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Views are a critical measure of success on YouTube. The more views you have, the more people are watching your content. Additionally, businesses that are involved in YouTube’s Partnership Program can receive revenue based on their view count. By monitoring your views, you can see how your content is performing and tweak your approach to further promote your channel.

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How YouTube Counts Views: Minimum Watch Time

YouTube defines a view as a viewer-initiated play of the video that lasts for at least 30 seconds.

For instance, if a viewer skips through the video, but still watches for a total of 30 seconds, then it is still considered as a view. Additionally, repeat screenings of the video still count as views. 

By adding a minimum watch time, YouTube ensures that view counts are accurate. Moreover, the 30-second watch time helps distinguish human views from bot views.  

Purchasing YouTube Views is Dangerous

For those who would like to jumpstart their YouTube career and quickly increase viewership, purchasing YouTube views may seem like a good idea; however, this is not a good way to promote your channel.

YouTube does not allow users to purchase views from third-party organizations. According to their fake engagement policy, artificially increasing views may result in termination and removal from the platform.

Increase YouTube Views By Posting Consistently

One way to increase viewership is by uploading videos at the best time of day. According to previous studies, viewership tends to peak on weekday evenings. The best days to post are Thursdays and Fridays.

YouTube’s algorithm also favors channels that upload regularly. To appear more frequently on the YouTube algorithm, pay attention to viewership spikes and create a consistent posting schedule.

For example, a business that uploads a video to YouTube every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday at 6:00 p.m. will more likely be recommended to viewers than a business that only posts once a week.

How and Why Thumbnails Can Increase Viewership

Another way to ensure that you receive more views is by choosing a good YouTube thumbnail. A thumbnail is a preview image of your YouTube video. Most importantly, thumbnails are one of the first items viewers see when they look for a video.

A bold thumbnail image goes a long way in attracting audiences to your video. An engaging thumbnail can ultimately encourage users to choose your videos over others and help increase your views. 

When designing a thumbnail, use bold colors, short texts, and attention-grabbing images. Furthermore, visually appealing and easy-to-read thumbnails can help viewers quickly understand your video’s subject.

For more tips on designing good thumbnails, click here.

Get More Subscribers to Get More Views

Your business’s subscribers can significantly boost your view count. A loyal and consistent fanbase can help you generate more revenue and promote awareness of your channel.

Watch this short video to see how you can create an automatic subscription link that leads viewers to your video.

Conclusion

In short, your view count can tell you a lot about your channel. If you’ve noticed that your view count has stalled, it may be time to consider a new approach. Creating engaging thumbnails, allowing YouTube’s policies, and increasing your subscriber count are just a few ways to increase your views. By understanding YouTube’s metrics and algorithm behind view counts, you can test different methods to promote your business’ channel and ultimately rake in more views.

Interested in learning how to increase your view count? Start here!

Tsega Amare

Tsega is a blogger at Seattle Web Search. While living in Columbia, MD, she attends the University of Maryland where she studies communication and rhetoric. Tsega's interests range from writing and research to studying SEO.