How to get free YouTube subscribers

17 tips  to get free YouTube subscribers

Get YouTube subscribers

1. Ask your viewers to subscribe

I told you we’re starting with the easiest ones first.

Sometimes your audience just needs to be reminded. The big red subscribe button is omnipresent, but you might also want to point out the bell beside it that turns on notifications for your new videos. Simple.

Does this tip seem too salesy to you? This is your reminder that you’ve got valuable content, and you’re just making it easier for them to keep up with the work you do.

If you’re already doing this, remember to demonstrate why your channel is worth subscribing to. And make sure you do it right when they love you the most (e.g., right after you’ve provided new and useful information, or you’ve made them laugh). Don’t do it too much, or you’ll risk turning people off.

2. End your videos by mentioning the one you’re working on next

Subscribing to a YouTube channel is an act of anticipation. Viewers who’ve just seen what your brand is about are primed to want more, if you’ve done your job right.

Hyping your next video, and making it clear why it’s not to be missed, is the most organic way to encourage people to tap subscribe.

Of course, this requires having a good handle on your content schedule, and knowing what’s coming next. 

3. Interact with your audience and make friends

If you form relationships with your viewers, they’re more likely to want to keep watching your work. Respond to comments. Follow their channels back.

Yes, it’s exciting if a famous YouTuber comments on your video, but who knows who’ll be famous next year. Form a community of peers and promote each other. (Yes, I’m talking about shine theory.)

Also, once you’re plugged in, your audience will provide you with plenty of free content ideas for your next video. Don’t worry, you don’t have to take all of them.

Manage your YouTube presence and not only can you upload and schedule videos, you can also add comment streams to your dashboard. That makes it easy to review, reply, and/or moderate comments on all your videos from one place.

4. Update your channel art

Your YouTube banner welcomes everyone who clicks over to check out your channel. Maybe they just watched a video and are looking for more. Maybe they’re a potential subscriber. Put your best foot forward.

Your banner needs to be clean, on-brand, compelling, and—this is the fussy part—optimized for all devices. You don’t want important details covered up by your social media buttons, for instance.

We have a handy guide for creating your own YouTube channel art, along with free templates with the most up-to-date dimensions.

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5. Brand your thumbnails

A thumbnail is a 1280 x 720px still image that acts as a cover for your video. And they are also your first, best chance to persuade people to click on your video. (Aside from your video titles, that is, but more on that later.)

While some might advocate using the most “eye-catching” design (which seems to mean screaming red capslock over a man’s shocked face and a picture of a… tomato?), one size does not fit all on YouTube.

But we aren’t here to earn cold views.

To convert a viewer into a subscriber, take a look at your videos page. What does a new viewer see? Sleek, professional and consistent videos that imply an ongoing commitment to quality? Or a random mish-mash competing for attention?

You want to aim for consistent branding in all your thumbnails. Use the same font, the same color palette, or even the same frame composition so people know (at least subconsciously) that they’re looking at a video from your channel.

For instance, John Plant has built his survivalist Primitive Technology channel up to 9.9 million subscribers with understated, minimalist thumbnails. They’re not loud, but they are consistent. And most importantly, they’re clickable.

6. Embed your videos on your website or blog

This one is win-win, because embedding video on your website may well help your site’s search rankings with the Google algorithm. And as far as YouTube subscribers go, you’re presenting your video right where the people most likely to care about it are already looking.

7. Use YouTube’s clickable tools in your videos

YouTube killed annotations a few years back, and good riddance. Pop-ups are one 90s throwback we’re all better off without.

That said, YouTube has some other, less annoying, tools for you to use:

• End screens: these are still images at the end of your video where you can remind people to subscribe, or insert another call to action, before YouTube’s algorithm moves them on to the next video.
• Branding watermarks: this is an extra subscribe button that will hover over your video throughout, even in full screen. Like so:

8. Think in terms of playlists

Playlists are a great way to increase your channel’s watch time. They also motivate people to click subscribe by lining up your best content in one place. (Or your related content, in several places.)

Epicurious, for instance, treats their YouTube playlists like TV series. It’s very bingeable and if, at the end, people want to be notified when there are new videos, they will subscribe.

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9. Run a contest

If you want a short-term bump in engagement, or just feel like you’ve been languishing in a subscriber count plateau, check out our guide to running a YouTube contest.

Key steps include choosing a prize that matters to your audience, and asking viewers to subscribe and turn on notifications in order to participate.

10. Celebrate your subscriber milestones

Everyone loves a round number. Celebrate them and thank the people who got you there.

For inspiration, here is a video with reactions for every single milestone you could possibly ever hit.

11. Release videos on a consistent schedule

Many experts confidently cite a rule-of-thumb as to how often creators should post video to their channels. For instance: one video a week to start, increasing to 3-4 week as your channel grows.

The theory is that more videos = more watch time from viewers. But prioritizing quantity over quality has drawbacks.

If your goal is to convert viewers to subscribers, you need to focus on quality first, and consistency next. (Then you can start worrying about quantity.)

If you upload videos consistently, then people know that more good content is coming, and they’re more likely to tap subscribe.

You can also use a social media management platform like Hootsuite to schedule your videos on YouTube for publishing later.

12. Entice your audience over from other social media channels

This means cross-promoting on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook—wherever you have a community of fans established.

This can be as simple as encouraging people to check out your YouTube channel in your Instagram or Twitter bio.

Alternately, you can make the most of your investment in video production by cross-posting your content across channels.

Now that IGTV, for instance, accepts horizontal long-form video, it’s an easy step to upload your masterpiece over there, too.

That said, if your ultimate aim is to get more subscribers, you should post teaser snippets on social, and make sure to link to your YouTube channel in order to drive your audience there.

Pro tip: a social media scheduling tool like Hootsuite makes cross-promoting much easier. And we have a full guide to creating a social media content calendar.

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13. Do your keyword research to title your videos and define your niche

This tip is very important for earning views, so it bears repeating.

Looking at the keywords related to your subject matter that people are already searching for on YouTube will help you title your new video and choose your tags. But it might also lend inspiration for your next video topic.

For example, if you have a YouTube channel about making kombucha at home, some preliminary keyword research might reveal a bunch of topics YouTube viewers are interested in on the same subject, like how to choose the right brewing vessel, how to clean your brewing vessel, or how to perform second fermentation. These topics could all be the subject of their own videos.

SEO tools like Google Keyword Planner can help you identify the words people are using to find the information you’re providing. Your goal is to find topics in a sweet spot: lower competition scores, but higher search volume.

This lets you avoid making videos that no one is searching for (see the next tip for that one.) Or videos with titles no one can find.

Also, it’ll help you avoid creating content on a topic that’s already highly competitive before you’re ready.

14. Give people what they don’t even know they want yet

80% of your videos should be SEO-focused (see the previous tip) to bring in new eyeballs, but that leaves 20% for value-added content. By which we mean exclusive videos that no one else can make, or no one else has thought of.

Because in order to get people to click that subscribe button, you need to go beyond functionality and provide value outside of established search patterns.

As a plus: your blue ocean strategy (a.k.a. making videos in an uncontested market space) is where you get to be creative and do something new and original.

Like showing off your possum massage skills.

15. Create topical videos, as well as evergreen ones

Here’s another 80/20 rule for you. 80% evergreen, 20% topical.

Evergreen content is important to bump up your watch time, yes. (Halloween videos are not so popular come February.) But topical content is key if you’re trying to convince people to subscribe.

Why? Because topical content needs to be consumed right away, or close to it. So if your hot takes on the latest political fiasco, NBA game, or red-carpet gala are can’t-miss additions to the internet discourse, then your fans will want to be notified. And they will subscribe.

16. Partner with other channels

This goes all the way back to Tip #3: Make Friends. Use your connections to partner with other YouTube creators and leverage each other’s audiences. Your audience trusts your recommendations, and their audiences trust theirs, so take advantage.

For instance, Popsugar’s “Top That!” series invited guests to chat. It was like a daytime talk show, but for viral video stars, like the psychic possum masseuse.

17. Partner with celebrities

This one’s listed last because it’s definitely the hardest one.

Unless you’re Anna Wintour, and you can make a bunch of videos where celebrities ask you questions. (Note: if you’re Anna Wintour, please consider this Tip #1.)