Building a channel is very, very difficult these days. There are many factors that help attract and hold viewers... and that's the key... you first have to attract viewers to your video then you want to hold them.
Attracting viewers involves Your video thumbnails. Your video titles. Consistency of both of those. And creating a relevant and compelling hook at the beginning of each video.
Potential viewers judge whether or not to click on your videos right from the start on the look of your thumbnail and the title. Then they decide whether or not to stay by the hook... or lack of one.
Having viewers stay is key for building key YouTube analytics. If enough viewers watch your videos long enough then YouTube will add your videos to a list of related or recommended videos to watch when people are watching other videos. In other words... when I am watching Bob's Homebrewing Channel there will always be a list off to the side of related or recommended content for me to check out. While I'm watching Bob I may decide to check out Allen Collins channel too. But to get on that list you have to have built up your time spent viewing.
There are also tricks and tips to use in the making of your videos to help hold viewers attention like adding graphics, varying camera angles and other visual interest elements that keep a viewers interest. If you are just a talking head droning on and on for 15 minutes they will get bored and click out.
The scripting of your video is also important. The words you use are key to attracting and holding viewers so try to use active language instead of passive. Try to use words that are highly descriptive or create a visceral image. Don't give away the "punch line" right away. That means don't reveal your findings or end result too early because once the viewer hears that there will be no reason for them to stick around any longer. When I was a programmer in radio we called that "opening a door". People are busy and have things to do. If you give them a good reason to stick around for just a few moments longer they will but if you give them a door to exit from then they will take it.
As an example lets say your beer turned out fantastic and won a gold medal in competition. Instead of telling them that right away and giving them that door you could say something like... "
You might be surprised at how this beer turned out but first a few tips that you can use on how it got there..."
Also interact with your viewers. If they post a comment be sure to reply to them even if it is just a thumbs up. Channels that lock down their comments are not welcoming.
It's also a good idea to watch as many related channels as you can. Subscribe to the ones you like. Study them to find out exactly why you like them and study what makes them work then don't be afraid to copy some of those points.
I am in the same boat as you and many other channel hosts. My own channel has been stuck at the same number of viewers for quite a while and even using the practices above I just can't seem to move the needle so I am still working on building the channel too.
Post your channel link and I'll take a look. In the meantime here is mine. Tell me if you see anything I can improve on.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcH1pMDuOf00QDKS5zTwEGA
Topic: So I started a YouTube channel... (Read 2231 times)
