How Often Should You Post on YouTube? Does Frequency Matter?
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Creators looking to increase media views and boost subscribers to their channel need to be aware of, and follow, the best practices for how often to post on YouTube. With an estimated 3.7 million1 new videos uploaded to the platform every day, it’s easy to see how your content can be here today and gone tomorrow if you’re not posting enough to stay relevant.
How often should you post on YouTube? Today, we’re answering this question and looking at the differences in recommended post frequency for YouTube long form content vs YouTube Shorts, how post frequency may impact your goals as a creator, and what to consider when determining how often you’ll be uploading new content. Continue reading to learn what you need to do to optimize your media performance and overall success.
How Often Should You Post on YouTube?
If you’re asking yourself, “How often should I post on YouTube?” then chances are you haven’t been doing it enough to optimize performance and grow your channel. The more consistently you release new content, the more likely people will view and engage with it. The crucial component for creators is finding the equilibrium between consistency and high quality without overwhelming your viewers or taking away from the anticipation factor.
Does frequency really matter?
Put simply, yes. The frequency and consistency with which you post new content to YouTube impacts how your viewers engage with your channel. Better engagement leads to more views, longer view times, and improving how your media looks to the YouTube algorithm2.
Ideally, you’d post to a long form YouTube channel at least two to three times monthly. Publishing new content at this rate keeps your channel fresh for your audience and in the eyes of the platform algorithm, maximizing views3. This cadence requires more time, money, and possibly even knowing when to hire a video editor for YouTube content to streamline your post-production process. For many creators, posting long form content daily isn’t feasible, but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn how to keep video production cost low while still keeping a steady stream of new content.
As an alternative, try setting the goal to post new content to your YouTube channel at least once per week. Batching content filming and practicing how to edit YouTube videos faster with AI tools make weekly videos a more attainable goal that continuously engages your viewers so your channel stays fresh.
Creator Tip: Posting isn’t the end of the process for creators. You also need to know how to promote YouTube videos on your channel. Learn more after this article.
How Often Should I Post on YouTube vs YouTube Shorts?
YouTube isn’t just your main channel anymore. Alongside major players like TikTok videos and Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts should be part of your content strategy. With a unique approach to YouTube Shorts monetization and different YouTube Shorts creation tools for measuring important performance metrics, you need to recognize and follow the differences in the best practices for posting on each side of the platform.
While you’re ideally posting an average of three videos monthly to your main channel, you may also strive to upload two or three YouTube Shorts daily for aggressive growth and potential revenue from monetization opportunities4. That’s not always a possibility for every creator, so how often should you post on YouTube Shorts to stay consistent and not get lost in the crowd? Aim for posting at least three YouTube Shorts each week.
An AI video editor app like PicPlayPost can help speed up the process and streamline your media publication to meet your goals. As you get more adept at using unique media templates and finalizing videos that match your account style and voice, you’ll be able to increase your posting cadence to daily and eventually publish multiple YouTube Shorts throughout each day.
YouTube Shorts Tip: Knowing how to format your YouTube Shorts can help you finish editing them efficiently. After this article, check out our guide to YouTube vertical video design tips to learn more.
YouTube Posting Frequency: Quality vs Quantity
Asking yourself, “How often should I upload to YouTube?” only provides you with ideal quantities, but you can’t sacrifice quality of your media and expect the same results. You have to publish high-quality videos each time to increase views, grow subscribers, and increase potential revenue from monetization.
One of the best ways to achieve these goals is to set a publication schedule and stick to it. Many creatives struggle with understanding the importance of a consistent posting schedule. What’s the big deal if you post three videos in one month instead of four? The issue is publishing less frequently is more likely to result in slower growth, fewer media pieces for monetization, and the risk of losing viewer interest in your channel between new posts.
Instead of confusing viewers and making them guess when you might be releasing new content, make your publishing schedule known to the public so you can use it as a hook to keep more viewers returning and watching as you post. Turn your schedule into anticipation so your subscribers and future viewers will look forward to returning to your channel and seeing your latest content.
Considerations for How Often to Post on YouTube
How often should you upload to YouTube? There are various factors to consider. What’s your production budget? How much time do you have to film and edit your footage? Do you have enough content ideas to sustain a consistent publishing schedule?
To make sure you’re not burning out, falling behind, or feeling overwhelmed, follow these suggestions for how often should you post on YouTube to build your channel:
- Choose a sustainable publishing schedule: Start with the goal of publishing two videos each month to YouTube and two or three videos each week to YouTube Shorts. To streamline production and get more from each long form piece, consider ways to break longer videos down into teasers to share via YouTube Shorts.
- Plan ahead for content ideas: Creators need to stay nimble with the latest social media video trends for vertical video like YouTube Shorts, but long form content for your main channel is often more planned in advance to ensure you’re hitting each beat of your storytelling and publishing engaging content. Keep a running idea list for content to avoid running out of topics for your media.
- Get creative with media types: Not all your YouTube content has to be a typical video. Consider using AI video editing and effects apps like PicPlayPost or the crossover video app MixCam to generate unique video content, crossover videos, and dynamic slideshows that resonate with your viewers while keeping your channel fresh.
- Publish high-quality video: Make sure you’re using the best video format for YouTube, optimizing sound recording, and editing your footage to effectively and succinctly tell your story. This will yield better engagement and overall performance for your video content.
How often should you post on YouTube? The answer varies from creator to creator. In general, it’s best to schedule new media for publication on your main channel at least once per week and three times weekly for YouTube Shorts. As you drill down your production process and become more efficient, aim to increase these numbers until you’re able to publish new long form content and multiple YouTube Shorts each day.
Additional Sources
- https://www.wyzowl.com/youtube-stats/
- https://databox.com/youtube-average-view-duration#consistent
- https://teachable.com/blog/best-time-to-post-youtube-shorts