Many content creators have found success and even fame via the internet, but those who have harnessed YouTube to its fullest potential arguably have had the most impact. Brands built off the platform can easily reach millions of unique visitors each month, driving large sums of clicks, subscriptions and revenue in the process.

Video marketing in particular is a priority goal for many brands creating this form of content, but YouTube video marketing offers a unique set of challenges. Improving the visibility and effectiveness of each YouTube video created is a top concern for YouTubers: let’s examine a few simple ways that brands of any size can extract the most benefit from their channels’ performances.

Always Take Advantage of Tags

Most people think about keywords when pinging links and content to search engines, but tags on YouTube are just as important. Adding a variety of relevant tags help tell YouTube what your content is about and can more accurately ensure it is represented in relevant search results. It’s important to remember that you do not want to spam: adding too many tags to a video can result in decreased visibility over time. Likewise, aiming for highly relevant and specific tags generally is a better bet than targeting broader tags where there is tons of competition.

Make the Most of Your Descriptions

Every video description is an opportunity to convey meaning, promote various aspects of your brand and highlight any other information you deem relevant. While some people use keywords in their descriptions, this segment of your video is better used for calls to action and actual summaries of video content.

Many of the bigger names on YouTube use the first 3 lines of description to promote their social media accounts, subscription pitches and other vital elements. As such, you can create elaborate and lengthy descriptions – but be sure to put the most relevant information at the beginning.

Use Keywords in Titles

There are two main elements that will convince viewers to click on your videos or ignore them. The first element is the title itself – and namely, what it conveys. Titles are the perfect places to use a combination of action words and keywords, ensuring that the video is both optimized for search and appealing to audiences. As such, make use of this valuable real estate and kill two birds with one stone.

Wow with Thumbnails

The second element that influences clicks and views is the video thumbnail. You’ve no doubt noticed the elaborate thumbnails many premium creators on YouTube utilize: there’s nothing stopping you from pinging links in YouTube search results with similar artistry. Custom thumbnails with bright colors, contrasting elements and anything that looks intriguing tend to perform best, so be sure to take advantage of these elements of psychology when designing what will be your video’s first impression on others.

By following these four tips, any brand large or small can create dramatically improved outcomes for their videos. Creating killer thumbnails, utilizing keywords in your titles, targeting relevant tags and filling your descriptions with vital information will all super-charge your YouTube video marketing potential both on the platform and beyond.