Best Practices Guide For The Adult Adventure Time YouTube Channel
In July 2020, I launched a YouTube Channel called Adult Adventure Time. I started the channel as a way to express myself and share our passion for movies, theme parks, travel, and collectibles. Over the past year, most of the focus has been on making content featuring collectibles, particularly Funko Pops, while making videos about traveling and theme parks when I have the opportunity to do so. Over the past 3 months, our subscriber numbers have more than doubled. Over that time, there have been some concepts I followed to keep the growth consistent.
- Keep Content Consistent
Starting on February 1st, I made a plan to post new content on my channel every day. Viewers want consistent content and will continue to consume it if it is offered often and with quality. Subscribers have come to expect new content daily, and I have seen my views in the first 4 hours be higher than they were before using this method.
2. Add Hashtags To The Video Description
Also starting in February, I started using hashtags in my video descriptions to make it easier for new viewers to find my videos. Particular hashtags, such as#ECCC and #GodzillavsKong help drive more engagement to the videos using those hashtags.
3. Make Relevant Content That Coincide With Events
I believe one of the main reasons for the channel’s growth has been the videos that were relevant to events currently happening in the communities my videos are about. For example, one of my most viewed videos about Emerald City Comic Con Funko Virtual Con. In this video, I went to different stores looking to find limited edition Funko Pops that was just released during Emerald City Comic Con at shared retailers. This video drove more new subscribers and likes than any other video I have posted in the past 11 months. I have had success around events such as Funko Target Con and Wonderus Con for the same reasons.
Although it is great that the channel has reached 600 subscribers organically in 11 months, there needs to be a plan to continue to grow the channel. At the moment, the channel does not bring in any revenue, however, the channel becomes eligible for monetization when it reaches 1,000 subscribers. The goal will be to reach past 1,000 subscribers so we can get a return on our investment of both time and money.
Below will be the best practices the channel will follow on YouTube:
- Post During Peak Times
To avoid videos getting lost in the sea of content, make sure to post videos during high traffic times on YouTube. YouTube Studio offers analytics for creators to see when their viewers are on YouTube. According to our channel analytics, the best times to publish videos are roughly 12 pm-5 pm, varying slightly each day.
2. Beef Up Video Descriptions
Video Descriptions can often be overlooked on YouTube, however, the description can do more to help viewers find your videos more easily through search. Using Keywords in the description will allow the algorithm and search engine to know what your video is all about. For Example, when I made a video about hunting for Godzilla vs Kong Funko Pops, I included “Godzilla vs Kong” in both the description and the title of the video. It turned out that the keyword became highly searched on Youtube, and the algorithm suggested my video to those new viewers. Tags are also extremely important to help the search engine find your videos. You can use as many tags as possible to describe the video and what the algorithm should pick up. Hashtags are also a great way to have the video be easily searchable. I can also use the description to link to other websites and social media accounts, such as my Twitter or Instagram.
3. Add End Screens
End Screens appear at the end of a video and allow the creator to insert their logo, subscribe buttons, and links to other playlists or videos. For viewers that watch to the end of the video, they are given a call to action to stay on your channel for longer and engage with other content. Without these end screens, they could either jump to another channel or exit YouTube entirely. You need to give them an easy reason to continue to stay with you.
4. Consider Live Stream Event
Live streaming allows creators to interact with their audience in real-time, responding to live chats and questions. On YouTube, this is a great way to gain a better and more instant relationship with your audience. It is also a way you can reward your loyal audience for engaging early and often. Once you reach 1,000 subscribers on your channel, you also can live stream from your mobile device. Live streaming is also a great way to drive revenue for eligible channels, as both ads and super chats can be enabled. Super Chats are paid comments submitted by viewers during a live stream.
5. Collaborate With Other Creators
Collaboration on YouTube can allow two relatively isolated audiences to be introduced to the other’s content, and in most cases, this usually goes quite well. It should be a goal to foster relationships with other creators so there can be potential to collaborate in the future. If we team up with a channel with a larger subscriber base, it could foster large growth in the channel. Many audiences are loyal to certain creators, so they will subscribe to our channel if their favorite creator tells them to.
6. Contests and Giveaways
Everyone loves free stuff! Contests and giveaways tend to drive more engagement. The problem with giveaways is that they cost money. As long as it is not done too often without a direct investment back, they can be useful to help grow the channel. I recently did a giveaway on the YouTube Channel to celebrate 500 subscribers. For this contest, you had to comment and subscribe to the channel. This drove 50 additional subscribers in the days after the announcement. With a larger audience, a giveaway could produce great results and growth.