So, you’ve filmed and edited your video, and you think you’re done? Think again—this is where the magic begins! In this article, I’ll share 17 crucial actions I take after uploading my YouTube videos to ensure that the content I’ve worked so hard on actually gets seen.
Ready to learn how to maximize your video’s potential and skyrocket your views? Let’s dive in, starting with the most overlooked post-upload strategy!
1. FILE NAME:
Before we even get to the upload button, there’s one small but important step I always take—naming the file correctly.
Here’s what I mean: If my video is about scripting on YouTube, I’ll name the file something like “YouTube-Scripting-Tips.mp4.” Why? Because this file name becomes part of the metadata that gives YouTube extra context about my video. Think of it like a small nudge helping the platform figure out who might be interested in my content.
Now, will skipping this step ruin your video’s chances of getting views? Absolutely not. I’ve uploaded plenty of videos without a proper file name and still had them perform well. But this is all about playing the long game—stacking up small advantages that, together, can make a big difference in how your video gets discovered.
Trust me, it’s a quick, easy habit that could give you an edge in the algorithm.
2. TITLE AND THUMBNAIL:
Now, when it comes to the title and thumbnail, these are your video’s first impression—the “packaging” that will make someone decide whether or not to click.
I’ve already covered my strategies for brainstorming video ideas, structuring titles, and designing thumbnails in detail in other videos. If you haven’t seen those yet, make sure to check them out afterward for a deeper dive.
Here’s the key takeaway: your title and thumbnail are critical. They’re the gateway to getting views, no matter how great your content is. But here’s the good news—you don’t have to get them perfect right away. YouTube allows you to update them even after your video goes live, and later in this article, we’ll discuss how to use AB testing to refine and optimize them.
So don’t stress too much during the upload. Just aim for a solid starting point, and we’ll tweak for perfection later.
3. KEYWORDS:
Once I’ve got the file name, title, and thumbnail in place, the next step is focusing on keywords.
If you’ve seen my previous videos in this series, you already know I script my videos in-depth using Notion. After that, I copy and paste my script into ChatGPT to help me generate relevant keywords. These are the terms that will make it easier for people to find my video on YouTube, and I make sure the keyword list fits within the 500-word limit.
Then, I move on to the description. Using the keywords ChatGPT gave me, I ask it to craft a description that’s not only optimized for search but also gives viewers a solid idea of what the video is about. Once I have that, I paste it straight into my video description.
Here’s a little pro tip: the rest of my description is actually a template. I go into my settings, click on "Upload Defaults," and add a template for my usual description format. This is where I include general affiliate links, social media handles, and other recurring elements. This saves me time with every upload since I don’t have to rewrite the same information repeatedly.
Of course, every video has its unique call-to-action, affiliate link, or resource, so I’ll add those specific details to the description as needed.
By including the right keywords in the title, file name, and description, I’m giving YouTube a lot of data to help categorize and recommend my video to the right audience. It’s all about making sure my content is discoverable by the people who will find it most valuable.
4. CHAPTERS:
Another great way to add keywords and provide more context to YouTube is by using chapters.
I personally use TubeBuddy to add my chapters, and by the way, if you want 20% off any plan on TubeBuddy, use the code Ethan's Buddy at checkout—totally worth it!
Here’s how it works: When I click into the TubeBuddy feature, I can watch my video and add chapters in real-time. I typically watch the video at 2x speed to save time while marking key points.
Chapters are a fantastic tool for two reasons:
Once all my chapters are added, I copy them to the clipboard, then paste them into the description of my video. This step is crucial—if the chapters aren’t in the description, they won’t appear during playback.
By adding chapters, I’m not only improving the viewer experience, but also giving YouTube more context to better categorize and promote my video.
5. CARDS:
While I’m watching my video at 2x speed to add chapters, I also keep an eye out for any mentions of my other videos. This way, I can easily add info cards at the right timestamps.
If you’re unfamiliar, info cards are those little pop-ups that appear in the top right corner of your video while it’s playing. They allow viewers to click through and watch other videos you’ve referred to.
I like to multitask by adding both chapters and info cards at the same time. It’s a simple way to get two tasks done in one pass. If I identify moments in the video where I mention another video, I’ll head over to the cards section and insert the info card at the appropriate timestamp.
This helps drive traffic to other content and keeps viewers engaged, making it easier for them to explore more of your videos.
6. END SCREENS:
Next up, we’ve got end screens.
In this article, I’ve already touched on the importance of being specific about which video you want your viewers to watch next. Here’s how I apply that:
Let’s say I’ve made a video about scripting on YouTube. In the last 30 seconds of the video, I’ll say something like, “If you liked this video on scripting, make sure you check out my next video where I talk about how to film your videos.”
By being hyper-specific about the next video, you’ll see way more clicks than if you were generic. For example, just saying, “Watch this next video” usually won’t get as much engagement. When I started being more targeted, I definitely saw an increase in clicks, which, of course, boosted my watch time on YouTube.
When I set up my end screens, I add the specific video I mentioned during the video, along with the YouTube subscribe button.
Here’s my biggest piece of advice: pick just one video to recommend. I know YouTube gives you the option to add two, but I’ve found that focusing on one specific choice leads to much better results.
7. PLAYLISTS:
After adding the end screens, the next step is to add the video to a relevant playlist.
Here’s a pro tip: On your YouTube channel homepage, click on Customize Channel, go to the Home Tab, then add a section for a single playlist. This creates neat sections on your channel that showcase your content pillars. It’s great because if someone lands on your channel looking for a specific topic, they can easily find all your videos on that subject, which boosts bingeability.
For example, if someone visits my channel to learn more about YouTube, they can clearly see I have an entire playlist dedicated to YouTube, which increases the likelihood they’ll watch more of my content.
But beyond that, playlists give you access to a powerful tool I call the “list link hack.” Here’s how it works:
When you go to your homepage, click Play All for a specific playlist, and you’ll notice an endlist code appears at the top of the URL. If you copy this code and paste it at the end of any YouTube URL, when someone clicks that link, all the videos from that playlist will show up on the right-hand side of the video they’re watching.
This means once they finish the current video, the next one to autoplay will be one of your videos from the playlist.
I’ve used this hack in my newsletter before. Let’s say I’m promoting a YouTube series—I won’t just send the regular YouTube link. Instead, I’ll go into my YouTube series playlist, copy the endlist link, paste it into the URL of the video I want to promote, and send it out in my newsletter. This ensures that when someone clicks the link, they’re not only watching the specific video I want them to see but also getting exposed to all the other videos in that series.
I’ve also used this trick with videos that aren’t mine, like a podcast interview I enjoyed. By pasting an endlist link from my playlist, I ensure that even if viewers are watching someone else’s content, the next video that auto-plays will be one of mine, and they’ll see all my playlists on the right side of the page.
Personally, since learning about the endlist link, it’s been a game-changer for me. A lot of people just leave YouTube running in the background, so this is a fantastic way to get free views and increase visibility for your videos.
8. PINNED COMMENTS:
Once I’ve added my video to the right playlist, the next step is to write a pinned comment.
This is really important because it helps stimulate engagement in your community. Typically, the first 24 hours after uploading your video are crucial for the algorithm to see that your video is gaining traction. I always make sure to include a call to action or a question in the pinned comment to encourage people to engage in the comments section.
By doing this, I help drive conversation and boost engagement early on, which signals to YouTube that the video is performing well.
One thing to note: I always do this while the video is set to unlisted because, as far as I know, if your video is set to private, you won’t be able to pin a comment. I make sure this is one of the first things I do before scheduling my video for public release.
9. SCHEDULE VIDEO:
Once I’ve added my pinned comment, my video is ready to schedule. At this point, I’ll set the video to go live at the optimal time for my audience. Once it's scheduled, I move on to the next step, which is heading over to the Community Tab.
10. COMMUNITY TAB:
Once my video is ready and scheduled, I move over to the Community Tab.
In my video about how I edit and repurpose content, I shared how I create GIFs from my long-form videos. I use the Community Tab to upload one of these GIFs related to the new video and share a short, enticing blurb about the video to encourage people to click and watch.
I’ll also include the link to my video in the post.
I do all of this before the video actually goes live because I don’t want to be scrambling at 6:00 AM to do everything. I schedule my community post to go out about 15 minutes after the video has been uploaded. I’m not entirely sure why I do this, but I think it just gives me a little buffer. If anything goes wrong with the original upload, at least I can fix it before my community post goes out.
11. CREATE A DEEP LINK:
At this point, you might think I'm done, but I’m not quite finished yet. The next step involves using one of my favorite tools: YT Open App.
YT Open App helps me create deep links. When someone clicks on this link on their mobile device, it will automatically open the video in the YouTube app. The regular YouTube link, on the other hand, opens in a web browser, which requires an extra step for the viewer to switch to the YouTube app. This extra step creates friction, and I prefer a smoother, more seamless experience.
To create a deep link, I use YT Open App by following these steps:
This final link is what I use to promote my videos on Instagram Stories, in DMs, via ManyChat, and in my link in bio.
Bonus Tip: You can combine the list link hack I showed earlier in the video with this deep link.
Here’s how:
Now, when someone clicks the link on their mobile device, not only will it open in the app, but it will also display my video along with other videos from the playlist, ensuring that the next video that plays is mine.
12. LINK IN BIO:
Speaking of the link in bio, that’s the next thing I focus on. I head over to the website I use for my link in bio, which is Squarespace’s Bio Site.
I really like this tool because:
So, I go into my Bio Site and paste the deep link I just created. This ensures that when someone clicks on the link in my bio, it opens directly in the YouTube app, providing a smoother viewing experience.
13. SHORT FORM VIDEOS:
Next, I want to talk about short-form videos.
If you’ve watched my video on how I edit my YouTube videos and turn long-form content into short-form clips (like this one), you’ll know that I usually have a lot of short-form content I can post on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube Shorts.
For every short-form video I post on Instagram related to my long-form content, I make sure to include a call to action in the caption and within the video itself.
I always tell people, "If you liked this video, comment this specific keyword, and I’ll send you the full-length YouTube video."
This has proven to be an effective way to grab the attention of people who’ve seen the short-form clip and encourage them to watch the full video.
14. SET UP MANYCHAT:
At this point, you might think I’m done, but I’m not. The next step is setting up ManyChat.
I use ManyChat to automate this process because, with a larger audience, it would be really hard to send a specific link to each person who comments the keyword. Let me walk you through how I set it up.
First, after creating your account on ManyChat, click on new automation and select the Auto DM Links from Comments template.
You’ll have two options:
I prefer any post or reel because I often post multiple short-form clips related to the same video, and this option works best for me.
Next, you’ll choose the specific keyword that will trigger the automation. For this example, I’m promoting the video “13 Secrets to Content Creation.”
If you’re new to ManyChat, you might want to choose common keywords like secrets or content creation. However, these words are too generic and might trigger the automation on posts that aren’t related to the video.
To avoid this, pick a more specific keyword. In my case, I use YT secrets, which is less likely to appear in unrelated posts.
Then, decide on the copy for the initial DM. I like to remind people why I’m DMing them. For example, I’d say:
"Hey, thanks for commenting YT secrets on my post! Here’s a link to the full video where I share the 13 things I wish I knew sooner about content creation. These tips would have saved me from burning out in my seven-figure creator business."
Make it clear that they need to click the button to get the video.
Tip: Due to an update in ManyChat's policies, there’s a double opt-in process, so I add a sentence like, "Just click the button below, and I’ll send you the video."
In the follow-up DM, I’ll include the link to the full video, usually created with YT Open App for a seamless experience on mobile. If you missed the part where I talked about deep links, make sure to check out the chapters in this article.
You’ll also want to label the button in the DM, for example, "Watch Video Here."
Another nice touch is to automate the public reply to the keyword comment, so people know I’ll be sending them the link via DM.
ManyChat offers three pre-made templates for public replies, but I customize them so it doesn’t seem too robotic. Even though I’m transparent with my audience about using a bot, you can always adjust this based on your brand’s tone.
Once that’s set, click go live.
As a test, when I commented YT secrets, I got an automated reply saying, “Link sent to your DMs, did you get it?”
I then went to my DMs and saw the automation worked perfectly. It said, "Thanks for commenting YT secrets on my post," with a clickable button to watch the video.
The YT Open App link ensures it opens in the YouTube app on mobile, enhancing the user experience.
Lastly, don’t forget to include the keyword visually in the video itself, as many people don’t read captions, especially when scrolling through the explore page.
I made the mistake of not doing this once. My short-form video went semi-viral, and now it has more views than the original video. If I had remembered to add that pop-up, who knows, maybe it would have gotten even more views!
15. INSTAGRAM STORIES:
Let’s talk about Instagram stories next.
Once my video is live, I’ll typically create about three stories to promote it.
First Story: This usually features a reshared Instagram reel that I’ve repurposed from my long-form video. I’ll choose one of the short-form clips that excites me the most or that I think will grab the viewer's attention.
Second Story: Here, I’ll post a photo of the thumbnail along with the title of the video. I’ll include some context explaining why I think people should watch and provide a link to the video. Again, this link will be the deep link generated using YT Open App, ensuring a seamless, frictionless experience. When people click it, the video will automatically open in the YouTube app.
Third Story: This will typically be a screen recording of me scrolling through the full video. I like this because it shows the video’s chapters, giving viewers a clear idea of the content and structure. It can generate interest and curiosity. I’ll also add some background music to make it more engaging. I’ll include the same deep link to my YouTube video in this story as well.
For iPhone users, if you're wondering how I record the screen:
This way, when you swipe down on your phone, you’ll have access to the screen recording feature.
Bonus Idea: If you have a video editor or more time and budget to work with, consider creating a 30-second trailer for your video. Highlight the best moments and climactic points to create even more curiosity.
Keep in mind, Instagram stories expire after 24 hours, so you’ll need to decide if this is worth doing for your promotion. Personally, I’ve done this in the past, and it has been very effective in driving more views to my videos.
16. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
After promoting my video on Instagram, the next task I focus on is community engagement.
To make this process easier, I go into my YouTube Analytics, click on the video I just uploaded, and then click on the comments section. This allows me to hone in on the new comments on my video. I love how YouTube organizes this for me, showing what I’ve already responded to and highlighting comments that I haven’t yet replied to or ones with questions.
This feature helps me prioritize which comments to respond to first.
Community engagement is really important for a few reasons:
Once I’ve spent hours engaging with the community—and the time spent really depends on the number of views and comments the video gets—I consider this a key part of my day. For me, community engagement becomes almost like a whole day’s task.
17. MASS SCHEDULE SHORTS:
Once I’ve wrapped up community engagement, I’ll move on to mass scheduling shorts.
For every long-form video I post, I typically have 10 to 20 short-form clips that I can repurpose. So when I have the time, I sit down and schedule all of them in bulk.
The key to doing this effectively is making sure that each short links back to my long-form video. To do this, I’ll select the related video option when scheduling the short. This ensures that when viewers watch the YouTube short, they’re easily redirected to the long-form video it was derived from.
By doing this, I can increase the views on the original video because the shorts act as a funnel to the longer content.
After a few days, typically three to four days, I get a good sense of how my video is performing—whether it's doing average, below average, or above average compared to my usual performance on the channel.
18. A/B TESTING:
If I notice that a video is performing below average, like when the click-through rate isn't as high as usual, I’ll consider A/B testing.
I personally use TubeBuddy with its Legend license for A/B testing, though YouTube does allow A/B testing of thumbnails for free. What I like about TubeBuddy is that I can also A/B test the title, which is a big plus for me.
When I do A/B testing, I focus on testing one element at a time. You never want to test multiple variables in a single experiment. For example, if I’m A/B testing a thumbnail, I only test the thumbnail and not the title. Or if I think the title is the issue, I only test that.
If a video isn’t performing well, I’ll decide whether it’s the thumbnail or the title that needs improvement. Then, I’ll use TubeBuddy to A/B test the element that I think needs work.
For example, a video I posted a few days ago isn’t performing as I expected. Views, click-through rates, and average view duration are all lower than usual. At this point, I can only control the packaging of the video. So I’ll go into TubeBuddy and click on “Test Alternatives” to begin the A/B test.
For this particular video, I suspect the title is the issue, so I’ll choose title for the test and proceed to test it. TubeBuddy requires a minimum of 1,000 views for statistical significance. If you have a smaller channel, this could take a while, so I’d recommend testing for 14 days to get quicker results.
I then measure the click-through rate to gauge the success of the test. TubeBuddy offers suggestions for the title, but I like to take it a step further by using ChatGPT to ask for better alternatives. I might ask questions like, What title could appeal to beginner YouTubers trying to improve their thumbnails? or What title would make viewers feel like they're getting insider secrets about thumbnails?
Based on the options, I’ll choose one to test, especially if it includes a “how-to” phrase, which tends to do well on my channel. Once I select the new title, I click “Start Test”, and TubeBuddy takes care of the rest.
After the test finishes, TubeBuddy sends me an email with the results, which I can review on the TubeBuddy homepage. Here, I can see how each title or thumbnail performed, and I can identify the better-performing option.
For those interested in A/B testing thumbnails specifically, you’ll be able to test various designs and see which one yields the best results.
If you’re ready to dive into A/B testing like I do, use my code “Ethan’s Buddy” for 20% off all TubeBuddy licenses. The Legend license gives you access to the full A/B testing functionality.
However, if you’re not ready for TubeBuddy’s full A/B testing, you can also test thumbnails directly in YouTube Studio. The only limitation here is that YouTube only provides basic data compared to TubeBuddy, and currently, you can only test thumbnails, not titles.
In conclusion, optimizing your videos with A/B testing can make a significant difference in performance, so consider testing out thumbnails and titles to improve your content.