8 Ways to Help Viewers Subscribe to Your YouTube Channel

Getting 1,000 subscribers is a prerequisite for earning advertising revenue through the YouTube Partner Program.

Although it's natural to assume that people will subscribe, some practices make the job easier. Keep reading to learn what they are!

Strategy 1: Use Buttons and Links to Get More Subscribers

Sometimes, all you need to do on YouTube is make it easy for people to hit subscribe. That's where custom links and buttons come in handy. These tools put subscription prompts where viewers can find them.

Add a Subscribe Button to Your Videos

Use a video watermark to give desktop viewers a subscribe prompt while they watch. Watermarks are not clickable on mobile and do not appear on videos set as made for kids.

Follow YouTube's video watermark instructions in Studio on a computer. The screenshots below show an earlier layout; the current controls are Profile and Change.

1. Log in to your YouTube account and go to the YouTube Studio dashboard. Click on the "Customization" tab in the left-hand menu.

2. In Customization, select Profile.

3. Under Video watermark, click Change, select your image, resize it, and click Done.

4. Choose a display time for your watermark: at the end of a video, the entire video, or a custom start time.

Click Publish to save your watermark. For image requirements and display options, see our YouTube video watermark guide.

Use End Screens

Add a Subscribe element to the last 5 to 20 seconds of a video that is at least 25 seconds long. End screens are not available on videos set as made for kids and may not appear in every viewing context. While the end screen is visible, tell viewers why they should subscribe.

To add a subscribe button to your end screen, do the following:

1. Start uploading your video in YouTube Studio and continue to Video elements.

2. On the video elements screen, look for “Add an End Screen” and click "Add."

3. Click "Element" at the top of the screen.

4. Choose "Subscribe."

Now you can place a clickable subscribe button near the end of your video. The button will look like your channel's profile photo, so you don't have to upload any more images.

Add a Subscribe Link to Your Video Description

Add your channel link near the top of a long-form video's description so viewers can find your channel and subscribe. URLs in Shorts descriptions and comments are not clickable.

Here's how to prepare and test your channel link:

1. Go to your channel's homepage, then copy the URL from the address bar of your web browser.

Image Credit: wikiHow

2. Paste your channel URL into a text editor. To test the optional confirmation parameter, add ?sub_confirmation=1 only if the URL has no question mark. If it already has a query string, use &sub_confirmation=1 instead.

Image Credit: wikiHow

Earlier screenshot: do not copy the second question mark shown above. Use & before an additional query parameter.

Example format: https://www.youtube.com/@YOUR_HANDLE?sub_confirmation=1. Replace YOUR_HANDLE with your channel's handle. A URL uses ? before its first query parameter and & before additional parameters.

Test your link in a signed-out browser and on mobile before sharing it. Check that it opens the right channel; do not assume it displays a confirmation prompt or subscribes anyone automatically.

Embed a Subscribe Button on Your Website

Every viewer doesn't come to your channel from the YouTube homepage or a featured section on the app. A few of them come from different regions of the internet. If you have a website, embedding a subscribe button there is a great way to grow your channel outside of YouTube.

Here's how you can do it:

1. Open YouTube's subscribe button configurator and enter your channel name or ID.

2. Choose the layout, theme, and whether to show the subscriber count, then check the preview.

3. Copy the code below your button, then paste it into the appropriate section of your website.

This embeds a subscribe button on your site so visitors can choose to subscribe to your channel. They may need to sign in to YouTube first.

Strategy 2: Use Content and Community to Grow Your Subscribers

Now that you know some "technical ways" to boost your subscribers on YouTube, here's another alternative to explore: Use the power of community! Sometimes that's all you need to spread the word about your channel and attract more fans.

You can make it happen in four different ways:

Create YouTube Playlists

Creating playlists on YouTube is a great way to grow your channel, and earn you more subscribers in the process. Organizing your videos under specific playlists allows your viewers to go on a binge session, giving you more watch time and increasing the likelihood of them subscribing.

Playlists also play a role in making you more discoverable and improving your channel's SEO. So, don’t forget to use optimal titles and descriptions for them, just like your regular videos.

Collaborate with Other YouTubers

Collaborating with other YouTubers is a great way to expand your audience and get more viewers. If they like what they see, they might even subscribe! Find other creators in your niche and reach out to them to see if they're interested in collaborating on a video or project.

No matter the size of your channel, collabs are refreshing because your viewers get to see unique content from you. If you feel that your content has been sluggish lately, collabs may be something you could consider doing.

Read more: The Top 5 YouTube Collaboration Ideas to Try Right Now

Promote Your Channel on Social Media

Don't forget to promote your channel on social media. Share your videos on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and any other social media platforms where your target audience hangs out.

Not only does this broaden your horizon and bring you more viewers, but it also keeps your options open and enables you to migrate to another platform if need be.

Welcome New Subscribers and Celebrate Old Ones

The best way to build a strong and loyal community is by including and appreciating both new and returning subscribers. Reply to viewers in the comments to acknowledge their questions and feedback.

Remember, if someone took time out of their day to click on your video and leave a comment or a like, there's a chance they'd be willing to subscribe to you. And putting in just a little effort to give them a good reason might go a long way.

Getting subscribers on YouTube can be very difficult, and simply buying them may seem like a good alternative. But did you know that could hurt the growth of your channel in the long run?

Here's a secret formula you can use to get more subscribers instead.