YouTube is one of the best places to make it big as a creator or a business. Video is the most engaging type of content, as it presents visual elements, storytelling, and other components that are more difficult to replicate in text and audio-based content.
However, videos also take the most time to produce. You can create superb videos, but if you’re only getting 10 views, you may not see a tremendous ROI for your efforts.
Growing your YouTube channel will help you generate steady views for your channel. Over time, some of the free YouTube subscribers who come to your account may become customers.
That outcome is possible if you regularly build trust and show up for your audience. You’ll have to create videos so people know what your channel is all about, but there are other ways to get free YouTube subscribers. Using these strategies can get you closer to a YouTube Play Button.
1. Make your channel look professional
You have to look the part to make it on social media. Having a professional channel appearance can stop the scroll and encourage people to spend a few more seconds looking at your channel.
You don’t need to focus on many things to make your channel look professional. You only need to do a good job with these five components to make your channel look professional:
- Channel logo: A simple logo of yourself or your company’s logo should suffice.
- Channel banner: This banner can display your publishing schedule, a time-sensitive event or discount, or what your channel covers. Keep it simple.
- Channel description: You can use up to 5,000 characters to describe your channel, but a paragraph is sufficient for most people. Make sure you incorporate keywords and include links to your website and social media accounts.
- Video thumbnails: Canva makes it very easy to create professional-looking thumbnails that get respectable clickthrough rates.
- Organized content: You can group videos based on certain themes, events, and types of content. Categorizing them into playlists makes it easier for people to find what they’re looking for when they go on your channel.
NBC Sports incorporates these elements for its YouTube channel. The main focus is the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which you can see in the channel logo and a simplified channel banner.
NBC also has a short description that includes several links to NBC Sports’ other digital accounts. You can find highlights from specific sporting events if you scroll down the NBC Sports channel.
A professional look creates a strong first impression, but there are other tactics you must apply to receive a steady stream of free YouTube subscribers.
2. Conduct keyword research before creating videos
A little bit of planning goes a long way in any industry, including YouTube. Mapping out content ideas based on keyword research can save you time and increase the likelihood of gaining traction in the algorithm.
Some keyword research tools let you research keywords directly on YouTube. These tools give each keyword a score that reveals the likelihood of ranking well for the keyword and generating views. Keyword research tools can help you find words and phrases that offer a good mix of volume and low competition.
Conducting this keyword research before creating videos increases the likelihood of success for each video you produce. A few extra steps that shift the odds in your favor can give your channel some momentum and result in free YouTube subscribers.
3. Focus on quality
Most YouTube channels perform better with a focus on quality instead of pumping out as many videos as possible. While some categories, such as sports, stock investing, and current events, often require publishing multiple videos in a given week, most channels can do fine with one video per week.
Publishing many videos in a short amount of time can result in some initial traction. You may get more views for your channel as a whole since you’re publishing more often. Subscribers can watch multiple videos, and each new video gives you the opportunity to get discovered on the algorithm.
However, the channels that thrive often prioritize quality content. The level of storytelling, nuance, and detail these channels provide is often hard to replicate.
Tyler Oliveira’s YouTube channel is difficult to copy. He does investigative journalism that captures both sides of a story instead of attempting to spin a narrative. He explores topics like homelessness, the pulse of American politics, and the border.
While other people talk about these topics as well, Oliveira visits various communities and engages with people in the area. He features the opinions and commentary from dozens of people and isn’t afraid to have fun along the way.
You don’t have to create a channel like Tyler’s to make it on YouTube. You don’t even need millions of subscribers. Turning enough viewers into customers is sufficient for most businesses. However, a focus on quality will result in people searching for your name and remembering your content. That dynamic can pave the way for more traction on the YouTube algorithm.
4. Wrap up each video with a call-to-action
It’s a common practice among many YouTubers to request that people like the video and subscribe to their channel. While a good CTA can result in more YouTube subscribers, you have to be quick and concise.
YouTube viewers can tell from a mile away that a video’s value has concluded. “If you enjoyed this video…” gives viewers permission to click off the video and look for the next piece of content.
A quick and simple call to action like “Subscribe to receive more videos on [your topic]” doesn’t require as much of the viewer’s time. This quick call-to-action conveys your request clearly. It can also be a good idea to accompany this call-to-action with the word “Subscribe” showing up in the video.
These are some CTA ideas to consider:
- If you enjoyed the video, make sure you subscribe to the channel for more videos like this one.
- If you enjoyed that tip, consider giving this video a like.
- You can receive the free guide by clicking on the link in the description.
- Make sure you watch this other video I did on my channel for a more in-depth analysis on [a specific topic]
Keep each video to 1-2 CTAs that take less than 10 seconds to convey. A laundry list of action items can leave people confused and cause them to click off your video. Some YouTubers briefly place their call-to-action near the start of the video to encourage people to subscribe.
5. Post your videos on social media
You are your best promoter. Small businesses and influencers need to share their work across their online communities before others let their audiences know about your videos. Each time you publish a new video, you should quickly send a tweet, post about it on Facebook, and share it on other platforms.
Social media posts can give your video a good head start and increase your chances of ranking well on the YouTube algorithm. While the algorithm has many components, YouTube ultimately wants to promote videos that are generating traction and keep people on the website. That’s how YouTube makes money.
Posting your YouTube videos on your other social networks can also help you gain more followers on those platforms. Then, some people from X, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other platforms may visit your YouTube channel.
You can also generate initial momentum for each video by promoting them as soon as you hit the publish button. Here’s an example of an X post I created for a video about dividend investing.
Many effective social media strategies incorporate multiple platforms. Having people follow you on multiple platforms makes it easier for them to come across your content, regardless of which app they are using. Bringing your other social networks into the mix can lead to an influx of free YouTube subscribers.
6. Review your analytics
YouTube Studio contains useful data points that can help you make better decisions with your channel. You can check how past videos have performed and use that information to optimize future videos.
While YouTube analytics can feel overwhelming when you are getting started, these are the key metrics to monitor when you are getting started.
- Changes to views, watch time, and subscribers: YouTube displays the key metrics right away. You can see the percent changes over the past 28 days and look at your data across additional time frames.
- Impression clickthrough rate: A higher clickthrough rate indicates more people are finding your video and clicking on the thumbnail. YouTube pushes high CTR videos in the algorithm since these videos keep people on the platform.
- Top videos: Checking your top-performing videos can give you hints on which topics to cover in future content.
You can go deep into the YouTube Analytics rabbit hole to learn more about your YouTube channel. Keeping a pulse on what happens with your channel can help you attract more subscribers and views.
While YouTube Analytics offers great insights, you can get a more detailed analysis of what works with Keyhole’s YouTube Analytics. Keyhole lets you see which of your videos are performing well and what people are engaging with on YouTube. You’ll get a better understanding of what viewers think and how they are engaging with the platform.
Keyhole also provides recommendations to boost engagement, such as when to publish your videos and which tags to use. You can get a free trial of Keyhole YouTube Analytics to discover if it is right for your channel.
7. Prioritize your top-performing videos
Business owners can find their top-performing YouTube videos in their analytics, but this tactic deserves its room in the spotlight. The top-performing video depends on the metric you are looking for. The video with the most views may differ from the video with the most watch time.
For this tactic, you should look for the video that has driven the most subscribers to your channel. Rewatching this video and determining where you included your CTAs can reveal insights that you can use for future videos. You can also create videos around the same topic to replicate its success.
However, this video is already working well if it’s driven the most subscribers to your channel within the past 1-3 months. If this video is evergreen, meaning it’s still relevant, promoting this video more often should result in more subscribers.
While it’s great to create new content for your channel, business owners should double down on the videos that attract the most subscribers. Sharing this video a few times each week on social media, incorporating it into your email funnel, and running YouTube ads for this video can lead to meaningful traction for your YouTube channel.
YouTube ads won’t result in free YouTube subscribers since you’ll have to pay to play. However, you may want to consider investing in videos that have a history of bringing subscribers to your channel.
8. Comment on other people’s YouTube videos
Leaving comments on other people’s social media posts is a great way to grow on any platform. Many people scroll through the comments while watching YouTube videos, and if your comment sticks out, it can receive thousands of likes.
Depending on the quality of your comment, some people may decide to visit your channel and see what you offer. If you want to get subscribers with this method, you should commit to leaving at least 10 comments per day on other people’s videos.
Not all of these videos have to be in your niche, and you can respond to other people’s comments to spark conversations. Someone will also pay more attention to what you say if you directly respond to their comment.
You won’t get thousands of likes for every comment you provide, but the comments from a recent Upflip video demonstrate that you can drive some engagement with each comment you post.
To maximize your results, you can set notifications for your favorite channels. These notifications will let you know when the creator publishes a new video. Commenting within 30 minutes will thrust you to the front of the line and increase your odds of being one of the top comments.
This strategy requires a long-term perspective. Some comments can continue to attract subscribers months after you leave them up on a channel, while other comments may not generate any traction.
9. Team up with other creators
You don’t have to navigate YouTube on your own. Joining forces with other businesses and influencers in your industry can introduce you to a new audience. Most collaborations involve at least two videos. In one video, you appear as a guest on the other person’s channel. The other video features the other YouTuber as a guest on your channel.
Content creators have several choices for collaborations. They can conduct video interviews, introduce the other YouTuber and let them take over, involve them in a multi-video challenge, or tackle a topic together.
Digital marketing agency owners Neil Patel and Eric Siu have been collaborating for several years. They appear in each other’s videos and host a podcast together. While both agency owners produce a lot of solo content, they also work together to create additional pieces of content that result in more traction for both of them.
Doing at least one collaboration every month can accelerate your traction, but not everyone may be open to the idea. It’s best to start with YouTube channels that have a similar audience size as your own.
If you have 1,000 YouTube subscribers, you shouldn’t reach out to people who have more than 10,000 subscribers about a collaboration. Start with smaller channels and work your way toward bigger collaborations.
10. Avoid buying YouTube subscribers or sub swap sites
Most beginners think of YouTube subscriber swapping sites or buying YouTube subscribers to get a boost. While these strategies can inflate your channel’s size, your audience will quickly catch on when they see how many people regularly view your videos.
Even worse, YouTube will have fewer reasons to promote your channel. If you get 20 views per video with 200 subscribers and you decide to buy 10,000 subscribers, you’ll now be getting 20 views with 10,000 subscribers. That’s a lower percentage of total subscribers who are watching your videos.
Wrapping up
YouTube can interpret this as your channel having an apathetic community since a smaller percentage of subscribers are watching your videos or engaging with your channel. Therefore, it’s possible that your videos don’t get as much traction. You’ll then reach fewer people who are actually active and may want to watch your content.
Part of attracting genuine, free YouTube subscribers is knowing what not to do. While buying subscribers or using sites that let you earn points that you can redeem for subscribers results in a short boost, these avenues of fake growth will have a negative impact on your channel in the long run.
Want to ensure you’re looking at the right metrics for your YouTube channel? Keyhole’s YouTube Analytics shows you the data that matters so you can make more informed decisions. Discover what your audience engages with the most so you can create better videos. You can get started with a free trial today.
Author Bio
Marc Guberti is a digital marketing freelance writer and Certified Personal Finance Counselor. He offers advertising services for small businesses.
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is it legal to buy YouTube subscribers?
You can legally buy YouTube subscribers. However, your channel won’t gain traction just because you buy a few subscribers. In fact, it can actually hurt your channel since a fewer percentage of your channel’s subscribers will engage with your videos.
2. Can YouTube detect fake subscribers?
YouTube regularly monitors its database for fake accounts and deletes them. It’s possible to see your subscriber number gradually drop after buying fake subscribers, especially if you aren’t getting any real subscribers who care about your videos.
3. How do you get 1,000 subscribers on YouTube?
Regularly posting content, engaging with other YouTube channels, and promoting your videos on your social networks can get you closer to your first 1,000 YouTube subscribers. For most creators, it takes a lot of time to reach this level, but every additional 1,000 subscribers should become easier if you continue to put in the work.
