5 Easy Ways to Enhance Your YouTube Channel
YouTube can make or break you. It’s the easiest way to help people know, LOVE, and trust you.
Casting directors and creatives are already going to YouTube or Google to research you. Since YouTube is owned by Google, your public videos can (and will) show up in search results.
Here are five easy ways to enhance your YouTube channel.
1. Curate Your Content.
Your old videos from decades ago can still show up in search results. Even if you’re not tech savvy, head “backstage” to YouTube Studio and spend some time changing the privacy settings of your existing content.
Since your online presence is a 24/7 audition or interview, make sure you’re presenting your best and truest self. Here, and on all social media, think of quality over quantity.
It’s about presenting your present—or sharing the talent and personality they’re getting today.
Action Step
Visit studio.youtube.com to do some cleaning. Change any videos that don’t reflect your current best self from “public” to “unlisted.” This way, you can still share the unlisted links of your videos if requested, but the general public finds a curated collection of current clips.
2. Create Categorized playlists.
YouTube and Google prioritize how long people stay engaged (quality of content), not necessarily how many people watch your videos (quantity of views).
You can set up older videos for more exposure by creating a video playlist. It’s the Netflix effect: People can now binge-watch your content and YouTube will help autoplay the next “episode”!
You might consider categories by job title (Dancer, Choreographer, Educator) and/or by genre (Film & Television, Theatre, Dance). I recommend embedding this playlist on your website—even on the homepage. If desired, you can still present a gallery view of videos (side by side or stacked) on the “Media” or “Videos” page. However, on the homepage, l’d encourage embedding a playlist.
Action Step
Visit youtube.com/view_all_playlists and create public playlists of your best work.
3. Customize Your Channel Layout
Like Netflix, we want to present audiences with featured content, followed by carousels of selections.
Take a moment to select a video for people who haven’t subscribed (perhaps your reel). Then, take a moment to select a video for people who have subscribed (perhaps your latest performance clip).
From there, I’d suggest adding rows of the single playlists you created above. This way, people can see all you do (Dancer, Choreographer, Educator) or everywhere you work (Film & Television, Theatre, Dance).
Pro tip? Create some brand affiliation by adding a row of “Featured Channels.” You can customize the headline to whatever you want. I’d suggest “As Seen On” and listing some of your credits (such as Broadway or TV Channels), or “Recommended Channels” and showing relevant partners for your brand (such as the Tony Awards, Playbill, Roundabout, etc.)
Action Step
Visit “Customization” at studio.youtube.com and add featured videos, rows of single or or multiple playlists, and a row of featured channels in the first “Layout” tab.
4. Add Your Branding
While still in “Customization” at studio.youtube.com, visit the second tab titled “Branding” and update your profile picture, banner image, and add a subscribe graphic to the lower corner of your video.
Watch the lower right corner of the video below for an example.
Action Step
Add your profile picture, banner image, and a subscribe graphic to update your branding.
5. Add Your Basic Info
Finish with the last tab in “Customization” at studio.youtube.com and add your details under “Basic info.”
Action Step
Make sure you “link and sync” your entire web presence. Add your basic info:
Name
@Username
Description or Bio
Website Link
IMDb
Social Links
Be sure to choose “Overlay First # Links” to have your IMDB and social media links follow your website.
Voila!
You have now transformed your YouTube channel into a more current, holistic, and professional representation.
Leave a comment with your channel below. I’d love to check it out.
Want to learn more?
Master your self-tapes, reels, and clips with a LIVE Zoom Workshop I’m co-teaching with special guest, Stef Tovar.
Author of The Map: An Actor’s Guide to On-Camera Acting, Stef and I are going to deep dive into the craft of creating video and the tech. Learn how to effectively publish and organize your video content across YouTube, Vimeo, and other platforms.
