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How to Get More Views on YouTube in 2021?

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Its time to plan your YouTube strategy for 2021. YouTube is unlikely to make any major changes in the coming month, which makes it safe to plan for a change.

YouTube made a lot of changes in its algorithm over the past year, which made getting views challenging. The current YouTube algorithm is relatively stable and, it does seem that the current trends aren’t going to change for the rest of 2021. While YouTube is still mired with controversy over its privacy policies, it does remain a relatively solid social media platform.

Getting more views on YouTube comes down to understanding the platform. Many blogs claim that getting views on YouTube is easy. Let me be bold enough to say that your chances of failing at generating views are high. It doesn’t matter how many resources you have or use.

Generating significant viewership on YouTube comes down to realizing the essence of the platform. It’s easy to go viral but nearly impossible to maintain a viewer base.

Here are 7 ways you can get views on your YouTube channel in 2021.

1. Understand how the algorithm works and use it

   YouTube, unfortunately, has abandoned its goal as a platform for original creators. Good content is not a necessary prerequisite to get views on YouTube. Even having a loyal viewer base means nothing if they can’t see your video in their homepages. While subscribed users can see your videos in the subscription tab, they need to be able to see your video on the home page too.

   Even YouTube channels you’ve subscribed to have their videos buried thanks to the enormous recommendation system of YouTube. To make sure, the first things users see are your latest videos, you need to learn how the new YouTube algorithm works. You can read it here.

2. Streamline Your Content

   The golden rule of getting views on YouTube:

   Don’t throw mud at the wall to see what sticks

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   So many developing channels, be it corporate or creators, tend to try everything. They waste their time trying every kind of content that has viewership and have a wide ‘variety’ of videos without anything sticking out as unique.
   

   However, every rising YouTube creator tends to have a unique trait and video variety that they stick to and it shows in their videos.

   Only settled creators take risks with their content variety. They can take that risk only because of an extremely loyal user base and years of experience with the platform. Despite that, there have been so many creators who have failed at this and reverted to their original content.

   Bringing variety to your content is necessary but make sure you don’t abandon what makes your channel unique. Your content should evolve with time but what made it relevant in the first place should be maintained. Consider it as maintaining your channel’s integrity.

   Streamline your content. Period!
   

3. Have Engaging Titles & Thumbnails

   Taking a point from our algorithm blog, the title and thumbnail are the most important aspects of your video. Make sure the title sticks out but keep it simple.

   Getting views on YouTube is often decided by your thumbnail. Just go on YouTube and see the thumbnails of channels like you. That should give you an idea of the general idea followed by most creators. Thumbnails on YouTube are so similar that it’s almost a standardized design.

   While it might seem platonic, it does get views. Feel free to go with the masses here.

4. Learn to Piggyback properly

   

   Getting popular on YouTube without piggybacking on trends is nearly impossible. Piggybacking is just the habit of making videos according to popular trends of the website. Piggybacking helps generate a significant amount of views. However, many YouTube creators piggyback to the extent that their entire YouTube channel is just a giant piggybacking parasite (*whisper*Reaction channels).

   Don’t do that! Piggyback only when the trend connects with your content well and involves minimal effort. However, do remember that piggybacking is essential to keep your channel ‘relevant’. I do not like piggybacked content but it is a necessary evil for the platform’s creators.

   As a rule of thumb, make videos according to a popular trend every few months but make sure to push the content out before the trend loses steam.

5. Develop a following in niche communities

   The best YouTube creators often begin making videos for a niche community before they explode onto mass YouTube. This aspect will manifest once you streamline your content but it is important to remind you why streamlining your content is an important step to get views.

   Developing a niche following gives you the authority and reputation in that niche which translates well when you reach mass audiences. Take the example of Rousseau, an acoustic pianist who started with classical piano compositions before moving on to piano covers of popular songs once he gained prominence as a classical pianist. With over 2 million subscribers, his channel continues to rise.

6. Remember to Link and Embed

   Learn to share the links of your videos on other social media and embed the videos on your website. These count as backlinks and help improve both your Google and YouTube rankings.

   Make sure not to force-embed your videos since too much of it can drop your YouTube rankings.

7. Create what you want to

   As stated in our Instagram optimization blog, social media’s main goal is entertainment and fun. This is not just for the audience but for you too. Do what you like to do and learn to have fun. Create content that you like to make and don’t run behind what makes you popular. Doing what you like will eventually give you the audience you deserve. Hang in there!

These steps might seem basic but that’s what is important. Grand strategies often fail and simple solutions always work out. Get your basics right and eventually, you will receive the following you deserve. Good luck with your YouTube journey!

Learn more about YouTube and social media marketing with Appy Pie Academy! Click here and learn now.