Top 13 YouTube Secrets Revealed at VidCon 2018

I just finished attending VidCon 2018 and I wanted to share the top Youtube Secrets that were discussed this year. Since VidCon was started by Youtubers, much of the discussion is about how to get your videos to be found, clicked on, viewed, and viewed for longer. YouTube is the worlds 2nd biggest search engine, and you can be making the most amazing content, but if nobody can find it, then nobody will be watching it. YouTube says: "Our goal is to get people to watch more videos that they enjoy so that they come back to YouTube regularly."

1. The best color for thumbnails is yellow
-- Big Face with visible whites of the eyes, showing strong emotions
-- 3 words or less.. 6 letters or less per word
-- Draw attention -- arrows and circles
-- And needs to be visible really small
-- The video needs to deliver on the thumbnail in the first 15 to 30 seconds
-- One creator spends at least an hour creating her thumbnail. The slime channel spends 4 hours.

2. Video titles are important! Emotional, lists, numbers, YOU, create a need
--- The end of the world is coming! Things YOU need to know before over!
-- Use active voice (runs instead of ran)
-- Use buzz words (secret, exclusive, limited)
-- Use emotional words (passion, truth, scary)
-- Use trending words (fortnite, slime, fidget spinner)

3. "How to" videos are some of the most watched and also rank on Google

4. Growth Hacking: The most important metric to YouTube is "Watch Time"
-- Most important in the first 24 to 48 hours
-- YouTube helps you out on search ranking for the first 7 days
-- But poor videos can also affect the next videos negativity
-- Tracked per video AND on the channel overall
-- May and September are the lowest months for Youtube viewership

5. People like authenticity and entertainment -- particularly complaints and rants
-- Stories about yourself
-- Like a conversation with a friend

6. On average it takes 3 to 5 video views to become a subscriber

7. The videos with the most watch time are between 7 and 16 minutes in length
-- And uploaded at least once a week -- 3 is the current sweet spot
-- Best time to post is when the most of your subscribers are active (Look at your analytics curve)
-- Younger audience most active Thursday to Sunday morning
-- Older audience most active Sunday to Thursday (when they are at work)
-- But not too often otherwise you'll burn out your subscribers
--Daily vlogging is dead. Hey.. I setup a tripod so I could get the improptu shot of me getting out of my bed in the morning.

8. Only ask for one call to action at the end, and that's to watch another video
-- But don't click on it.. SMASH it!
--- But don't use playlists, too much of a time commitment to watch 100 videos

9. Ads are sold on keywords and viewer demographics
-- Particularly the viewers country
-- This is why my Japan videos don't make much
-- But why my Las Vegas videos do
-- Apparently I should ONLY make videos on Las Vegas
-- And in December CPM is the highest, and January is the lowest.
-- Too bad for Jesus in Taiwan

10. Pro Youtubers make most of their money not from ads
--- but from merchandise, subscriptions, etc

11. To not get demonitized avoid words like "Death" and "Kill"
--- also avoid fire in your thumbnails

12. This number has been intentionally left blank
-- Creator vs Influencer rant -- Casey really hates the term Influencer. We should be measured about the videos are create, not the fact that they have influence
-- Social Media about connecting with your friends or about competing for likes
-- Casey Neistat says he doesn't have a social life that competes with his work life. He doesn't like to be around people. "I'd rather my daughter tell me she's going to be a stripper than be a vlogger"
-- Casey attributes his success to luck. Right place and right time. Took Casey 15 years to achieve some level of success. The path to success is challenging, disparaging and brutal.
-- To give up is an absolute path to never achieve success. Then luck ceases to exist.
-- Patience is the most undervalued virtue to achieving success.

13. The best numbers to use are prime numbers

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[kentkoster]

I found your channel because it was a top hit for a "Las Vegas" search. I probably followed 6-7 of the recommended videos from the column on the right before I subscribed.

[bellamonique]

I suscribed after watching one of your Hawaii videos. I love your videos cuz they are very informative and fun. Not interested in "Las Vegas" since I'm not a fun of that place. I'd like if you ever make a video of New Orleans.

[lamontisabigdummy]

I found your channel through Vegas videos

[razz]

If you are running this for fun keep doing what you are doing....if you are a business trying to make a living do what sells.

[noldoazul]

Very good points there! I´m very curious about you how know about my poor Adsense revenue, hahaha :)

[jjx]

It took me 3-4 videos to make me subscribe. At the time, I was watching for information about Hawaii. Then I saw your videos about Japan - and thats what got me to subscribe. The videos where to talk about the train/subway system in Tokyo helped a lot. Thank you for the Japan videos. I went there last year, and your videos helped a lot. Keep up the good work!

[jugaluf]

Subscribed after one video. I subscribed mostly because of Topher....he is so adorable. Like you too Chris!!!

[richardmccarley]

Grandpa Richard likes the longer videos because he watches then while eating lunch in his car during the work day. He has to prop his phone up on the dashboard and doesn't want to have to keep taking it down to start a new video

[Jeannified]

Great video and great information! Thanks, Chris!

[vinniecorleone]

Excellent points! I implement many of these as a vlogger on YT with long rants on Gaming.

[natashak]

I subscribed after watching about 3 videos

[davidcross]

I came to this channel BECAUSE you do a LOT of videos on Japan, which I find invaluable to my upcoming trip. Don't look at those metrics keep doing what you love to do!!

[glennpaton]

I will be honest, I subscribed after watching one of your Japan vids, and didn't really watch many after that. You made a video on why you make them and I was surprised that you do it as a hobby and do not have a patreon account. I now watch all your videos, keep it up.

[dizzyramirez]

I'm only commenting to tell you that I subscribed after one video (this being my first). Mostly because I think it's good advice, and I could use the tips. Partly, though, to prove you wrong. Onward to other videos!

[Jeannified]

Yellow is the first color that the eye 👁 sees. 😊

[josephdadey]

I love watching your vids.. I started watching you for your Vegas videos, and watched your Maui vids and NYC vids. Telling me to "punch", "Tickle" or even "lick " a video seems a bit inorganic for you. While I like pointing to a video and saying "meet me up here", this doesn't always link to a new video if you're watching the video on some platforms/devices. Either way, I say keep doing what you have a genuine passion for doing. Although it's an already somewhat saturated segment, have you considered doing any Cruise videos? You might bring a different spin to it.

[jamesbamford]

I subscribed after 1 video your 13 things to do in Los Angeles :)

[normandea]

Interesting. You should make the travel videos that you want to make. I like the Las Vegas videos, but I also like the Japan videos as well.

[lironba]

That was very enlightening and helpful. Thanks!

[VegardThefilmmaker]

He he. Clever! But yes. Many good tips there.