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How to Get 1000 Subscribers on YouTube: Three Things to Do Right Now

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TubeBuddy
September 5, 2024
Graphic of how to get 1000 YouTube subscribers

If you’re searching for “how to get 1000 subscribers on YouTube,” you’re probably a budding YouTube creator with dreams of turning your passion into profit.

The 1000 subscriber milestone is a big one. It means at least 1000 people have seen your content and said “yes, more of this please.” 1000 subscribers is the tipping point to joining the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) and getting paid for your efforts. Subscribers is not the only trigger for the YPP; you’ll also need 4000 watch hours on long form content in the last 12 months or 10 million views on your short form content in the last 90 days… but if you’re adding subscribers at a decent rate, there’s a good chance you’re probably hitting your watch time goals too.

How to Get 1000 Subscribers on YouTube: Should I Buy Subscribers?

Taking a shortcut like buying fake subscribers for your YouTube channel might sound tempting. Don’t do it. If you’re making good content, you’ll rack up the watch time and / or Shorts views you need and you’ll reach your subscriber goal organically.

It’d be a shame if the thing you do in an attempt to boost your channel ends up getting your channel banned.

Aside from which, fake subscribers aren’t going to watch your videos so they’re not going to help you toward the views/watch time goals required to get access to the YPP.

In short, just don’t.
Instead, do these things:

How to Get 1000 Subscribers on YouTube Without Buying Subscribers

1. Optimize Your YouTube Channel Page

Your YouTube channel page is valuable real estate but too many aspiring YouTubers overlook it. If you’re trying to figure out how to get 1000 subscribers on YouTube, don’t be one of those YouTubers. Your Channel page is valuable real estate and can directly drive viewers to subscribe. Here’s how you can optimize it:

Make your Channel Banner Awesome

When a viewer clicks through to see your channel, your channel banner is the first thing they see. Make sure it grabs their attention and says something about your content so viewers are compelled to hit that subscribe button. YouTube channel banner templates abound and tools like Canva, have some great options.

Examples of YouTube banner templates from canva.
A small sampling of the many Canva Banner Templates

Create a Channel Description they Can’t Ignore

You have 1,000-characters for your channel description but the first 200 characters are key and your first sentence is crucial. Hook people here and you’ve got a much better chance of getting them to hit that subscribe button. Tell people what your channel is about, share your mission, give viewers a reason to stick around.

Lead with your Best Content

You can customize your channel page to show a channel trailer video to non-subscribers. It’s worth the effort. Also you can (and should) curate which videos and playlists are displayed on your YouTube channel page. Highlight your most popular or subscriber-attracting content up top.

Organize and feature top videos
Organize and feature your top subscriber-attracting videos

2. Just ASK Already!

Asking for subscribes can feel weird. Don’t let that stop you. Clearly asking viewers to subscribe can make all the difference. On the TubeBuddy channel (please like and subscribe), our subscribers per view count more than doubled and the only change we made was asking viewers to subscribe.

Here’s how to do it.

How to get 1000 subscribers on YouTube: a text graphic with three items in a list, each point starts with a green checkmark. List reads (in order): Make it quick (5-15 seconds max), make it verbal (don't just throw an animation on screen), and make it unique

Be Persuasive

“Don’t forget to subscribe” isn’t terrible, but it’s not good. Get creative with your approach. Capture your viewer’s attention and make your appeal memorable. You don’t have to go over-the-top. Even just telling people why you want them to subscribe will make your appeal better. For example: “please subscribe so I can keep making videos like this.”

Timing is Everything

Don’t ask for subscribes at the beginning of your video (that’s where your hook goes). And don’t wait until the very end. Instead, stick it somewhere in the middle. Keep it concise, around five seconds and certainly not more than 15. And make it verbal; don’t just flash a graphic up on screen because that won’t trigger the YouTube subscribe button flare.

3. Tap Into Community

Too many YouTube creators ignore the possibilities of Community posts on YouTube. If you’re looking for answers on how to get 1000 subscribers on YouTube, don’t do that. Here’s how to make Community posts work for you:

A Mini Social Platform:

Treat your Community Tab like a mini social media platform. Share behind-the-scenes content, updates, questions, polls, and engaging quizzes. Keep the content fun and aligned with your channel’s theme.

Attract Non-Subscribers:

Remember, community posts are visible to both subscribers and non-subscribers. Create posts specifically aimed at encouraging non-subscribers to hit the Subscribe button. This simple tactic can lead to a steady stream of new subscribers.

How to Get 1000 YouTube Subscribers: Conclusion

Reaching 1,000 subscribers on YouTube is a significant milestone, and with the right strategies, it’s well within your grasp.

By optimizing your channel page, strategically asking for subscriptions in your videos, and connecting with your growing community in posts, you’re setting yourself up for subscriber success. And as with all things YouTube, the small changes you make today can lead to significant results in the future. So, start implementing these strategies now, and watch your channel thrive.


If You’re Under 1000 Subscribers… Do THIS TODAY Transcript:

(00:00) – If you’re a small YouTube channel, you gotta do these three things right now. These simple actions will increase your subscriber count with just a few minutes of work. So there are three places where your Subscribe button will show up on YouTube. I’ll reveal all three to you because this information is crucial for gaining more subscribers.

(00:18) The first place is at the top of your YouTube channel page. This is where most viewers will go to subscribe to your channel after watching one of your videos. They go here because they liked your content and want to learn more about your channel before subscribing. You can check your own YouTube analytics, but over the last year, nearly 50,000 people chose to subscribe to our channel from this page.

(00:41) Now, pay close attention here, because even if you already have your channel page set up, it doesn’t mean it’s good. You have to have the following elements just right. First is a high-quality banner that shares core information right away. Things like your channel name, schedule, and a few words that capture what your channel is about all can be included here.

(01:00) I recommend going to Canva.com and setting up a free account. Search YouTube banner and you’ll get a ton of free professional-looking templates that you can use. I use Canva myself. I recommend it to you and it’s free, it’s free. Just do it. Then go to YouTube Studio, click Customization, then click Branding.

(01:18) This is where you can add the banner you just created. Just make sure to review how it looks on mobile and desktop. You know, just make sure it looks okay. Next you’re going to click Basic info. Here you can add a high-quality channel description. YouTube allows up to 1,000 characters, but honestly, only the first 100 to 150 really matter.

(01:37) That’s because those characters are visible below your profile photo when somebody visits your page. You should be using this section to highlight your channel’s mission or themes so you can help viewers quickly understand what your channel is about and help them decide if they want to subscribe or not.

(01:52) If you need inspiration, simply pull up three or four top channels in your niche and see what they’re doing. Don’t copy them, but use their channels as inspiration, because whatever they’re doing is clearly working. Then, I would recommend clicking Layout. This is where you can customize what video is shown to subscribers and non-subscribers.

(02:10) You should probably put your most viewed video or the video that got you the most subscribers here. This is super key because when somebody discovers your channel for the first time, they should see the best possible content that gives them a good idea of what you have to offer. Personally, I think channel trailers are whack.

(02:27) They’re just garbage, because they’re videos that you’ve made when you were fresh to YouTube. You were new, you didn’t have the skills, you didn’t really know what you were doing. They probably suck. Choose something more recent that showcases your channel’s existing quality. So a new video, a popular video, maybe the video getting you the most subscribers.

(02:45) Then go and add other sections for things like Popular videos, Shorts, and Playlist, because this will just make your channel look more organized. Now, all of this is gonna help you get more subscribers to your channel, but remember, there are two other areas where that Subscribe button will show up. The second is on your videos.

(03:02) This could be right below them right here or at the end of the video during the end screen. Now, this is probably where most of your subscribers will come from, but let me reveal something super interesting. Over the last couple months, I ran a little bit of an experiment. In some of our videos, I never asked for a viewer to subscribe.

(03:19) I just delivered value from start to finish without ever saying anything about subscribing. Then, in other videos, I asked viewers to subscribe somewhere around the middle of the video. It was quick and lasted about 10 seconds. Now, the results were really interesting. In the videos where I never asked a viewer to subscribe, I got around one subscriber for every 60 views.

(03:42) But in the videos where I simply asked viewers to subscribe, I got around one subscriber for every 30 views. That is double the amount of subscribers per view. That is why it’s my recommendation that you ask viewers to subscribe somewhere in the middle of your video. Make it quick, five to 15 seconds max.

(04:02) Make it verbal. Don’t just throw an animation on screen. And make it unique. How many times do you hear creators say, “Hey, don’t forget to subscribe?” It’s so common that it’s easily ignored. Be creative and find a unique way to ask for the subscription. I’m so sad because if we would’ve started doing this in January, we would’ve gained an additional 150,000 subscribers this year.

(04:28) That’s how much of an impact this very small change can make to your channel. Please, do me a favor and start doing this today, because it’s going to compound into incredible results for you. Now, the third place that viewers subscribe is not obvious. Before we get into that, I have a quick favor to ask you.

(04:47) Around 68% of the viewers on this channel are not subscribed. My goal is to get that down to 50%. If you like our content, please, please, I’m begging you, hit the Subscribe button. It helps the channel more than you can even imagine. And the bigger the channel gets, the bigger the videos get. Thank you, now back to the video.

(05:05) The next place where viewers will see the Subscribe button is Community posts. Now, now, I’m telling you, this is the most underrated area to get subscribers. We get hundreds of extra subscribers just from this step by pretty much doing nothing. I know channels who really dedicate some time here, and they’re pulling thousands of extra subscribers every month with just minimal effort.

(05:25) Community posts are shown to non-subscribers and subscribers just like your videos. When YouTube thinks your Community Tab post will satisfy a non-subscriber, they’ll show it to them. They’ll also show it to regular viewers of your channel who haven’t subscribed yet. Treat your Community Tab posts like a mini social media platform.

(05:43) Share behind-the-scenes content and updates on upcoming videos. Engage with your audience by asking questions, running polls, or try quizzes. Keep it fun and relevant to your channel’s topic. If YouTube shows your Community post to a non-subscriber, they’ll see this Subscribe button, and it’s so easy to get more subscribers this way.

(06:05) Each of these posts just take a few minutes of work and can bring in a whole wave of new subscribers to your channel. Okay, now here’s a little pro tip, listen up. I want you to post to your Community Tab, but here’s what I want you to do to get some, some, some, some, some, some subscribers, okay? So here’s what I do.

(06:20) Every month, alongside all of our additional posts, I make a post dedicated just to asking non-subscribers to smash the Subscribe button. And every time we do this, subscribers immediately start flooding in. For you, it might only be five, 10, or 20 extra subscribers, but it adds up and will help you get to your first 1,000 subscribers and beyond a lot faster.

(06:43) I love it. I love it ’cause it works, baby. It works. Now, if you really wanna dive into the Community Tab and if you don’t have it unlocked, I can show you how to do it, no matter how many subscribers you have. Watch this video next. And if you haven’t tried out our browser extension, it’s free and it can help you grow faster on YouTube.

(07:03) So just click this link over here. I really enjoy hanging out with you all in these videos. I will see you next week. And until then, keep creating. See ya.

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