How to Grow Your YouTube Gaming Channel 2021
Dec 7, 2020Wondering how to grow your YouTube gaming channel in 2021? If so, you aren't alone. Many gamers start a YouTube channel every year, and many of them struggle to see success. While this is unfortunate, it is important to recognize that there are things that can be done to ensure that a gaming channel grows in 2021.
To grow your gaming channel on YouTube in 2021, you must upload videos on in-demand topics consistently. Along with this, you must ensure that your videos are optimized following YouTube SEO best practices. Failure to do these things will result in less visibility for your videos and less overall channel growth.
It's no secret that growing a gaming channel is a difficult task. Every year, it seems like tens of thousands of new gaming channels show up on the scene. Something important to remember, however, is that 99% of these channels are doing things incorrectly. Since this is the case, you must do things correctly so your channel can stand out.
How to Grow a Gaming YouTube Channel 2021
Knowing how to know a gaming YouTube channel in 2021 is important for any gamers looking to achieve YouTube success. When the wrong advice is followed, the process of growing an audience takes much longer. Since this is the case, gaming channel owners must do things correctly.
Growing a gaming YouTube channel in 2021 can be a difficult process. Different sub-niches have certain standards and levels of competition- it can be hard to gain traction. However, some things can be done to make the process easier. It's important to acknowledge, however, that there is no secret "hacks"- hard work is necessary for achieving success.
To grow a gaming channel on YouTube in 2021, a creator must:
- Upload videos on in-demand topics
- Follow YouTube SEO best practices
- Prioritize click-through rate (CTR)
- Be consistent
Let's discuss each of these things in more detail.
Upload Videos on in-Demand Topics
Videos about topics that people are interested in have a higher potential of gaining views than videos about topics that people are not interested in. Since this is the case, it is in your best interest to upload videos about topics that people in your niche have been proven to be interested in.
Finding in-demand topics is as simple as taking a look at what videos large channels in your niche are publishing. Chances are if their viewers are enjoying the videos they are creating, there's a lot of demand for those types of videos. Along with this, you can monitor social media and forums to see if any topics tend to be brought up frequently.
Follow YouTube SEO Best Practices
YouTube doesn't have a room full of employees who watch every single video that gets uploaded to the platform. But then how does YouTube determine what videos are about? Well, they have algorithms (robots) that do this for them, and these algorithms look at the metadata of videos to determine what they are about.
When you follow YouTube SEO best practices, you optimize the metadata of your videos in a way that makes it easier for the algorithms to determine what they are about. This helps the algorithms promote and rank your videos more effectively, leading to more visibility. So, if you want your videos to be seen, you must learn how to optimize YouTube videos in 2021.
Prioritize Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Optimizing the metadata of your videos so they can get increased visibility is important. Something important to acknowledge, however, is the fact that you cannot gain any views unless people click on your videos. Since this is the case, it's in your best interest to prioritize click-through rate (CTR) and get as many people to click on your videos as possible.
Typically, the easiest way to increase CTR is to design click-friendly video thumbnails. Click-friendly thumbnails are thumbnails with eye-catching colors, images, and text. Keep in mind, thumbnails need to be relevant to the video at hand. A good way to determine what click-friendly thumbnails look like in your niche is to look at thumbnails from large channels.
Be Consistent
Often, content creators understand that they must follow best practices if they wish to be successful. The problem, however, is that most content creators only follow best practices for a few videos, and then they slide back into their old habits. If you want your YouTube gaming channel to grow in 2021, you must follow best practices consistently.
Every single video you upload must be handled the same as the previous video. Meaning, every single video you upload must follow best practices. You cannot optimize videos properly for a month, for example, and expect to have 1 million subscribers- you must optimize videos properly for the long-term.
How to Promote Your YouTube Gaming Channel
Getting your videos promoted by the YouTube algorithm can take a long time. This is why learning how to promote your YouTube gaming channel is important. You cannot depend on the algorithm if you wish to see a good growth rate as a small gaming channel- you must promote your videos off of YouTube.
The best way to promote a gaming channel is to utilize social media, Reddit, and forums. All of these promotion options will help you direct traffic to your videos, leading to increased visibility and channel growth. No matter what sub-niche you are in, chances are your audience is present on social media and has a dedicated forum.
Promoting your channel is quite simple. All you need to do is become a member of the communities that you join, and engage in conversations. Leave comments on posts, respond to comments, etc. Once in a while, share one of your videos where relevant. Do not over-promote your videos- you don't want to become known as a spammer.
Ideally, your username on each platform should be the same as your YouTube channel name. This way, you will become recognized over time on each platform you decide to devote your time to. Just remember- focus on engaging and providing value. Do not share your video links 24/7- use your platforms of choice as a normal person would.
Is It Too Late to Start a YouTube Gaming Channel
At this point, you might be wondering- is it too late to start a YouTube gaming channel? After all, it seems like tens of thousands of new gaming channels pop up every year. Well, while many people start a YouTube channel every year, this doesn't mean that things become more competitive.
You see, gaming is an accessible niche. Gaming consoles come equipped with built-in capture cards, and there are plenty of screen capture programs for computers. Since this is the case, it's easy for people to start gaming channels. Something important to remember, however, is that 99% of the people that start gaming channels will do so incorrectly.
Think about it- does it matter if there are 100,000 gaming channels if 95,000 of them don't follow best practices? Standing out from these channels is very easy- just follow best practices. Quantity is not an indication of competition- quality is, and there's plenty of room for more high-quality gaming videos on YouTube.
It is not too late to start a YouTube gaming channel in 2021. Gaming videos are still in high demand, and the vast majority of gaming channels on YouTube create low-quality videos that will not be seen. Standing out from the masses is easy- just follow best practices and upload high-quality videos.
Conclusion
Learning how to grow your YouTube gaming channel in 2021 is important as a gaming content creator. Failure to do the right things will lead to less visibility for your videos and slow channel growth. Follow the best practices mentioned above, promote your videos on social media and forums, and you'll get noticed on YouTube in no time.