If you’re like most creators, you have a goal to boost your YouTube subscriber count. You want to get as many views as possible and turn casual viewers into forever fans.

And we understand why. At the 1,000-subscriber mark, creators reap the biggest benefits of being on YouTube. They become eligible for the YouTube Partner Program, which lets creators monetize their videos with advertisements. Plus, reaching the other program requirement — 4,000 hours of watch time — makes getting into the YPP super easy.

Ready to grow your channel? Here are the best ways to generate subscribers on YouTube!

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1. Break Your 1,000-Subscriber Goal Into Small Chunks

First, here’s a bit of raw honesty: Trying to collect a thousand of anything is hard.

It doesn’t matter if it’s dollars, pairs of shoes, or rare horror novels. You know it’s going to take a long time, but you don’t know exactly how long. And that is nerve-wracking.

One solution is to chop the goal into manageable chunks. Instead of saying you want 1,000 YouTube subscribers right now, tell yourself that you want to gain:

  • 100 subscribers by March
  • 250 subscribers by June
  • 500 subscribers by August
  • 750 subscribers by October
  • 1,000 subscribers by December

You won’t hit those exact numbers each month. But it’s less scary (and more encouraging) to go after smaller, realistic goals.

 

2. Add A YouTube Subscribe Button To Your Videos

Here’s an easy hack to gain subscribers on every upload. Either create or download a graphic that says “subscribe,” then go to the YouTube Studio and upload it as a video watermark. When viewers watch your content, they can click the graphic to subscribe to your channel!

Here’s how to add a subscribe button to YouTube videos:

1. Go to the YouTube Studio.

2. Click Customization in the left navigation menu.

3. Select the Branding tab.

4. Scroll down to the Video Watermark section and upload your graphic. Choose a display time for the graphic: at end of the video, the entire video, or a custom timespan. Hit Publish in the top right corner of the page.

3. Identify Which Videos Attract The Most Subscribers

If you have 30 or more videos on your channel, why not see which ones attracted the most subscribers? The proper term for this metric is called subscribers gained, and you can find it in the YouTube Studio.

Here’s how to navigate there:

1. Go to the YouTube Studio.

2. Click Analytics in the left navigation menu.

3. Click See More, which is below the YouTube dashboard showing monthly views, subscribers, revenue, and watch time.

4. Select Subscribers Gained in the first filter box.

5. See which videos attracted the most subscribers, then make similar content.

4. Place A YouTube Subscribe Link In Video Descriptions

The description box is much more than a holding place for your video’s about section. You can also add links there, such as affiliate links, website links, and your social media. More importantly, pasting in a subscribe link lets people join your community in just a few taps.

Here’s how to create a subscription link for your channel:

  1. Start with your channel’s regular URL. You can grab this from the address bar when you’re on your channel’s homepage.
  2. Add ?sub_confirmation=1 to the end of your channel’s URL.
  3. Paste the entire thing into your video description box, along with some text asking viewers to subscribe. Then let the new subs roll in!

 

5. Do A YouTube Collab To Reach New Viewers

Creators put a lot of work into video collaborations. They search for like-minded partners, brainstorm collab ideas, and film several videos together. But after all that work, the two creators get a priceless reward: sharing their overlapping audiences.

Here’s how it works. For each collab video, some viewers will have never heard of creator A, and the same will be true for creator B. But if all goes well, a portion of those new viewers become new subscribers for both creators.

So if you’re serious about growing, it’s time to collaborate with other creators.

 

6. Create The 4 Types Of Videos People Love

There’s no shortage of YouTube video ideas on the internet, but it’s hard to know which ones will resonate with your viewers.

Regardless of your channel type, we’ve found that four types of videos never go out of style:

  1. Reaction videos
  2. How-to videos
  3. Versus videos
  4. Listicle videos

Reaction videos are highly entertaining on YouTube. People love seeing someone react to funny or dramatic events, so those videos will always be popular.

Versus videos are appealing because everyone loves a hot debate: Samsung Galaxy or iPhone? Cats or dogs? LeBron James or Michael Jordan?

The other video types — how-to and listicles — answer questions people never stop asking. A how-to video could be titled “How to Negotiate a $10,000 Pay Raise.” Meanwhile, a list video might be “30 Cheap Meal Plan Ideas.”

 

7. Take YouTube Keywords, Thumbnails, And Video Titles Seriously

We say it all the time: The best way to grow your audience is by optimizing your videos for maximum discovery. But to do that properly, you have to take keywords, thumbnails, and video titles seriously. You’ll need each asset to optimize your content and attract more viewers.

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First, YouTube keywords are essential for making your content rank higher on search pages. So before you hit publish, add relevant keywords to your video title and description. That’ll give you an SEO boost and open the door to getting more YouTube subscribers.

But how do you find those magical words or phrases? It all starts with keyword research, and this in-depth guide will help you get started.

Next, design a custom thumbnail for your video. It should be bold, easy to understand, and complement some of the themes in your title. If you need a few ideas, here are 12 YouTube thumbnails people love to click!

 

8. Promote Your YouTube Channel

If you want people to subscribe to your channel, spend some time promoting your videos to a wider audience. You can do this in many ways, such as posting on the YouTube Community tab, creating YouTube playlists, and sharing your content on social media.

But that’s just a small taste of what you can do. You have even more options, such as:

  • Adding YouTube cards and end screens in your videos to promote extra content
  • Commenting on other YouTube videos within your niche
  • Hosting YouTube livestreams
  • Adding hashtags to your videos

 

9. Create Videos That Deliver On Their Promise

Did you know that every video on YouTube makes a subtle promise?

  1. The title tells you what to expect from the video overall.
  2. The thumbnail is an emotional snapshot of what you’re about to experience, from extreme happiness to nail-biting suspense.
  3. The video description confirms all of these things to be true.

Basically, everything works together to give the viewer an expectation.

If a video doesn’t live up to the hype, it means you broke the initial promise you made to viewers. And it’s hard to gain subscribers when you keep letting people down.

To avoid that pitfall, create a value proposition for your channel. This short slogan tells viewers what you post and why they should care — “a confidence class for more charisma” or “tasty meals for every budget,” for example. With an explicit promise, you’ll always make the right videos for your channel and attract new subscribers.

 

10. Never Stop Posting New Videos

It may not seem like it, but some creators don’t have a problem getting subscribers on YouTube. They actually have a consistency gap. By not posting often enough, they miss out on influencing the YouTube algorithm and growing their audience.

You don’t have to post daily or even three days a week to grow on YouTube. But you do have to maintain a regular posting schedule to keep people subscribed to your channel.

 

11. Ask Viewers To Subscribe To Your Channel

Lastly, always remind viewers to hit the subscribe button. Adding this call to action near the middle or end of your videos is an easy way to slowly gain 1000 subscribers on YouTube.

 

Getting A Lot Of Subscribers On YouTube: A Quick FAQ

Growing your subscriber base isn’t easy, so we know you have lots of questions! This FAQ will answer some of the bigger ones.

 

Is It Hard To Get 1,000 Subscribers On YouTube?

Let’s face it: Getting subscribers on YouTube is difficult. Unless the content is deeply satisfying, viewers watch dozens of videos without ever hitting subscribe. But you can grow your channel by doing what the average creator doesn’t: being vulnerable and relatable while making unique content.

 

What Happens When You Get 1,000 Subscribers On YouTube?

Reaching 1,000 subscribers means you have satisfied one requirement to join the YPP and monetize your channel (the other is getting 4,000 hours of watch time or 10 million public Shorts views in 90 days).

 

Can You Get Monetized On YouTube Without 1,000 Subscribers?

You can’t get monetized through the YPP without first earning 1,000 subscribers. Whether you’re seeking eligibility through the YouTube Shorts path or the traditional route, both require you to have 1,000 subscribers.

That also means you can’t monetize your YouTube Shorts without having 1,000 subscribers.

 

How Do You Make Money On YouTube Without 1,000 Subscribers?

There are plenty of ways to make money outside of the YPP (and without reaching 1,000 subscribers):

  • Earn cash through affiliate marketing
  • Make money through brand deals and sponsorships
  • Sell your own products, physical or digital
  • Sell a course online

 

Should You Buy YouTube Subscribers To Hit 1,000 Faster?

Growing an audience is hard work, but that doesn’t mean you should pay for YouTube subscribers.

Here’s why:

  • Those fans aren’t truly yours or invested in your content.
  • YouTube doesn’t allow bogus subscribers, according to its fake engagement policy.
  • Buying fake subscribers could lead to channel termination.