6 ways to grow your YouTube channel in 2024
Jan 18, 2024 – [[read-time]] minute read
Whether your 2024 resolution is to finally start up that channel you’ve been envisioning, to refine your niche or grow your audience, here are 6 tips to get you closer to your goals!
1. Focus first on the essentials
We’ve heard time and time again from creators with more than one million subscribers that the most important first and next step is to make authentic, genuine content. All the tips, tricks and advice mean nothing if you aren’t making videos that attract viewers. Luckily, it isn’t hard to go back to the basics.
Everything is going to hinge on the idea, so brainstorm, discuss, debate, make lists, add and cross things off, until you come up with an idea you feel confident trying out. Then, try to think like a viewer. What draws you in about certain videos? What keeps you watching, subscribing and coming back for more? Consider what you’d want to see next if you were your audience and emulate what you like or what you wish you saw more of.
Carefully select thumbnails, descriptions and titles that are both accurate and engaging. This may take some experimentation — whether it’s descriptive, mysterious or funny. If you’re a Shorts creator, make sure to grab your viewers’ attention in the first couple seconds. YouTube’s recommendation system is based on several complex factors, so instead of trying to “crack the code,” your first focus should be on creating great videos (and here are some tools to get you started).
2. Become consistent
Consistency has several benefits — it’s a good way to continually improve your skills, it builds trust with your audience and it helps you build strong habits as a creator, but there’s a fine balance to be found between consistency and sustainability. Sure, posting three videos every single week sounds like a great goal on paper, but do you have the time and energy to sustain that schedule in the long term? Can you make things easier on yourself by filming your videos in batches or planning out your topics a couple weeks in advance? Could trying a new format like Shorts, Live or Community Posts help increase your consistency?
The answer to those questions is going to depend on the amount of time you have and the type of content you make, but no matter what your niche, finding that balance is key to growing your channel and avoiding burnout.
Try this: Use YouTube tools to automate your uploads. Schedule your videos to allow you the freedom to be consistent with your uploads without feeling tied to your computer or mobile device.
Try this: Schedule your videos to allow you the freedom to be consistent with your uploads without feeling tied to your computer or mobile device.
3. Get to know your audience
YouTube Analytics does more than show how your videos are performing. It’s particularly helpful when trying to get a deeper understanding of who your audience is and what they might want to see. Go into Creator Studio, open your Analytics, then select the Audience tab. There, you can find information on what formats, channels and videos your viewers watch and when they’re active on YouTube.
You can use this information to plan your next batch of content, brainstorm new ideas and even identify potential collaborations. Look at the "Videos growing your audience" section. Make more videos like those, and videos that are easy follow-up watches to maximize growth.
4. Try your hand at Shorts
2024 is a great time to start experimenting with new formats. Short and long form content works differently, so trying one or the other for the first time may seem intimidating.
Shorts is a great outlet for those, like myself, looking to dip their toes into casual content creation. Making a YouTube channel has been on my bucket list since I was in middle school and every year I didn’t do it, I felt I’d missed my chance! Starting out with Shorts is a great way to make content with less pressure — in a new series for the official YouTube Creator Liaison channel, I’ll be trying out different trends to learn what it takes to be a Shorts creator. So if you need an accountability partner, I’ll be right here with you and invite you to follow along!
Try this: For those who are already dabbling in long form content, Shorts is another great way to stay connected with your audience and get discovered by new viewers. YouTube recently introduced the Related Videos feature to help direct viewers from Shorts to your other content, including long form, which gives you even more potential for growth by getting your videos in front of audiences that may not have found your content otherwise.
Try this: YouTube recently introduced the Related Videos feature to help direct viewers from Shorts to your other content, which gives you even more potential for growth.
5. Learn from others
Go back and watch almost any big creators' first video. I can almost guarantee it’s nowhere close to the quality and scale of their content today, and that’s because growth is a constant part of the process. Each video is a new opportunity to improve, increase your confidence and sharpen your editing skills. There’s some things you really only learn by doing, but if you’re looking to skip a few failures, Rene’s Creator Advice series is a great resource. The series features both practical and inspirational advice from successful creators across different niches, so no matter what you’re wanting to create, you can learn from the best.
6. Join in trending conversations
2023 brought us Barbie-themed celebrations, Grimace Shake and the rise of Skibiditoilet — topics so widespread they were hard to escape! While too much trend-chasing can be dizzying, joining in on relevant moments can be a fun way to grow your audience. (Wanna learn more? We even have a whole blog section dedicated to trends and pop culture!)
Try this: The insights from the Research tab in YouTube Analytics can help you think of video ideas that viewers may want to watch. Enter a search term in the search bar to see how popular certain topics are with your audience and across YouTube.
Try this: Enter a search term in Research tab of YouTube Analytics to see how popular certain topics are with your audience and across YouTube.
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We’re working to give creators all the resources they need to succeed, and if you want to be kept in the loop, consider checking back regularly on this blog, subscribing to Creator Insider and following our Creator Liaison channels on YouTube, X/Twitter, Instagram and Threads. 2024 is the year of growth here on YouTube and we’re here to help you get there!