15 Tips for Improving YouTube Videos
You’ve launched a YouTube channel—Congrats! In the nearly two decades since YouTube launched, it has given countless creators the opportunity to share video content with people looking for information and entertainment.
But with all of that growth comes the expectation that videos be of a certain quality. Brands that want to be taken seriously can’t just post grainy, unedited clips to YouTube and expect it to resonate with their followers. Instead, you need to focus on high-quality videos that show professionalism and expertise.
Don’t worry—that doesn’t mean you have to be a professional videographer and film editor to make a great YouTube video.
Here are 15 tips to help the average business team create YouTube videos that their followers will love.
1. Consider What Your Audience Wants
The first step to good content is providing information your followers actually care about. Think about what kinds of questions they ask you on a regular basis. Is there information that makes you think, “I wish more people knew this”? Consider using these as topics for your YouTube videos.
2. Build Content Around Keywords
If you need ideas for relevant videos, look at the most common words people are typing into the YouTube search tab. These are the topics people are interested in. Consider using these keywords to prompt the subject of your videos.
3. Get Ideas From Other Social Media Content
Similarly, look at what you’re posting on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Did you recently tweet something that you could discuss in a YouTube video? Or did you post a photo to Instagram that you might also be able to express via video?
4. Focus On Evergreen Content
Sure, timely is great—but it will eventually be outdated. Instead, focus on content that will be relevant to your viewers for months or even years to come.
5. Show Off Your Personality And Emotions
People don’t want to get their information from bland, boring talking heads. They want somebody with talk show host vibes. They want somebody funny. They want somebody who is emotional about topics. Give them that when you’re talking in your videos.
6. Write A (Loose) Script
You don’t have to write out everything word for word, but you should have a rough idea of the flow of your video before you start shooting.
7. Get Better Lighting
Great lighting will improve the picture quality of your videos. Even an inexpensive ring light will help prevent blurriness or pixelation that will make you look like an amateur.
8. Capture High-Quality Audio
As with picture quality, good audio helps raise the professionalism of your videos. Use an inexpensive microphone in a room without a lot of echo to ensure you capture the best audio.
9. Don’t Be Afraid To Go Short
Long-form videos will help you provide a lot of information, but putting together short-form videos will give your viewers something simple and concise to watch very quickly. If they like what they see, they will probably invest the time in watching your longer content.
10. Repurpose Material
Don’t think long-form video is completely out of the question—it’s still valuable content. If you have a long video, consider making a shortened preview to entice people to watch the whole thing. You could also think about doing a top 10 video that reiterates important points from recent long-form videos.
11. Keep Consistent With Your Brand
All of your videos should have a consistent aesthetic and personality to them. The backgrounds you stand against, the clothes you wear, and the language you use should all resonate with your targeted ideal customer.
12. Create A Series Or Playlist
A series or playlist is a great way to keep your viewers watching more of what you put out or coming back to see your latest release. It also gives you a chance to build on important relevant topics over time.
13. Make Sure Your Titles Are Good
A good title should be interesting and engaging without being clickbait. It should directly tell your viewers what they can expect without overpromising.
14. Pick The Right Thumbnail
As with a good title, a good thumbnail will give your viewers an idea of what kind of content they can expect to see. Take an interesting, relevant photo and upload it as a thumbnail so that you don’t have to use a still from your video.
15. Engage And Respond
Finally, YouTube is a social media platform just like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The best way to give viewers a positive experience on your channel is to be focused on building community. Engage with people, answer their questions, and show them that you care.