Contents
There are a lot of elements involved in creating a successful YouTube channel. You need to create quality content, engage with your viewers, and market your channel to increase your viewership.
Because of the fierce competition on the platform, you must invest time in managing and marketing your channel to gain new subscribers and ensure that your existing subscribers are having a good user experience.
In this blog, we have compiled a list of tools that can help you manage your YouTube channel more effectively and move you one step closer to realising your goals.
Why do you need tools to manage your YouTube channel?
Using certain tools for managing a YouTube channel can significantly improve its performance by increasing productivity, providing insights, and enhancing content creation capabilities.
These tools can help streamline tasks, such as scheduling uploads, analysing metrics, optimising SEO, and managing comments. Additionally, tools can provide valuable data and insights into audience behaviour, engagement, and demographics, helping channel managers tailor their content and grow their audience.
Having the right tools like editing softwares and graphic designing tools can also help channel managers create high-quality content more efficiently. By utilising these tools, channel managers can produce engaging content that stands out in the crowd.
Overall, using tools for managing a YouTube channel can help channel managers save time, optimise content, and improve channel performance.
Best tools to manage your YouTube channel
To manage a YouTube channel effectively, there are several tools that can be helpful. Some of them have been discussed below:-
YouTube Studio
YouTube Studio is a tool provided by YouTube to help manage your YouTube channel. It provides analytics, channel customization options, video management tools, and more.
With YouTube Studio, you can track the performance of your videos, manage comments and subscribers, create and edit video content, and monitor your channel's overall health. It also allows you to schedule posts and interact with your audience through messages and community posts. You can check out our blog for more information on YouTube studio.
Pros:
Provides a comprehensive dashboard for managing all aspects of a YouTube channel, including analytics, video management, and channel settings.
Offers real-time performance metrics for videos and channels, allowing creators to adjust their strategies accordingly.
Allows for easy editing and uploading of videos directly from the platform.
Provides access to features like live streaming, community posts, and merch shelf integration.
Offers a mobile app for on-the-go management.
Cons:
Can be overwhelming for beginners due to the amount of information and features available.
Some advanced features may only be available to channels with a certain number of subscribers or watch hours.
Some creators may prefer more in-depth analytics or additional features that are not available on YouTube Studio.
Needs to be supplemented with other tools.
Google Analytics
For YouTube channels, Google Analytics can provide valuable information on audience demographics, traffic sources, engagement metrics, and more.
To use Google Analytics with a YouTube channel, you will need to link your channel to a Google Analytics account. Once linked, you can access detailed reports on your channel's performance, including metrics such as:
Audience demographics: This includes information on your viewers' age, gender, location, and interests, which can help you better understand your audience and tailor your content accordingly.
Traffic sources: This provides insights into how viewers are finding your videos, such as through search engines, suggested videos, or social media.
Engagement metrics: This includes information on how viewers are interacting with your content, such as the average view duration, likes, comments, and shares.
Revenue and monetization: Google Analytics can provide insights into how much revenue your channel is generating, as well as which videos are driving the most ad revenue.
Pros:
Comprehensive data: Google Analytics provides a wealth of data which can help channel managers make informed decisions about content and promotion strategies.
Customizable dashboards: Users can create custom dashboards to track specific metrics that are important to their channel and goals.
Integration with other Google tools: Google Analytics can be integrated with other Google tools such as AdSense, AdWords, and YouTube Studio for a more complete understanding of a channel's performance.
Free to use: Google Analytics is free to use, which makes it accessible for small and large channels alike.
Cons:
Steep learning curve: Google Analytics can be overwhelming for beginners, and it may take some time to learn how to navigate the interface and interpret the data.
Limited insights on video performance: While Google Analytics provides detailed information on website traffic, it offers limited insights on specific video performance such as retention and engagement.
Requires manual tracking of YouTube metrics: To track YouTube-specific metrics such as views, likes, and comments, users must set up custom tracking in Google Analytics or use other tools such as YouTube Studio.
Data processing delay: There is a delay of up to 24 hours in processing data, which means users may not have access to real-time data.
TubeBuddy
TubeBuddy is a browser extension that helps manage and optimise YouTube channels. It offers a wide range of features, including keyword research, tag suggestions, video optimization, competitor analysis, analytics, and more.
TubeBuddy is available for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. Once you've installed the extension, click on the TubeBuddy icon in your browser toolbar and log in to your YouTube account. This will allow TubeBuddy to access your channel data. With TubeBuddy connected to your account, you can use a range of features to help manage your channel. These include:
Keyword Explorer: Find the best keywords to use in your video titles, descriptions, and tags.
Tag Explorer: Analyse the tags used by your competitors to see which ones you should use for your videos.
Best Time to Publish: Get insights into the best time to publish your videos to reach the maximum audience.
Video A/B Testing: Test different thumbnails, titles, and descriptions to see which ones perform better.
Video SEO: Optimise your videos for search engines to increase visibility and traffic.
Bulk Processing: Save time by applying changes to multiple videos at once.
Pros:
TubeBuddy can help find relevant and high-ranking keywords for videos, which can improve video SEO and increase visibility.
The software offers suggestions for optimising video titles, tags, descriptions, and other elements to improve search rankings and engagement.
TubeBuddy can analyse competitor channels to identify their strategies, strengths, and weaknesses.
Cons:
While there is a free version of TubeBuddy, many of the more advanced features require a paid subscription, which can be costly.
TubeBuddy has limited integrations with other software and tools, which can make it difficult to use alongside other tools you may be using to manage your channel.
Over-optimizing videos with keywords and tags can be detrimental to a channel's performance, so it's important to use TubeBuddy's suggestions carefully and in moderation.
VidIQ
VidIQ is a tool that can help YouTubers manage their channel by providing insights and recommendations to optimise video content for search and engagement.
Once a user installs the VidIQ browser extension, they can access VidIQ's features directly within the YouTube interface. VidIQ provides detailed instructions on how to use each feature on their website, which include:
Keyword research: VidIQ provides keyword suggestions and scores to help creators optimise their video titles, tags, and descriptions for maximum visibility.
Competitor analysis: VidIQ allows creators to track their competitors' performance on YouTube and provides insights to help creators improve their own content.
Analytics: VidIQ provides in-depth analytics about the performance of individual videos as well as overall channel performance.
Video optimization: VidIQ provides suggestions to optimise videos for search and engagement, including optimising titles, descriptions, tags, and thumbnail images.
Collaboration: VidIQ allows creators to collaborate with their team members and manage multiple YouTube channels from one dashboard.
Some additional features of VidIQ include social media promotion and YouTube search volume. VidIQ offers a range of pricing plans, including a free version with limited features, as well as paid plans with more advanced features.
Pros:
VidIQ offers various customization options, allowing you to tailor the tool to your specific needs and preferences.
VidIQ offers keyword research tools that can help you optimise your videos for SEO and improve your video's visibility on YouTube.
You can use VidIQ to analyse your competitors' videos and channels, helping you identify trends and potential areas for improvement.
Cons:
VidIQ is a paid tool, and the cost can add up if you're managing multiple channels or have a large team.
While VidIQ is relatively user-friendly, it does have a bit of a learning curve, and it can take some time to fully understand all of its features and capabilities.
VidIQ relies heavily on YouTube's API, which means that if YouTube makes changes to its platform, it can impact VidIQ's functionality.
SEMrush
SEMrush is primarily an SEO and digital marketing tool, but it also offers features to help with managing a YouTube channel. Here are some ways SEMrush can be used to manage a YouTube channel:
Keyword Research: SEMrush can help identify the most relevant keywords for your YouTube content, which can improve the discoverability of your videos on YouTube search results pages.
Backlink Analysis: SEMrush can help identify external websites that are linking to your YouTube channel, which can provide opportunities for collaborations and promotions.
Social Media Management: SEMrush can help manage social media accounts connected to your YouTube channel, allowing you to schedule and publish posts across different platforms.
Analytics and Reporting: SEMrush provides analytics and reporting features to track the performance of your YouTube channel, including views, engagement, and subscriber growth.
Pros:
Offers a range of SEO and digital marketing tools beyond YouTube management
Provides comprehensive keyword research and competitor analysis features
Offers social media management and reporting features
Cons:
May have a steep learning curve for beginners
Some features may be more relevant to digital marketers rather than YouTube creators specifically
Pricing plans can be expensive for smaller channels or creators on a budget.
Canva
Canva is a popular graphic design tool that can be used to create eye-catching thumbnails, banners, and other visual content for YouTube channels.
While it is not specifically designed for managing a YouTube channel, Canva can be a useful tool for creating visual assets that can enhance a channel's branding and attract more viewers. Some of the features of Canva that can be useful for managing a YouTube channel include:
Templates: Canva offers a range of pre-designed templates that can be customised to create graphics that align with a channel's branding and style.
Design tools: Canva provides a variety of design tools that can be used to adjust the layout, colour, typography, and other visual elements of a graphic.
Collaboration: Canva allows multiple team members to collaborate on a project, which can be useful for managing a YouTube channel with a team.
Image library: Canva offers a library of images, illustrations, and icons that can be used to enhance the visual appeal of a graphic.
Pros:
Canva's drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to create professional-looking designs, even if you don't have any graphic design experience.
Canva has a large library of templates for YouTube channel art, video thumbnails, and other graphics, so you can quickly create designs that fit your brand.
Canva's templates can be customised with your own images, fonts, and colours, so you can create designs that match your brand's look and feel.
Cons:
While Canva is great for creating simple designs, it doesn't offer the same level of functionality as professional graphic design software like Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator.
Canva has a limited selection of fonts compared to other graphic design software.
While Canva offers basic image editing tools, it may not be sufficient for advanced image editing tasks.
Camtasia
Camtasia is a video editing software that can be used to manage and edit YouTube videos. It is a popular tool for creating high-quality videos with screen recording, video effects, and animation.
Pros:
User-friendly interface that makes it easy to use
Ability to edit videos with various effects, animations, and callouts
Screen recording feature allows for tutorials and demonstrations to be easily created
Access to free music and sound effects
Ability to add quizzes and surveys to videos
Cons:
High cost for the full version of the software
Steep learning curve for some of the more advanced features
Requires a powerful computer to run smoothly
Limited video file format support compared to other video editing software.
HootSuite
Hootsuite is a popular social media management tool that can also be used to manage a YouTube channel. Hootsuite allows users to schedule, publish, and monitor YouTube videos along with other social media platforms.
Features of this tool include-
Social media scheduling: Hootsuite allows users to schedule posts in advance across multiple social media platforms, including YouTube.
Content curation: Hootsuite allows users to curate and share content from multiple sources, including RSS feeds and social media platforms.
Social listening: Hootsuite allows users to monitor and track mentions of their brand or keywords across social media platforms, including YouTube.
Integration with other tools: Hootsuite integrates with other marketing and analytics tools, including Google Analytics, Salesforce, and Adobe Analytics.
Pros:
Users can schedule and publish YouTube videos in advance, which can save time and improve organisation.
Hootsuite allows users to monitor and analyse YouTube video performance and audience engagement, which can inform content strategy and optimization.
Collaboration features in Hootsuite allow team members to work together on YouTube channel management tasks.
Cons:
Hootsuite does not offer as many advanced features for YouTube analytics and optimization as other tools.
The cost of using Hootsuite can be prohibitive for small businesses or individuals with limited budgets.
Some users may find Hootsuite's interface to be complex or overwhelming.
DaVinci Resolve
DaVinci Resolve is a professional video editing software that can be used to manage YouTube channels. It offers a range of advanced features and tools that enable video editors to create high-quality video content for YouTube. Some of the features include:
Non-linear editing: DaVinci Resolve offers a non-linear editing system that enables editors to work on multiple clips simultaneously and arrange them in any order they like.
Colour grading: The software includes advanced colour grading tools that allow editors to manipulate the colour and tone of their videos to achieve the desired look and feel.
Audio editing: DaVinci Resolve also includes audio editing tools, which can be used to mix and master audio tracks, add sound effects, and adjust levels.
Visual effects: The software comes with a wide range of visual effects and motion graphics templates that can be used to enhance video content.
Collaboration: DaVinci Resolve supports collaboration, allowing multiple users to work on the same project simultaneously, which is useful for managing YouTube channels with a team.
Pros:
DaVinci Resolve is a powerful video editing software with many advanced features.
It has a user-friendly interface, making it easier for users to navigate and learn.
DaVinci Resolve offers a free version with many features, making it accessible to a wider range of users.
It supports various file formats, resolutions, and frame rates, giving users flexibility in their projects.
Cons:
The software requires a high-performance computer with a dedicated graphics card to run smoothly.
Some features, such as noise reduction and motion graphics, require additional plugins, which can be expensive.
The software can be prone to crashes, especially when working with large and complex projects.
The free version of DaVinci Resolve has some limitations, such as a maximum resolution of 1080p and limited noise reduction tools.
Social Blade
Social Blade is a third-party tool that provides analytics and insights for YouTube channels and Instagram accounts. It allows channel owners to track their channel growth, analyse their competitors, and get insights into their channel's performance.
Some of the key features of Social Blade for managing a YouTube channel include:
Channel statistics: Social Blade provides an overview of your channel's performance, including subscriber count, video views, and estimated earnings.
Competitor analysis: You can use Social Blade to analyse your competitors' channels and track their performance over time.
Keyword research: The tool also provides keyword research insights to help optimise your channel's SEO and increase visibility.
Social media tracking: Social Blade also tracks social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and Twitch to help monitor your online presence.
Historical data: The tool allows you to track your channel's performance over time, providing valuable historical data for analysing trends and identifying opportunities for growth.
Pros:
Social Blade offers insights into trending videos and creators on YouTube, which can help with content strategy.
The platform provides a social media rank for each channel, which can help gauge overall popularity and influence.
Social Blade offers a free basic plan, which provides access to basic analytics and tracking tools.
Cons:
Social Blade's data may not always be accurate or up-to-date, particularly for smaller or newer channels.
The tool does not offer any features for content creation or video editing.
The platform may not provide enough in-depth analysis or customization options for advanced users or larger businesses.
Basecamp
Basecamp is a project management tool that allows teams to collaborate and manage tasks and deadlines. While it can be used to manage many different types of projects, it can also be used to manage a YouTube channel. Some of the features of Basecamp that make it useful for managing a YouTube channel include:
Project organisation: Basecamp allows you to organise your channel management into different projects, each with its own set of tasks and deadlines.
Task management: Within each project, you can create tasks for yourself and your team members, assign due dates, and track progress.
Communication: Basecamp has a built-in messaging system that allows you to communicate with team members, share files, and keep everyone up-to-date on the status of the project.
File sharing: You can store files related to your YouTube channel in Basecamp and share them with team members as needed.
Calendar: Basecamp has a calendar feature that allows you to see upcoming deadlines and events in one place.
Pros:
Centralised platform for team collaboration and communication
Task and deadline management features can help ensure that everything gets done on time
File sharing and storage features can help keep all relevant documents in one place
The ability to track progress can help identify areas for improvement.
Cons:
Learning curve for new users who are not familiar with project management tools
Some features may not be useful for all types of YouTube channels or teams
Cost may be a consideration for smaller channels or those on a tight budget.
Conclusion
Each tool has its own advantages and disadvantages, and the selection should be based on the specific needs and goals of the YouTube channel. By using the right combination of tools, YouTube channel managers can streamline their workflow and grow their channel more effectively.