Since its launch in 2005, YouTube has provided billions of pounds in earnings to the creatives who share video content through the channel. But it’s not all about the money. YouTube gives reach to small businesses and freelancers, helping them get their names or products known, and it creates communities of like-minded individuals in which ideas and passions can be shared.
To ensure that your videos are consistently seen by interested audiences, though, you’ll need to convert casual viewers into subscribers.
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There are different kinds of subscribers, but the kind you want are called “organic subscribers.” They’re real people who see your content and click “Subscribe” because they want more. That alerts YouTube to add your channel to their Subscriptions feed, which means they’ll be shown your new videos when you post them.
Organic subscribers are more likely to watch your videos, watch for longer, and engage through likes and comments. YouTube tests your new videos by showing them first to your core audience – subscribers and repeat viewers – and, if they respond well (measured through things such as watch time and click-through rate), the platform shows your content to a wider range of viewers. It’s vital to have subscribers who are really there for your content.
The other kind are paid or incentivised subscribers. Channel membership subscribers, who pay a monthly fee to become members, are your most engaged audience. They usually receive perks from channel owners, in the form of custom badges, emojis, and members-only content. Creators have to be in the YouTube Partner Programme to qualify for channel members and a share of the revenue they provide. You’ll need to meet eligibility requirements to join the programme.
Another kind of paid subscriber is someone who pays for YouTube Premium, which provides ad-free viewing, downloadable videos, and other benefits.
It’s possible to purchase subscribers, but it’s not recommended. They increase your subscriber numbers, but they rarely increase your views or engagement much, since they’re interested in the incentive, not your content. It’s possible to purchase automated accounts using software or scripts that can mimic human behaviour, even commenting on videos, but these automated systems don’t actually watch your content. That means they don’t increase your watch time – an important metric that YouTube measures – and the platform actively removes them when they’re detected.
When you’re thinking about how to get more followers on YouTube, remember that it’s the organic kind you want most. But how do you get them?
“Everything you want as a creator comes from making the best videos and thumbnails possible,” says YouTube legend MrBeast. In other words: People want great content. Give it to them and they’ll subscribe. Making targeted content – videos homing in on a topic or with a specific audience in mind – will lead to more connection with your audience than making general content. Targeted content is also likely to be watched for longer. Its audience is more engaged, which means it satisfies the algorithm and gets promoted more.
A lot of creators are interested in the glamour of being in front of the camera, but if their thumbnail (the small still image that YouTube shows when it lists a video) isn’t attention-grabbing, then no one is going to click on the video. Likewise, if the title doesn’t strike the right note or rouse curiosity, people may simply scroll past.
Metadata is the information you give YouTube about your video – not just the title and description, but things such as video tags, the video file name, the category you’ve chosen, and whether your video has captions or subtitles. YouTube measures all those things and uses them to categorise and prioritise content. There are many guides online for how to optimise thumbnails and metadata, so be sure you’re following the latest advice.
That behind-the-scenes work is not what people imagine when they think of being a YouTuber. If you’re wondering how to get more subs on YouTube, though, doing your homework here should pay off.
Credit: Krakenimages.com/Shutterstock
Playlists increase session time – the amount of time a person spends on YouTube – by guiding what people watch next, suggesting content perceived as relevant to their interests or to what they’ve been watching recently. YouTube makes its own playlists, known as YouTube Mixes, based on your watch history and preferences, but content creators can make playlists through YouTube Studio. You don’t have to use only your own videos; you can add in others too! Make playlists that unite your videos by theme, so interested viewers can see more of the same. Remember: The more eyeballs that land on your videos, the greater chance some of them will subscribe.
You can also use power playlists for extra effect. Brian Dean, an entrepreneur with over half a million YouTube subscribers, says a power playlist is one that is linked by outcomes. Normal playlists are linked by topic – baking, for example – but a power playlist has several videos that all create the same outcome, such as “10 videos on how to improve your baking skills.” This, Dean says, makes people much more likely to watch several videos on the playlist. Check out this power playlist from Behind the Brand to get a good idea of the concept.
There’s a reason so many YouTubers sign off with a message asking viewers to like and subscribe. People working in advertising have known for decades that a call to action is vital for getting your customer to behave in a certain way – and business-savvy content creators have caught on. Reminding viewers to subscribe, ideally in a breezy way, puts the idea in their head. Use end screens and pinned prompts to suggest subscription, but keep it light.
Zach Highley, a YouTuber with over 500,000 subscribers, recommends YouTubers “heart comments. Pin comments. Reply to all comments.” Why? Because YouTube tracks how many comments a video gets, showing those with more comments to more people on the assumption they’re the most engaging.
Respond quickly to comments in a positive, personalised way, and take on board constructive criticism. By being available to your viewers, engaging with them, and responding to their questions and feedback, you’ll make yourself and your content memorable and create a community of viewers who value your channel and are more likely to subscribe. Even YouTube recommends you do that, so it must matter.
Some videos – and some moments in videos – are more effective than others at converting viewers to subscribers. Identify them using YouTube’s own analytics tools, which allow you to see many important metrics such as watch time, average view duration, and how viewers found your channel. Promote those videos or moments in your end screens or across your channel to get your highest-performing content in front of as many potential subscribers as possible.
Almost all creators on YouTube have something in common: They want to grow their views and their subscribers. Use that fact by finding other channels you can either promote (in the hope they’ll return the favour) or actively work with.
You could promote someone else’s channel in a variety of ways: sharing their content, embedding their videos on your site, featuring their videos in your playlists, or even mentioning them directly in your videos. It’s considered good manners to build a relationship with creators by liking, commenting on, and subscribing to their content before reaching out to suggest a collaboration. Other options include working with friends, family, businesses, or charities. Anything that extends your reach by borrowing someone else’s has the potential to get your YouTube channel more subscribers, so long as there’s some alignment of your values, style, and goals.
When you’re implementing these tactics, it’s vital to follow this rule: test, measure, pivot. Split test each tactic by using two different versions to see which works best. Then measure it using YouTube’s analytics suite so you know how effective it is. Finally, pivot away from less productive techniques and tactics toward those that are delivering maximum results. By regularly doing that, you’ll trim away techniques that aren’t effective and maximise the potential for viewers to convert to subscribers.