How to make your YouTube videos more engaging

YouTube is one of the largest websites in the world. It accounts for billions of monthly page views, over a billion hours of video is watched daily, and creators upload 500 hours of content every minute.

Needless to say, it’s a great platform to get your message out there. It doesn’t matter if you’re championing a social cause, want to grow your business, or have your eyes earning ad revenue – YouTube can make it happen.

With great opportunity comes great competition. This guide will show you how to boost your engagement on the platform and grow your YouTube channel faster without worrying about the competition.

Why good engagement metrics are essential

The YouTube algorithm has evolved over the years. Previously, it was all about the views. Today, it focuses on multiple engagement metrics to gauge the quality of videos.

The better those metrics, the more YouTube shares your videos, and the more views and subscribers you get. It’s a virtuous cycle.

There are a few key metrics that the YouTube algorithm tracks.

- Click through rate (the percentage of people that are clicking on your video when they see it in their feed or suggested videos)

- Watch time (how long people are watching the video)

- Actions performed (the percentage of people who are liking, commenting, sharing, etc.)

Each one is important and feeds the other one. The more people that click, the more watch time you get, and the more opportunities for them to share and like your videos. When done right, you can take advantage of platforms like Vocal to expand your reach and further promote your content.

The following tips and tricks will show you how to optimize each one of those metrics.

Good looking thumbnails

The first step is to get people to click. If they don’t click on your video then they can’t watch it.

How do you get people to click?

By creating compelling thumbnails.

Human nature is full of curiosity and they want to find out what’s happening in the world. When you can catch their attention with your thumbnail, you’ve won half the battle.

To make a great thumbnail, there are a few things you can do:

- Use a compelling image that shows surprise, shock, anger, etc. People will want to know what’s happening

- Use colors that contrast with the YouTube color scheme. Orange, blue, purple, etc. work well

- Use text that hints at the secret (make it bold)

You can use a free tool like Canva to create high quality graphics for your YouTube channel in a few minutes.

Well-timed sound effects

Almost all quality videos use sound effects in one form or another. From sound developed by the creator to those taken from a sound library, it’s all fair game.

The goal is to get people to keep paying attention. The right sound effect can jar people out of their passive state and make them pay closer attention to what’s on the screen.

The key is to not overdo it. Too many sound effects or those that are poorly timed can rub people the wrong way. You want to avoid that as much as possible.

The good news is that there are a lot of creative commons sound effects already on YouTube. You can even use short clips from popular songs without getting a copyright strike. You just need to keep it under 10 seconds.

Here’s a list of YouTube to MP3 converters you can use to download the sound effects directly from YouTube.

Keep the following in mind when using sound effects:

- It should support the content you’ve created and not overshadow it

- Use sound to set the tone or change the tone (like how horror movies or action movies use it)

- Short clips work best during an intro or outro for different sections of the video

Tell them what to expect immediately

After your thumbnail has gotten someone to click, you have a few seconds to get people to keep watching. They’ll try to assess whether or not you’re going to deliver on your promise within the video.

Within the first 30 seconds of your video – sooner if possible – reiterate the title, tell people what you’re going to share, and let them know how it’ll benefit them.

For example:

“Thanks for tuning in to watch this video, today I’m going to be sharing my favorite natural hair upkeep tips. By the end of the video, you’ll be able to take care of your hair without spending hours in the bathroom every day.”

If people are interested in the topic of the video, they’ll stick around.

Once you find a format that works for you and build a more loyal following, you can branch out to different types of introductions – not before.

Ask questions and expect replies

A powerful way to keep people engaged is by asking pointed questions and requesting that they reply in the comments. Of course, when they reply, you’ll participate in the discussion.

This turns a passive experience into an interactive one. It lets your audience know you care about their opinion.

Something as simple as “let me know what your favorite hair tip is & why you liked it in the comments” can go a long way towards boosting engagement.

People will stick around longer to view all the tips given then consider which one works the best for them. They’ll then give you feedback so you can create more great content that appeals to them.

All you have to do is ask.

You can also ask them to perform specific actions.

- If you enjoyed this video then share it with your friends

- Hit that like button for the YouTube algorithm

- Be sure to drop a comment so I know what you think

Even if it gets 20% more people to engage, those are positive signals that the YouTube algorithm picks up on. It’ll then show your video to a larger audience which presents more opportunities for views and engagement.

Pattern interrupts

A pattern interrupt is a technique to change a particular behavior, thought, or situation. It’s one of the most important things you can do in your YouTube videos.

Many creators sit down and talk to the camera. This is boring – monotonous. Once something else a bit more interesting comes along, audience members bounce.

To keep them engaged, situations should change. That’s why when you’re watching television or professional sports, they’re always switching the camera angle - those are pattern interrupts.

You should be doing the same in your videos. Here are some suggestions you can start using today:

- Transitions using effects

- Images popup up on screen

- Text to aid your explanations

- Change the camera angle

- Cut to a different room

- Use different on-screen graphics

- Incorporate b-roll footage

Take a look at your favorite YouTubers, many of them will use one form of pattern interrupt or another.

Conclusion

Everything you’ve ever thought is possible with YouTube is. You just have to get the basics down and give the Algorithm what it wants.

Everything else will follow. The tips outlined here will help you beat the YouTube algorithm and grow your following sooner rather than later.