YouTube Growth: How to Grow Your YouTube Channel

Do you post videos on YouTube?

Are you looking for ways to increase your traffic and subscribers?

To explore how to grow your YouTube audience, I interview Steve Dotto for this episode of the Social Media Marketing podcast.
More About This Show

The Social Media Marketing podcast is a show from Social Media Examiner.

It's designed to help busy marketers and business owners discover what works with social media marketing.

The show format is on-demand talk radio (also known as podcasting).

In this episode, I interview Steve Dotto, who produces Dotto Tech, a YouTube show designed to help you "discover your inner geek," by focusing on productivity, apps and more. In his former life, Steve hosted Canada's largest syndicated technology show of the same name where he entertained and informed millions of Canadians on all things tech. Steve's also been involved with theater and comedy at Second City.

Steve shares how he transitioned from hosting a tech TV show to a popular YouTube channel.

You'll discover how to grow your YouTube channel.

Share your feedback, read the show notes and get the links mentioned in this episode below!
Listen Now
You can also subscribe via iTunes, RSS, or Stitcher.

Here are some of the things you'll discover in this show:
YouTube Growth
How Steve transitioned from television to new media

For 15 years, Steve had a popular TV series in Canada that focused on tech. According to Steve, toward the end of the run, the Internet was becoming more relevant and the show was becoming less relevant. So about four years ago, he pulled the plug on the TV show and then took some time to figure out his next step.

He started to teach, dabbled on YouTube and did a radio show. Then at a conference two years ago in Victoria, he met Mari Smith, who introduced him to the world of Internet marketing and showed him how to build a community.

Steve took her advice and added his own approach. About a year ago, he really started focusing on YouTube.

Listen to the show to hear how last year's YouTube/Google+ changes were key for community development.

Steve's show format

Steve's how-to series shows his viewers how to use tech tools—from Google functions to iPhone apps—more effectively. Steve says if you watch an episode and say, "I didn't know I could do that," "I'd like to do that" or "I should be doing that," then he's done his job.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePVkSfKeEfI

Most of Steve's videos are between 5 and 12 minutes long, which is a little long by conventional YouTube wisdom. His goal is to take on a topic and teach his viewers something they probably didn't know. Bottom line, he explains, is edutainment value.

Listen to the show to hear an example of something Steve teaches during an episode.

Why you should start a YouTube show

Steve feels that for many different topics it's easier to convey a concept with inflection through video than on other platforms.

It's also a relaxing environment to browse through and discover information. Steve says most people will binge-watch YouTube. They'll watch several videos in a row on the same topic to learn something.

A video is easier to follow than a blog, it's more engaging than a podcast and you can bring all of the media types together, Steve believes.

Listen to the show to discover how Steve feels about writing.

What tech Steve uses for his show and why

Steve sets his broadcasts up as screencasts, but uses an app so viewers can also see his face as he explains the tech.

The why: Content creates a connection between the presenter and viewer. Whether it's a blog, podcast or YouTube video, there is an intimate relationship between you, the speaker, and the audience. With the vastness of the Internet, Steve believes we often lose that personal engagement that happens when someone consumes our content. So we need to make every effort to develop that relationship.