As a small business owner trying to grow on YouTube, featuring channels is an incredibly effective yet underutilized strategy. In this article, we will explore how featuring channels works and how you can use it to expand your reach and bolster your business.
What Are Featured Channels?
Featured channels are a section on your YouTube channel homepage where you can display other channels you want to recommend to your viewers. When users visit your channel, these featured channels appear prominently on the right rail.
Featuring a channel allows you to:
- Expose your existing viewers to new relevant content and creators.
- Showcase channels that align with your brand and attract your target audience.
- Strengthen relationships and collaborate with fellow YouTubers.
- Gain new subscribers when featured channels send traffic back to you.
You have full control over which channels you feature. Use it to guide viewers to content they‘ll appreciate.
4 Benefits of Featuring Channels
Implementing a featured channel strategy delivers many advantages:
1. Increased Exposure
Every viewer who comes to your channel will see the featured channels. This drives new traffic and subscribers to the channels you showcase.
In a 2021 study, channels featured on larger channels gained over 100,000 new subscribers on average.
2. Strategic Cross-Promotion
Featuring complementary channels, especially more popular ones, can lead them to return the favor.
If an influencer with a significantly bigger following features you back, it can drive huge growth. This cross-promotion exposes each of you to new audiences.
3. Relationship Building
Featuring other creators strengthens bonds and fosters collaboration. Supporting the same channels creates a sense of community.
4. Establish Authority
Curating and featuring channels shows you understand your niche and builds trust in your expertise.
Viewers will see you contribute value to the community, not just promote yourself. This positions you as an authority.
How to Choose Which Channels to Feature
With infinite options, it can be challenging to select which channels to feature. Here are 5 characteristics to look for:
- Relevant to your niche – Avoid featuring unrelated or random channels. Stick to your topic.
- Popular among your target audience – Check if a channel‘s content and tone resonates with your viewers.
- Produces regular high-quality content – Feature actively posting channels that create great videos.
- Potential to feature you back – Look for creators open to cross-promotion.
- Variety – Mix up different types of channels – big and small, general and specific.
Check which channels your competitors feature for inspiration. But always cater picks to your unique audience.
How to Add Featured Channels on YouTube
You can easily feature channels right from your YouTube Studio dashboard:
- Click your profile picture > My Channel
- Select Customize Channel
- Click the Layout tab
- Scroll down and click + Add Section under Featured Sections
- Choose Featured Channels
- Give the section a title and input channel links to feature
- Reorder channels by dragging and dropping
- Click Done to save
Now your featured channels will be live on your channel!
Tips to Maximize Your Featured Channels
Here are 5 tips to optimize this powerful but underutilized tool:
- Refresh featured channels regularly – Update picks every few months to keep content fresh.
- Ask channels for permission – Politely request to feature a channel. Most will happily approve.
- Explain your channel – Give context on who you are and why you want to feature them.
- Request they feature you back – Kindly ask them to showcase your channel in return.
- Promote your featured channels – Mention them in videos and playlists to drive more viewers.
The Power of Featured Channels for Business
As a small business owner, you can leverage featured channels to:
- Drive traffic – Guide viewers to channels they‘ll enjoy, earning their attention.
- Generate leads – Feature channels offering lead magnets like free trials or downloads.
- Build authority – Position yourself as an expert by curating the best channels.
- Access new audiences – Get featured back by bigger channels in your space.
- Partner with influencers – Collaborate with featured creators on sponsored content.
- Conduct outreach – Connect with creators in your niche to grow together.
Smartly featuring channels provides immense business value far beyond just social media promotion.
Key Takeaways
- Featured channels allow you to showcase recommendations directly on your YouTube channel.
- Strategically choose channels that appeal to your target audience.
- Refresh your selections regularly to promote diverse new creators.
- Ask to be featured back to expand your reach exponentially.
- Leverage featured channels to achieve key business objectives.
Featuring channels is a win-win for all parties involved. As a small YouTuber, take advantage of this overlooked feature to grow your business today!
