Summary

The article outlines three strategies to increase YouTube watch time and meet the YouTube Partner Program requirements for monetization.

Abstract

The article emphasizes the importance of watch time on YouTube, particularly for content creators aiming to join the YouTube Partner Program, which requires 4000 public watch hours and 1000 subscribers, among other criteria. It provides three practical strategies to boost watch time: creating binge-worthy playlists with targeted keywords and promoting them through end screens; utilizing live streaming at optimal times and setting videos as premieres to engage viewers; and leveraging the community tab to share playlist links and engage with the audience. The article also includes a bonus tip on refreshing playlist thumbnails to maintain viewer interest.

Opinions

Playlists are presented as a powerful tool for accumulating watch time, especially when promoted effectively.
Live streaming is seen as an effective method for gathering watch hours due to its real-time interaction capabilities.
Timing live streams to coincide with peak viewer activity on YouTube is considered crucial for maximizing watch time.
Setting videos to premiere after a live stream can further increase viewer engagement and watch time.
Community posts are believed to have significant reach and can successfully direct viewers to playlists, thereby increasing watch time.
Regularly updating playlist thumbnails is suggested as a way to keep content fresh and appealing to viewers.
The article suggests that content quality remains paramount, with the phrase "Content remains King" highlighting the belief that valuable content is essential for sustained viewer engagement.

3 Practical and Effective Strategies To Increase YouTube Watch Time

A step closer to 4000 public watch hours

Watch time is the most important metric on YouTube. It is also a requirement to get into the YouTube Partner Program(YPP).

To get monetised on youtube, the creator needs 1000 subscribers, 4000 public watch hours and zero active community guideline strikes.

The creator gets considered for review and monetised according to the monetisation policies.

Below are three practical and effective strategies to increase watch time on YouTube.

#1 — Create binge-worthy playlists, rank and promote with end screens (+1 bonus tip).

On YouTube, a playlist has the capacity to gather lots of watch time. And has been utilised for years to reach 4000 public watch hours.

But like videos on the YouTube platform, a playlist needs to get the awareness(impression) of its intended audience.

To make a target audience aware of an existing playlist. It needs to get promoted.

The impression leads to a click, then next to a watch. And later to multiple successions of views which skyrocket the watch time.

Here are the steps to make a playlist work:

Make a playlist of similar videos with a singular topic. Example: A playlist that only informs on how to get YouTube subscribers.
Title the playlist with a target keyword that is highly searched and has low competition. Example: How to get 5 youtube subscribers every hour. “5 youtube subscribers” is the target keyword.
Promote the created playlist with YouTube end screens. End screens are powerful call-to-action for directing viewers to a playlist on a channel.

Bonus tip:

Swap a playlist thumbnail weekly to give a refreshing look and entice viewers to click. Don’t forget to stock up the playlist with new videos.

#2 — Live stream, utilise the best publishing time, and set as a premiere.

Live-streaming on YouTube bridges the gap between creators and their viewers.

Due to its real-time capabilities, it gathers lots of watch time and can easily get the creator past 4000 public watch hours.

A key factor to consider before live-streaming is to check when your viewers are on YouTube.

That will help to get the most out of live-streaming. The more active audiences are on a live stream, the easier it is to gather watch time.

After a live stream, the video needs to get set to public or watch time won’t get counted towards monetisation.

Premieres can also be set to redirect an audience after a live stream. That doubles in on the watch time. The feature is only available to YouTube creators with more than 1000 subscribers and no community guideline strikes.

Note: Watch hours will only get counted towards monetisation if the video is set to public.

#3 — Make community posts and share links to playlists.

Posts made to the community tab has impeccable reach. They’re capable of getting viewed by both the creator’s subscriber-base and the YouTube community.

With this fact in mind, make image posts and share a link to a playlist. Add a call-to-action and watch as views trickle into the playlist. And watch time skyrockets.

Conclusion

The strategies highlighted can help any creator increase public watch hours towards monetisation. Content remains King and should deliver value.

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