Creators, of every size and level of popularity, are trying to navigate the challenge of keeping their video content relevant while exploring ways to extend the lifespan of their content.

This stems from the fact that more than 500 hours of content is uploaded to YouTube every minute. The average person could spend their entire lifetime trying to watch just one day’s worth of content uploaded to YouTube.

Despite today’s short life span for content and the variety of platforms where content lives, creators can overcome the vast competition by producing videos that are timely and trendy.

In this article, we’re sharing four essential ways creators can keep their video content relevant so they don’t lose traction, improve audience retention for consistent engagement and traffic to their channel, and engage with new viewers to grow their fanbase.

Stay Relevant By Being Current

It’s important for creators to stay-up-to-date and be knowledgeable on industry news, events, and the interests of their viewers. Being current allows you to provide valuable information and advice to viewers who are searching for it right now.

For example, it’s essential for fashion creators, makeup artists, and sneakerheads to stay in the loop of seasonal trends, topical makeup looks, and new shoe drops. Otherwise, without a foundation of timeliness or popularity, your content can easily fall to the wayside.

In fact, 86% of U.S. viewers say they often use YouTube to learn new things, and find solutions to problems they’re experiencing from their work, studies, or hobbies. Creators should consider themselves as gatekeepers to specific knowledge or insight that people are searching for. This makes their content more valuable to the average viewer.

The more you know about your content vertical, the more you are able to cater to your existing audience and attract new followers, creating a long-lasting impact that helps you stay ahead of the competition.

Incorporate High-Performing Video Trends and Keywords

As creators invent new trends and create viral content, others join in on the movement to diversify their strategy and provide their audiences with something new and refreshing. This also enables them to leverage high-performing elements of trends to increase their reach and engage with new viewers.

For the most part, trending content has become key to channel growth and discoverability on YouTube and other social platforms. Creators incorporating video trends such as ASMR, How-To’s, Reviews, Unboxings, and Shopping Hauls can be found easier through these popular search terms. 

When adopted well, these high-performing forms of content tie in with your content’s metadata, such as your title and thumbnail, which are critical factors for search engines to determine your video’s searchability.

Did you know that 62% of Google universal searches include video? If viewers are searching for trending topics and elements that you’ve incorporated into your content, there’s a chance your video could appear higher in a basic Google search.

This highlights the importance of your metadata and the use of key terms so that you can be conveniently found through search. A combination of trending video elements and highly-searched keywords will help your video content stay relevant and score better search engine results.

BBTV creator, Vickey Cathey, incorporates different trends from ASMR, vlogs, to makeup and beauty challenges, and has experienced significant growth on her channel.

Publish Your Content Consistently

Staying top of mind with your audience requires setting a routine publishing schedule that will help viewers know when to expect the next video release.

YouTube states that a consistent programming schedule for fans is “like anticipating when the next episode of their favorite show is coming on next.”

One of the easiest ways to organize and publish your content consistently is by implementing a content calendar. Here are just a few ways a content calendar can help you build an effective video strategy and strengthen your brand:

• Meeting standard publishing benchmarks
• Saving time in production
• Ensuring consistent audience engagement
• Building a multi-platform strategy
• Executing on influencer marketing campaigns

Your content calendar will guide your publishing schedule, helping you upload content at set intervals on a regular basis. However, it’s important to be flexible enough so you can produce time-sensitive content responding to breaking news, search trends or timely topics.

Reformat Existing Quality Content

Some of your best performing videos can be built from engaging and valuable content that you’ve already created.

Consider repurposing existing video content into more timely, updated versions across different social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube to extend your reach.

Overall, this helps you save time in production, extends your brand presence, and allows you to create a holistic multiplatform content strategy that attracts more audiences, wherever they live. 

Being a successful creator starts with authenticity, being interactive with your audience, and consistent in your content. Combine those qualities with these essential steps to create relevant video content, and you’ll start to separate yourself from the rest of the pack.

BBTV’s Channel Growth team helps creators stay engaging with their existing audience, while enabling them to reach new viewers. If you’re looking to diversify your strategy and keep your video content relevant, work with our industry experts by partnering with BBTV’s creator network.