8 Ways to Make Your Next YouTube Video Better Than The Last.



This post was written by Corie Kellman (@Coralman808), Director of New Artist Relations for Cyber PR®

So you’ve made a video… Now what? Take into consideration these 8 tips to optimizing your video’s potential on YouTube.

1. Your TITLE is important!

Believe it or not, your title can make or break your video– when people are searching for things to watch, you want your video to come up for them to view!

Keep it focused! Try this format (as applicable):
[Song Title] [Short Description] [Original Artist Name] [Your Band Name]

For example, if you have done a cover song of “We Are Never Getting Back Together”, a great title would be:

We Are Never Getting Back Together Taylor Swift Cover by Corie

Think of what people might ask when searching for something. Questions begin with Who, What, When, Where and Why – so when applicable, answer these questions right in the title!

On August 28th, when I YouTubed We Are Never Getting Back Together in the search bar this is what I saw:





First you see Taylor Swift’s official video, followed by two other videos before her official lyric video!

FUN FACT: There are times when official artist videos are not licensed to view in other countries. Where the official video is not available for viewing, yours may be the first (or only) option for a fan in that area to listen to the song!

2. Write a description to your video with RELEVANT INFORMATION!

You want your description to have keywords that improve your ability to show up in fan (and potential fan) searches and it should be thorough– but you don’t need to include the entire kitchen sink! Make a description that describes the video and who you are.

FUN FACT: There’s a tool that helps you come up with relevant keywords; available straigh from the source! CLICK HERE TO USE YOUTUBE’S KEYWORD SUGGESTION TOOL

Only a portion of the description shows to your audience before requiring them to use the drop down to continue reading so keep the important items at the top, like your website url, for example.

3. Tag and Categorize your video!

Choose a category that best fits your video for most of you. I’d imagine this will end up being Music, but MAYBE you have a niche-focused video that fits into a different category like Comedy, just make sure whatever you choose what BEST fits the videos content.

Tags further support your search rank and are a part of the equation to better visibility. Use short phrases and descriptive keywords here– YouTube will auto-generate some from the way you titled your video. Add and remove as you feel necessary. Make sure your brand or artist name is a tag, also.

4. Choose a good thumbnail for your video!

YouTube is a visual network, so the way your video looks as it is sitting there in the search results matters. Don’t let your video have the moment in between a word with your mouth wide open, eyes closed be what is default as your thumbnail.

YouTube will present you with a few options from your video to choose from OR you can upload a custom thumbnail to further support your brand.

5. Use the Annotations to promote a Call to Action!

You have probably seen these if you have watched a handful of videos– these are the speech bubbles, text boxes and spotlights that show up on top of the video; sometimes hyperlinked to something else. This is a great place to ask your fans to do something, like Subscribe to your Channel, Follow you on Twitter, Like you on Facebook, or Sign up for your Newsletter, just to name a few. If your video is a cover, consider a link to your original songs.





Here is an example, where Brandon and Leah place a thumbnail of their EP cover in the upper right-hand corner and when you hover over it, it prompts you to subscribe to their channel.

6. Monetize your video!

If you own the rights to the music used in your video OR have licensed the song you have covered, you can MONETIZE your video. That’s right, you can use YouTube to make a little dough while you expand your digital presence. Just be careful to make sure you are legally allowed to collect money for your content. There are guidelines, so be careful to follow them. Not sure what you can monetize, Click here for YouTube’s Guide.

7. Publish and start promoting your video!

You have spent all this time optimizing the metadata (yeah you have created metadata– bet you didn’t even know that is what you were doing!) to make sure it can be found, now it is time to publish your video and start sharing it with your fans. Share your video with communities who share similar interests, as well, to find new fans. Is your video similar or inspired by another YouTube video? Add a positive comment in that video and ask viewers to check out yours, too!

8. Analyze and adjust!

Is what you have uploaded not meeting your goals or expectations? Take a look at your title, tags, and description and make edits, if needed– you can edit these items any time you want! Maybe try a different type of video for your next upload.

FUN FACT: We have a list of ideas to help you brainstorm on new content to try: 8 Killer, Cost Effective Videos to Add To Your YouTube Strategy

It may take time for you to find your rhythm on YouTube, and if you are only interested in your video ‘going viral’, it may be time to adjust those expectations.

How Did YOU Optimize The First Video on Your New Youtube Channel?