11 Effective Ways to Get More Subscribers on YouTube

If you're on YouTube you've already capitalized on the largest engagement platform on the web!

Well done. All that's left for you to do is grow your subscriber base and increase the popularity of your YouTube channel.

Getting subscribers is often harder than getting likes and views. Essentially you're asking people to allow your videos in their feed.

This means your video content needs to be really good. It also means you must work hard at persuading viewers to subscribe to your channel.

Here are some ways to add value to your videos and push your viewers to take that next step of subscribing.

1. Add Annotations to Your Videos

Sometimes all these video popups irritate me. But video annotations—when used correctly—serve three important functions on your videos.

Here's why you should be adding annotations to your videos:

Remind

For those viewers who don't think about subscribing, a subtle reminder is quite enough to get them to subscribe.

Simplify

Annotations are links within videos. This means a simple click makes it easier for viewers to subscribe. All they have to do is read and click. Simple!

Encourage

Some don't even know that they can subscribe to your channel. Encourage them to do so with a simple "Subscribe" annotation in your video.

Dos and Don'ts

Remember that if you've neglected to add annotations to the videos you've already posted, you can still go back and do so.

Don't go overboard on video annotations either. Like I mentioned, too many can annoy your viewers. Keep them out of the way of important section in the video. Stick to one or two annotations per video. Moderation is key.

2. Tell Your Viewers to Subscribe

There are countless viewers who probably loved your video when they watched it. But they didn't subscribe, did they?

That's because many viewers don't even know that they can subscribe. And those who do forget or don't think to do so.

It's important to tell your viewers to subscribe. There are many YouTubers who include short messages in their videos saying, "If you like this video, please remember to subscribe."

A simple message like this prompts YouTubers to hit that subscribe button—especially if you managed to entertain or educate them in some way.

You can also place a message in the comments section of your videos. If a viewer clicks on the "Show More" tab, they will get some info on the video and a call to action reminding them to subscribe.

3. Facebook Subscription Contests

Subscribing is fun—especially when people get something out of it.

Give your audience some motivation to subscribe by creating a contest on Facebook.

• This method of getting more subscribers on YouTube works very simply. Here's a quick guide:
• The first step is to share the video on your Facebook page.
• Offer a prize in the note section.
• Add to the note and tell your followers that they should like the post and subscribe to the video on YouTube to automatically enter.
• Make sure your draw is public and announce the winner for all to see.

Not only will you get more engagement (comments and likes), but you'll also get more YouTube subscribers who end up becoming permanent fans of your video content.

Remember to leverage your Facebook page to make this more effective.

4. Use "Subscribe" in Your Content Links

Let's talk about blogging for a minute. A blog is one of the surest ways to promote your YouTube channel and get more subscribers.

Regular Blogging Adds Value

Blogging about your niche and connecting those blogs to your video content increases your chances of being found by YouTube fans.

What should you blog about? The same content that's on your video. Simply translate that into textual content. From here, you can do the next step…

Correct Linking to Your Video

It's important to link to the right term when adding a video link on your blog.

"Subscribe to my channel and learn some powerful dating tips." This line could be somewhere in your blog. You can link this section: "Subscribe to my channel…" (since links should never be added to phrases exceeding six words).

The fact that you're telling readers to subscribe instead of telling them to watch, means they're more likely to add you to their feed list by subscribing.

5. Twitter Videos

Twitter has become a great platform for sharing videos. Not only links to videos, but onsite videos that are hosted on YouTube and viewed on Twitter.

If you don't have a Twitter profile yet, get one now. It's a great way to promote your video content and get more subscribers on YouTube.

Building an audience on Twitter will give you an extra platform from which to recommend your videos.

Always remind your Twitter followers to subscribe when you recommend a video or post a link to one. Subscriptions are powerful because they make permanent viewers of your audience.

Use Twitter to make it happen.

6. Get Personal with Your Viewers

Subscribers want something from you. They want a connection. If you can create that connection in your video content you're on your way to getting more subscribers on YouTube.

How to Connect with Your Viewers

Everyone loves a story. If you can find inventive ways to turn your YouTube videos into stories, you will instantly connect with them on a new level.

Example: If you're offering your viewers ‘How To' content, create a character. Portray his or her story by showing how a solution was achieved. You can try this with other types of content too. Stories get more shares and you ultimately get more subscribers.

Using Emotional Triggers

We often say that the internet is full of information. But we forget to notice that the internet is packed full of emotion.

People respond to emotion. Even when it's negative. If you can implement emotion into your videos you will soon gain more YouTube subscribers.

Neil Patel speaks about emotional triggers at length. He relates this principle to blogs, images, Twitter tweets and of course videos.

Personalized Hosting

Another aspect viewers respond to is face to face interaction. If at all possible, put a face to your YouTube content. This can elevate your engagement by making your videos more personal.

• Here are a few ways to do this:
• Add a host (preferably you) and learn to engage with the camera
• Narrate your video
• Be the main character in your story

Being seen, heard or both will personalize your content and get you more YouTube subscribers.

Viewer Participation

A YouTube video can become a very effective forum. People love internet forums so leverage this in your content to get more subscribers.

• There are a few ways you can do this:
• Have a viewer question session where you read out a selected question and answer it.
• Include your previous video's top three comments at the start or end of the episode.
• Ask a question and get people to comment and engage with each other. Reply to some of these comments to perpetuate the conversation.

It's all about getting personal and connecting with people. So how are you doing this with your content?

7. Buy YouTube Subscribers

Getting started on YouTube takes a lot of time. Getting subscribers is hard because getting noticed isn't as easy in the beginning of your YouTube journey.

Popularity Matters

YouTube works out which videos are gaining popularity. When it picks up that a video or a channel is receiving more views and subscribers, it immediately starts promoting that video and showing it to others.

The more popular a video, the more it's promoted to relevant viewers on YouTube.

Buying Authentic YouTube Subscribers

That's why it's such an effective strategy to buy YouTube subscribers for your channel! By doing this you start your videos off with a boost of popularity. This ultimately gets you more subscribers which ends up snowballing your engagement and your subscriber base.

Remember that these are not fake subscribers. They are real people from around the world who will receive your videos in their feed. They will also likely watch, comment and like your videos as you post them.

8. Build Video Links on Other Sites

The more people you expose to your videos, the more subscribers you are likely to get.

Did you know that you can link your videos through blogging on other sites? This is called guest posting and it's a powerful technique in promoting any web content—even videos.

To get this process going you will need to connect with several affiliate sites. You will then have to write great articles and include relevant links within them.

Contacting Affiliate Sites

An affiliate site is a blog or company that's similar or related to your industry. These are not competitors. They are entities that form part of a marketing chain that you are a part of.

You can email or call their marketing departments and ask to guest post on their sites. If they agree, you can offer them regular blogs monthly.

Writing Awesome Blogs

The most important part of building credible video links into blogs is making the blogs interesting to read.

Consider hiring a professional blog writer for this part. There are tons of freelancers who know how to engage your audience and keep them interested in your topic.

Smart Link Building

Adding links to your blogs is the easy part. A 2000-word blog should contain two or three external links to authoritative websites. It should also contain one link that leads to your video on YouTube.

This gives you added visibility on your video and also helps Google to rank you.

9. Capitalize on Trends

Trump has taken over the internet!

Okay, not exactly. But he seems to be all people are talking about these days.

Trends hit the web all the time. People tend to talk about a limited number of subjects for a short period of time. Then the trend changes and something else becomes popular.

Know the Trends

There are some sites that tell you what is trending at any given time. But you don't have to look very far to work it out for yourself.

• Being on Facebook for a few minutes each day will give you loads of trendy information. Some examples in the past are:
• The ice bucket challenge
• Parents and kids singing Frozen songs in the car
• Roller coaster pranks
• Fidget spinners
• …you get the picture.

Leverage those Trends

Now that you've identified the current trend, find a way to incorporate it into your videos. This doesn't have to be explicit, but if you add a trending title to your Facebook or Twitter shares, it will get more views—and more subscribers.

10. Create Content that Works

Today I'm giving you some homework to do.

These are tasks you can spend an hour doing once a week. It doesn't take much effort and it will make a huge difference to the quality of your video content.

Search for Other Videos Like Yours

Who's competing with your video channel? Search for these channels and watch a few of their videos. See which videos get more engagement and jot down these points on a notepad.

The next time you make a YouTube video, remember to implement some of these important aspects into your video. This will up the engagement and win you more YouTube subscribers.

Research How to Create Better Videos

There are countless blogs and tutorials out there dedicated to improving your video content. Subscribe to podcasts, watch tutorials and learn about tools you can use to take your posts to the next level.

Discover Your Most Popular Search Terms

Use the YouTube search tab to test out terms that are popular within your niche. Use these terms to determine what content you should be focusing on.

11. Post Videos Consistently

Subscribers can leave too, you know? It doesn't happen immediately, but if you aren't posting regularly your subscribers may start to remove you off their feed.

Keeping your YouTube subscribers happy will automatically attract new ones to your channel. So here are some ways you can do this.

Keep Your Videos Concise

There's a difference between short and concise. Your content doesn't have to be short, but it shouldn't contain lengthy footage that can be cut out.

Be brutal when editing your videos. Anything that can be removed should be. Every second must hold value for your viewer, you will soon lose their interest.

Choose a Day to Post

A date and time for posting is an effective way to exercise consistency. YouTube viewers appreciate consistency especially if they've taken the time to subscribe. This means they want more content so make sure you deliver.

If you aren't keeping up with your goal of posting a certain number of videos per week, cut it down and manage your posts better. Consistency trumps quantity every time.

Do Your Sharing in One Go

You want to maximize the views of your video as quickly as possible to get more YouTube subscribers.

As soon as you've posted your video, share it on all social media platforms you have at your disposal. Reply to comments quickly. If you're hosting a contest of sorts, have it ready to run before your video is posted so that there's no delay in pushing up those views.

Give it Time

Remember you're not necessarily going to get 100 000 subscribers in a week. It's those YouTubers who are consistent in their posts, quality and promotion efforts that gain popularity and get more subscribers for their channels.

Be patient, consistent and positive about your subscriber base and eventually, with the help of these tips, you will gain momentum on YouTube.