Many people want to learn how to grow a YouTube gaming channel fast, but they think gaming is a saturated niche on YouTube, but the reality is, that is a straight lie.

Even with over 40 million active gaming channels, 95% and more never reach the 100k subscriber mark. What’s worse is that many of them do not make a full-time income from their gaming channel.

But the question you should ask is why?

And the answer is that most gaming channels SUCK!

Think about how many channels just post random unedited gaming videos with absolutely 0 substance and value on YouTube. Even if they do edit them, they fail to develop a complete game plan that will help their videos go viral and get a ton of views.

So in this article, I not only want to share how to grow a YouTube gaming channel fast in 2023 and beyond, but also how you can ensure that you don’t waste your time and become another burnt-out gaming YouTuber.

How To Setup Your YouTube Gaming Channel Foundation

Before you even think about making any YouTube gaming videos, you need to set your gaming YouTube channel up for success.

starting your gaming channel properly will be the backbone of your channel’s growth. These steps will establish the direction of your gaming channel so you don’t go in blind and waste your time.

Define Your Niche and Target Audience

The first thing you want to do is define your niche and target audience. It usually helps to write down the types of games you currently enjoy playing.

If you’re not sure what type of niches your gaming channel should be about then you should read this article on the best YouTube gaming niches.

But let me break down a quick example of how to define your niche and target audience properly.

First, CHOOSE ONE GAME AND ONE GAME ONLY.

So many youtube gaming channels screw this step up. Look, if you want to grow fast, you need to show the YouTube algorithm that you play one specific game. This will help YouTube understand the types of people to show your gaming channel to.

And before anyone asks, yes you could technically play multiple games within a certain genre. For example, FPS games, MOBAs, or MMOs. But doing this in the beginning will only make your growth take significantly longer and you will need to niche down even more.

So let’s say you want to play multiple MMO titles, well your gaming videos need to be targeted to a very specific thing that each title has in common.

Walkthrough videos would be a good niche if you want to play multiple games. But for this to be successful you will need to add value in each video. And that could be entertainment, information, or some combination of the two.

But TRUST ME just choose one game and one niche.

It should look something like this:

MOBA>League of Legends>Tutorials

Call Of Duty> Warzone> Resurgence> Vondel Best Weapon Gameplays

The point is, that you need to pick a game, find something about that game to make videos on, and then make numerous variations of that same type of video to cultivate a niche audience.

Setting up Your Gaming Channel Identity

Your gaming channel’s branding is important to your growth because it will help you become easily recognizable.

Everything from your channel banner, logo, thumbnail design, and the way you present yourself on camera or in videos is vital to developing an identity.

Most people want to eat the same foods over and over again even if there are tons of great recipes out there. Why?

Because most people hate change, it’s far easier to go back to something familiar than to try something new.

So make sure your channel’s identity is consistent. This will make you a reliable source in your niche that other gamers will keep coming back to.

How To Grow A Gaming YouTube Channel Fast Step by Step

Now that we have the preliminary steps out of the way, it’s time to share the secrets to fast YouTube growth.

But before we take a deep dive, you need to understand that you need to treat your gaming channel like a business. Take it seriously if you want any type of real results.

It will not be easy, but I guarantee if you follow these steps, your gaming YouTube channel will be successful.

Post Videos Frequently

Frequency is the amount of times you will post YouTube videos per week. A lot of people get this mixed up with consistency which is a whole different thing. I will explain it more in the next step.

If you want to grow fast on YouTube, you need to give yourself an optimal amount of chances to get discovered.

Which gaming channel do you think has more of an opportunity to be found in the YouTube algorithm?

1. A gaming channel that posts once a month
2. A gaming channel that posts 3 times a week

I hope you all said 3 times per week. Why?

With once per month, that YouTuber has 12 opportunities throughout the year for their videos to pick up in the algorithm.

However, the person who posts 3 times per week has 156 opportunities. This is a lot more favorable.

Your posting frequency allows the YouTube algorithm to discover who your target audience is and who to show your videos to.

But remember this is not to be confused with the next tip which is consistency.

Stay Consistent

As I mentioned before, consistency and frequency are two different things.

Consistency is sticking to your planned schedule and way of completing a task.

Each of our two examples earlier is technically consistent but they had different frequencies.

But let’s say the person who is supposed to post 3 times per week decided to only post twice one week, then no videos the next week, then 3 the week after.

There is no consistency.

Consistency is crucial for a successful YouTube gaming channel too. It helps with a few things.

• Your audience knows when you’re going to post
• The YouTube algorithm gets more data about your audience
• It tells YouTube to keep showing your videos to more people

The last one is especially important. The more consistent you are, the more YouTube will show your channel some love.

It seems dumb but it’s true.

So make sure you don’t give up, stay consistent, and stick to a schedule that you will be able to follow through with.

Increase Session Time

If you’re a new content creator, then chances you never heard of session time. Heck! Some experienced creators don’t know what session time is.

What is Session Time?

Session time is how long someone spends on YouTube after watching one of your videos. YouTube is able to track this by your viewer’s journey.

Let’s say you logged on to YouTube and immediately you are on the homepage. You then decide to click one of my videos about Warzone.

For the sake of example let’s assume all of my videos on my channel are 10 minutes long exactly.

You then watch the video all the way to the end, and then you click on the next suggested video (Let’s say one of Swagg’s 20-minute Warzone videos). You then watch that video all the way to the end.

Then you log off and decide to play Warzone.

You stayed on YouTube for a total of 30 minutes. That’s good in the eyes of the algorithm and you will be rewarded with more impressions which will hopefully turn into more viewers.

Ideally, you want that viewer to watch more of your videos, that’s when YouTube will promote your videos like CRAZY!

Your goal as a Youtuber is to create great videos that keep viewers on YouTube as long as possible.

Session time is actually the most important metric on YouTube and there’s no real way of tracking it on the creator end. The best metrics you have are audience retention, average view duration, and watch time to help you learn what your viewers like and respond to in your videos.

These metrics are going to help you grow your channel fast if you get them right.

Audience Retention

So what is audience retention? Well, it’s the percentage of a video that a viewer watches. So if you have a 10-minute video, and the viewer watches 5 minutes, that would be 50%.

This shows YouTube that your video is interesting enough that most people watch at least 50% of your video.

Unlike this chart right here

Watch time

Watch time shows is the amount of time a viewer watches your specific videos on YouTube. It’s not to be confused with audience retention where it only means that specific video.

Watch time is all of YOUR videos they decide to watch.

Create Playlist

One of the best ways to get all 3 of these important metrics (session time, watch time, and audience retention) is to create a playlist.

So if you have a new YouTube gaming channel about League of Legends, you can create a playlist for your audience.

You could make tutorials, midlane videos, jungle videos, etc.

When people click on your playlist and start watching your videos, this will give tons of positive signals to YouTube if they watch multiple videos back to back.

Create Good Video Ideas

I hate to be the guy to say it, but most people come up with terrible video ideas. Growing fast on YouTube has a lot to do with the quality of videos you put out.

And trust me, no one will watch a video if it’s a boring idea.

For example, would you want to watch a YouTube video titled “Winning a match of apex legends”? Probably not.

It’s so common to win a match and that title says nothing interesting about what happens if I decide to click on the YouTube video.

You need to brainstorm quality videos and make a unique video title. Otherwise, people won’t even click on your videos to find out if it was good in the first place.

Satisfy Your Viewer’s Intent

You can have all the flashiest thumbnails, the crispest graphics, and the most mind-blowing gameplay, but if you’re not satisfying your viewer’s intent, you’re missing out on one of the most critical aspects of YouTube channel growth.

What is the Viewer’s Intent?

In simple terms, “viewer’s intent” refers to what a viewer is looking to get out of watching your video. Are they looking to be entertained? Educated? Informed? The YouTube algorithm places a hefty weight on viewer satisfaction.

We discussed it earlier when looking at how to increase your viewer’s session time.

When your videos meet or exceed viewer intent, you’re not only keeping your audience glued to their screens, but you’re also sending positive signals to YouTube that your content is worth ranking and recommending.

Analyzing Your Audience’s Needs

First things first, check out your analytics. Platforms like VidIQ or TubeBuddy can provide valuable insights into what your audience is actively searching for. Keyword search volume, engagement metrics, and even competitor analysis can all point you in the direction of what your audience wants to see.

Let’s say you’re into RPG games like Diablo 4. Your audience likely isn’t just there to watch you just play video games. They want to learn how to up their own game.

In this case, consider creating how-to guides, walkthroughs, or tutorials that align with popular search queries. This type of content delivers both entertainment and educational value, a killer combo for satisfying viewer intent.

If your viewers click away feeling unsatisfied, that’s a failed opportunity. But when you consistently deliver what they want, you’re not just satisfying viewer intent, you’re building a community. And a strong, engaged gaming community is the fastest way to skyrocket your YouTube gaming channel in 2023.

Maximize your Click-Through Rate (CTR)

Click-Through Rate is arguably one of the most vital, yet misunderstood, metrics on YouTube. If you’re looking to make serious strides in growing your gaming channel this year, maximizing your CTR should be at the top of your to-do list.

Why? Because a high CTR essentially tells YouTube, “Hey, people want to watch this content.” And YouTube, wanting to keep viewers on the platform as long as possible, will reward you for it.

Why Is CTR So Crucial?

Click-Through Rate (CTR) is the percentage of impressions that lead to a video click. In simpler terms, it’s how often people click on your video after seeing it pop up on their screen.

The YouTube algorithm uses this data as one of the indicators to gauge the quality and relevance of your videos. So, a higher CTR often leads to better visibility on the platform.

🤔 Critical Question: Are you aware of your current CTR numbers? How do they compare to the industry standard for gaming channels, which generally lies between 2-4%?

Thumbnails

Let’s be honest; the first thing viewers notice is the thumbnail. It needs to be eye-catching but not clickbaity, relevant but not too stuffed with details.

Custom thumbnails often perform better than auto-generated ones. Don’t be lazy and make a custom thumbnail. There are plenty of free software you can use such as Canva or Luminar NEO.

Also, make sure your thumbnail looks good on both desktop and mobile since about 70% of YouTube watch time comes from mobile devices.

Titles

Once the thumbnail grabs attention, the video title reels them in. It should be intriguing and descriptive, providing enough context about what the video offers.

Creating titles is definitely not easy because you need to find a way to make it good enough to persuade a viewer to choose your video out of the dozens of videos on the home page.

PRO TIP: Create your title and thumbnail before you start making your video. This way you can tailor your videos to the title and thumbnail so you avoid clickbait and maximize views.

A/B Testing: The Holy Grail of CTR Optimization

You’ll never truly know what works until you test it. Platforms like TubeBuddy offer A/B testing features for thumbnails, titles, and even descriptions. This enables you to experiment with different variables and see what resonates most with your audience.

Leverage Other Social Media Channels

So you’ve got your YouTube channel set up, you’re working hard on your content, and you’re neck-deep in analytics. But wait, there’s more.

One of the most effective, yet often overlooked strategies for rapid YouTube growth is leveraging other social media channels.

Why Branch Out?

YouTube might be the king of video content, but diversification is crucial for robust, sustainable growth. Each platform has its own unique features and audience behaviors, allowing you to tap into different subsets of your potential viewer base.

Plus, platforms like TikTok, Twitch, and Twitter can significantly boost your brand’s overall online presence.

TikTok: Your Short-Form Content Playground

I haven’t gotten into utilizing YouTube shorts for channel growth but if you’re not doing it, you should be.

I want you to think of TikTok as the perfect platform for “bite-sized” content. You can create quick game tips, highlight reels, or teasers for your upcoming YouTube videos. The aim is to pique interest and funnel viewers over to your YouTube channel for the full experience.

TikTok is a trend-heavy platform. Utilize trending hashtags and challenges but give them a gaming spin to reach a broader yet targeted audience.

Twitch

Live streaming on Twitch can give your audience a real-time, interactive experience. When done correctly, you can grow your Twitch channel and YouTube channel at the same time.

So many gamers waste hours streaming, hoping to grow their Twitch account. Luckily for you, if you take your best moments and gameplay videos, and post them on your YouTube channel, you can simultaneously grow your YouTube channel and funnel more viewers to your Twitch channel.

Just remember to actually use all of the previous tactics discussed to optimize your growth and then use a CTA in your videos to let people know you stream.

Twitter

Twitter works great for sharing smaller updates, whether it’s news about upcoming streams, new game releases, or behind-the-scenes looks at your setup or editing process.

Twitter is a fantastic networking tool in the gaming industry. Engaging with other creators, retweeting, and jumping into trending conversations can get your name out there and draw more attention to your YouTube channel.

Connecting the Dots: Integrated Growth

Cross-promotion is the key. Every TikTok video, Twitch stream, or Tweet should aim to drive traffic back to your YouTube channel and vice versa.

Leveraging TikTok, Twitch, and Twitter doesn’t mean stretching yourself thin. Instead, it’s about strategically repurposing and aligning your content across different platforms for maximal impact.

When executed effectively, these platforms can become invaluable assets in your YouTube gaming channel’s growth arsenal for 2023.

Promote your Gaming Channel

Alright, you’ve been grinding on creating top-notch gaming content yourself, but sometimes you need a bit of help to get the ball rolling. Normally, would advise against promoting your YouTube video elsewhere, but for gaming channels, it helps tremendously.

Platforms such as Reddit, discord, and Steam can be great places to promote your videos. The biggest thing to remember is to be highly targeted in the groups you join because the YouTube algorithm will get mixed up if they click on your video from Reddit and they don’t watch that content normally.

For example, if you post your Warzone videos in an APEX Discord or Reddit.

But when you do it right, you can actually help the YouTube algorithm understand who your target audience is.

Steam

Steam allows you to create community groups or join existing ones where you can share your YouTube videos and attract a specific subset of gamers. Just make sure you’re also contributing to the community and not just self-promoting.

Got a unique angle on a game that’s hot right now? Share it through Steam Reviews and subtly mention that you dive deeper into it on your YouTube channel.

Discord

Create a Discord server where your YouTube channel fans can gather, discuss games, and share strategies. It can serve as an exclusive club where you can also share your latest videos and get immediate feedback from new viewers.

Don’t just stick to your server. You can also join YouTube gamers and other active servers where your target audience might hang out. They typically have a promotion channel where members can post their videos.

Reddit

Identify subreddits and gaming communities where your target audience spends time. These could be game-specific subreddits or broader ones like r/gaming. Share your videos, but also engage in discussions, offer advice, and provide value.

Don’t Spend A Ton of Time On Trivial Matters

Here’s the kicker: not all tasks deserve your full attention. Let’s break down some of the common time sinks where creators often find themselves stuck and how to smartly bypass them.

SEO and Descriptions

Okay, SEO is somewhat important on YouTube, but not nearly as vital as it used to be. But obsessing over keywords, meta tags, and descriptions can be a never-ending vortex.

Look, a well-edited engaging video will do better than a fully SEO-optimized one.

Some say tags and descriptions are useless. I don’t fully agree with this but it’s not going to make or break your videos.

Thumbnail Paralysis

You could spend hours fine-tuning your thumbnail, trying out different fonts, colors, and layouts. Yes, thumbnails are essential for CTR, but remember, good enough is often just that, good enough.

Make it eye-catching and relevant, then move on.

The Endless Edit

Editing is crucial, but there’s a line. After a certain point, you’re just moving pixels and not substantially improving the viewer’s experience.

You’re not going to have great video editing skills when you first start. You will build it up over time and a way to do that is by adding one editing element to each new video.

This way you build up your skills and create better videos.

Social Media Overload

Posting across multiple other social media channels and platforms is good, but not if it takes up all your time. Use scheduling tools to queue up posts or even consider hiring a social media manager if you’re stretched too thin.

Also, if you’re overwhelmed in the beginning, only post on YouTube and then expand when you develop a system.

Analysis Paralysis

Reading analytics is essential, but it can wait. Many creators spend too much time looking at real-time stats right after they publish a video. Immediate metrics are often not indicative of long-term performance.

Your time is your most valuable asset. Don’t squander it on tasks that have diminishing returns. The goal is to make great videos that people want to watch, not to win a Pulitzer Prize for your video description.

Conclusion

You’re in the game to win it, not just to play it. And let’s face it, in the world of YouTube gaming, “fast” isn’t just an advantage, it’s a necessity. The faster you grow, the quicker you grab those brand deals, unlock community features, and get one step closer to turning your passion into a full-time gig.

Plus, a rapidly growing channel attracts more viewers. That’s the magic of momentum.

We’ve covered some serious ground in this guide:

• Setting up Your Foundation: The importance of defining your niche and establishing a recognizable channel identity.
• Growth Tactics: From posting frequently, and staying consistent, to mastering aspects like session time and CTR.
• Savvy Promotion: Leveraging other platforms like Steam, Discord, and Reddit, and not just relying on YouTube’s algorithm.
• Mindful Time Management: The art of focusing on what really matters and avoiding the common pitfalls of over-optimizing and overediting.

Don’t let this be another article you read and forget. Put these strategies into action today.