One of the many problems of YouTube creators is how to get more subscribers. Subscribers will lead you to more views. And if your videos have more views, the more chances that your channel will get popular and for YouTube to notice you and revenues will follow.
Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat have been trying to steal the video spotlight. They have succeeded, but YouTube is still the king when it comes to videos. With its 30 million visitors per day and 5 billion daily video views, it is still the most powerful marketing channel when it comes to videos.
One in four YouTubers watched a branded video, that is according to GlobalWebIndex. And if you are thinking that millennials are the only people watching, think again. According to Google, YouTube reaches over 95% adult share. This belongs to the 35+ age bracket. And according to Google’s demographic data, this reach continues to expand to an older audience.
With this large audience, the big question is how to get more subscribers to your channel?
In order to decode YouTube’s algorithm and win the number of subscribers you are trying to achieve, there are tactics that work. These are not hacks or magic tricks. These are proven techniques that really do the job.
And if you are a new YouTube creator, these methods are for you.
1. Hacking does not work. So start promoting.
If you typed in “How to get free youtube subscribers” on YouTube, you’ll be flooded with video results that talk about hacks and glitches that you can do to cheat on YouTube’s algorithm. These click bait videos continue to attract YouTubers.
One of the most popular videos on this topic is by Mr. JustKyptic. He is a young expert who claims to have discovered a YouTube glitch on how to get thousands of free subscribers in an instant.
The process, he did is like this. You open your developer tools on Google Chrome. And when you click the “view” and then “developer”, an HTML source code will appear.
Click on the “YouTube subscriber count” button. Change your subscriber to 500 to 1000. And bam! You get a thousand subscribers with no sweat.
However, the problem with this is that they change only happen to your browser. If you check your video on the other computer or browser, your normal subscriber will be the same.
In the end, Mr. JustKyptic admitted that this is only a prank.
There are other videos on YouTube that have the same concept but are only pranking and fooling gullible people.
So if you are on the shortcut of watching YouTube tutorials on hacking the number of your YouTube subscribers, then you are just wasting precious time.
If you have a new channel, you won’t get YouTube’s attention right away.
So how do you start organically promoting your video?
According to Gianni “Luminati” Nicassio, a founding member of the indie-rock band Walk Off The Earth who gained over 634 million organic views on YouTube, be ruthless in the promotion. Don’t shy away from the grunt work. Creating engaging content is half the process. You need to be ruthless in promoting your content. Promote. Promote. Promote.
According to him, you can start with your Facebook friends and shamelessly ask them to share and like your content.
You can also go to blogs that have the same message as your content and share your video there. Or you may also reply to some videos that are the same as yours.
So in short, stop wasting time watching hacks. They don’t work. You can’t hack YouTube. The secret is to simply promote your content. Do the manual work first. And once you are able to gain a steady number, YouTube will notice you and will soon reward you with free subscribers.
2. Publish frequently and consistently.
Graham Cochrane, the founder of the YouTube channel, “The Recording Revolution”, went from unemployed to creating a 7-figure business just because of his YouTube channel.
According to him, another way to increase your subscriber is if you continue to produce content. Producing content once a week, or four times a month is the key.
Why?
Imagine you are watching a television show every Tuesday. So every Tuesday you are waiting for that show. That principle also goes well with YouTube. If your subscribers see that you are posting content on a specific time and specific day, they will anticipate your content at that time and day.
Also, if you produce more content, if someone searches for you or a topic related to your content, multiple videos of yours will be shown in the results feed. Aside from that, you will also be shown in a number of places. With this, people will think that you are an expert in that field and they will start to give you credit and in return will be encouraged to be your subscriber.
Graham has been producing at least one video a week for seven years.
Create a dependable rhythm in creating and publishing your content. So you must commit to a publishing schedule. The best formula is one video a week.
3. Give value to your content
According to Gianni Nicassio, the viral YouTuber we were talking about earlier in this article, you need to deliver value right away. The first eight seconds of the video are very important. So if you want your viewers to stay with your video until the end, make sure to give them what they need in the first 8 seconds.
If you are producing music videos, start the music right away. If you are selling products, start delivering the most important information.
This way, your viewers will stay with you and you will increase your watch time.
And if you have an increased watched time, YouTube will likely turn you up in the search results and recommendations feed.
Give your audience content and promote your brand or product in the end.
Thus, shorten your intro. Skip flashy music. Make the first eight seconds count.
4. Create a playlist
To turn your first-time viewers into subscribers the trick is to create a playlist. When they type in a relevant keyword, your video will show. They will click it and then will be directed into the playlist. After watching your first video, they will automatically watch the second and so on and so forth.
This method boost content consumption, retain subscribers and boost your watch time.
It is not enough that you create one playlist. Create different playlists for different audiences.
- New audience – think of the content new viewers need to see? Show your best videos. Show them the funniest and most helpful videos.
- Task-oriented – create a playlist for viewers who are looking for a solution to a problem. Put together all your how-to videos. They will be encouraged to watch the whole content if they are specifically into solving a problem. This will help you increase content consumption.
- Topic-focused – put together all the videos you have that tackles the same topic. With this, it will give you a comprehensive playlist about that topic. A good example of a topic-focused playlist is Google Analytics’ YouTube Channel.
If you don’t know how to create a YouTube channel, here is a quick step.
- Start with the video you want to be included in a playlist.
- Click Add To. It is located under the video.
- Click “Create New Playlist”
- Enter the most appropriate playlist name
- Go to the drop-down menu to change your playlist privacy setting. Don’t make it private as people will not be able to find it.
- Click Create.
- Use Pinterest
5. Don’t Forget About Pinterest
When people search for a topic in Google or YouTube, Pinterest will also be one of the search results. So putting your content on Pinterest will give you an additional exposure.
However, not all people are into Pinterest.
You should know if your target is using Pinterest. You may download this worksheet to know if your audience is on Pinterest.
Here are some tips on how to turn your video content on Pinterest format:
- Hire a designer to create Pinterest friendly images for your video
- Collect graphics and create an SEO-focused Pinterest collection
- Consider Pinterest ads.
6. Mention your channel on Amazon Review
You cannot include YouTube links on Amazon Reviews. But you can promote your channel there. If you are into cooking, look for a cookbook and comment about you doing some recipes about this, by checking your YouTube channel.
You don’t necessarily give out links, but you are directly promoting your channel.
7. Use Facebook Groups
Find a Facebook group that is relevant to your channel. Join the group. Comment on a post or create a post about your best YouTube work. This is a bit of manual work, but if you are busy you can outsource a freelancer to do it for you.
8. Try Subreddits
Your task is to find 10 to 20 subreddits on Reddit and post your video link there. Here is a guide that will help you find the right subreddits for your content.
Be reminded that if your content is horrible, redditors will make fun of you and Reddit will kick out your content.
9. Create easy to search titles
Create titles and descriptions that have the most relevant search terms. Try typing some titles on the YouTube search bar. Notice the words YouTubers use. Do this a couple of times and you will find out the terms people use to type in searching for specific topics.
Make use of YouTube’s autofill feature in creating SEO-friendly titles and descriptions.
10. Translate your videos in other languages
If you see that you are having steady views and subscribers, translate your videos in other languages for other countries to appreciate your content. Hire a translator to do this. With this, you are increasing your reach and type of subscribers.
11. Promote your content on other social media channels
Use the power of other social media channels in promoting your content. By promoting it on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin, etc., you are extending your reach to a larger audience. This will increase your chances of having more free subscribers.
There are many ways that you can grow your YouTube subscribers. You don’t need to rely on hacks and other shady tactics. These organic methods will help you increase your following without violating any of YouTube’s policies.
Date: December 10, 2018 / Categories: Tips, / Author: Rich Drees
