If you aren’t using YouTube to grow your audience, you’re missing out on a substantial portion of the population, and a great way to increase your influence online. Please consider that YouTube has over one billion viewers.

But are you really looking for simple viewers? Actually you’d be better off with a targeted audience of people who are actively engaged in your channel.

Since YouTube is a massive opportunity to grow your following for the long-term, let’s take a look at some of the best ways to grow your YouTube following.

There is no secret formula or unique guide to building up your user base. However there are some key factors to consider.

The first rule is consistency, plan and schedule your future releases don’t just publish a video when you “have time” or “feel like it” or remember about your channel.

The second rule is quality. Providing quality content, which is also congruent with your niche market, is key to have people actually watching your videos, commenting, following you and subscribing to your channel.

As we previously mentioned, one of the keys to a successful YouTube following on your channel and a loyal following, is consistency. As you schedule your future releases pick a theme and stick with it.

There’s nothing more annoying than finding a YouTube channel you believe is about a certain topic to discover that it’s chock full of all kinds of videos that range from funny cat videos to reviews of all sorts of products, personal friends and family videos and only few that are actually related to what you thought the channel was about.

That is a sure-fire way to lose followers.

Use your videos to build your brand and create awareness among your niche market. Arrange your videos and your content it in a way that doesn’t require users to take a lot of time to figure out who you are and what you’re promoting.

There are basically two reasons why users subscribe to your channel and these two reasons should become your goal if you want to succeed:

First they have to like your content (which means: keep it interesting and engaging);

Secondly is because they expect more of the same in the near future (which means be consistent and plan your video releases).

Before launching your channel plan it out in details so that you can communicate effectively with your audience. If you follow this simple step visitors will be able to identify your brand at a glance.

There are various ways in which you can proceed whether it is through a channel trailer or a pitch that lets users know when the next post will be, or through customized thumbnails which will grab the attention of visitors to your channel.

When a person is introduced to your channel, the more videos they watch, the higher the chance that they will subscribe, thus growing your YouTube following.

Give your visitors a clear message about the benefits they will enjoy if they decide to follow you. Be specific about what it is that you offer.

Remember to answer a very popular question and that is: “what’s in it for me”?

One way you can do this is by creating playlists of your content. Organize your videos in a manner that will get good traction through searching on YouTube. You can choose important keywords to drive traffic to your channel.

Create themed segments with your videos, which allows you to have control over which video the user will see next.

This is especially important as YouTube could wind up playing other content, as opposed to your own after the video is over.

When creating your content, be sure to make it viewable in a format conducive to a mobile device.

That does not mean it needs to be recorded and viewed on a smartphone, but rather that you should keep in mind that a lot of content is seen on a mobile device. Create short, consumable videos that will keep followers returning on a regular basis, eager and hungry for more.

As stated previously, there’s no shortcut or secret recipe to growing your YouTube following.

Consistency and Quality is the only way to go.

If you can’t publish a video every day, do it every other day or even three times a week, don’t just publish a new video for the sake of it. Quality trumps quantity. Make sure there is a purpose to each and every video you release.

Don’t let people wondering like: “So. What’s the point”?

Last but not least, don’t get discouraged. Remember that it’s more important to have an engaged, valued audience of a few thousand than it is to have a million followers who have no idea who you are or what you’re selling.

Find your niche, create your content, plan and build your following.