Video marketing continues to grow in popularity, in large part due to the proliferation of mobile devices that allow billions to access multimedia from anywhere. This dynamic cuts across multiple mediums: on social media, via email and even in custom paid ads, video embeds are now possible. This combination of factors makes video marketing a very powerful tool for brands of all sizes.

YouTube leads the pack in terms of the power that video marketing and subscriber bases can have for brands. YouTube content creators are constantly seeking new ways in which to expand their audiences and grow their subscriber bases, but what exactly do these brands do to generate this success?

Today, we’ll examine what these successful brands do to convert viewers into subscribers.

Create Playlists

There are plenty of specific reasons why viewers might decide to subscribe to your channel, but one of the biggest common denominators in the equation is having lots of videos. Successful brands can then transform these offerings into customized playlists, which will give viewers the option to see one video after another without any additional input. Generally speaking, the more videos someone watches, the more likely they are to find something they enjoy – and therefore become more likely to subscribe.

Produce Longer Videos

Believe it or not, the length of videos that you’re pinging websites such as YouTube with can affect the visibility of your overall channel(s). Since viewers tend to prefer longer videos for most subjects and topics, more viewers to your videos means more opportunities for subscriptions to be earned. Many aim for the 10-minute mark when creating YouTube videos, but there are plenty of successful channels that produce even longer videos. Ultimately, balancing attention spans with algorithms is key: experiment with a variety of different lengths and see what produces results for you.

Engage with Your Comments

Especially helpful when just starting, YouTube is a community-driven website. This means even the smallest of brands have an opportunity to build loyal followings with enough work. One such way to increase engagement – and therefore the likelihood of more subscriptions – is to engage with comments on your videos. This will not only notify these individuals (and remind them to return to the video to see what was said), but it helps portray your brand as an engaged entity – and one worth subscribing to for more.

Embrace the Thumbnail

Last but not least, there is a certain element of professionalism in boosting subscriber counts that revolves around appearance. Simply put, people are more likely to subscribe to channels that are designed well, update regularly and use quality aesthetics. While this applies to every aspect of your videos and channels, pinging websites with your video only tells the viewer so much. A high-quality and eye-grabbing thumbnail can make the difference between a click or a skip. Since a huge part of gaining subscribers is rooted in gaining views, this simple yet powerful component is a must-have for all successful YouTube brands.

There are dozens of important tweaks and changes you should consider when building a successful and prosperous YouTube channel. However, these four changes are all relatively simple alterations that any brand or content creator can begin implementing today. Once you do so, you’ll likely begin to see a big difference in your subscriber and view counts.