4 common YouTube mistakes (and how to fix them for good)

One of the biggest traps that small YouTubers fall into is making the same mistakes over and over again. These can be small mistakes, such as forgetting to write video descriptions, or bigger problems, such as failing to optimize YouTube videos for more views. In both cases, the mistakes pile up until they turn into one big problem.

The good news is that these errors are temporary. You can fix what's broken in your content, but the first step is to understand what you're doing wrong.

If you're not sure what it is, don't stress about it. You can start here, learning about the most common YouTube mistakes and how to correct them.

1. asking YouTube Shorts viewers to watch longer videos

Promoting long videos on YouTube Short does not sound Like a bad idea, but it is! Most people are looking for quick bursts of entertainment when watching short films - not long, slow-moving plots.

In fact, viewers watching Short's films are in a completely different mode. They jump from one film to another, and pulling them away from this task is not easy.

So that's mistake number one: Lack of respect for the audience for whom you create content.

Instead of directing them to other types of content, focus on what you have on hand. Here are some tips for a great viewing experience:

1. Create a short film of 20-30 seconds (or use an excerpt from one of your longer films).
2. Communicate one point or a general topic. Maybe share an interesting fact or make your viewers laugh!

If your Short videos are popular, YouTube can offer your longer videos alongside shorter ones to a wider audience.

Read more: How to get more views of short YouTube videos on your channel

2. making the thumbnail text harder to read

Do you add text to your YouTube thumbnails? If so, go to your channel's home page and browse the video section. Row by row, look at each thumbnail and ask yourself the key question: can I read the words easily, or does it take a few seconds? Because uploading a thumbnail with confusing text is a major YouTube bug!

Here's an example of what you want to avoid. Thumbnail below (from a gaming channel Lil_P66) is readable, but only after staring at it for a while.

Now compare this with the so-called new style of miniatures For the same channel. Lil_P66 has switched to a thicker, simpler font. It is much easier on the eyes!

Instead of using fancy fonts, keep these tips in mind:

• Stick to sans-serif fonts and make your text large and bold.
• Choose colors that create a nice contrast between the text of the thumbnail and the background of the photo.
• Never use red text (it's hard to read).

Read more: YouTube thumbnail guide - 9 ways to increase click-through rate

3. publishing videos with bad lighting

Another common mistake YouTubers make is not paying attention to video lighting. After all, a well-lit environment not only See Cool. It is essential to help viewers see every detail and understand what is happening visually.

Want to see this bug up close? John Nuer has a video with blue and purple lighting (it actually looks pretty cool), but their face blends in with the colors. Also, the room is quite dark.

To be fair, John has videos where you can clearly see the subject in the frame. But it's worth watching out for if you want to catch the viewer's attention every time.

Video editing and production are complex skills, so getting it right won't happen overnight. However, don't hesitate to try. Many courses will show you how to light videos correctly, and you will be relieved that you have mastered this skill.

4. creating YouTube videos that anyone can copy

Publishing unique videos is one of the best ways to stand out on YouTube. It gives you a chance to surprise people and hook them with a concept they never expected.

This brings us to mistake number four: Doing what everyone else is doing. And this goes beyond taking inspiration from other creators. If you're using a movie idea from 10 years ago that millions of people repeat every day, how are you different from them? What will audiences find in your film that they haven't found in all the others?

Zagrajmy w filmy to dobry przykład mocno przesadzonej treści w społeczności graczy. W tym miejscu ktoś dokonuje przeglądu gry wideo, w którą gra, dodając tu i ówdzie komentarz. All does it (because it's easy and repeatable), but it seems that only the big developers are successful with it. Small gaming channels, such as Szubro Reproduceshave difficulty discovering through this strategy.

Here's what you can do as a game developer instead:

1. Start looking for other topics that interest viewers in your gaming-related niche.
2. Show them the secrets in the game. Take them with you on challenges. Look for trends that will surprise and delight them.

It's type of content serves a specific audience and prevents it from competing with large, established creators.

Read more: 11 killer tips for starting a gaming YouTube channel

Learn from your mistakes on YouTube

Everyone makes mistakes, especially video creators. There is nothing easy about creating compelling stories in a visual format, attracting people with titles and thumbnails, and keeping them until your channel grows. This is hard work! You're bound to make mistakes, but you're also bound to improve if you learn from your mistakes.

Would you rather learn about YouTube errors by watching a video? If so, here's a cool tutorial for you!