Do not doubt the power of YouTube. Over a billion users watch videos through the popular video-sharing Website every single month. That figure is equivalent to almost a third of the total Internet users worldwide.
As it aims to reach out to more online users globally, the site is currently localized in 88 countries and can be accessed in 76 various languages, covering up to 95% of the total Internet population around the world.
In the Philippines alone, the hours of content being uploaded on YouTube has grown by more than 45% year-on-year. More than 55% of the site’s watchtime in the country is coursed through mobile. Thus, it does not surprise that watchtime on mobile has jumped over 95% year-on-year.
Since YouTube launched its Partner Program in the Philippines in 2013, there have been more than 80 channels that are followed by over 100,000 subscribers. Locally, there are now five channels that have more than a whopping 1 million subscribers.
YouTube Partner Manager Enrique Cuunjieng with content creator/vlogger Say Artillero, who keeps a makeup tutorial channel on the video-sharing site. Photo taken during recent YouTube Creator Day Manila
Thus, YouTube Creator Day was born. It is an invitational event wherein YouTube creators from across the country get together to establish connection and share best practices among each other.
The recent YouTube Creator Day held on November 19 at Makati City was attended by over 80 local content creators from Metro Manila, mostly millennials. It focused on the Filipino YouTube experience. It was also a timely celebration of the amazing talent of local YouTube content creators.
During that gathering, YouTube Partner Manager Enrique Cuunjieng shared what he calls the 10 fundamentals of making a successful YouTube video and/or channel. Do you aim to create your own YouTube channel and make it popular among online users? Follow Cuunjieng’s tips.
1. Make your video discoverable.
“It would be best if your YouTube content can easily be found through search or through related videos,” said Cuunjieng. According to some successful content creators on the online video-sharing site, proper tagging or a strategic video title can help do the trick.
2. Be sure to make your video accessible.
As you create your video content, be guided by the question, “Can this be fully appreciated by any new viewer?” Accessibility in this regard is not just about making the video available on YouTube.
3. The content should be shareable.
“Will viewers want to share your videos?” asked Cuunjieng. YouTube is a video-sharing site; thus it is equipped with easy features to share videos that users watch not just through the site but also through the social media, which is logically an effective way to reach out to more online users. Content is king.
4. Take advantage of possible collaboration.
Is your YouTube channel working with other talents? You would be surprised how vast and huge the YouTube creators’ community is in the country. It is high time to aim exploring possible collaborative efforts with other video creators out there.
Around 80 video creators graced the recent YouTube Creator Day Manila. Photo features some of those.
5. Your content must be targeted.
Are you targeting a specific audience? Are you targeting on channel level or per playlist? You’ll realize that making your video targeted would make the task easier and more strategic for your content or channel.
6. It always works to be conversational.
Notice that most of the popular YouTube videos are speaking directly to the audience. Think of ‘vlogging’ or video-blogging—getting more personal when reaching out to online users. This is why telling a story, sharing experiences, or disseminating useful knowledge is always a winning formula among successful YouTube creators. Talk straight from your heart.
7. Be interactive.
There will always be effective ways to involve the audience. Take advantage of YouTube’s feature to generate instant feedback from other users. Good content can immediately solicit reaction and possibly facilitate discussion among the audience.
8. Observe consistency.
Put up strong, recurring elements in all your channel’s videos. Consider setting an identity or a common mark that is uniformly recognizable in your videos so you could gain loyal following.
9. Aim for sustainability.
If your fans love your video, can you make more of it? It is important to be full of creative ideas—the more fun, the better. Remember, your audience may tend to always ask for more. Never disappoint them.
10. Be inspirational.
Is your video coming from a genuine place of passion? Inspire others out there to follow your line of thinking, share your emotions, or get instant takeaways from your content.
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