing strategy that can help you hack your growth as quickly as possible.

There are quite a number of resources available online that can help budding YouTubers build their career on the platform – and they are yours for the taking.

Remember, credibility speaks volumes on the internet. Never think twice about investing in building a more credible reputation. Purchasing views is one fast way to build a more impressive social proof and reach more viewers, but you’ll have to combine that with a great strategy.

If searching for the right provider seems daunting to you, fret not because we made the hunt a whole lot easier for you with our reviews. Check out our list of the top providers of YouTube Views and find a company that can offer you maximum marketing benefits through bought views.

Success on YouTube is not rocket science – all it takes is the right strategy combined with killer content. Now, start making those videos!

Date: March 17, 2017 / Categories: Tips, YouTube, / Author: Mariko