Growing a YouTube Channel in 2021 with @ItamarBlauer #vcbuzz

Youtube is one the most effective, yet most challenging digital marketing channel.

It takes a lot of time and effort to build up your subscriber base there and it is very hard to keep your subscribers engaged.

How to grow your Youtube channel? Let’s discuss!

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About @ItamarBlauer

Itamar Blauer is an SEO consultant based in London.

He has a proven track-record of increasing website rankings with SEO that is UX focused, data-backed and creative.

Contact Itamar on Linkedin and Youtube

Questions we discussed

Q1 How did you become a digital marketer? Please share your career story!

I was always interested in technology and using computers to market different ideas/projects I’ve had, so it just made sense to go into digital marketing at that point!

Q2 Where to start? What if I am just planning to start a channel on Youtube? Which newbie mistakes should I avoid?

Avoid these common YouTube mistakes:

Uploading about various niches
Starting due to monetary incentives
Not conducting thorough research on your audience
Using bad equipment
Not considering your overall objectives
Sub4Sub/buying engagement

Just searching online for some good quality mics, webcams/video cameras, and lighting kits.

These shouldn't break the bank because there is a lot of choice out there nowadays for some solid equipment! #vcbuzz
— Itamar Blauer (@ItamarBlauer) January 19, 2021

Oh this is a good point! Do you usually maintain several channels for each country? @ItamarBlauer what are your thoughts here? #vcbuzz
— Ann Smarty (@seosmarty) January 19, 2021

If I’m creating content in multiple languages I’d have a channel dedicated to each language. Otherwise, subscribers who don’t speak the other language most likely won’t watch your video, and that will give off negative signals to YouTube.

On the other hand, those same global brands not aligning at the global level and leaving each market operate independently without a unified set of best practices. #vcbuzz @ItamarBlauer
— William Álvarez (@williamalvarez) January 19, 2021

A2 The most important thing to remember is that YouTube (and other major social networks) are heavily censored. You must be careful to avoid any topic that is affected as you could lose your channel altogether if you innocently mention the wrong subject. #vcbuzz https://t.co/iSUfPNtfRp
— Gail Gardner (@GrowMap) January 19, 2021

Great point, YouTube have been known to terminate channels around particular controversial topics.

I'd add, not to upload relevant content and often. With timing, it helped me to make it regular when I ran my own channel. Variety is also important #vcbuzz
— Montse Cano (@MontseCano) January 19, 2021

One simple mistake I notice individuals making is NOT renaming their videos BEFORE uploading it to YouTube…Prior to uploading your video to YouTube, you should rename the video to reflect your keyword! #vcbuzz
— ?Bubbie Gunter? (@GunterBubbie) January 19, 2021

Hahaha brings back memories of seeing videos uploaded called “video121.mp4”

In terms of uploading videos, it's really down to your niche, time availability, and preference. I try to upload a video every Monday. #vcbuzz
— Itamar Blauer (@ItamarBlauer) January 19, 2021

Yes, the sad thing about social media, especially today, is that all your work can be taken from you at the whim of the platforms. And it is getting worse. #vcbuzz
— Gail Gardner (@GrowMap) January 19, 2021

Yes and no. The problem is so many people use gmail. It is a simple thing for that platform to filter your email into another tab or disappear it altogether. People will rarely notice if email fails to arrive – especially if they don't know when to expect it. #vcbuzz
— Gail Gardner (@GrowMap) January 19, 2021

Google is evidently a monopoly in many respects across the web – for email, video, and web content.

Q3 How to get new subscribers with every video you publish?

If you want to earn subs with a new video, you need to be more aggressive with your marketing activities. Are you sharing your content on social media using the right hashtags? Are you utilising your network? Don’t sit there and expect subs to come – be ACTIVE.

Some great points. I especially like the distinction between high quality content/production. I know lots of creators whose production quality isn't great but they still maintain a strong following & engagement. #vcbuzz
— Itamar Blauer (@ItamarBlauer) January 19, 2021

New subscribers are easy to gain. Here are a couple of ideas to help you grow your subscribers… #1 – Ask your followers where they are struggling and make a video answering their question..Simple i know but effective #vcbuzz
— ?Bubbie Gunter? (@GunterBubbie) January 19, 2021

Q4 How to keep your subscribers engaged to keep them active?

Keep your subscribers engaged by…

Using audible CTAs
Offering giveaway incentives
Sounding and looking engaged when on camera
Having a regular upload schedule
Replying to EVERY comment
Listening and acting on feedback
Uploading live videos

Of course – they're helpful for all viewers (even if they aren't subscribed).

Use cards for referring viewers to a similar video based off the reference that you're talking about, and end screens to provide options for viewers to take action at the end of the video. #vcbuzz
— Itamar Blauer (@ItamarBlauer) January 19, 2021

A4 Some channels I watch do audience Q&As – either special videos or a short one at the end of their regular video.

Others do giveaways, especially if the channel is large enough that they have cool sponsors. So they might show off a tool + give one to subscribers. #vcbuzz https://t.co/hwYqoBwFGs
— Gail Gardner (@GrowMap) January 19, 2021

Q&As are great fun! I’m yet to do one on my current channel

Hmmm. I have never watched a corporate video channel and wouldn't.

Check out some really cool channels. If you like tools, check out Wrangerstar. https://t.co/umBQZpulrR #VCbuzz
— Gail Gardner (@GrowMap) January 19, 2021

Yes, YouTube is the dominant video host, but there are many others. These have been around a long time: https://t.co/L3OTlJZmrq

But now there are many new ones in response to YouTube deleting many channels. odysee, bitchute, etc. #vcbuzz https://t.co/0oV6NCP3Sg
— Gail Gardner (@GrowMap) January 19, 2021

Correct, I think they are good alternatives as a video player with great features, but not for organic distribution. Wistia is amazing. I would say Vimeo has grown recently on the B2B market a lot and are doing great marketing. #VCBuzz @vcbuzz
— William Álvarez (@williamalvarez) January 19, 2021

Q5 What are your favorite Youtube marketing tools?

My favourite YouTube marketing tools:

Google Trends – finding trending topics specifically within YouTube search
YouTube auto-suggest – used for keyword research and gives ideas for titles/tags
Online forums such as Reddit and Quora
YouTube Analytics

A5 (1) Rapid Tags- to make video tagging easier https://t.co/t3me1ulyAh (2) Keyword Tool for video title and description https://t.co/DEBkQqesr1 #vcbuzz
— Jessy Troy (@jessytroy) January 19, 2021