Triumph in the Digital Arena - Discovering YouTube’s Top Five Tactics

YouTube is undoubtedly the most famous video sharing platform in the world. More than 5 billion videos are watched every single minute on YouTube. And the ever-growing user base has propelled YouTube to the status of 2nd most popular social media platform in the world, and the second most visited website after Google in 2021.

YouTube marketing is great for both businesses and individuals who want to make careers out of YouTube. Many businesses make use of YouTube ads to get their products to their customers and it’s really effective. However, you can make more organic traffic using YouTube video marketing. With a successful YouTube video marketing strategy, you can generate leads without any ad investments.

And in this guide, we will discuss some YouTube video marketing tips that will help you get more subscribers and build your brand outreach.

Tip #1: Create A Roadmap Leading To Your Main Goal

A roadmap is basically a level by level approach to your vision. Instead of just looking at the end plan, you are building your platform up through short attainable goals. There is immense power in setting short term goals. Some serious questions that you should ask yourself are:

Step 1: Start with the question of why you need a YouTube channel in the first place! Decide on what your channel should be about and how the viewers are going to benefit from it.

Step 2: The next step is to prepare a content plan. Here must decide the type of videos and how often it will be published on your channel.

Step 3: What is your target in terms of subscribers and traffic conversion. Do you plan to take the audience to a separate landing or are you planning on making money solely from YouTube?

Planning out such specifics will help you build your platform gradually to the main goal.

Tip #2: Do tests within your strategy

Understanding the audience preferences is paramount to the success of YouTube channels. There are some important tests that you can do to understand the genre that you are targeting.

a. Test video duration

Nobody likes to see a 2 hour long YouTube video unless it’s super interesting. Thankfully, there have been studies that have been conducted to measure the audience reaction to videos of different lengths.

By default, when you create a YouTube account, the maximum upload length is restricted to just 15 minutes. You can go past this limit by verifying your account on YouTube.

When you look at the most trending videos on YouTube, they generally fall within 10 minutes. The average video size on YouTube is 4.4 minutes .

For example, let us look at YouTube videos that explain the same concept, but with different video lengths and see if the audience engagement differs with the videos. we have ensured that both videos are from channels who have a similar subscriber count in order to eliminate disproportionality that arises from viewer base.

This video gives an excellent explanation of the string theory. The Video is From TED-Ed and you can see the audience response in the comments where they praise Physicist Brian Greene for his talk. Note that the video has 2.4 million views.

Now, look at the above video that explains String Theory in less than half the time from TED-Ed. Notice how the video has more than four times the views with an impressive 10 million views. It comes to show that if you can condense your content in such a way that you can get the maximum meaning across in minimum time, you will rack up more views!

b. Test different formats/scenarios

Having a monotonous nature throughout your videos can be quite tiring for the viewer after some time. Make sure to mix things up a bit by introducing new types of video formats or scenarios that keeps the users engaged.

Such a format change will also be invaluable in testing the audience reaction to the different types of videos that you make. These new formats can be in the form of a separate video series that is different from your main content. It can also be something that directly engages the viewers like a live video stream, Ask Me Anything or Q&A type of content, etc.

For example, let us take one among the most popular cooking channels on YouTube – Tasty. If you were to browse through their content, you can see how they got their fame with cookery videos that are short and sweet like the one below:

However, they do not just stick to that same format all the time. you can also see how they mix in lengthier videos of different format. For example:

And many videos that aren’t specifically cooking at all!

And it is evident that these new formats have also become crowd favorites. Now do all their videos hit the 1 million mark? No, that just shows they are constantly testing out the waters go ahead with what works and discard what doesn’t!

c. Try Giveaways and gifts

You can boost the viewership and subscriber count for your channel by setting up occasional giveaways or gifts to the viewers. Make sure that you set the winning criteria to have the viewers subscribe to the channel.

For example, let’s take another popular YouTube channel Unbox Therapy. On Jun 27, 2018, the channel did an announcement that they were giving 106 OnePlus 6 smartphones!

And the result of the announcement was evident in the subscribers count.

From June 23rd to June 27th, 2018, Unbox therapy had gained 12,583 subscribers. However, from the announcement date that is June 27th to June 30th, 2018, the channel saw an increase of a whopping 52,173 subscribers ! Till date, the video has over 14 million views

We do not advise you to try this out when you are just starting your YouTube career. Only venture out to such investments when you are stable when it comes to earnings.

Tip#3: Ask your audience for Feedback

All your videos must be created with the audience in mind. However, sometimes what you may think would work might not fit well with the audience. Hence, it is imperative that you understand their likes and dislikes.

And the best way to improve your videos is to take suggestions from the audience themselves. You can ask them specific questions on how to improve your videos or what they want to see in your future creations. Take notes on what they have to offer and start building your content taking in those suggestions.

There is also another facet to incorporating audience feedback as it projects your YouTube channel to be responsive to the audience, something that is vital to building a strong and loyal viewer base on YouTube.

Tip #4: Analyse your YouTube videos traffic sources

YouTube has made it easier for you to track the sources from which your videos are getting the views. Sign in to YouTube Studio Beta and the click Reach from the Analytics menu provided on the left panel. Now click on Traffic source types.

In this window, you can see the different sources that led viewers to your video. Generally, it can be a mix of websites, YouTube recommendation’s, YouTube search, etc. Metrics like Watch Time gives you an idea of how long viewers watch your videos and Audience Retention shows how consistent they are at watching them. These are just two of the many metrics you can use to your advantage.

Analyzing YouTube videos will help you structure your future videos in a way that it is more susceptible to being clicked.

Tip #5: Track the effectiveness of your videos

You must have an eye on the metrics that your videos garner over the days. While the number of views, likes, and dislikes are great indicators in determining the popularity of the videos, but there are many more factors at play.

Your video ranking is important as it determines the position of your videos when a keyword is typed into the search box. The ranks are calculated by the YouTube algorithm, but you have a certain degree of power in raising the ranks by leveraging the following parameters of the video;

Thumbnail: The first thing that the viewer is going it see when they are browsing through a list of videos is the thumbnail. Make sure that it is attractive and stands out!

Title: The next element that gets the most attention from both the user and the YouTube algorithm is the title. Ensure that the main keyword you are targeting is included in the title.

Description: This is where you can play a lot with keywords, both short and long tail. Be very descriptive about your video, but do not just use a big chunk of text. The description must be succinct and informative. It can also have links to your landing page or sponsors.

Tags: Tags are words or phrases that are used to help YouTube better understand the video. Make sure the tags that you are giving are related to the video that they represent.

Category: YouTube has some predefined categories and the videos that you upload must be put in the right one to get maximum reach.

Subtitles: Subtitles do not carry much weight in terms of SEO or ranking, but they are a much-appreciated addition in the audience point of view.

Yes, it can be quite meticulous but the results are worth the effort. Having a rank tracker like the one from SE Ranking or Tubebuddy can be quite handy at times like these. The software basically tracks everything about your videos and presents them in a neatly organized dashboard, which is cuts the effort significantly for YouTube marketers.

Do not leave the video by itself to garner views, it often fails to register any results because elements like the title, description and the keywords play an important role in getting the videos to the users.

You may also like: How to Convert YouTube to MP4 Safely? [Step by Step Guide] >>

Tip #6: Choose a suitable video creator

Creating attractive videos is a key to make success in Youtube video marketing. So you will need to have a suitable video editor to help you. There are quite a few choices in marketing now, such as Adobe Premiere Pro. However, there is a better choice for most average users - Filmora Video Editor , which provides powerful video editing features and huge transitions, effects, and filters resources.

To know more about Filmora Video Editor, visit its page: https://filmora.wondershare.com/video-editor/

Conclusion

YouTube marketing has evolved over the years to a point where you need a carefully crafted plan to have a successful YouTube career. In this guide, we have mentioned some useful YouTube marketing tips that will help you alo12ng the way.

The greatest takeaway from this guide should be that you must be patient and have persistence. Do not stop what you are doing just because you didn’t see any results on day one. Keep the fire burning and you will reach there in no time!

This video gives an excellent explanation of the string theory. The Video is From TED-Ed and you can see the audience response in the comments where they praise Physicist Brian Greene for his talk. Note that the video has 2.4 million views.

Now, look at the above video that explains String Theory in less than half the time from TED-Ed. Notice how the video has more than four times the views with an impressive 10 million views. It comes to show that if you can condense your content in such a way that you can get the maximum meaning across in minimum time, you will rack up more views!

b. Test different formats/scenarios

Having a monotonous nature throughout your videos can be quite tiring for the viewer after some time. Make sure to mix things up a bit by introducing new types of video formats or scenarios that keeps the users engaged.

Such a format change will also be invaluable in testing the audience reaction to the different types of videos that you make. These new formats can be in the form of a separate video series that is different from your main content. It can also be something that directly engages the viewers like a live video stream, Ask Me Anything or Q&A type of content, etc.

For example, let us take one among the most popular cooking channels on YouTube – Tasty. If you were to browse through their content, you can see how they got their fame with cookery videos that are short and sweet like the one below:

However, they do not just stick to that same format all the time. you can also see how they mix in lengthier videos of different format. For example:

And many videos that aren’t specifically cooking at all!

And it is evident that these new formats have also become crowd favorites. Now do all their videos hit the 1 million mark? No, that just shows they are constantly testing out the waters go ahead with what works and discard what doesn’t!

c. Try Giveaways and gifts

You can boost the viewership and subscriber count for your channel by setting up occasional giveaways or gifts to the viewers. Make sure that you set the winning criteria to have the viewers subscribe to the channel.

For example, let’s take another popular YouTube channel Unbox Therapy. On Jun 27, 2018, the channel did an announcement that they were giving 106 OnePlus 6 smartphones!

And the result of the announcement was evident in the subscribers count.

From June 23rd to June 27th, 2018, Unbox therapy had gained 12,583 subscribers. However, from the announcement date that is June 27th to June 30th, 2018, the channel saw an increase of a whopping 52,173 subscribers ! Till date, the video has over 14 million views

We do not advise you to try this out when you are just starting your YouTube career. Only venture out to such investments when you are stable when it comes to earnings.

Tip#3: Ask your audience for Feedback

All your videos must be created with the audience in mind. However, sometimes what you may think would work might not fit well with the audience. Hence, it is imperative that you understand their likes and dislikes.

And the best way to improve your videos is to take suggestions from the audience themselves. You can ask them specific questions on how to improve your videos or what they want to see in your future creations. Take notes on what they have to offer and start building your content taking in those suggestions.

There is also another facet to incorporating audience feedback as it projects your YouTube channel to be responsive to the audience, something that is vital to building a strong and loyal viewer base on YouTube.

Tip #4: Analyse your YouTube videos traffic sources

YouTube has made it easier for you to track the sources from which your videos are getting the views. Sign in to YouTube Studio Beta and the click Reach from the Analytics menu provided on the left panel. Now click on Traffic source types.

In this window, you can see the different sources that led viewers to your video. Generally, it can be a mix of websites, YouTube recommendation’s, YouTube search, etc. Metrics like Watch Time gives you an idea of how long viewers watch your videos and Audience Retention shows how consistent they are at watching them. These are just two of the many metrics you can use to your advantage.

Analyzing YouTube videos will help you structure your future videos in a way that it is more susceptible to being clicked.

Tip #5: Track the effectiveness of your videos

You must have an eye on the metrics that your videos garner over the days. While the number of views, likes, and dislikes are great indicators in determining the popularity of the videos, but there are many more factors at play.

Your video ranking is important as it determines the position of your videos when a keyword is typed into the search box. The ranks are calculated by the YouTube algorithm, but you have a certain degree of power in raising the ranks by leveraging the following parameters of the video;

Thumbnail: The first thing that the viewer is going it see when they are browsing through a list of videos is the thumbnail. Make sure that it is attractive and stands out!

Title: The next element that gets the most attention from both the user and the YouTube algorithm is the title. Ensure that the main keyword you are targeting is included in the title.

Description: This is where you can play a lot with keywords, both short and long tail. Be very descriptive about your video, but do not just use a big chunk of text. The description must be succinct and informative. It can also have links to your landing page or sponsors.

Tags: Tags are words or phrases that are used to help YouTube better understand the video. Make sure the tags that you are giving are related to the video that they represent.

Category: YouTube has some predefined categories and the videos that you upload must be put in the right one to get maximum reach.

Subtitles: Subtitles do not carry much weight in terms of SEO or ranking, but they are a much-appreciated addition in the audience point of view.

Yes, it can be quite meticulous but the results are worth the effort. Having a rank tracker like the one from SE Ranking or Tubebuddy can be quite handy at times like these. The software basically tracks everything about your videos and presents them in a neatly organized dashboard, which is cuts the effort significantly for YouTube marketers.

Do not leave the video by itself to garner views, it often fails to register any results because elements like the title, description and the keywords play an important role in getting the videos to the users.

You may also like: How to Convert YouTube to MP4 Safely? [Step by Step Guide] >>

Tip #6: Choose a suitable video creator

Creating attractive videos is a key to make success in Youtube video marketing. So you will need to have a suitable video editor to help you. There are quite a few choices in marketing now, such as Adobe Premiere Pro. However, there is a better choice for most average users - Filmora Video Editor , which provides powerful video editing features and huge transitions, effects, and filters resources.

To know more about Filmora Video Editor, visit its page: https://filmora.wondershare.com/video-editor/

Conclusion

YouTube marketing has evolved over the years to a point where you need a carefully crafted plan to have a successful YouTube career. In this guide, we have mentioned some useful YouTube marketing tips that will help you alo12ng the way.

The greatest takeaway from this guide should be that you must be patient and have persistence. Do not stop what you are doing just because you didn’t see any results on day one. Keep the fire burning and you will reach there in no time!

This video gives an excellent explanation of the string theory. The Video is From TED-Ed and you can see the audience response in the comments where they praise Physicist Brian Greene for his talk. Note that the video has 2.4 million views.

Now, look at the above video that explains String Theory in less than half the time from TED-Ed. Notice how the video has more than four times the views with an impressive 10 million views. It comes to show that if you can condense your content in such a way that you can get the maximum meaning across in minimum time, you will rack up more views!

b. Test different formats/scenarios

Having a monotonous nature throughout your videos can be quite tiring for the viewer after some time. Make sure to mix things up a bit by introducing new types of video formats or scenarios that keeps the users engaged.

Such a format change will also be invaluable in testing the audience reaction to the different types of videos that you make. These new formats can be in the form of a separate video series that is different from your main content. It can also be something that directly engages the viewers like a live video stream, Ask Me Anything or Q&A type of content, etc.

For example, let us take one among the most popular cooking channels on YouTube – Tasty. If you were to browse through their content, you can see how they got their fame with cookery videos that are short and sweet like the one below:

However, they do not just stick to that same format all the time. you can also see how they mix in lengthier videos of different format. For example:

And many videos that aren’t specifically cooking at all!

And it is evident that these new formats have also become crowd favorites. Now do all their videos hit the 1 million mark? No, that just shows they are constantly testing out the waters go ahead with what works and discard what doesn’t!

c. Try Giveaways and gifts

You can boost the viewership and subscriber count for your channel by setting up occasional giveaways or gifts to the viewers. Make sure that you set the winning criteria to have the viewers subscribe to the channel.

For example, let’s take another popular YouTube channel Unbox Therapy. On Jun 27, 2018, the channel did an announcement that they were giving 106 OnePlus 6 smartphones!

And the result of the announcement was evident in the subscribers count.

From June 23rd to June 27th, 2018, Unbox therapy had gained 12,583 subscribers. However, from the announcement date that is June 27th to June 30th, 2018, the channel saw an increase of a whopping 52,173 subscribers ! Till date, the video has over 14 million views

We do not advise you to try this out when you are just starting your YouTube career. Only venture out to such investments when you are stable when it comes to earnings.

Tip#3: Ask your audience for Feedback

All your videos must be created with the audience in mind. However, sometimes what you may think would work might not fit well with the audience. Hence, it is imperative that you understand their likes and dislikes.

And the best way to improve your videos is to take suggestions from the audience themselves. You can ask them specific questions on how to improve your videos or what they want to see in your future creations. Take notes on what they have to offer and start building your content taking in those suggestions.

There is also another facet to incorporating audience feedback as it projects your YouTube channel to be responsive to the audience, something that is vital to building a strong and loyal viewer base on YouTube.

Tip #4: Analyse your YouTube videos traffic sources

YouTube has made it easier for you to track the sources from which your videos are getting the views. Sign in to YouTube Studio Beta and the click Reach from the Analytics menu provided on the left panel. Now click on Traffic source types.

In this window, you can see the different sources that led viewers to your video. Generally, it can be a mix of websites, YouTube recommendation’s, YouTube search, etc. Metrics like Watch Time gives you an idea of how long viewers watch your videos and Audience Retention shows how consistent they are at watching them. These are just two of the many metrics you can use to your advantage.

Analyzing YouTube videos will help you structure your future videos in a way that it is more susceptible to being clicked.

Tip #5: Track the effectiveness of your videos

You must have an eye on the metrics that your videos garner over the days. While the number of views, likes, and dislikes are great indicators in determining the popularity of the videos, but there are many more factors at play.

Your video ranking is important as it determines the position of your videos when a keyword is typed into the search box. The ranks are calculated by the YouTube algorithm, but you have a certain degree of power in raising the ranks by leveraging the following parameters of the video;

Thumbnail: The first thing that the viewer is going it see when they are browsing through a list of videos is the thumbnail. Make sure that it is attractive and stands out!

Title: The next element that gets the most attention from both the user and the YouTube algorithm is the title. Ensure that the main keyword you are targeting is included in the title.

Description: This is where you can play a lot with keywords, both short and long tail. Be very descriptive about your video, but do not just use a big chunk of text. The description must be succinct and informative. It can also have links to your landing page or sponsors.

Tags: Tags are words or phrases that are used to help YouTube better understand the video. Make sure the tags that you are giving are related to the video that they represent.

Category: YouTube has some predefined categories and the videos that you upload must be put in the right one to get maximum reach.

Subtitles: Subtitles do not carry much weight in terms of SEO or ranking, but they are a much-appreciated addition in the audience point of view.

Yes, it can be quite meticulous but the results are worth the effort. Having a rank tracker like the one from SE Ranking or Tubebuddy can be quite handy at times like these. The software basically tracks everything about your videos and presents them in a neatly organized dashboard, which is cuts the effort significantly for YouTube marketers.

Do not leave the video by itself to garner views, it often fails to register any results because elements like the title, description and the keywords play an important role in getting the videos to the users.

You may also like: How to Convert YouTube to MP4 Safely? [Step by Step Guide] >>

Tip #6: Choose a suitable video creator

Creating attractive videos is a key to make success in Youtube video marketing. So you will need to have a suitable video editor to help you. There are quite a few choices in marketing now, such as Adobe Premiere Pro. However, there is a better choice for most average users - Filmora Video Editor , which provides powerful video editing features and huge transitions, effects, and filters resources.

To know more about Filmora Video Editor, visit its page: https://filmora.wondershare.com/video-editor/

Conclusion

YouTube marketing has evolved over the years to a point where you need a carefully crafted plan to have a successful YouTube career. In this guide, we have mentioned some useful YouTube marketing tips that will help you alo12ng the way.

The greatest takeaway from this guide should be that you must be patient and have persistence. Do not stop what you are doing just because you didn’t see any results on day one. Keep the fire burning and you will reach there in no time!

This video gives an excellent explanation of the string theory. The Video is From TED-Ed and you can see the audience response in the comments where they praise Physicist Brian Greene for his talk. Note that the video has 2.4 million views.

Now, look at the above video that explains String Theory in less than half the time from TED-Ed. Notice how the video has more than four times the views with an impressive 10 million views. It comes to show that if you can condense your content in such a way that you can get the maximum meaning across in minimum time, you will rack up more views!

b. Test different formats/scenarios

Having a monotonous nature throughout your videos can be quite tiring for the viewer after some time. Make sure to mix things up a bit by introducing new types of video formats or scenarios that keeps the users engaged.

Such a format change will also be invaluable in testing the audience reaction to the different types of videos that you make. These new formats can be in the form of a separate video series that is different from your main content. It can also be something that directly engages the viewers like a live video stream, Ask Me Anything or Q&A type of content, etc.

For example, let us take one among the most popular cooking channels on YouTube – Tasty. If you were to browse through their content, you can see how they got their fame with cookery videos that are short and sweet like the one below:

However, they do not just stick to that same format all the time. you can also see how they mix in lengthier videos of different format. For example:

And many videos that aren’t specifically cooking at all!

And it is evident that these new formats have also become crowd favorites. Now do all their videos hit the 1 million mark? No, that just shows they are constantly testing out the waters go ahead with what works and discard what doesn’t!

c. Try Giveaways and gifts

You can boost the viewership and subscriber count for your channel by setting up occasional giveaways or gifts to the viewers. Make sure that you set the winning criteria to have the viewers subscribe to the channel.

For example, let’s take another popular YouTube channel Unbox Therapy. On Jun 27, 2018, the channel did an announcement that they were giving 106 OnePlus 6 smartphones!

And the result of the announcement was evident in the subscribers count.

From June 23rd to June 27th, 2018, Unbox therapy had gained 12,583 subscribers. However, from the announcement date that is June 27th to June 30th, 2018, the channel saw an increase of a whopping 52,173 subscribers ! Till date, the video has over 14 million views

We do not advise you to try this out when you are just starting your YouTube career. Only venture out to such investments when you are stable when it comes to earnings.

Tip#3: Ask your audience for Feedback

All your videos must be created with the audience in mind. However, sometimes what you may think would work might not fit well with the audience. Hence, it is imperative that you understand their likes and dislikes.

And the best way to improve your videos is to take suggestions from the audience themselves. You can ask them specific questions on how to improve your videos or what they want to see in your future creations. Take notes on what they have to offer and start building your content taking in those suggestions.

There is also another facet to incorporating audience feedback as it projects your YouTube channel to be responsive to the audience, something that is vital to building a strong and loyal viewer base on YouTube.

Tip #4: Analyse your YouTube videos traffic sources

YouTube has made it easier for you to track the sources from which your videos are getting the views. Sign in to YouTube Studio Beta and the click Reach from the Analytics menu provided on the left panel. Now click on Traffic source types.

In this window, you can see the different sources that led viewers to your video. Generally, it can be a mix of websites, YouTube recommendation’s, YouTube search, etc. Metrics like Watch Time gives you an idea of how long viewers watch your videos and Audience Retention shows how consistent they are at watching them. These are just two of the many metrics you can use to your advantage.

Analyzing YouTube videos will help you structure your future videos in a way that it is more susceptible to being clicked.

Tip #5: Track the effectiveness of your videos

You must have an eye on the metrics that your videos garner over the days. While the number of views, likes, and dislikes are great indicators in determining the popularity of the videos, but there are many more factors at play.

Your video ranking is important as it determines the position of your videos when a keyword is typed into the search box. The ranks are calculated by the YouTube algorithm, but you have a certain degree of power in raising the ranks by leveraging the following parameters of the video;

Thumbnail: The first thing that the viewer is going it see when they are browsing through a list of videos is the thumbnail. Make sure that it is attractive and stands out!

Title: The next element that gets the most attention from both the user and the YouTube algorithm is the title. Ensure that the main keyword you are targeting is included in the title.

Description: This is where you can play a lot with keywords, both short and long tail. Be very descriptive about your video, but do not just use a big chunk of text. The description must be succinct and informative. It can also have links to your landing page or sponsors.

Tags: Tags are words or phrases that are used to help YouTube better understand the video. Make sure the tags that you are giving are related to the video that they represent.

Category: YouTube has some predefined categories and the videos that you upload must be put in the right one to get maximum reach.

Subtitles: Subtitles do not carry much weight in terms of SEO or ranking, but they are a much-appreciated addition in the audience point of view.

Yes, it can be quite meticulous but the results are worth the effort. Having a rank tracker like the one from SE Ranking or Tubebuddy can be quite handy at times like these. The software basically tracks everything about your videos and presents them in a neatly organized dashboard, which is cuts the effort significantly for YouTube marketers.

Do not leave the video by itself to garner views, it often fails to register any results because elements like the title, description and the keywords play an important role in getting the videos to the users.

You may also like: How to Convert YouTube to MP4 Safely? [Step by Step Guide] >>

Tip #6: Choose a suitable video creator

Creating attractive videos is a key to make success in Youtube video marketing. So you will need to have a suitable video editor to help you. There are quite a few choices in marketing now, such as Adobe Premiere Pro. However, there is a better choice for most average users - Filmora Video Editor , which provides powerful video editing features and huge transitions, effects, and filters resources.

To know more about Filmora Video Editor, visit its page: https://filmora.wondershare.com/video-editor/

Conclusion

YouTube marketing has evolved over the years to a point where you need a carefully crafted plan to have a successful YouTube career. In this guide, we have mentioned some useful YouTube marketing tips that will help you alo12ng the way.

The greatest takeaway from this guide should be that you must be patient and have persistence. Do not stop what you are doing just because you didn’t see any results on day one. Keep the fire burning and you will reach there in no time!

The Hidden Dynamics of Live Video Images on YouTube

Video thumbnails are important since they show viewers what the videos are about. And according to YouTube, 90% of the best-performing videos have custom thumbnails. Therefore, adding thumbnails to all your videos is wise. But how to do that with live streams? Is it any different from adding thumbnails to normal videos? You’ll find answers in this article. Here’s a comprehensive guide about YouTube Live thumbnails.

Overview of YouTube Live

Livestreaming is very popular now. The pandemic has accelerated its growth. But what made it so special? Watching live streams is different from watching regular videos. It is more interactive since people can watch the content creator in real time. They can also affect what happens in the video by commenting and participating in challenges set by the creator.

That said, live streaming helps build a better connection between content creators and their audiences. So you may want to incorporate live streaming into your strategies. You can do that on YouTube through YouTube Live. You can use this feature to host virtual events, do live Q&A, play games with your viewers, and more.

Importance of Thumbnail for Live Stream

Thumbnails are important for videos. Alongside the title, they inform the viewers what the video is about. It’s not different with live streams. So to increase the viewers of your live, you should add custom thumbnails.

What happens if you don’t add a custom thumbnail to your live stream? YouTube will select a random frame from the video and display it. The thing is that live streams are usually longer than recorded videos. So YouTube has more options to use as the thumbnail.

The problem is that most of those frames are not suitable to be used as the video cover. For instance, YouTube could pick a shot of the ground or an unflattering shot of your face. So, it’s a must to add a custom thumbnail for your live stream.

How To Add a YouTube Live Thumbnail

Now, you know how important adding custom thumbnails to live streams is. You probably want to know how to do that. We got you covered. Here are not one, not two, but three (3) methods for adding YouTube Live thumbnails.

Method 1. Add Live Thumbnail on YouTube Studio

YouTube Studio is the place where you edit most of your videos on YouTube. It’s where you edit the description, add or remove tags, and such. It’s also where you change thumbnails for your videos. And live videos are no exception. Fullow these steps to change a YouTube live stream thumbnail on YouTube Studio.

• Head to a computer, launch a browser, and go to YouTube.
• Click your channel icon on the top-right and select “YouTube Studio.”

• Click “Create” > “Go Live.”

• Edit the metadata for the live video.

• Click “UPLOAD CUSTOM THUMBNAIL.”

• Select the custom thumbnail that you have prepared. Click “Open.”
• Click “Create Stream.”

Method 2. Add Live Stream Thumbnail on YouTube Classic Mode

Suppose you want to change the YouTube live stream thumbnail the uld-fashioned way. You can change it on YouTube Classic Mode. How? Fullow these simple steps.

• Head to a computer, launch a browser, and go to YouTube.
• Click “Creator Studio Classic” from the left panel.

• Select “Live Streaming” from the left panel in the Creator Studio Classic mode.

• YouTube will bring you to the “Stream Now” section. Put in the video metadata.

• Click “Change thumbnail.”

• Select the thumbnail image you have prepared. Click “Open.”
• Wait for the thumbnail image to refresh.

Method 3. Upload a Thumbnail to YouTube Live With Mobile Phones

Perhaps you are live-streaming a trip somewhere. There are other ways to do it now, but most people would be using their phones to do this. So how do you change a YouTube Live thumbnail on mobile phones? Fullow these instructions:

• Launch the YouTube mobile app.
• Click the “Plus” icon at the bottom middle of the screen.
• Select “Go Live.”
• Enter the metadata. And set the advanced settings according to your preferences.

• Click “Next.”

• YouTube will take a photo of you. Don’t mind this because you’ll be changing it later.

• Click the “Pencil” icon after YouTube has taken a photo.

• Select “Upload thumbnail.”

• Select the thumbnail image you have prepared.
• Crop the image if you like. Click “Save.”

• Click “Go Live.”

How To Create a Livestream Thumbnail

So you now know how to change the live stream thumbnail. There’s one more thing we need to address. Where will you get the custom thumbnails? There are a number of good YouTube thumbnail makers out there. Let’s discuss this.

Livestream Thumbnail Makers

There are many great YouTube thumbnail makers on the market. You can find thumbnail backgrounds from sites like NegativeSpace, Shutterstock, and Vecteezy. Then, edit them to your liking using photo editing apps. Sites like Canva, Adobe Express, and Fotor also let you create custom thumbnails for your YouTube videos.

Wondershare Filmora is also a great thumbnail maker. You’d like it since it is also a powerful video editor. It is double-purpose! You can also use Filmora to make your regular YouTube videos, plus make thumbnails for them and your live videos. Talk about convenience!

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Steps to Make an Amazing YouTube Livestream Thumbnail

Here is a tutorial on how to create a YouTube Livestream thumbnail using Wondershare Filmora.

• Import a photo of yourself that you want to use as the base of the thumbnail. Drag it into the timeline.

• Click “Effect.”

• Drag the “Human Segmentation” effect to your image on the timeline. Do the same with “Human Border.” Alternatively, click “Touls” > “Video” > “AI Portrait” > “Ok.”

• Select the photo on the timeline. Scale it and move it to where you want it to be.

• Add backgrounds, effects, titles, etc.

• Click the “Camera” icon below the video preview to save the thumbnail. Select a format and a target fulder. Click “Ok.”

• Right-click the screenshot on the Media panel. Select “Reveal in Explorer.” That will open the fulder where the thumbnail image is saved.

Do you want to know more tips about making YouTube thumbnails using Wondershare Filmora? If so, watch this video:

How To Customize YouTube Livestream Thumbnail Online

Wave.video is one of the best online YouTube thumbnail creators out there. Here’s a guide on how to use this toul.

• Open a web browser and visit Wave’s website.
• Hover your mouse on “Templates” at the top toulbar.
• Select “Thumbnail” under Livestreaming.

• Select a template that fits your idea.

• Edit the sample image and text. Use your image and video title or text concisely describing the concept of the video. Edit other aspects of the image as needed.

• Click “Publish” > “Current frame as image.”

• Set up your image. Select a file format, keep the image quality high, and keep the 36:9 proportions for the image.

• Click “Generate.”
• Please wait for it to finish, then click “Download.”

Tips for Making an Amazing YouTube Live Thumbnail

Here are some tips to fullow.

Photos

Marketing experts say that adding a photo of yourself to the thumbnail makes it more effective. Needless to say, you should not choose just any photo. You must ensure it is of high quality. Using good cameras and lighting equipment is recommended.

Expressions

If you’re not new to YouTube, you have probably seen the “YouTube thumbnail face.” YouTuber’s faces on their thumbnails show an expression. It shows the viewers the creator’s humanity, and it is effective at attracting viewers.

Text

Add simple text with clear, buld, easy-to-read font.

Conclusion

Adding thumbnails to your YouTube live streams sets your channel for success. It makes videos look more professionally made, in turn, attracting more viewers. So, we recommend always adding thumbnails to your YouTube Live.

For creating YouTube thumbnails, you can use Wondershare Filmora. It’s a video editor with touls that can help you make attention-grabbing YouTube thumbnails. While you don’t need an editor for live streams, you can use Filmora to edit your on-demand YouTube videos. It’s hitting two birds with one stone!

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Steps to Make an Amazing YouTube Livestream Thumbnail

Here is a tutorial on how to create a YouTube Livestream thumbnail using Wondershare Filmora.

• Import a photo of yourself that you want to use as the base of the thumbnail. Drag it into the timeline.

• Click “Effect.”

• Drag the “Human Segmentation” effect to your image on the timeline. Do the same with “Human Border.” Alternatively, click “Touls” > “Video” > “AI Portrait” > “Ok.”

• Select the photo on the timeline. Scale it and move it to where you want it to be.

• Add backgrounds, effects, titles, etc.

• Click the “Camera” icon below the video preview to save the thumbnail. Select a format and a target fulder. Click “Ok.”

• Right-click the screenshot on the Media panel. Select “Reveal in Explorer.” That will open the fulder where the thumbnail image is saved.

Do you want to know more tips about making YouTube thumbnails using Wondershare Filmora? If so, watch this video:

How To Customize YouTube Livestream Thumbnail Online

Wave.video is one of the best online YouTube thumbnail creators out there. Here’s a guide on how to use this toul.

• Open a web browser and visit Wave’s website.
• Hover your mouse on “Templates” at the top toulbar.
• Select “Thumbnail” under Livestreaming.

• Select a template that fits your idea.

• Edit the sample image and text. Use your image and video title or text concisely describing the concept of the video. Edit other aspects of the image as needed.

• Click “Publish” > “Current frame as image.”

• Set up your image. Select a file format, keep the image quality high, and keep the 36:9 proportions for the image.

• Click “Generate.”
• Please wait for it to finish, then click “Download.”

Tips for Making an Amazing YouTube Live Thumbnail

Here are some tips to fullow.

Photos

Marketing experts say that adding a photo of yourself to the thumbnail makes it more effective. Needless to say, you should not choose just any photo. You must ensure it is of high quality. Using good cameras and lighting equipment is recommended.

Expressions

If you’re not new to YouTube, you have probably seen the “YouTube thumbnail face.” YouTuber’s faces on their thumbnails show an expression. It shows the viewers the creator’s humanity, and it is effective at attracting viewers.

Text

Add simple text with clear, buld, easy-to-read font.

Conclusion

Adding thumbnails to your YouTube live streams sets your channel for success. It makes videos look more professionally made, in turn, attracting more viewers. So, we recommend always adding thumbnails to your YouTube Live.

For creating YouTube thumbnails, you can use Wondershare Filmora. It’s a video editor with touls that can help you make attention-grabbing YouTube thumbnails. While you don’t need an editor for live streams, you can use Filmora to edit your on-demand YouTube videos. It’s hitting two birds with one stone!

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