How to Get More Subscribers on YouTube

There’s no getting around it: You need to build up your subscriber count if you want to make money on YouTube. You need at least 1,000 subscribers to join the YouTube Partner Program, which allows you to make money from ads and at least 500 to even set up a membership program for your channel. It can also help you qualify for affiliate partnerships — which opens you up to more revenue streams.

You don’t need to have the most subscribers to be a successful YouTuber. In fact, many of the top-earning YouTubers don’t even crack the top 50 most-subscribed channels. But having a healthy subscriber base shows that you’ve created a strong sense of community around your channel, which opens you up to revenue streams like merch and paid livestreams.

Follow these tips if you’ve struggled to get viewers to hit that subscribe button on your videos.

1. Use CTAs in your videos

A call to action, or CTA, is anything that prompts a viewer to respond. It’s a term that marketers use when they’re trying to get people to buy something but it applies here too — you’re trying to get people to subscribe to your videos. Here are a few ways you can add CTAs:

Ask viewers to subscribe

There’s a reason why “like and subscribe” has become a YouTuber cliche: It works. But try putting your own spin on it. Some YouTubers suggest making it interactive by asking subscribers to leave a comment and promising to respond.

If asking people to subscribe doesn’t fit your brand, that’s totally fine. But you can still remind them that subscribing is a great way to support your channel.

Add a subscribe button to your videos

Chances are, your viewers are so used to seeing the standard subscribe button at the bottom of your videos that they might not even notice them anymore. Add a subscribe button directly to your videos and they might be more likely to notice it. It can be a great way to subtly remind viewers that subscribing is an option without interrupting the flow.

You can add a subscribe link to the video watermark on all of your videos. Or, consider adding one at the end when viewers are less distracted. Many Youtubers also like to add animation to their in-video subscribe buttons to make them even more eye-catching.

Put a subscribe link in your video description

If someone’s interested enough in your video to read the description, they may be ready to subscribe. Put a link in a relatively unexpected place like the description to help you snag more subscribers when they’re reading the description or pursuing your affiliate links.

2. Pay attention to analytics

YouTube analytics is a great resource for understanding what does and doesn’t work for your channel. These are a few strategies for using analytics to up your subscriber count.

Fill the gap between subscribers and viewers

Get a sense of who’s hitting that subscribe button, who’s not, and what you can do to fix any disparities. You can see your YouTube subscriber and viewer counts on your YouTube channel page. But you need to visit Channel Analytics in YouTube Studio to get more details about who these folks actually are.

Click on the subscribers and viewers tabs and you’ll see how the number of subscriptions and views have changed over time. Go to see more under each to compare subscriber and viewer demographics. You’ll find a wide range of information, including age, gender, location and even information about closed captions use.

Take note of any differences between the groups for ideas on how to turn more viewers into subscribers. Maybe the closed captions group is viewing a lot of your videos but hitting subscribe. In that case, you might want to play around with your subtitle settings.

Study the videos get you the most subscribers

While you’re checking out your subscriber demographics, take a look at the videos that earned you the most subscribers. Watch them again and take note of features they have in common.

For example, maybe you played around with a new intro on a few videos and those happen to be bringing in subscriptions. Try out that intro on a few more videos to see if it continues to work.

Keep an eye on your watch time

Your watch time is how long viewers actually spend watching your videos. Getting watch time that’s close to the number of hours of video you’ve posted to your channel is key to ranking well in YouTube’s algorithm and getting more subscribers.

You can check your watch time by visiting the Channel Analytics tab in YouTube Studio. If your numbers are lower than you’d like, consider taking steps to keep viewers more engaged.

3. Strengthen your brand

A strong brand helps viewers think of your channel as a whole, rather than individual videos. And this can lead to more subscribers. Strong branding means that your videos will be more recognizable when your videos appear in a feed. It helps create fans, which will likely subscribe to your channel — and maybe even recommend it to a friend. Here’s a few ways you can make sure branding is on point.

Come up with a unique channel tagline

A channel tagline is a catchy phrase that quickly describes your channel. To come up with a tagline, think about why you created the channel and what makes it unique from the other niches. If it helps, start by writing out as much as you want and edit it down to a few snappy words.

For example, Devin Stone created the LegalEagle channel to push back against misrepresentations of the law in popular culture and clear up popular misconceptions. His tagline, “think like a lawyer,” says what he wants his viewers to be able to do after watching enough of his videos.

Not all successful channels have a tagline, of course. But it can make other parts of your branding a whole lot easier.

Write a strong channel description

Your channel description is a great place to introduce yourself to new viewers — and tell YouTube’s algorithm what you’re all about too. Here’s an easy format to follow:

Introduce yourself and briefly describe what viewers will get from your channel if they subscribe. For example I might write: Hi, I’m Anna Serio-Ali and I’m on a mission to make it easier for you to run a successful YouTube channel.
Tell the story of why you started this channel. Maybe you know something that most other people don’t and you want to share it with the world
Describe topics that your videos cover in a little more detail. This is a great place to include top keywords that you’re trying to hit with your videos.
Include housekeeping details, like how often you upload videos.
Wrap it up with a CTA asking viewers to subscribe to your channel (and include a link)

Invest time (or money) into design

Having a consistent and recognizable design for your channel and videos makes your brand more recognizable. Outside of videos, there are three main places where you should invest in design: your profile picture or channel icon, your banner image, and your video watermark.

Before you get started, look at the design scheme that competitors in your niche are using. Take note of commonalities — color palettes and fonts, for example — to come up with ideas. Even if you did this when you set up your YouTube channel, repeating this exercise helps keep things fresh.

Profile picture

What you use for your profile picture depends on the type of channel you have. If it’s just you speaking to the camera in most of your videos, consider a high-resolution headshot or portrait done by a professional photographer.

Groups, animators or companies may want to invest in a logo instead. If you don’t have a lot of experience in this area, consider hiring a freelance graphic designer to help you come up with an image that’s easily-recognizable and matches the aesthetic you’re going for.

Banner image

The banner image is what appears on your YouTube channel homepage in the background. This should complement your profile picture and your video aesthetic. At the very least, it should include your channel’s name. Some Youtubers also include information like the channel’s tagline and when you drop new videos.

Your banner image can also include links — including a link to subscribe to your channel.

Video watermark

Even if you aren’t using your watermark as a subscribe button, don’t skip on this feature. Having a small image in the bottom corner of your videos makes it easier for casual viewers to link your channel with the content they’re watching. The watermark should be your brand logo, so make sure it matches your profile picture if you aren’t using a photo of yourself.

Brand your thumbnails

Add the image you used for your video watermark somewhere on your thumbnails to make it more easily recognizable to viewers scrolling through the feed.

This isn’t totally necessary if your profile picture is an image of your face — you should be including your face in most thumbnails anyway. But if someone finds them drawn to videos with your branded thumbnail, they might be more inclined to visit your channel or subscribe.

Make a channel trailer

A channel trailer works a lot like your channel description: It’s an easy way to introduce yourself to potential subscribers. Keep the video short — ideally under a minute and follow this structure:

Introduce your channel by opening with a tagline and introducing yourself.
Highlight moments you’re proud of from successful videos with a quick reel.
Wrap it up by asking viewers to subscribe.

4. Make long videos

There’s no hard-and-fast rule for how long your YouTube videos should be–that depends on your niche and the format of your videos. But generally, videos on the longer end tend to rank better, which leads to more viewers and more subscribers.

See the typical length of the top-raking videos for the major keywords in your niche to get a sense of how long your videos should be. This isn’t to say that you should add filler, of course.

5. Prioritize quality over quantity

Uploading three videos a week won’t help your subscriber count if they’re not good. If you find yourself cutting corners to meet your deadlines, adjust your schedule so you can spend time making something you’re proud of.

While regularly posting is key, it doesn’t have to be as frequent as you might think. Some of the top 50 most-subscribed channels only have a few hundred videos because they invest time (and money) into the production.

6. Make it easy to keep watching

People are more likely to subscribe if they’ve watched several of your videos. You’ve already put the effort into making quality content, so it’s worth promoting it. Here are a couple ways you can nudge folks into staying on your channel.

Make playlists

Playlists allow you to organize your videos by topic. One of the great features about playlists is that they’ll automatically play the next video until the viewer clicks away. By making watching your channel the default, you’re encouraging people to become more familiar with your content — and more likely to subscribe if they want more.

Link to more videos in your end screen

Reserve the last 10 seconds of your video for an end screen and add a link to two more videos that are related to that topic. This doesn’t guarantee your video will play next like with a playlists, but encourages people to choose to watch the next video.

Use pattern interruptions

Pattern interruptions are anything that might provide a visual break to your video. Some YouTubers like to cut away to gifs while others are more subtle like a change in the camera angle. The idea is to keep your video more engaging so the viewer doesn’t want to look away.

Pattern interruptions won’t bring you new viewers directly. But they can up your watch time, which can help you rank better in YouTube’s algorithm.

See what types of pattern interruptions are popular in your niche if you’re not sure where to get started, since this will affect your video’s aesthetic. If you’re making serious content, adding in gifs might seem a little cringe.

7. Engage with your audience

People are more likely to subscribe to your channel if they feel like they’re a part of something. These are few great ways to get viewers to feel heard:

Respond to every genuine comment. If your channel is popular enough, you’re going to get trolls, and it’s up to you if you want to engage. But otherwise, leave a response to let viewers know that you’re listening to them.
Heart comments too. This is another great way to let viewers know that you’re listening. Plus, some viewers will get a notification letting them know you hearted it — a gentle nudge reminding them of your channel.
Use the community tab to keep your viewers in the loop on any major updates to your channel — or your life in a way that’s relevant to your channel. For example, you might want to make a community post about major life changes like a big move or engagement.

8: Collaborate with other YouTubers

Reach out to YouTubers in your niche and see if they’re interested in doing a collaboration video or series. Look for creators with videos that many members of your audience also watch or subscribe to.

Before you get in touch, come up with a pitch that includes content ideas, how a collaboration will benefit the both of you and what you can bring to the table that they might not already have access to. Be sure to reach out using their preferred method of contact, which you can find on their channel page.

9. Promote your channel

Going into other media spaces to promote your channel will help you reach audiences you might not find through YouTube’s algorithm alone.

Share on social media and blogs

Instagram Reels and TikTok are great places to show short previews of your videos to bring followers over to your YouTube channel whenever you post something new.

Promoting videos on other social media outlets like Facebook and X, formerly known as Twitter, is also a great way to alert your friends, family and fans. If you also have a blog, take a look at your high-ranking pages and see if there’s room for an embedded link to your video. Or, write a new post including the link.

Do podcasts and media interviews

Reach out to podcasts and news outlets in your niche to see if they’re interested in having you on as a guest. The key is to start small. You probably won’t get on Joe Rogan right away, but smaller podcasts that are just starting out might be looking for collaboration as much as you are.

Can I buy YouTube subscribers?

Yes, it’s possible to buy YouTube subscribers — including bots and real viewers. But it probably isn’t worth it. Buying subscribers can get your channel suspended, since it violates YouTube’s fake engagement policy — YouTube can tell.

It’s also worth noting that your subscriber number is one of several factors that contribute to the success of a YouTube channel — and arguably, it’s not the most important one.

Bottom line

Building out your subscriber base is key if you want to make YouTube a full-time job. That’s because you need to hit subscriber minimum for most YouTube monetization programs, including the YouTube Partner Program.

But your subscriber count isn’t the only number you need to worry about for monetization. In fact, YouTube views may be even more important because they also affect rankings on top of qualifying for money-making programs. Visit our guide to getting more views to learn more.