How to Get More Views Without Uploading New Videos

Summary

In this video, Craig from Think Media reveals how underperforming YouTube videos can be revived through strategic reoptimization. By retitling videos, updating the first lines of descriptions for SEO, and testing thumbnails, he significantly boosted views, subscriber growth, click-through rates, and revenue on both his personal and Think Media channels. Craig shares detailed examples, showing how even small tweaks, like changing a thumbnail, can drastically improve performance. He outlines a step-by-step approach for creators to repurpose their existing content effectively, emphasizing data-driven adjustments rather than constantly producing new videos, making it a practical guide for maximizing a channel's potential.

Takeaways

• 🎥 Old or underperforming videos aren't dead; they can be revived with optimization tweaks.
• 📈 Reoptimizing titles, descriptions, and thumbnails can significantly increase views, subscribers, and revenue.
• 👨‍💻 Craig shares his experience as a former solo creator and Think Media team member to demonstrate practical strategies.
• 📝 Updating video titles to be more curiosity-driven and clickworthy improves discoverability.
• 🔍 Optimizing the first line of video descriptions with relevant keywords enhances SEO and search visibility.
• 📊 Running thumbnail tests can help improve click-through rates and overall video engagement.
• ⏱ Monitoring analytics over 14 to 28 days helps measure the effectiveness of optimization changes.
• 📹 Reoptimization works for both long-form videos and YouTube Shorts.
• 💡 Focusing on repurposing existing content can be more efficient than constantly creating new videos.
• 🚀 Case studies show that simple changes, like updating thumbnails or titles, can lead to massive increases in daily views and revenue.
• 🛠 A structured approach includes selecting underperforming videos, updating titles first, testing thumbnails separately, improving descriptions, and monitoring results.
• 📚 Think Media offers courses like Video Ranking Academy to teach detailed strategies for YouTube growth.

Q & A

What is the main idea behind reoptimizing old YouTube videos?

The main idea is that videos that underperformed initially can be revived through strategic adjustments such as retitling, updating descriptions, and testing new thumbnails, which can increase views, subscribers, and revenue.

Who is Craig and what is his background on YouTube?

Craig is a content creator who worked for Think Media for about a year. Before that, he ran his own YouTube channel part-time, creating tech and camera videos.

What changes did Craig make to his personal channel videos to improve performance?

He reoptimized video titles to be more curiosity-driven, updated the first line of descriptions for better SEO, and ran thumbnail tests to improve click-through rates.

What specific example did Craig provide for a full-length video reoptimization?

He reoptimized a video about the Sony NEX3N camera by changing the title from 'Sony NEX3N. Is it any good?' to a more engaging and clickworthy title, and updated the first line of the description to include relevant search keywords.

How did reoptimizing shorts content differ from full-length videos?

For shorts, Craig focused on retitling with bold statements and adding relevant hashtags and tags in the description, which helped increase visibility and engagement.

What results did Craig observe after reoptimizing 13 pieces of content on the Think Media channel?

After 28 days, the reoptimized videos saw a 32% increase in views, 140% increase in subscribers, 21% increase in click-through rates, and 63% increase in revenue.

How did changing a single thumbnail impact a video about camera lenses?

By updating the thumbnail to visually illustrate lens effects, the video increased from only a few views per day to over 1,500 views per day, showing the power of visual appeal and audience expectation alignment.

What step-by-step approach does Craig recommend for reoptimizing a video catalog?

1. Identify videos with some engagement but stagnant views. 2. Update titles using AI tools for SEO optimization. 3. Monitor performance for 7-10 days. 4. Update thumbnails if necessary, separately from titles. 5. Rewrite the first lines of descriptions for SEO. 6. Track analytics for 14-28 days and adjust accordingly.

Why does Craig advise against updating titles and thumbnails at the same time?

Updating both simultaneously makes it difficult to determine which change caused improvements in performance. Testing them separately provides clear insights into what drives engagement.

What is the key takeaway about growing a YouTube channel according to Craig?

You don’t always need to create new content to grow a channel. Reoptimizing existing videos with better titles, descriptions, and thumbnails can significantly boost performance and engagement.

What additional resource does Craig mention for those serious about growing on YouTube?

Craig mentions the Think Media Video Ranking Academy, an online course that teaches strategies and principles for growing a successful YouTube channel.