YouTube is currently the second most popular social media platform. A wide variety of easily accessible and shareable videos attracts large numbers of YouTubers every day and inspires them to begin their YouTube journey.
Whether you’re an established brand, a small business, or a single YouTuber trying to break into the digital landscape, YouTube has 2.3 billion active users to interact with your content with.
But here’s a daunting challenge – between 2014 and 2019, the video content uploaded to YouTube every minute increased 40 percent. Users watch over a billion hours of video every day. Unless your videos have a wow factor, chances are your audience will scroll past them.
So here are six ways to take your YouTube videos to the next level and improve your video marketing game:
1. Immerse yourself in the trend
Source: Brid
Check out the most popular YouTube categories to find out what drives audiences. Although people watch a wide variety of videos on Youtube, there are some they can’t get enough of.
YouTuber favorites include unboxing videos, tutorials, top ten videos, “best of” compilations, pranks, comedy sketches, gaming videos, vlogging, shopping hauls, pet or animal videos, product reviews and autonomous videos sensory meridian response (ASMR).
Create videos along with these themes but add your unique style to make it more interesting. Check out popular videos under your chosen category and check out the comment sections. Often there you will find suggestions and strategic video ideas that you might be able to make a video of.
Just make sure the category you choose is something you are passionate about and comfortable with. Remember, your audience will know.
2. Pay attention to the video description
Source: YouTube
The description you add to a YouTube video has a direct impact on the views. Proper description will help the algorithm understand what your video is offering and enforce it. Unfortunately, many creators are guilty of adding the description afterwards, which leads to a few words being strung together. Such a description usually has no effect.
Remember, the first few lines of the video description will appear in search results on YouTube. Make sure you tweak the description by using the correct keywords. Briefly state what the audience can expect from your video. Write a compelling intro so a viewer will be tempted to click “Show More” – this will sell your video.
3. Master the art of video editing
Source: Clipchamp
To your viewers, watching raw raw footage instantly uploaded to YouTube is like eating a plate of boring food – it’s the perfect recipe to solve them right away.
Video editing is non-negotiable if you are serious about improving your YouTube game. When you are done recording, make sure to carefully weave the recordings together. Your video should have an introduction, a middle section, and an ending. The lack of a natural flow will leave your audience completely confused.
Play around with elements like transitions, images, text, animations, etc. to get your message across with a bang.
Aside from relying on YouTube’s native editing tools, use a video editor to take the load off your video editing sessions. Clipchamp’s easy-to-use video editing tool can solve your editing problems and help you add a unique flair to your videos without breaking a sweat.
4. Let the music play
Source: Clipchamp Stock Library
Adding suitable background music to YouTube videos can be a complete game changer.
Music can help you highlight the message you’re conveying through the video and make it feel great. Be sure to choose music that really compliments the content. For example, if your video has a lot of narration, go for ambient or instrumental music. Choose a track with steady beats. Otherwise, the audience may find it difficult to focus on the video content.
Finally, you should always use royalty-free tracks available online to avoid getting caught up in copyright litigation.
5. Maintain a conversation tone
Your audience doesn’t expect a bot to read from a script. Instead, they look forward to hearing a human through the video, especially if it’s a vlog (new to YouTube? Check out these vlogging tips).
You can use a script, but try not to sound too mechanical. Maintain a natural and chatty tone to build trust and credibility with the audience. Emphasize storytelling above all else. When you appear on the video, you can use hand gestures to send the message. For videos with voiceover, consider adding animated text or graphics while editing the video.
6. Invest in a good microphone
Source: MicReviews
Visuals are not enough to captivate and excite your audience. Your sound also needs to be loud and clear. While cell phones and cameras can record great video, you have to admit that the sound quality isn’t all that impressive. If you want to publish content where voice and music are essential elements, you need to invest in the best microphone that best suits your purpose.
There are many different microphones on the market today. It is important that you know what type of videos you want to make first before deciding which microphone to use. When you’re recording outdoors, you want your audience to hear you, not the cars rushing by or the chatter of passers-by. So you might want to invest in a shotgun microphone that blocks out ambient noise and is easy to attach to your camera.
Create a sketch or prank-style video? Then a wireless microphone is good for you. It can be attached to clothing or accessories and is small enough not to attract attention. Despite its small size, it picks up the wearer’s voice well enough to be heard on video.
If you’re a gamer and want to post game streaming video, you’ll need a condenser microphone to accurately record voice details. A mere grin or sigh is important in conveying your emotions and reactions. A normal microphone cannot pick this up, but a condenser microphone can.
Test your microphone before recording your video. Record a small sample of your voice and play it back so you know what it will sound like to your audience.
7. Let it be light
Even if you’re not a professional at video recording, recording video with the best lighting arrangements can keep you looking smooth and polished. You can adjust the brightness and white balance after production. However, if you shoot with good lighting it will get better from the start and may not require further editing when it’s done.
For a compact lighting arrangement, first invest in a high-quality LED light and a stand. Then position the lights properly – you should aim for a three-light configuration, consisting of a primary light source called the key light, a light source to fill in the shadows created by the key light, and a backlight source to create a separation between the subject and the background .
8. Create smooth and stable videos
Recording with the camera in hand can cause the video to shake and move unstably. Not only will this make your video look unprofessional, but it will also make it difficult to watch.
In order to make the shot movements evenly, you should invest in a gimbal. These camera accessories hold your camera and use sensors and motors to prevent shaky and shaky footage. Tripods are useful for videos in which the subject is in a fixed location or only moves within the frame. Gimbals are for subjects that move from one place to another. Its stabilizer ensures that the movement of the camera is smooth and seamless when shifting the position.
These handheld camera accessories are also a must-have for creative shots. There are many different recording techniques that you can try to create dramatic and cinematic videos. Mastering artistic techniques can take time, but there are simple but effective methods that you can try. You can even play around with hand movements and footwork for unique shots.
9. Create compelling intros and outros
Intro helps you get your videos off to a bang. Add the brand logo, tagline, and correct keywords to the introductory screen to make it search engine optimized. Use an intro maker like Clipchamp and play around with graphics, text, music, and images for a visual impact.
The outro is the end screen of your YouTube video that you can place clickable links on. It’s an effective tool for keeping the audience engaged even after the video ends and getting them to grab the call-to-action they want. Make sure the outro is on the screen for at least eight seconds so that viewers can fully process it.
Everything ready to create stunning YouTube videos?
Creating binge-worthy videos doesn’t have to be difficult! Implementing these strategies can help you increase your video marketing efforts on YouTube and get more views.
Author: Yash Chawlani
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Yash Chawlani is a freelance content marketing strategist known by his personal brand, Merlin. He specializes in SEO and social media and supports B2B and SaaS companies with his first-class content strategies. In his free time you can find him either in the gym or on the … Show complete profile >
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