5 new YouTube features to get the most out of the YouTube algorithm

Welke nieuwe YouTube features zijn er en hoe gebruik je het in jouw voordeel?

YouTube has recently expanded to include all sorts of new features, including trailers for live streams and posting short, catchy videos under the banner of YouTube Shorts. These new features are crucial to make your own as a brand. Why? YouTube pushes creators who deploy these latest YouTube features. As an ‘early adopter’ you will not only achieve maximum reach with your content but you will also stay one step ahead of your competition.

#1 MORE INSIGHT INTO HOW YOUR YOUTUBE STORIES PERFORM

YouTube Stories is an important and valuable tool on YouTube to create more engagement with your audience. Until recently, there was unfortunately little insight into the exact number of views, likes, comments and subscribers generated by a specific story. YouTube has improved this with this new YouTube feature.. From now on YouTube Analytics will exactly show you how each active story scores on the different metrics.

You can find these metrics in YouTube Studio at the overview of the channel Analytics.

What does this mean for you? Through YouTube stories you can promote your channel and specific video’s even more. The more insights and data you have for each story, the better you can use this feature to optimally grow your channel. For example, if you notice that one of the stories significantly outperforms other YouTube stories based on likes and subscribers, you can choose to create more similar stories.

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#2 RANK HIGHER WITH VIDEO CHAPTERS

Are you already using video chapters? By putting timestamps of the different parts of your video in the video description, certain chapters are added to your video. The video will be divided into several sections. Viewers can click on the sections and that gives them a better overview. This YouTube feature has already been available for some time, but YouTube has now made it even easier to use by automating it.

In fact, you can now add automatic video chapters to your video. These YouTube chapters are then created based on machine based learning, but they can be overwritten at any time by manually adding chapters in the video description.

You can enable this new automatic YouTube feature when you edit a video in YouTube Studio. Under the heading ‘Automatic Video Chapters’ you can turn the feature on and off.

What does this mean for you? We recommend the use of video chapters, whether you add them automatically or manually. Video chapters do not only give your viewers, but also the YouTube algorithm, insight into the content of your video. The more the algorithm knows, the better it can recommend your video to the right audience.

In addition, this extra information is also useful for your SEO position on Google. Not only do video chapters improve your position in the Google search results, but this feature also gives you the opportunity to be listed in Google’s so-called ‘featured snippets’. To be listed as a brand in these featured snippets provides exceptional visibility and credibility.

The new automated feature that YouTube offers to add video chapters to your video, makes it even easier for you to use this valuable YouTube feature. So definitely make use of it!

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#3 TEASE YOUR VIEWERS WITH LIVESTREAM TRAILERS

Adding trailers to premiere videos on YouTube was already an option for a while, but it is now also possible for live streams. Trailers are videos between 15 seconds and 3 minutes that are played before the live stream starts.

You can add the trailer by first uploading it as a normal video in YouTube Studio. Next, you create a live stream and you edit it as you normally would. Then, to add the trailer to the live stream, go to ‘Edit’ in YouTube Studio and click the ‘Customization’ tab. You then simply select the trailer you had already uploaded.

What does this mean for you? Trailers make sure that your audience keeps watching before a live stream begins. If viewers have to wait for a live stream to start, there is a chance that they will leave before it starts. This is of course a waste. A trailer helps prevent this loss by giving viewers a teaser of the content that is to come.

#4 SKYROCKET ENGAGEMENT WITH POLLS IN LIVE CHATS

YouTube has clearly been busy optimizing live streams, as it has added another useful YouTube feature that can improve engagement during live streams. During live streams and premiers it is possible to turn on a live chat. In a live chat, viewers can respond live to the content that is currently being played. YouTube now offers the option to send polls during these chats, in which the viewer can vote. In this way you can optimally keep your audience involved with your content.

What does this mean for you? Polls can improve engagement with the audience during a live stream or premiere. This keeps viewers watching longer and they feel more involved with your content. In addition, polls allow you to ask useful and relevant questions that give you more insight into how the audience receives your content and what you could potentially improve or create in the future.

#5 CREATORS ARE REWARDED WITH NEW ACHIEVEMENT CARDS

In order to reward the effort and commitment of creators on YouTube more, YouTube has recently introduced the so-called ‘Achievement Cards’. These cards can be seen in YouTube Studio when a channel has achieved a certain milestone, such as a certain number of views, subscribers or watch time.

What does this mean for you? These ‘Achievement Cards’ make it even easier for you to keep track of your channel’s progress. Besides that, they offer a fun reminder of important milestones worth celebrating. Hopefully this will motivate you to grow your YouTubbe channel even more!

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WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT DIFFERENT YOUTUBE FEATURES?

Want to know more about different YouTube features and what YouTube can mean for your brand? Visit our website or read our blog about these 3 essential YouTube-features!

Want to discover what a YouTube marketing agency can do for you?

Born and raised on YouTube, we’ve developed a unique, data-driven approach to create effective videos. As the second-largest global search engine, tapping into YouTube’s full potential requires more than just uploading videos. A specialized YouTube agency can efficiently navigate this complex platform, ensuring your marketing investment translates into measurable results. Click here to learn more about a YouTube marketing agency.

Written by

  • Mio Blankensteijn

    Lead Publishing

    Team5pm

    mio@team5pm.com

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