How to Get More from Your YouTube Channel

YouTube
is a great way to get more exposure for your brand and to drive traffic to your
site. However, just like with your website, if no one is visiting your channel,
it is ineffective as a marketing tool. There are a lot of things you can do to
get more page views, more subscribers, and more traffic and conversions on your
website.

Here
are a few tips for how you can get more from your YouTube channel:

SEO Your Channel

Search-engine
optimization is a great way to get more exposure for your website, and the
strategy works equally well when applied to your YouTube channel. Get more
traffic for your channel (which will then funnel to your site) by using
keywords in your page titles, descriptions, and tags. Users in your niche will
find you faster and visit your website, as well.

Create Great Content

There's
no better way to get more traffic and more engagement than to create great
content. Share videos that are truly unique — that approach an issue from a
different angle, that offer a novel solution, or that entertain or inspire. The
more interesting and unique your videos, the more traffic you will get for your
channel and your site.

Include a Call to Action

If
you want your audience to do something, you have to ask them to do it. Don't
assume they will know what to do next. That means asking them to visit your
site, asking them to check out your products, and asking them to share your
video or your links. Include this call to action at the end of every video,
either as a note at the bottom of the screen or a verbal request.

Cross-Promote

Take
full advantage of all the tools available to you to drive traffic to your
YouTube channel and, ultimately, your website. Promote your channel on your
other social networks, in your blog, and in your e-mail marketing. The more
traffic you get to the channel (even if they are people who already know about
your site), the higher it will appear in search results, and the more traffic
it will get. Traffic will beget traffic, and the more you get, the more you can
funnel back to your website.

A
YouTube channel can be a great marketing tool for your website, but you have to
do more than throw up some videos and hope for the best. Use these strategies
to get more viewer, drive more traffic back to your website and increase
conversions.

What
do you do to get the most out of your YouTube channel? Share your tips for
success in the comments!

Carmen Brettel is a writer and manager for www.studentgrants.org. In her spare time, Carmen enjoys gardening and
volunteering at animal shelters.