As a YouTube video producer there is no better feeling than when you log into your account and see that one of your videos has been viewed by many people. In contrast, seeing the view count reading as zero can be very frustrating and disappointing.

Most of us get less views that we hope for, so how can we increase the popularity of our channels? Here are five techniques I use to increase the popularity of my YouTube channel and begin the journey towards YouTube success.

1. Get The Little Things Right

You should take the time to update your thumbnails, backgrounds and channel artwork to present a professional looking channel to any potential subscriber. There are tutorials online that show you how to create your channel artwork so your channel will look good on all types of screen resolution sizes and mobile device type. Work your way through the various YouTube video settings and ensure your branding is consistent and looks great. This gives you an instant look of credibility. Also take the time to create a channel trailer, which should be a short and exciting sales pitch for the type of content a viewer will enjoy from your channel.

2. Pick The Right Topic

What do you plan on making videos about? When selecting a topic, make sure that topic is popular on YouTube. There is no need to reinvent the wheel. People have popular channels about many obscure topics, so do your research.

Whichever topic you choose, you must be very interested in it. Making good videos is fun but also time-consuming. A genuine passion for your chosen video topic is an absolute must.

The passion you have for your topic makes a difference to the success of your channel. One great example is a YouTube channel where an amateur player goes through chess games played by chess grandmasters. The channel owner is open about not being a great chess player, but people watch his videos because he is so positive and enthusiastic about the game. He shares what he loves and people enjoy watching it, even people who are not chess players!

3. Invest in good equipment

Depending on your budget you may not be able to afford the best cameras, special lighting or professional editing software. You should, however, invest in the best equipment you can afford. As a general rule your videos will look better if you have more sophisticated equipment.

Practise and learn video editing techniques to enhance your video quality. Your best source of help in this area is YouTube itself, where there are many good videos on what equipment to buy, what software to use and how to use it. Remember to check when videos were made as technology and software improve very quickly and there may be even better options on the market for you to buy since that video was released.

4. Release quality videos consistently

The word ‘consistency’ is the life blood of excellent YouTube channels. The most popular video bloggers release their videos on the same day each week and usually in the same volume. Their subscribers know that a video is due at a certain time and look forward to it. Be careful not to fall for the trap of releasing many videos everyday whilst the channel is new and gradually losing interest until there are very few uploads, or even none at all. Your subscribers will expect consistency, so it is up to you to manage their expectations right from the launch of your channel with a realistic and sustainable quality and volume of video.

5. Engage with other Channels

Find other channels who produce similar content to you and comment, share and like their videos. Set up a twitter account for your channel and set up the YouTube account so a tweet is made each time you release a new video. Do not spam other videos with links to your channel, take the time to make proper comments and cultivate a relationship with other channels by private messaging the owners and asking questions.

Mention during your videos you like a certain YouTube channel and hopefully they will return the favour. Receiving a mention in a third party video on a popular channel should lead to an instant increase in views on your video, based upon their recommendation. If you follow the advice given above and your channel looks good, some of these new viewers will become your subscribers. buy youtube comments likes