Promoting Your Vlog: Social, SEO and Paid Advertising Strategies

Introduction

Creating compelling vlog content is only the starting point. The next crucial step is getting your vlog videos in front of interested audiences.

Promoting a fledgling vlog presents unique challenges. You lack an existing viewer base to tap for organic reach. Paid ads offer potential but require know-how. Search visibility takes time to build.

This guide explores proven promotion strategies to cost-effectively grow awareness and subscribers for new vlogging channels just starting out. Follow these tips to amplify discovery beyond what the algorithm alone provides.

Optimize Social Media Profiles to Introduce Your Vlog

While your vlog lives on YouTube or a similar platform, social networks still offer effective discovery channels. Ensure you complete key optimizations to present your vlog professionally:

Complete Profile Details

Flesh out descriptions with vlog overview, key topics and formats covered, ideal viewer profile, update schedule and reasons to subscribe.

Link to Vlog Channel

Add clickable links to your vlog homepage in profile bios so visitors can easily navigate to subscribe.

Feature Branding Elements

Add vlog logo, banner image and consistent branding across networks to build familiarity with your visual identity.

Pin Featured Video Posts

Pin especially engaging vlog episode teasers or highlights on profile timelines to pique interest.

Cross-Promote Social Networks

Link to all your profiles across platforms to connect networks and accumulate followers from each.

With fully fleshed out, cross-promoted profiles, curious visitors encounter all the key details on your vlog menu in one glance.

Research Ideal Hashtags to Increase Vlog Discoverability

Optimizing hashtags expands visibility for vlog posts. But generic tags like #vlog and #vlogger quickly get lost in immense volume.

Research niche hashtags aligned to your vlog topic for better odds ranking. Look for:

• Tags with moderate post volumes between 1k-100k for your topic
• Location-based hashtags like city name if targeting local viewers
• Event hashtags around conferences or activities related to your niche
• Novel meme or trending topic hashtags tangentially related to your content area

Mix widely used niche hashtags with a sprinkling of new or ultra-specific tags not yet saturated. Follow trends but don’t chase every fad. The goal is sustainably reaching people interested in your genre.

Guest Post on Niche Blogs to Gain New Viewers

Reaching out to collaborate with niche “sister” blogs through guest posts exposes your vlog to fresh, targeted audiences.

Identify blogs discussing topics closely aligned to your vlog content but with minimal topic overlap or direct competition. Possible discovery channels include:

• Complementary niche hobby blogs
• Location-specific blogs like your city or region
• Blogs for your broader interest area or industry
• Fan sites for an influencer or celebrity you discuss
• Blogs where your existing audience already overlaps

Keep pitches focused on providing value for the blog’s audience rather than overt self-promotion. Offer to share unique insights from your vlogging experiences. Most bloggers are receptive to relevant guest contributions driving engaged readers.

Comment Meaningfully on Related Videos to Be Found

Posting constructive comments on other vlogs in your niche helps attract viewers already fascinated by those topics over to check out your channel.

Search for videos covering adjacent subjects and leave value-adding remarks that position your expertise such as:

• Providing informative background on key aspects of the topic
• Adding useful details lacking in the video
• Kindly correcting any inaccurate or incomplete information
• Linking to helpful related resources and references
• Sharing brief anecdotes from your own experiences

Comments should enhance the discussion rather than promotional shout-outs. But modestly referencing your own vlog where relevant helps curious viewers discover you.

Run an SEO Audit to Assess Optimization Opportunities

Harnessing search visibility provides passive promotion for your vlog as viewers find you seeking your focused topics. Run through this optimization checklist:

Metadata

• Descriptions thoroughly summarize topics covered for search
• Titles include target keywords but sound natural
• Tags comprehensively cover video topics with niche phrases

Transcripts

• Auto-generated captions are error-free and complete
• Transcripts repeat video title keywords for reinforcement

Context

• Channel description and other info pages support video topics
• Playlist titles and descriptions imply keywords and search intent

Links

• Related videos are prominently linked below each video

Site Integration

• Videos are embedded on your blog with contextual pages

SEO transforms your vlog into a searchable knowledge base answering viewer queries, instead of an isolated island.

Produce Companion Blog Content Expanding on Videos

Text content remains easier for search engines to index than video. Produce companion blog posts expanding on vlog topics with the videos embedded.

Ideas for companion content include:

• Transcripts with added detail and links
• How-to articles walking through processes demonstrated
• Lists of tips and key takeaways from the video
• Curated resources for learning more on the topic
• Interview write-ups with guests appearing on your vlog
• Commentary and analysis on topics discussed

Repurposing vlog material into many text-based gateways provides rich fodder for search engines to index, directing interested searchers to subscribe.

Run Limited Paid Video Ads to Selected Clips

While organic promotion has limits for brand new channels, low-budget paid video ads help systematically test vlog content traction cost-effectively.

Review performance data on your videos to select especially high-performing clips with:

• Above average view time and completion rates
• Strong like/dislike ratios
• High relative clickthroughs to other videos

Boost these proven engagers through paid ads on a small budget. Then monitor performance to identify formats and topics resonating best to shape future content.

Compile Teaser Clips to Promote On Instagram and TikTok

On more visually-driven platforms like Instagram and TikTok, ultra-short teaser snippets from vlog episodes pique viewer interest more effectively than full videos.

Pull out eye-catching sequences from recent vlogs:

• The most dramatic and emotional moments
• Cliffhangers hinting at more to come
• Key revelations and discoveries
• Funny or cringeworthy incidents
• Visually stunning cinematography

Compile montages of these attention-grabbing highlights tailored to each platform’s format constraints. Use captions driving viewers to check out full episodes on your channel.

Promote Previews and Sneak Peeks of Upcoming Videos

Rather than only promoting published vlogs in hindsight, build anticipation by regularly teasing upcoming episodes in advance to prime viewers:

• Post preview summaries explaining key topics covered
• Share short behind-the-scenes sneak peek clips
• Poll fans on aspects to cover or questions to answer
• Reveal special guests or exclusive scoops planned
• Show select b-roll and production process clips
• Unbox cool merchandise or products featured
• Conduct informal Q&As about the new vlog

Ramping excitement makes each release feel like an event rather than just another video, while buying time to finalize production.

Send Highlights Digest Emails to Subscribers

Don’t just rely on hoped-for return visits. Email subscribers recaps of highlights from recent vlogs to stay top of mind. Include:

• Compelling preview images from each episode
• Brief descriptions of key moments and takeaways
• Timecodes linking to noteworthy sections
• Links to view the full episodes
• Spotlights on specific segments to check out based on viewer preferences
• Notifications about upcoming videos and schedules
• Any subscriber-exclusive info or offers

Email sustains engagement between uploads while curating the most shareworthy snippets from each episode.

Compile Best Of Collections Around Themes

Curate playlists or video compilations highlighting your most compelling episodes around popular themes.

Themes could include:

• Top 10 Most Shocking Moments
• Funniest Bloopers and Outtakes
• Scariest Locations Explored
• Most Inspiring Stories
• Favorite gear and tools
• Unforgettable celebrity encounters

Themed “best of” aggregations cater to varied viewer interests and offer easy starting points for newcomers.

Incorporate Fan Polls and Requests into Videos

Invite viewer participation in shaping vlog direction through polls asking:

• Where they want you to travel next or who to interview
• Which topics they want covered more/less of
• What challenges they want to see you take on
• What questions they have around a planned topic

Then incorporate poll winners into upcoming episodes and call out fan requests fulfilled. Showing you listen keeps the audience invested.

Collaborate With Complementary Vloggers

Propose collaboration videos where you guest star on related vlogs to gain exposure to each other’s audiences.

Ideas for collaborations:

• Debates contrasting your different approaches or views
• Tag team Q&As responding to fan questions
• Head-to-head challenges around your niches
• Mashup crossover episodes blending your styles
• Co-reviews of audience-chosen topics
• Behind-the-scenes comparisons of video production

Taking turns guesting on peer vlogs expands reach exponentially.

Attend Relevant Events to Connect with Your Niche Offline

Look for conferences, meetups, and other local events aligned with your vlog niche. Attending lets you:

• Meet and network with engaged community members to advertise your vlog
• Identify influential people or groups to potentially partner with
• Shoot event footage and interactions for bonus videos
• Research current topics and trends to cover
• Recruit interesting guests for your vlog

Events offer rare face-to-face access to your niche, providing promotion and content ideas.

Send Preview Links to Microinfluencers in Your Niche

Email microinfluencers whose interests closely match your vlog offering previews of upcoming videos tailored to them. Ask for honest feedback or testimonials to use.

If they share or mention your vlog to their engaged niche following, it provides a credibility boost. Even microinfluencers with just thousands of fans can drive material subscriber growth for upstart vlogs.

Over time, cultivate ongoing partnership opportunities rather than one-off requests. A niche microinfluencer “cabinet” lends authority.

Conclusion

Promoting a fresh vlog requires diligence and creativity to rise above the packed video noise. But mixing organic discovery opportunities across social media, SEO and email outreach with selective paid ads and influencer partnerships yields measurable subscriber growth.

Savvy promotion coupled with high-quality, high-consistency content keeps new viewers flowing in. With a promoters’ mindset and laser targeting on niche communities, vlogging channels reap expansion dividends for their efforts.