Getting your first 1,000 subscribers on YouTube is like running a marathon.
You start with a series of short runs first so you can build up the stamina to reach your
goal.
In this video, I'll show you how to get your first 1,000 subscribers fast in 2022 so you
can join the YouTube Partner Program and generate a passive income from YouTube.
You'll learn how to identify your ideal subscriber, the ways your viewers will discover your content,
how to create quality content, how to create a custom subscribe link, ways to attract more
subscribers, and mistakes to avoid.
[music] How to define your ideal subscriber?
The more you know about your ideal subscriber, the easier it'll be to create the right content
for them.
Number one, survey your audience.
If you have an email list, survey your list.
If you have a Facebook group, add a poll to your group.
If you have the Community tab enabled on your channel, you can post a poll or ask a question.
Another way to identify your ideal subscriber is to read the comments below your videos
or below your competitors' videos.
Oftentimes, there'll be a recurring question that a viewer will ask.
Another way to identify an ideal subscriber is to click on the Audience tab in YouTube
Analytics.
You'll be able to see the top geographies, age, and gender of your YouTube audience.
You'll be able to see the other channels that your audience watches and other videos that
your audience has watched.
You'll also see the videos that are currently growing your audience on YouTube and the best
time to upload your videos.
You also want to study the videos on your channel that are currently attracting the
most subscribers.
Study the titles, thumbnails, click-through rate, and watch times.
This will help you to create the right type of video to attract more subscribers.
Besides knowing the geography, age, and gender of your audience, you also want to know their
psychographics.
This refers to their burning questions, their goals, their likes, dislikes, et cetera.
You can gather this information when you survey your audience.
Create quality content.
If you want to convert viewers into subscribers, you've got to create content that they're
interested in.
One of the best ways to do this is to type your main keyword into the YouTube search
bar and look at the suggestions.
These are keyword phrases that people have typed into the search bar to find specific
information.
Open the Google Doc and make a list of these keyword phrases so you have content for your
future videos.
Instead of thinking about a solo video, think about a series of videos based upon a common
theme, so you can give your viewers a deeper dive into your content.
This will motivate viewers to subscribe to your channel so they can get more of your
content every week.
How do viewers discover your content on YouTube?
Number one is research.
When someone types a keyword phrase into the YouTube search engine and your video appears
at the top of the page, it's more likely that they'll click and watch your video.
Therefore, you want to research keywords that have a high search volume and a low competition.
My secret weapon for finding the right keywords for my YouTube videos is the keyword research
tool TubeBuddy.
If you enter your main keyword phrase in the Keyword Explorer tool, it'll give you a search
engine score of good, very good, or excellent.
It'll also give you rated keyword phrases that you can use for future videos.
If you click on the Results tab, it'll show you who your competitors are, the titles,
thumbnails, and descriptions they use to optimize their videos.
Video optimization.
YouTube says that if you get a high click-through rate and a high watch time, it'll increase
the probability of your videos being suggested by YouTube.
YouTube recommends your videos when they appear on the YouTube home screen and its suggested
videos which are the videos that appear on the right side of the watch page.
According to YouTube, 70% of traffic on YouTube comes from videos recommended by YouTube,
so make sure you correctly optimize the title, thumbnail, and description of your videos.
Place your most important keyword phrase at the beginning of your title that add an emotional
trigger to the end.
When creating your thumbnails, make sure they stand out from your competitors by using contrasting
colors, bold text, and also include your face.
When creating your video, try to keep your viewers engaged by telling a story.
Start off with a strong hook to initially grab the attention of your viewers, then follow
through by delivering your content and end with a strong call to action.
At the ending video, link to a related video or playlist, so your viewers will continue
to watch more of your videos.
The longer you keep viewers engaged watching your video or successive videos in a row,
the higher probability your videos will be suggested and promoted by YouTube.
How to create a custom YouTube subscribe link?
When someone clicks on your custom subscribe link, a pop-up subscribe button will appear.
When they click on that subscribe button, they'll automatically be subscribed to your
channel.
Here are some places where you can add your custom YouTube subscribe link.
Add it to your social media sites, add it to your video description, add it to your
about page.
Pin the link to the top of your comments.
Add it to your blog.
Add it to your email signature.
Click the link in the description to watch my video on how to create a custom YouTube
subscribe link.
Here are some other ways to attract more subscribers.
Ask viewers to subscribe in your video and tell them why they should subscribe.
Add a subscribe watermark across all the videos on your channel.
Here's how to quickly and easily create your subscribe watermark.
Click on the Customization tab in YouTube Studio, select Branding on the Channel customization,
then under Video watermark, upload an image that is 150 by 150 pixels and is less than
one megabyte.
You can display your subscribe watermark throughout the entire video, set a custom start time,
or at the end of your video.
Add a subscribe link to your channel banner.
Add a channel trailer to your YouTube homepage that outlines the benefits of subscribing
to your channel.
Add sections containing playlists to your YouTube channel homepage, so the first-time
viewers can take a deeper dive into your content, and therefore be motivated to subscribe to
your channel.
Increase your upload frequency.
The more videos you upload to your channel, the more chances you have of your viewers
becoming subscribers.
You can increase the frequency of your uploads by hosting live streams or creating shorts
on your YouTube channel.
Another way to increase subscribers is to collaborate with other creators in your niche.
This will expose your content to their subscribers and their content to your subscribers, so
it's a win-win situation.
Here are some mistakes to avoid when trying to get your first 1,000 subscribers on YouTube.
Avoid sub for sub.
This is where you ask people to subscribe to your channel because you subscribe to their
channel.
This is against YouTube's terms of service and could result in the termination of your
channel, so don't do it.
Ideally, you only want to get people to subscribe if they keep coming back to watch more of
your content.
Your subscribers are your biggest fans because they'll be the first ones to receive notifications
of a new video and start engaging with your video content.
This will drive that initial view velocity of your video going live in the first 24 to
48 hours, and if you get a high view velocity, YouTube will recommend your video to more
people.
Avoid adding a channel link in the comments of other people's videos.
Most creators have enabled automatic blocking of links in the comments.
If you add a link in your comment, your comment will never be seen.
Also, if you beg viewers to subscribe to your YouTube channel in the comments, that particular
creator will block you from ever commenting on their channel again.
Avoid asking viewers to subscribe in your video without giving them some value first.
Instead of asking your viewers to subscribe when your video first starts playing, give
some value first.
This will motivate them to subscribe because they want to receive more of your content.
Here's a hot tip.
When you see a video doing well because it's attracting a lot of views and subscribers,
double down on that video topic.
Create a similar video on a related topic using a different title, thumbnail, and description,
then link to your related video in the card or end screen.
Even better, place all those related videos in a playlist, then link to that playlist
in the end screen of each video.
This will inspire viewers to keep watching your videos and convert more viewers into
subscribers.
After you've achieved 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 public watch hours in the past 12 months,
you're ready to monetize your channel.
Watch the video on the screen right now for five ways to monetize your YouTube channel
in 2022 and beyond so you can generate a passive income from your YouTube videos