YouTube Growth Hacks .pdf

Contents
How to Get Discovered
How to Get More Views
How to Get More Subscribers
Key Takeaways
02
18
31
39
1.1. Make Catchy Titles
1.5. Optimize Your End Screen
2.1. Collab With Creators
3.1. Double Down on What Works
1.2. Make AWESOME Thumbnails
1.6. Make Playlists
2.2. Repurpose Content on Other Platforms
3.2. Create Viewing “Loops”
1.3. Find and Use Keywords
1.7. Increase AVD
1.4. Post CONSISTENTLY
1.8. ASK for Engagement
2.3. Post Shorts/Clips
3.3. Run Giveaways
2.4. Get Shares From Your Network
3.4. Post to Your YouTube Community
My Secret Youtube Growth Tools

Howdy,
Growing a YouTube channel is HARD.
That’s why I try stuff successful people are doing and figure
out what works for me.
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel to grow on YouTube.
Just learn from others!
These are the exact tips I used to grow my YouTube channel.
Hopefully, they’ll work for you, too.
Be epic,
Noah
P.S. Shoutout to Mitchell and Nikki for helping me put these
tips together.
Quick Intro
From Noah

I’ve been posting on YouTube for a long-ass time.
At first, I had NO CLUE what I was doing.
So reached out to some friends who are legit YouTube EXPERTS.
And grew my channel by copying everything they said.
Let’s dive into the top tips that worked for me.
01
AppSumo | Noah Kagan’s YouTube Growth Hacks: Strategies from the Most Successful Creators.

1.1 Make Catchy Titles
Me and my team spend A LOT of time coming up with the right title for a
video. We pitch 40+ video ideas per week, and only a select few make it
through.
What are we looking for?
A title that WE would click on.
If it’s not something we would click on, we don’t make a video about it.
When we pitch video ideas, we pitch them as what the FINAL title
would be, and we don’t explain the concept. Our viewers won’t get any
explanation — they’ll just see the title and the thumbnail, so it needs to be
strong enough to stand on its own.
03

1.2 Make AWESOME Thumbnails
Enticing thumbnails are the #1 key to growing on YouTube.
People 100% judge a book by its cover, so give your video the best chance
at success by having an epic thumbnail.
On my channel, we come up with the thumbnail concept BEFORE we even
start shooting the video so we know it’s something we’re excited to do.
Sometimes we shoot 50+ images just to make sure we get the right one
for the thumbnail.
It took us time to figure out the best style for the channel, and now I
work with a thumbnail designer who SPECIALIZES in making amazing
thumbnails for top YouTube channels.
04

(Yes Theory)
(Airrack)
But you can do it yourself.
Use a tool like Canva or its alternatives, and mimic the thumbnails that
top YouTubers in your niche are making.
Take a look at these examples.
05

(Ryan Trahan)
(LegalEagle)
As you can see, you want your thumbnails to be consistent so people
recognize your brand.
You also want to use a consistent color palette and font, include a
picture of you and/or the subject of the video, and add part of the title.
06

1.3 Find and Use Keywords
Keywords are popular words or phrases that people search for on YouTube.
Things like:
Best Side Hustles
Passive Income Ideas
How to Retire Early
And they help new people discover your videos.
Use tools like KeywordTool.io to find keywords to target and
AnswerThePublic to get hundreds of autofill suggestions. Or just
search YouTube directly and see what topics are popular.
Once you have some target keywords in mind, there are strategic
places you can plant these keywords to get the best results.
Let’s go through the top ones.
Important note: this is mainly to get your creative idea juices flowing.
Not necessarily to try to “rank” for keywords. More so to come up with
awesome video ideas.
07

Adding numbers really works on my channel.
Add to Your Title
1.3.1
Put a number in your title
Use parentheses, colons, or dividers
Make the title between 30-45 characters
We prioritize having a catchy title that makes someone want to click
over having a keyword-friendly title, but it’s good practice to include
keywords in your title.
We often do two things…
First, we’ll post our video with a catchy title.
Then once the video takes off with our subscribers, we’ll switch the title
to include the keyword we’re going after, and that keyword-optimized
title will get new people to click on the video.
So catchy title > keyword title.
But test out adding keywords in later to see if it boosts your reach.
Also, make your titles more appealing and improve Click-Through Rate
(CTR) with these tips:
08

The description box should mostly be for your audience so they can
find links.
But it doesn’t hurt to add a few keywords in there too to help the
algorithm know what your video’s all about.
Here’s a template you can use:
Put your target keyword in the first 25 words
Make sure the description is at least 300 words
Include your keyword 2-4 times
Summarize the video
Add the target keyword in the first 1 to 2 sentences
Include a call to action (subscribe, affiliate link, etc.)
YouTube Channel Subscribe link
Subscribe link for your newsletter
Social media links
Courses/affiliate links
Ways to contact you
Strong intro (2 to 3 sentences)
Link to things mentioned in the video
Timestamps for subtopics (optional)
Promotional links
Affiliate or sponsorship disclaimer (optional)
Here’s an example from my buddy Ali Abdaal. (Yours doesn’t have to be
as long, this guy’s just super thorough.)
Add to Your Description Box
1.3.2
09

10

You can add tags when you’re uploading your video to YouTube, and it’s
the best place to add your keywords because no one but the YouTube
algorithm is going to see it.
Use the vidIQ browser extension to see the tags that other YouTubers
use on their videos to get inspo for your own.
YouTube recognizes what you say, so slip in your keywords as you
speak.
But keep it natural. You don’t want to sound like a robot.
This is super helpful because your videos get automatically transcribed
by YouTube, and if you make any subtitles or closed captions, your
keywords will show up there, too.
Add Video Tags
1.3.3
Say Keywords in your Video
1.3.4
11

Add Keywords to Chapters/Timestamps
1.3.5
Another GREAT place to add your keywords is in your video chapter titles.
Chapters are already great because they help viewers find the part of the
video they want to watch. But the chapter title is another place to slip your
keywords in so the algorithm knows exactly what your video is about.
And it helps YouTube suggest a snippet of your video in Google search
results.
Google sometimes likes to suggest YouTube videos to searchers, but they
often suggest the most relevant section rather than the whole video.
By breaking up your video into chapters and naming those chapters with
keyword-optimized titles, you do the hard part for YouTube and Google
which can make them more likely to suggest your video over another one.
12

1.4 Post Consistently
The number one factor that can predict long-term success is CONSISTENCY.
Something that helps me stay consistent is committing to the Law of 100.
You can do this for anything, but in this case, commit to making 100 YouTube
videos before you think about whether or not to quit.
Don’t think about how many views you’re getting or how many subs — not yet
at least. Just post 100 videos and then evaluate where you’re at.
Make CONSISTENCY the goal. And then you’ll usually see everything else grow
with it.
13

1.5 Optimize your End Screen
YouTube loves it when people stay on their platform.
Think about it: the longer people stay on YouTube clicking from video to video,
the more money YouTube makes from the ads that they watch. (Cha-ching!)
So YouTube likes to reward creators that keep people on the platform longer.
If someone watches one of your videos and then clicks on another one of your
videos, YouTube will reward you by showing your video to more people. Plus,
you’ll get more eyeballs on your content which is a win for you too!
So keep people watching your content by adding an end screen to every video.
It’s super easy to do. Get the step-by-step instructions here.
Here’s what mine looks like.
14

I like my end screens to have these calls-to-action (CTA):
Subscribe to my channel
Watch another video
Playlists aren’t going to make or break your channel.
But they do make your videos more discoverable.
Especially for someone new to your channel who likes one type of video that
you post, by organizing your content into playlists they can easily find similar
videos to watch.
One of my favorite channels, StanzFam, does this really well.
It keeps viewers happy and watching your content, plus it keeps people on
the YouTube platform, which rewards your channel in the end. Win-win!
1.6 Make Playlist
15

1.7 Increase AVD
Think about how you can increase AVD and keep viewers engaged for as
long as possible.
Have a hook: This is something we say at the beginning of the video to
instantly get people interested.
Tease upcoming content: Throughout the video, we tease what’s coming up
to keep people watching.
Show don’t tell: We show screenshots or B-roll footage whenever possible.
People want to SEE what you’re talking about, not just hear about it.
Average View Duration (AVD) is one of the most important metrics to pay
attention to.
It tells you how long viewers are watching your content, and that tells YouTube
how good your content is. So the better your AVD is = the more YouTube will
promote your content organically.
So my team and I focus a lot on increasing our AVD and we do it 3 ways:
16

1.8 Ask for Engagement
I’ll be honest.
I hate asking people to like and subscribe.
It just always feels awkward.
BUT I do it anyway. Because it works.
More people subscribe when they’re watching your video rather than from your
main channel page because they’re seeing the value that you provide. So I
always include a quick mention in the middle of the video (or a couple of times
if it’s a long one) to remind people to like and subscribe.
17

The million-dollar question every new YouTuber wants to know?
How to get more views.
You’ve created the perfect video and optimized it. Now you need to get
more people watching it.
Here are some ways I’ve found to really increase our views.
They don’t cost anything
You get to make cool connections
You get insights into how other YouTubers make videos
It’s a super cliche saying, but it’s true:
And it applies to YouTube too.
Collaborations are KEY for growth. And they have a couple of other benefits too:
Here’s how to find creators to collaborate with.
Your network is your net worth.
2.1 Collab with Creators
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In the Creator Studio, under “Dashboard,” click “SEE ALL” in the Recent
Subscriber box. It’ll show you all your subscribers, along with how many
subscribers they have.
They don’t have to have hundreds of thousands of subscribers to be worth
collaborating with — even a small audience will help you out if you’re starting
from scratch.
Then, go to their “About” page and click “View Email Address” to get their
contact information and reach out!
The worst thing that’ll happen is they’ll say no or ignore you.
Just make sure when you reach out that you make it clear that there’s value
for BOTH of you. They need to get something from the collab, too.
Find People that Subscribe to Your Channel
2.1.1
20

YouTube Analytics shows you which videos are recommending yours, so
reach out to those channels and ask to do a collaboration.
Go to the “Traffic Source” tab and click on “Suggested Videos.”
You already share something in common if YouTube’s recommending your
videos to their audience, so there’s a crossover worth taking advantage of.
Find Channels from Suggested Video Sources
2.1.2
21

Sometimes the best way to get what you want is to just ask for it. If there’s
an epic creator you want to collab with, reach out to them.
Slide into their DMs, reach out on Twitter, comment on one of their videos,
etc.
Whatever you need to do to get their attention. (Within reason, obviously.)
Your message can look something like this:
Again, the worst that’ll happen is they’ll say no or ignore you. So shoot your
shot!
“Hey Amigo,
Saw that we [subscribe to each other]/[make videos on similar topics].
Thought we could collaborate to introduce our audiences to each other. Win-
win!
Based on your top videos, I thought we could make a video about [this super
awesome thing]. What do you think? :)”
Reach out through Cold DMS
2.1.3
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2.2 Repurpose Content on
Other Platforms
And shared it on
You put a ton of effort into making your videos.
Why not convert them to more pieces of content?
With all the different platforms out there (Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Podcasts,
Facebook, etc.) it’s overwhelming to make brand new content for all of them.
Realistically if you’re just one person, you probably can’t.
So repurposing is your best opinion.
You can use a website like Headliner.app to create 1-10 minute clips that you
can share on social media.
For example, I took this video…
23

Twitter
LinkedIn
24

Facebook
Instagram
25

Notice how I posted short tidbits natively on each platform, but the CTA
draws people back to YouTube to watch the full video.
You should also embed your videos on your blog.
It has two advantages:
I actually used this tip on one of my most popular articles: Why I Walked Out
on Tony Robbins.
I made a 10-minute video and embedded it under the article intro.
You get more views on your video.
People spend more time on your site which increases Average Time On
Page (an important ranking factor for Google search).
26

You can make YouTube videos about popular articles and topics on your
website too.
Find your most popular articles in Google Analytics.
Go to Behavior > Site Content > All Pages to see “Pageviews” and “Avg. Time
on Page” for video ideas.
27

2.3 Post Shorts/Clips
MrBeast does this really well. He even puts his shorts on a separate channel,
which is a good move so they don’t bog down the content on his main
channel.
Shorts: 1-minute or less videos filmed vertically (think of them like a “Story”)
Clips: 5-ish minute videos that are a small chunk of a larger video
A big thing on YouTube right now is posting short clips of longer videos/
podcasts.
And it makes sense.
People’s attention spans are short, so short-form videos are an easy way to
get more views on your content.
There are a couple different types of short-form content you can post:
28

When you’re just starting out, you might want to keep everything on one
channel to help with discoverability, but some channels like LegalEagle keep
their short-form and long-form content all in one place permanently.
The point here is for your clips and shorts to be super juicy so they entice
people to click and watch. Maybe the viewers will funnel over to your main
video to watch more of your content, which is great!
But if they don’t, you still get them to view a small piece of your content
anyways.
29

2.4 Get Shares from Your Network
Referral marketing is powerful, so get your friends to tell their friends about
your content.
If you don’t have a network, it’s time to start building one.
Remember I said before that your network is your net worth? It applies here
too.
Join YouTube groups on Discord, Slack, Reddit, Facebook, etc., and make
friends with other people. Share each other’s content on social media and
make it a beneficial exchange for you both.
I love how Marques Brownlee supports other creators with his “MKBHD
Approved” section on his channel.
That’s the kind of stuff that helps channels grow on YouTube!
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3.1 Double Down on What Works
When you find something your audience likes…
Keep doing it!
Try different ideas to start out with, but once a video gets a lot of traction or
you look at your analytics and one brings in a lot of new subscribers, make
more of that type of video.
Giveaways work for MrBeast…
32

Learning optimization works for Ali Abdaal…
33

Tech reviews work for Marques Brownlee…
Find out what works for you!
34

3.2 Creating Viewing “Loops”
The more content of yours a viewer watches, the more likely they’ll probably
be to subscribe.
So keep them watching your content.
Make viewing “loops” to keep them on your page for longer.
Use end screens: I mentioned this above, and it’s important for this
purpose too
Add info cards: If you reference something in a video that you’ve made a
video on before, link it in an info card for viewers to check out. Here’s how.
Make playlists: Again, I mentioned above, but it helps viewers find the
content they like so they’ll stay on your channel.
Create separate channels: If you make a lot of different content
(like MrBeast does), put it on separate channels. This will keep your
subscribers happy if they’re only interested in one type of content, and
you’ll have more direct channels to use for cross-promotion.
Reference other content you’ve made: Take every opportunity to mention
blog posts you’ve done or websites you run or products you sell or
courses you run. Give the user another reason to find you on another
platform.
Link to your other content: Always post links to where people can find you
on other platforms. You want them to get to know you as well as possible
and your content on other platforms will help them do that.
35

3.3 Run Giveaways
Giveaways are a pretty foolproof way to grow your audience.
It’s literally how we grew AppSumo to be an 8-figure business. So when I
started my YouTube channel, I knew I wanted to run giveaways to help it grow
too.
I’ve done a couple types of giveaways on my channel:
I gave away a Macbook Pro & iPads
I gave away my Tesla
I gave away Tesla stock
I gave away a company
36

Your giveaway prizes don’t have to be as intense as those — do what makes
sense for your channel. And if you’re a small channel, you can start small
with your giveaways too.
People like free stuff no matter how big or small it is.
But the giveaways were pretty successful for the channel.
The Tesla giveaway generated 3000 subscribers, but the next day after the
giveaway ended, about half of those people unsubscribed.
So I was a little disappointed by that.
We spent $60,000 dollars as a company and were only able to get 3000
subscribers, so it worked out to be about $20 dollars/subscriber.
BUT we did a collab giveaway with Ali Abdaal and gave away an iPad which
cost around $329 dollars. And it generated over 800 subscribers!
So that worked out to 41 cents/subscriber — which is phenomenal!
The other giveaway we did was for a Macbook Pro. The Macbook costs
around $1300 dollars and we got 400 new subscribers, so it was about $3
dollars a subscriber.
And at the end of the day, it’s not about how much you pay for an audience
or a customer — it’s about how much they’re actually worth relative to that
cost.
37

3.4 Post to your YouTube Community
I get WAY more engagement from my posts on my YouTube community than I
do on any other social platform.
It’s a simple thing to do, but it’s low-hanging fruit that increases your
touchpoints with your audience.
Other social platforms have a lot of noise and algorithms can work against
you, but I’ve noticed that my YouTube community posts reach more of my
audience than any other platform.
Plus for new viewers who are first-timers to my channel, it gives them a
history to read back on and get to know what my channel’s about.
38

KEY TAKEAWAYS
These tips helped me grow my channel to hundreds of
thousands of followers.
I hope they help your channel grow too.
But the most important thing to keep in mind is to HAVE FUN.
If you’re not enjoying the process, people notice. Plus, you’ll
burn yourself out.
Experiment with these tips, be consistent, make it fun, and be
proud of what you put out in the world.
I’m rooting for you.
Be Epic,
Noah Kagan

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