Looking for the opportunity to see your vlog view count explode?

Now’s your chance!

Make the most of this holiday season and use it as a stepping stone for creating engaging, viral content that will draw in a large audience and get you closer to a YouTube partnership.

See How You Can Double Your Vlog Views Over The Holidays

 
Vlogging can be a tricky business, especially this day in age when every teenager considers themselves a YouTube star and millions of people are seizing the opportunity to post content in the hopes of going viral.

There is no doubt that the competition is fierce, but don’t let this discourage you!

Besides coming up with a unique concept, there are certain posting behaviors and marketing tricks that can also get you noticed and push you ahead of your competitors for traffic. 

 

Use these 16 hacks this holiday season to boost your vlog and double your views:

 

#1. Schedule Posts For Standardized Times.

Post your content regularly at the same time throughout the holidays.

Even if you previously only posted once or twice a month, or even once a week, now is the opportunity to post more frequently and regularly at least for a set period of time.

Think of your holiday blog content as the Christmas Special on TV each year, when viewers gather around at 8pm each evening for 12 days to watch their favorite holiday classics.

It is important to stick to a schedule once you start it, so that your audience looks forward to the next post and knows when to expect them.

Make sure not to let down your fans or you will lose them!

 

#2. Plan Way Ahead of Time!

This tip applies to most if not all types of content, but is crucial in this case due to the nature of the content calendar.

If you are planning to shoot vlog posts for a series, then it is essential that you prepare early so you have all of the content ready in time for the first launch.

This is similar to what is done for any TV series you are watching, only they take it to the extreme and plan years ahead in some cases.

No one likes their entertainment stopping mid-season!

 

#3. Pick a Theme.


Depending on the type of content you are looking to create, the holidays are an opportunity to be creative and come up with a theme.

This can definitely be related to the holiday season, but does not have to be.

 

Here’s an example of a holiday theme we came up with in order to promote the 4th of July.

Though not a theme for a vlog, this was a theme we came up with for social media and our blog.

In order to promote the blog post, we scheduled images of the different freebies on social media for a week before July 4th.

Think of how you can connect your own content to the holiday season within the realm of your normal topics or industry.

 

#4. Host a Live “Hype” Promotional Session On Social Media.

Let your fans get to know you through a live video session as one of the promotional initiatives for your upcoming holiday series.

Let them know what to expect without giving too much away, but just enough to get them hooked in anticipation.

#5. Communicate With Your Vlog Followers!

The best way for your video to show up in search results Let your fans get to know you through a live video session as one of the promotional initiatives for your upcoming holiday series.

Let them know what to expect without giving too much away, but just enough to get them hooked in anticipation.

#6. Add a Call-To-Action!

At the end of your video, add a call-to-action (CTA) encouraging viewers to like, comment, share, or divulge their opinions on your content. Sometimes all you need to do is ask!

 

#7. Post one of those videos to a related, well-known video as a video response.

If you select the right video to respond to with relevant content of your own, this method can get your video a lot of clicks!

 

Search for a relevant video online with a lot of views and comments that is related directly to the topic of your vlog entry. You will then be able to upload a video as a response and can select the appropriate content to share.

 

This is a simple way to gain a lot of extra vlog views, however, proceed with caution so that your vlog account does not receive the reputation of a spammer.

 

#8. Embed Each Video On Your Blog.


In addition to sharing on social channels, you should display your new vlog entries on your traditional blog.

Ideally, you can create a separate blog post highlighting and summarizing each vlog entry. This will bring a different audience to your vlog and allow you to reach more people.

 

#9. Create Captions.

Depending on where your viewers are consuming your content, they may be watching the video with their volume turned off. In order to keep them interested, make sure you include captions or a text overlay within the video so they know what is going on and opt to turn on the volume.

 

#10. Collaborate.

Collaboration can lead to a spike in traffic for your channel, if you play your cards right.

It would be best to select someone with a similar audience to yours, to ensure the viewers would enjoy the new content.

Once the new video is ready, begin to cross-promote and tag the other party in social media hype posts so that they may tag you in theirs. This will already lead curious eyes to take a peek at your vlog!

 

#11. Optimize Your Content For Mobile.

With mobile usage on the rise, it is crucial to optimize your video for smartphone viewers.

Creating square videos as opposed to landscape will ensure they can be viewed via most social media platforms on mobile screens.

 

#12. Customize Your Thumbnail.

Don’t simply leave the default thumbnail created with your video upload.

Create your own custom thumbnail that consists of a high quality, visually appealing and clean image that relates to the content of your specific video.

Something else you can try in order to draw in viewers is adding text to your thumbnail for a higher CTR (click-through rate).

 

#13. Allow Viewers To Locate You.

A great way of getting additional views for your videos is to add a “Subscribe” button to your blog or website linking back to your channel.

 

Other actions you can take for YouTube in particular are:

-Add a URL to your website or blog in your vlog channel description.

-In your vlog channel settings for your YouTube account you can also add a link to your blog or main website.

 

Actions you can take for any Vlog host:

-Update your Instagram account description with a link to each video you post, featuring it.

-Update your bio and statuses on Facebook and Twitter for either each video as they come out, or to your main Vlog link.

#14. Holla At Your Audience.

In order to increase the engagement with your viewers, consider giving a shout-out or mentioning names of your fans within the video itself or on social media.

Better yet, tag them in a post as well as mention them in the video!

 

#15. Keep It Short & Sweet.

It’s no secret that we have short attention spans, with our smartphones in hand and so many other stimulants constantly battling for our attention. For this reason, make sure you keep the length of your Vlog to a minimum.

 

Each platforms has different recommendations, so know your audience and be mindful of your host.

 

Youtube: 1-4 minutes.

Facebook: 30-45 seconds.

Instagram: 15 seconds or less.

Vine: 15 seconds or less.

#16. Leave Your Viewers With Food For Thought.

Don’t you just love those movies with ambiguous endings that are open to interpretation? Or the TV show that ends each episode with a cliffhanger and evokes a response for the audience? Take a page from their book and end your Vlog entry with a question for the audience to ponder. Even openly challenge them to comment with their opinions and then engage with them creating a thread of responses.

 

That’s it folks! Have your own proven tips on Vlogging to contribute? Feel free to let us know.

Happy Holiday Vlogging!