YouTube has almost 2.5 billion active viewers each month around the world . In Spain, 34% of YouTube users used the platform daily in 2023, and even 18% acknowledged using it several times a day.
Therefore, if you have created a channel on this platform , you should know how to get subscribers on YouTube to improve your brand presence and gain a competitive advantage.
You must keep in mind that it is important to have quality subscribers, that is, people who are really interested in your channel and the content you publish. Because? Because those people will share your videos and make comments, which will help you grow your channel and get more followers real youtube comments.
Whether you use your YouTube channel to market your business, or to share your passion for making things online, here are some ways to grow your audience on the world’s most powerful video platform.
- Create a brand that reflects the identity of your channel
The first step to getting subscribers on YouTube is to make sure you meet a real need: that will be the theme of your channel. There are probably other channels that are already addressing this topic, so try to differentiate yourself as much as possible and create a personal brand. To do this, it is vitally important that you convey a good image and take care of your brand. These are some of the measures you can take:
Write a compelling description of your channel. This is the text that appears in the “About” section of your channel. Explain what your channel is about and why they should subscribe to it. You can be inspired by the description of audiovisual designer Victoria Lloret’s channel .
Choose profile and cover photos that meet the platform’s requirements and are consistent with your brand image. Both images must be in JPG, GIF, BMP or PNG format. The profile image must be 800×800 pixels in size, be square or round, and fit 98×98 pixels. The cover photo must have a minimum size of 2560×1440 pixels with an aspect ratio of 16:9 and include key points such as logos, text or images in the central area. To make sure they are consistent with your brand, use the same color palette, typography, etc. Take advantage of the cover photo to make it clear who you are and why they should follow you, or even to drive traffic to your website. The images on the gymvirtual channel are a good example of this.
Create a slogan for the channel. Think of a phrase that makes it clear to your followers what benefits they will get if they subscribe to your channel.
- Create a trailer for your channel
Your YouTube channel trailer is a video that you can pin to the top of your channel page. It will be shown to those who visit your page and will play automatically. Create your own trailer to quickly tell your audience what they can expect from you and ask them to subscribe. - Plan the recording of your videos
There are several steps you can follow to plan the recording of your videos well and ensure that they will have the highest quality, both in terms of content and format. Before you start recording, write a script with the points you want to cover to organize the ideas, structure the content and maintain the coherence of the speech. The next step is to prepare the staging, choose the frame and check that the space is well lit, that the microphone works correctly and that there are no background noises. After recording, the last step is to edit the video using some of the best video editing platforms and programs. - Post videos with a constant frequency
It is very important that you publish videos with a certain frequency to maintain the interest and expectations of your channel subscribers. There is no ideal frequency. It all depends on the time you can dedicate to creating the content, your niche and other factors. Some creators publish content every fortnight, and others twice a week. Think about how often you could post and commit to it so subscribers know when they’ll have new content. - Start your videos with a memorable intro
There are many YouTubers who always start their videos with the same words. It is a presentation that ends up becoming his personal hallmark. It helps them differentiate themselves from other creators and for YouTube viewers to quickly identify them. Make sure you create an original, but brief introduction. - End the videos with a call to action
Make it clear to users what you want them to do when they finish watching your video so they don’t even have to think about it. Take the opportunity to politely ask them to subscribe to your channel. - Customize video thumbnails
Thumbnails are the images used to represent the content of a YouTube video. If your YouTube account is verified, you can use a screenshot of the video or upload a custom image.
In some ways, thumbnails are more powerful than titles when it comes to enticing people to click on a YouTube video. It’s worth the time to customize your thumbnails so they are consistent, reinforce your channel’s brand image, and grab the attention of your subscribers.
The thumbnails of the videos of AuronPlay , one of the YouTubers with the most followers in Spain, are a good example. They all follow the same style and include a representative image and a short title with which viewers can get an idea of the content of the video.
- Create playlists
A playlist is a collection of YouTube videos. It is a very practical way to organize your content that will bring you many benefits. It is recommended to create playlists of between 3 and 10 videos.
You can group your videos by topic to offer your content in an organized and simple way, which will make it easier for users to navigate your channel. You can look at how Spanish YouTuber TheGrefg does it , with more than 18 million followers.
Lists could help you increase watch time and retain users by ensuring that the next video played is also yours, instead of letting YouTube show someone else’s content.
Depending on what you name your playlists, they may also appear in YouTube search results.
When you can, share a link to your video from a playlist. This way, viewers will come across a list of videos from your own channel, all related to the video that brought them there.
- Use the platform tools
The platform itself offers you some tools that can help you get subscribers on YouTube, such as cards, the watermark or the final screen.
Cards are your best option for recommending other content within a video. Use them to suggest specific playlists or videos, direct visitors to your website, or ask them to subscribe.
The watermark is a subscribe button that you can add to your videos to encourage users to subscribe to your channel. If you do this, users who access YouTube from a computer will be able to subscribe directly to your channel. Additionally, you can choose at what point in the video you want the watermark to appear: at the end, at the beginning, or throughout the entire video.
The end screen is a still image that you can add in the last 5-20 seconds of your videos to, for example, promote other videos or encourage users to subscribe to your channel.
- Take advantage of current trends
As part of your YouTube strategy, consider taking advantage of current trends to attract viewers to your channel. Some of the measures you can take are:
Enter the # symbol in the YouTube search bar to automatically show you the most popular tags or use Google Trends to find out what’s trending at the moment and use them in your videos.
Include existing songs instead of always releasing your own original music.
Parody or react to a viral video.
Take advantage of current news that is in the media to create content.
The key is to cover the right topic at the right time to reach the right people.
- Optimize the SEO of your videos
Use search engine optimization (SEO) tools to find out what words and phrases people use to find what they’re looking for. To check the monthly search volume for a given keyword, you can use the Google Chrome extension called Keywords Everywhere.
Once you’ve identified them, use them in your videos’ titles, descriptions, and tags to improve their positioning in YouTube search results. Additionally, if you also include keywords in the file name, video transcripts and subtitles, and playlists, you have a better chance of improving your visibility and gaining subscribers and views for your videos.
These SEO optimization measures will also help you know what content users are interested in, which will give you ideas for your next videos.
- Attract audience from other channels
If you use social networks for your ecommerce or online business, take advantage of them to share or promote your YouTube content. For example, post a preview of your latest video to pique users’ interest.
Do you have a brand blog? Try inserting your YouTube videos into the articles you publish to, for example, complement the information.
You can also try sharing your videos in niche virtual communities, especially those where you know your audience spends a lot of time, for example, Reddit or specialized forums. In this case, you should be as transparent as possible when explaining who you are and what you do, as members of these communities try their best to protect the integrity of the discussion in these communities, so make sure you provide value to them.
If you promote your videos to people who already follow you and like what you do or to people interested in your niche, you will have a better chance of gaining followers on YouTube.
- Create community and interact with it
You don’t need a million subscribers to have a valuable audience, but rather a small group of people who like what you do. You’ll be more likely to gain followers on YouTube if you engage with them. To do this, you can:
Read and respond to as many comments as you can to identify your audience’s concerns and demands and encourage participation.
React to published comments so that the person who wrote it receives a notification and encourages them to return to your channel.
Organize a contest or a giveaway requiring them to subscribe to your channel to participate.
- Collaborate with other YouTubers
Collaborations are common on YouTube and are a great way to expose yourself to a new audience. A good example would be the collaboration between the Spanish cooking channels La Cocina Del Pirata and La Cocina de Masito , who publish videos preparing recipes together.
Reach out to a YouTuber you know or would like to partner with and suggest an idea for cross-promotion. A common strategy is to create a video together to recommend each other to your respective audiences.
Now that you know how to get subscribers on YouTube, it’s time to get to work and grow your audience and, ultimately, your business.