Article last updated on:
November 04, 2024
Initially published on:
August 07, 2024

Published a YouTube video? Not sure how to make it go viral?

This article teaches you the only 10 tips you’ll ever need to promote all of your videos.


Why should you Promote your YouTube video?

Shortly: Promoting your YouTube video helps increase visibility, engagement, and subscriber growth, all contributing to a successful channel.

Here are my top reasons.

1. Reach more people

Promotion expands your video’s reach beyond organic viewers, attracting a broader audience who may not have discovered your content otherwise.

2. Get more engagement

More promotion leads to higher views, likes, comments, and shares, boosting your video’s engagement and improving its performance.

3. Make the algorithm love you

Increased engagement signals to YouTube’s algorithm that your content is valuable, helping it appear in search results and recommendations.

Related → See how the algorithm of Shorts works.

4. Welcome new subscribers

Promoted videos can bring in viewers who connect with your content, making them more likely to subscribe for future videos.

5. Get a growth momentum

Promotion creates consistent growth opportunities, supporting your channel’s potential for monetization, brand partnerships, and long-term success.

CTA: Create viral YouTube Shorts now button

How To Promote YouTube Videos

Currently, the best way to promote YouTube videos is to do it through SEO: titles, descriptions, captions, and much more.

That is both on YouTube itself and on your website or blog.

1. Make use of Video SEO

Optimizing for search engines is crucial to getting discovered on YouTube. By using the right keywords and making your content easy to find, you can attract more viewers.

Highlighting the hashtags used on a YouTube Shorts video
Use hashtags to try going viral
  • Keywords: Research and use relevant keywords in your title + description.
  • Title: Create catchy and descriptive titles.
  • Description: Write detailed descriptions with keywords and links.
  • Tags: Use a mix of broad and specific hashtags for your videos.
  • Thumbnails: Design eye-catching thumbnails with bold text and contrasting colors.

A great way to leverage thumbnails is to A/B test them.

2. Talk to Your Audience

Engaging with your audience builds a loyal community around your channel. Interaction encourages viewers to return and recommend your content to others.

A great way of doing this is using your YouTube Community.

Highlighting one of PewDiePie's posts on YouTube Community
Great engagement on PewDiePie’s community
  • Respond to Comments: Engage with viewers by replying to their comments.
  • Call to Actions (CTAs): Encourage viewers to like, comment, and subscribe.
  • Community Tab: Use the community tab to post updates, polls, and engage with your audience.

3. Social Media

Social media platforms are powerful tools for promoting your YouTube videos. Sharing your content across different channels increases visibility and attracts new viewers.

X (Twitter) post of somebody sharing their new YouTube video
A simple example

4. Collaborate with Others

Collaborations can expose your channel to a broader audience. Working with other content creators helps you tap into their viewer base and gain credibility.

MrBeast's $1M Influencer Challenge Video
MrBeast had 50 guests in 1 video
  • Collaborations: Partner with other YouTubers for guest appearances or joint projects.
  • Shoutouts: Exchange shoutouts with creators in your niche.

5. Email Marketing

Email marketing is an effective way to keep your audience informed and engaged. Building an email list allows you to send updates and promote your videos directly to your subscribers.

  • Build an Email List: Collect emails through your channel and website.
  • Newsletters: Send regular newsletters with updates and video links.
  • Personalized Emails: Send personalized emails to your subscribers when you upload a new video.

6. Run Ads

Paid advertising on YouTube can quickly boost your video’s visibility. By targeting specific demographics, you can attract the right audience to your channel.

Website homepage of YouTube Ads

7. Cross-Promote Your Videos

Cross-promotion keeps viewers on your channel longer by guiding them to more of your content. This strategy increases your total watch time and helps build a consistent viewership.

Highlighting the end-screen on a YouTube video
You can customize this
CTA: Create viral YouTube Shorts now button

8 Websites where you can Promote your YouTube Channel

The best website to promote your YouTube channel is Reddit. With its vast, topic-specific communities (subreddits), Reddit allows you to target audiences interested in your niche, driving highly relevant and engaged traffic to your videos.

👇 These platforms can help you expand your reach, build an engaged audience, and attract new subscribers to your YouTube channel.

1. Reddit

Link: reddit.com

Find subreddits related to your niche and share your videos where appropriate. Engaging with communities interested in your content can drive targeted traffic to your channel.

2. Facebook

Link: facebook.com

Facebook groups, pages, and even paid ads can help increase visibility for your YouTube channel. Look for groups related to your content area for organic promotion.

3. 𝕏 (Twitter)

Link: 𝕏.com

Share your videos on Twitter with relevant hashtags and tag people who may be interested. Engaging with your followers regularly can help your videos gain traction.

4. Instagram

Link: instagram.com

Use Instagram Stories, Reels, or posts to promote video highlights and add a link to your channel in your bio. This can drive traffic from your Instagram followers to your YouTube content.

5. Pinterest

Link: pinterest.com

Create visually appealing pins that link to your YouTube videos or channel. Pinterest’s search-driven format allows for evergreen promotion, bringing in viewers over time.

6. Quora

Link: quora.com

Answer questions relevant to your channel’s content and link to your videos where it adds value. This can help drive traffic from people specifically interested in the topics you cover.

7. LinkedIn

Link: linkedin.com

Share videos on LinkedIn if they’re relevant to a professional audience. This platform is especially effective for educational or career-oriented content.

8. Medium

Link: medium.com

Write blog posts related to your video topics and embed your videos in the articles. This not only promotes your channel but can also improve SEO, bringing in more viewers.


Create Viral YouTube Videos That Don’t Even Need Promotion

With SendShort, you can create viral YouTube videos that capture attention naturally, making promotion less of a need and more of a bonus.

sendshort.ai website homepage
SendShort.ai

Here’s how SendShort helps your videos go viral organically:

  • Powerful Hooks: Use SendShort’s AI to create dynamic, attention-grabbing intros that draw viewers in from the first second.
  • Engaging Captions and Text: Add captions that reinforce key points and increase accessibility, keeping viewers engaged and reaching those watching without sound.
  • Eye-Catching Effects and Transitions: SendShort’s effects and transitions make your videos visually compelling, holding attention and encouraging shares.

By leveraging SendShort’s AI, you can create YouTube videos with all the elements that naturally encourage views, shares, and engagement—without relying heavily on promotion.

CTA: Create viral YouTube Shorts now button

FAQ

1. Can I pay to promote YouTube videos?

Yes, you can pay to promote YouTube videos using Google Ads to reach a wider audience through targeted advertising campaigns.

Screenshot from Google's guide about promoting a YouTube video
Screenshot is from their official guide

2. Where can I promote my YouTube for free?

You can promote your YouTube channel for free on social media platforms like Facebook, 𝕏 (Twitter), and Instagram, as well as on online communities such as Reddit, forums, and by collaborating with other creators.

3. Is it worth promoting on YouTube?

Yes, promoting on YouTube can be worth it as it helps increase visibility, attract new viewers, and potentially grow your channel’s subscriber base.


Thanks a lot for reading this,
David Ch
Head of the Editing Team at SendShort

About the author

David leads the editing team at SendShort. With this help, the team delivers the latest guides on using your favorite social media apps and creating short-form content.