Are you frustrated because you're spending a lot of time creating videos, but you're
not getting the views and subscribers that you desire?
In this video, I'm going to share with you the top 10 mistakes YouTubers make, and how
to fix them so you can get more views to your channel and videos.
Hello, my name is Herman Drost from drostdesigns.com.
If you want to grow your audience on YouTube, and generate traffic leads and subscribers
on autopilot hit the subscribe button or hit the bell notification icon.
Number one, mindset mistakes.
[background music] When starting a YouTube channel, many YouTubers
make the mistake of not pursuing their passion, not having a purpose, and lacking motivation.
You need to pursue your passion so when the going gets tough you'll still be able to keep
going.
If your main purpose is to make money you'll soon lose motivation after a few weeks or
months of starting your channel.
Try and pursue something that you love to do, so be in it for the long run.
Trying to appeal to everybody.
If you try to appeal to everyone, you appeal to no one.
Instead of going after a wide niche, try to niche it down so you can appeal to a specific
audience.
Inconsistency.
Don't expect your videos to go viral because YouTube is a long game.
Instead of uploading just once a month, try to upload at least once or twice a week.
The key is to be consistent so people will know when to expect new content from your
channel.
Avoid the comparison game.
Especially when you're starting a new channel it's easy to compare your channel with those
that have been doing it for quite a while.
Therefore, instead of trying to compare yourself with others try to improve a little bit every
day.
Don't let your ego get in the way.
You might think you know everything, but there are many people that have successful channels
that have been doing it for quite a while and have made a mistakes along the way.
Try to learn from them so you can improve your own channel.
Lack of energy.
When you appear in front of a camera, the camera takes away about 50% of your energy.
Therefore, you have to elevate your voice, and your energy to engage with your audience
on the other side of the camera.
Number two, channel mistakes.
Try to avoid a channel name that is difficult to spell.
Remember, when choosing a channel name keep your target audience in mind.
For instance, if you're trying to appeal to dog trainers then create a channel name that
includes dog training.
For example, it could be Herman's Dog Training Advice, or to make it easier just use your
full name.
Poorly-designed channel home page.
When new subscribers first visit your channel homepage they want to know what your channel's
all about within a few seconds.
Therefore, design a channel banner that clearly states what your channel is about.
Also include a 60 second channel trailer that explains clearly why people should subscribe
to your channel.
The rest of your channel home page should include sections that go deeper into your
content.
Each section should be a different subject that contains a series of videos.
Number three, content mistakes.
Have you ever stared at a blank screen wondering what your next video should be about?
To avoid this, create a list of at least a hundred titles for future videos.
Just use a Google spreadsheet for your content calendar.
One way to generate a list of titles is to enter your main keyword in the YouTube search
box.
YouTube will spit out a bunch of suggestions.
Another place to go is answerthepublic.com, it will provide a bunch of questions that
people use to enter the search engines.
Not knowing your target audience.
It's easy to create videos that you want to watch, but it may not appeal to your target
audience.
Therefore, you got to put away your ego, and try to put yourself in your audience's shoes.
Try to think of their biggest problems, and then offer solutions in your videos.
Number four, keyword research mistakes.
Going for highly competitive phrases.
If you try to go for very competitive keywords you'll have a hard time trying to rank your
videos.
Instead, research low competition keywords that are on the high demand.
A great tool for finding low competition keywords that are high on demand is TubeBuddy.
It's a free Chrome extension where you can enter your keywords, and it will give suggested
keywords to use in your videos.
Another free tool to use is Keywords Everywhere.
They'll give you the cost per click, which is what advertisers are willing to pay, and
they'll also give you the search volume for that keyword.
The key thing to remember is to use keyword phrases that people are entering into the
search engines, your videos will then have a greater potential of ranking on the first
page, of the search engines.
Number five, video creation mistakes.
Buying expensive equipment.
Instead of spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on expensive equipment, just use
what you have.
For example, you can just use your smartphone camera and the light coming in from a window
or just shoot outside.
If you have a Mac computer or iPhone device, you can just use iMovie.
It's already installed on your computer, and you can download the app on your iPhone.
If you have a PC, you can use Windows Movie Maker which comes with your computer or I
can use open source editing software like Shotcut.
Not looking at the lens of the camera.
When you're filming yourself, make sure you look directly at the lens of the camera.
Also, tilt the camera down a little so your whole profile would be in the shot.
Distracting background.
Make sure you tidy up your background before shooting the video, and make sure it's quiet
so you don't have distracting sounds when people listen to your video.
Using the camera mic.
If you use the built-in mic of your camera it will sound hollow or tinny.
Instead, purchase an external mic such as the Rode SmartLav+ microphone it plugs straight
into your camera, and gives you great audio.
Not engaging your audience.
When people first click on your video they want to know right away what you're going
to be talking about.
Therefore, create a hook at the beginning like asking a question or tell them straight
up what to expect.
Make sure you get to the point right away instead of waffling on.
Instead of stopping and starting your camera, just take a pause and keep going.
You can always edit out the mistakes in your editing software.
No call to action.
Many YouTubers make the mistake of not knowing where to send people after watching the video.
If you want them to subscribe to your channel, ask them to subscribe and tell them why.
If you want them to watch another video, then link to another video or playlist using cards
or end screens.
Number six, Optimization mistakes.
Confusing video titles.
Try to use the exact or similar title that people are entering into the search engines.
Your video will then have a higher potential of ranking well in the search engines.
Lack of description.
Viewers will often read the first three lines in your description that appear under the
video.
Therefore, try to summarize what your video is all about in the first three lines.
Incorrect tags.
Don't try to just guess what keywords to put in your tags.
Your first tag should include the title of your video.
Other tags to include should be based upon the suggestions that YouTube spits out.
An easy way to find the correct tags is to use the TubeBuddy extension.
It will provide suggested tags, and you can also get tags that are used by competitors.
Number seven, playlist mistakes.
Not adding your videos to a playlist.
Did you know that playlists can also rank in the search engines?
Try to create a series of videos like chapters in a book, and enter them into a playlist.
Instead of adding them to a regular playlist, add them to an official playlist.
YouTube will then serve your viewers based upon their viewing experience.
Not optimizing your playlists.
Make sure you include a title, thumbnail, and description for each playlist.
When adding sections to your channel homepage make sure you include topical playlists.
Number eight, thumbnail mistakes.
Not branding your thumbnails.
You want your thumbnails to stand out in the search engines.
Therefore, try to brand your thumbnails with a logo or face so people know that it belongs
to your channel.
Poor design.
When you first create your thumbnail it's usually a very large image.
When your thumbnail appears in the search engines it's a very small size, therefore, use
bold colors contrasting colors, and bold text so it really stands out.
Make sure you avoid putting text in the bottom right hand corner otherwise it'll be covered
up by the time stamp.
Don't use a screenshot of your face.
If you use a screenshot of your face in the video it might appear blurry or not very sharp.
Instead, try to take an actual photo of yourself with a high-resolution camera.
Title and thumbnail incongruent your thumbnail and title should tell the same story.
People see a thumbnail first, so if they don't click on your thumbnail they won't watch your
video.
Make sure that your thumbnail and title are congruent.
Number nine, promotion mistakes.
When new YouTubers start promoting their videos they often ask Sub4Sub.
Most channel owners will see this as spam, and automatically filter out these comments.
Instead of spamming other groups, channels, or forums, try to engage with your target
audience.
By all means, join other groups and forums by asking and answering questions.
When people get to know you a little bit they'll check out your channel.
Not replying to comments.
YouTube is a social community, so you need to reply to the comments left under your videos.
This will help build the subscribers to your channel.
Not repurposing your content.
Instead of waiting for visitors to check out your videos, promote your video across social
media sites.
You can repurpose your content on Facebook, Instagram, and websites.
Number 10, performance mistakes.
Doing the same thing over and over again.
Instead of making the same mistakes on your channel, try to make incremental improvements.
Each improvement will help with the growth of your channel.
Not tracking the performance of your videos.
If you're not checking YouTube analytics you won't know where your subscribers are coming
from and what your main traffic sources are.
When you know where your traffic is coming from you can create more videos that are similar
to the ones that are performing well.
Here's the bonus tip, avoid monetizing your channel too early.
Instead, build up your audience first and then monetize.
Here's an important thing to keep in mind, identify one thing that you can improve for
each video you upload.
This will result in the steady growth of your channel which leads to more views and subscribers.
Let me ask you an important question, what's the biggest mistake that you have made in
the growth of your channel?
Post your answer in the comments below.
I'd love to read them, and I'm sure others would too.
Click the card icon to download my YouTube channel evaluation worksheet.
You'll receive a step-by-step checklist that will help you evaluate your own YouTube channel.
You'll also get links to specific YouTube tutorials to show you how to make the necessary
improvements.
If you want to learn how to grow your audience on YouTube, and generate traffic leads and
subscribers on autopilot click the subscribe button below and check out the related videos.
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