The following essay is a critical analysis. Currently it is not analytical enough - it needs to dive deeper into what it’s talking about and critically analyze and evaluate further. Please improve the essay: The challenges of competing in the YouTube algorithmic marketplace: a critical analysis of the strategies and tactics used by successful YouTubers to gain algorithmic visibility and engagement.



The popularity of digital media in recent years has resulted in a proliferation of online platforms where content producers can display their work and interact with audiences. Creators looking to monetise their content and succeed have found YouTube in particular to be a popular and lucrative market. With over two billion monthly active users, however, the competition for algorithmic visibility and engagement is fierce, making it challenging for new creators to gain a foothold in the marketplace. This essay critically examines the strategies and tactics used by successful YouTubers (a user of YouTube who posts, creates, or participates in videos) to gain algorithmic visibility and engagement, as well as the challenges they face in competing in the YouTube algorithmic marketplace. By analysing these strategies, this essay aims to provide insight into the workings of the YouTube algorithmic marketplace and the ways in which creators can navigate it to achieve success.

Audience Engagement

The first strategy used by successful YouTubers is to engage with their audience; by doing so, creators can gain algorithmic visibility and engagement, grow their fan base, and increase watch time (Garcia, 2021). Utilising social media to engage with the audience, responding to comments, and producing content in response to audience feedback are all parts of this strategy.

Creators can build a sense of community and a personal connection with their audience by interacting with them. As a result, there may be a rise in audience retention and loyalty, as well as opportunities for improvement and feedback. By interacting with the audience, content creators can gain essential insights into the audience's interests and behaviours and use those insights to produce content that appeals to their viewers (Garcia, 2021).

Creators face a difficult task in gaining algorithmic visibility and engagement on YouTube, and while audience engagement is a crucial tactic for success, it can also present significant difficulties. Notably, engaging with audiences can be incredibly time-consuming, requiring creators to dedicate a considerable amount of time to responding to comments, producing content in response to feedback, and engaging with fans on social media platforms. For creators who also have to invest time in producing high-quality content, optimising it for the algorithm, and disseminating it through various channels, this can be a significant challenge. 

Moreover, audience engagement has the potential to have both positive and negative effects. While viewer engagement can encourage loyalty and a sense of community, it can also serve as a haven for harassment. Creators who interact with their audience frequently may experience harassment, abuse, or criticism from followers, which can have a negative impact on their mental health and general well-being. Therefore, it is crucial for creators to strike a balance between the benefits of audience engagement and the potential risks, taking measures to protect themselves and their mental health in the process.


Collaboration with Other Creators

Another strategy used by successful YouTubers is to collaborate with other creators. Collaboration can assist creators in reaching out to new markets and increasing their algorithmic visibility and engagement. In many cases, videos leveraging collaboration benefit from double the growth in popularity as opposed to videos without them (Koch et al. 2018). This strategy involves working with other creators in the same niche or collaborating with creators in other niches to create content that appeals to a broader audience. Collaborations are beneficial for all parties involved because creators give each other exposure to their respective audiences, essentially exchanging audiences.

Additionally, by working together, creators can improve the quality of their work and incorporate fresh viewpoints and concepts. This is particularly crucial for creators who may lack specific skills or have limited resources. Collaboration with other creators can lead to opportunities for learning and development as well as contribute to a sense of community among creators and their audience (Rotman & Preece, 2010). Jimmy Donaldson, the owner of the fifth largest YouTube channel ‘MrBeast’, says on a podcast, “You’re all learning from each other’s mistakes…after a year, you’re…two years ahead of the guy who was just solo” (Colin and Samir, 2021).

Collaboration in of itself will not guarantee success on the platform, however. Creators must also ensure that their collaborations are authentic and provide value to their audiences. According to Cunningham and Craig (2017), forced or unnatural collaborations can diminish audience trust and credibility, which will ultimately harm the creator's reputation and limit their ability to expand and engage with their audience on the platform.

It is critical to take both the potential for growth and lack of legitimacy into account when assessing how collaboration will affect the platform. Collaboration can boost visibility and engagement, but collaboration solely for the sake of personal channel growth can often easily be seen through by viewers. This connects to the idea of creator authenticity that is discussed further in this essay; many viewers are likely to disapprove of creators with malicious intentions. Furthermore, this type of ‘selfish collaboration’ can create toxicity in the creator community, as many creators reach out to others only with the intention of receiving something in return. Creators must balance collaboration with a commitment to authenticity and inclusivity to ensure that the platform remains open to new voices and perspectives.

Tailoring Content to the Audience

Finally, in order to increase algorithmic visibility and engagement, creators create content that specifically targets their audience. Understanding the target audience is essential to creating content that resonates with them. Creating content without having the audience in mind will likely lead to failure (Maynard, 2021). This strategy involves researching the audience's interests, behaviours, and demographics. Successful YouTubers also make sure that their content is algorithm-optimized by utilising keywords, tags, and titles that are pertinent to the interests of the audience (Anonymous, 2013). In addition, other elements like content quality, consistency, and authenticity are essential for attracting and keeping viewers (Amendola, 2021).

To further analyse this strategy, it is important to delve deeper into the concept of content optimisation. Although a video can rank higher in search results by utilising search engine optimisation (SEO) with pertinent keywords, tags, and titles, creators must also make sure that their content adds value to the audience. Popular keywords or click-bait titles alone may increase algorithmic visibility and engagement temporarily, but they may not sustain the audience's interest over time (Cunningham & Craig, 2017). In fact, using misleading titles or irrelevant tags may lead to the opposite of the intended effect, as such practices are against YouTube’s community guidelines and may lead to account suspension (Google, 2023).

Another factor to consider is the importance of authenticity in content creation. While researching the audience's interests and behaviours is essential, creators must also remain true to themselves and their values. Authenticity can help creators stand out on the platform and draw a devoted following that values their perspective. According to Cunningham and Craig (2017), failing to maintain authenticity may lead to a loss of credibility and audience trust, which would then lower engagement and visibility on the platform.

Content tailoring has the potential for the homogenisation of content. Because every creator would want to do what is popular and what would give them the highest chance of success, it may result in a lack of diversity in the content available on the platform. As a result, the platform's potential for growth and innovation may be constrained. This can make it difficult for new creators to establish themselves and draw an audience. Ultimately, the individuality of the content produced must not be compromised as a result of the endless pursuit of optimisation.


Conclusion:

The strategies and tactics used by successful YouTubers to increase their visibility and engagement on the platform are crucial for their growth and success. Authenticity, inclusivity, and high-quality content must be given top priority by creators in addition to creating content that is tailored to the audience, working with other creators, and engaging with their audience. Focusing solely on algorithmic visibility and engagement may lead to a loss of audience trust and credibility. Therefore, creators must balance these strategies with a commitment to providing value to their audience through quality content. By doing so, they can create and maintain a devoted audience and achieve long-term success and growth on the platform. Ultimately, the quality of the content being produced is the most essential factor to success on YouTube. YouTube’s algorithm pushes out content to viewers it believes viewers will want to watch through measures such as audience retention and viewer engagement. If the content is of high quality, these metrics will match the algorithm’s criteria and will therefore be shown to a larger audience, leading to a more significant number of views and success on YouTube.
