Home Blog How to increase the subscribers on youtube: 7 Proven Tips

How to increase the subscribers on youtube: 7 Proven Tips

by Mayur

Before you can even think about getting more subscribers, you need to make sure your channel looks the part. A professional and welcoming channel is your digital handshake—it’s what turns a casual visitor into a loyal follower. This means dialling in your channel banner, profile picture, description, and trailer to make it crystal clear what you're all about and why someone should stick around.

Laying the Groundwork for Subscriber Growth

Think of your YouTube channel as your home base. If it's messy or confusing, people won't stay long enough to see what you have to offer. A polished, well-organised channel instantly signals that you’re serious and helps visitors understand your content at a glance.

This first impression is everything. It can be the one thing that separates a one-off view from a long-term subscriber. Getting this foundation right isn't just a suggestion; it's essential for anyone serious about growing on YouTube.

Craft a Compelling Channel Identity

The very first things a visitor sees are your banner and profile picture. They need to scream what your channel is about in an instant. A generic banner or a blurry photo just won't cut it.

For instance, if you run a cooking channel, your banner should be a mouth-watering shot of one of your best dishes. You could even add your upload schedule, like "New Recipes Every Tuesday!" Your profile picture could be a clean, simple logo or a great headshot of you. This immediately sets expectations and tells people they're in the right place. Nailing down this focus is key, and it helps to understand how to find your niche market to ensure your branding truly connects.

Write a Keyword-Rich Channel Description

Don't sleep on your "About" page! It’s prime real estate that speaks to both potential subscribers and the YouTube algorithm. So many creators just jot down a quick sentence and forget about it, but it’s a massive missed opportunity.

Your description needs to clearly explain who you are, what you make, and who you're making it for. But just as importantly, you need to pack it with keywords your ideal viewer is actually searching for. If your channel is about personal finance for young professionals in India, make sure to include phrases like "investing for beginners," "Indian stock market," and "financial planning." This is how YouTube knows who to show your channel to.

"A great channel description doesn't just describe what you do—it persuades. It answers the viewer's biggest question: "What's in it for me?" Frame your description around the value and solutions you provide, not just a list of topics."

This quick overview breaks down how to set up your channel to turn viewers into subscribers.

From your visuals to your video organisation, every single piece works together to nudge a visitor towards that subscribe button.

Create a High-Impact Channel Trailer

Your channel trailer is your 60-second elevator pitch. It’s the video that automatically plays for anyone who lands on your channel but hasn't subscribed yet. Your one and only job here is to convince them to hit that button.

A killer trailer needs to:

Grab them in the first 3-5 seconds. No long, slow intros.

Quickly introduce yourself and what your channel stands for.

Show, don't tell. Flash snippets of your absolute best content—the exciting, funny, or most valuable moments.

End with a clear call-to-action. Literally ask them to subscribe for more.

Forget a long-winded explanation. A montage of your best clips with some upbeat music and a clear voiceover is far more powerful. This is one of the most direct tools you have for converting a curious browser into a genuine fan.

Developing a Content Strategy That Earns Subscriptions

A professional-looking channel is your invitation, but your content is what makes viewers stay for the party and, hopefully, move in for good. Just uploading videos whenever inspiration strikes is a surefire way to stagnate. If you’re serious about growing your subscriber count, you need a plan—a proper content strategy built around delivering real, consistent value to a specific audience.

Think of it as your roadmap. It ensures every single video you publish has a clear purpose and speaks directly to the people you want to attract. This is the difference between just throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks and actually building a loyal community, one thoughtful video at a time.

Pinpoint Your Ideal Audience and Niche

Before you even think about hitting that record button, you need to know exactly who you're talking to. What are their biggest headaches, their burning questions, or their deepest passions? Your mission is to become the go-to resource for a very specific group of people.

Trying to be everything to everyone is a classic rookie mistake that usually ends with you appealing to no one. So, get specific. Are you making videos for university students in India learning Python, or are you helping new parents figure out quick and healthy meal prep ideas? Knowing this helps you tailor everything—your topics, your language, even your editing style—to connect on a much deeper level. A solid content strategy is central to any marketing effort; you can learn more about what a content marketing strategy involves to really sharpen your approach.

Uncover High-Demand Video Topics

Once you've nailed down your audience, it's time to figure out what they're actually searching for. Guesswork is your enemy here. Data is your best friend.

Start by using YouTube's own search bar—the autocomplete suggestions are pure gold. Check out Google Trends to see what’s buzzing. Also, take a good look at what the successful channels in your niche are doing. Their most popular videos and, more importantly, the comments sections on those videos, are treasure troves of ideas straight from the mouths of your target viewers.

A few research methods I swear by:

Competitor Deep-Dive: Find the top 5 channels in your niche. What topics are consistently getting them high views and engagement? Don't copy, but look for patterns and gaps you can fill.

Community Listening: Spend time in forums like Reddit or Quora that are related to your niche. What questions are people asking over and over again? Those are your future video titles.

Keyword Tools: Use tools to find search terms with decent search volume but lower competition. That’s your sweet spot for getting discovered.

This kind of groundwork ensures you're creating content people are genuinely desperate to watch, which is the very first step to earning that subscription.

Master the Art of High-Quality Production

Let's be clear: "high-quality" doesn't mean you need a Hollywood-level budget. It simply means you're creating a pleasant, frictionless viewing experience. People have zero patience for videos that are a pain to watch or listen to.

"Today, the baseline for quality is higher than ever. Crisp video and clear audio aren’t just nice-to-haves; they are non-negotiable. I've seen it time and again: a viewer will click away from a video with bad audio in seconds, no matter how amazing the content is."

Focus on getting these three fundamentals right:

1. Clear Audio: This is non-negotiable. Invest in an inexpensive lavalier or USB microphone. Bad audio is the #1 reason people abandon a video.

2. Good Lighting: You don't need a pro lighting kit to start. Filming in front of a window with natural daylight can make a world of difference.

3. Sharp Editing: Be ruthless. Cut out your mistakes, long pauses, and any rambling. Keep the pace snappy to hold attention from the first second to the last.

Not all content formats are created equal when it comes to attracting subscribers. Some are great for discovery, while others are better for building deep community loyalty.

YouTube Content Formats for Subscriber Growth

Responsive Table

Content Type	Subscriber Attraction Potential	Best For
How-To & Tutorials	Very High	Solving specific problems, attracting new viewers through search.
Product Reviews	High	Building authority, helping viewers make purchase decisions.
Vlogs & "Day in the Life"	Medium	Deepening connection with an existing audience, building community.
Interviews with Experts	Medium to High	Tapping into another creator's audience, providing unique value.
Listicles (e.g., 'Top 10')	High	Creating easily shareable, highly watchable, and searchable content.
YouTube Shorts	Very High	Rapidly reaching a massive, new audience and driving channel discovery.

Mixing these formats can give you a well-rounded strategy, using Shorts and tutorials to bring new people in, and vlogs to make them want to stick around.

Create and Stick to a Content Calendar

Consistency is king on YouTube. I can't stress this enough. It trains your audience to expect new content from you on a regular basis, and it sends a powerful signal to the YouTube algorithm that your channel is active and serious.

A content calendar is your best tool for this. It can be a simple spreadsheet or a dedicated app like Trello—the tool doesn't matter as much as the habit of using it. Planning your videos in advance removes the stress and ensures you never miss an upload. This is how massive channels are built: through the consistent delivery of value over time.

Just look at the impact of consistent, culturally relevant content in a market like India. A channel like T-Series became the most subscribed in the world by relentlessly uploading Bollywood music and film trailers that resonate with a massive local and global audience. This strategy reportedly helps them gain between 50,000 to 100,000 new subscribers daily in India alone. While you might not be aiming for those numbers, the principle is exactly the same: regular, relevant content is the engine that drives subscriber growth.

Optimising Videos for Maximum Discovery

Creating an amazing video is a huge accomplishment, but it's really just the beginning. If no one can find your video, all that effort you poured into your content and production goes unnoticed. This is where you need to get smart about YouTube SEO—it’s how you signal to the platform what your video is about so it can serve it up to the right audience.

When you nail this, you’ll start appearing in search results and, even more powerfully, in the "Suggested Videos" feed on the side of other videos. That feed is the real growth engine, delivering a constant flow of viewers who are already watching content just like yours. A well-optimised video is your best bet for getting discovered by thousands of potential subscribers.

Write Titles That Demand a Click

Think of your video title as your frontline marketer. It has a tough, two-part job: it needs to appeal to the YouTube algorithm with the right keywords, but it also has to be compelling enough to make a human being want to click. A title stuffed with keywords that reads like a robot wrote it will get you nowhere.

A great title should spark curiosity or promise a clear, valuable solution. For instance, instead of a flat title like "My Review of the New Camera," try something more engaging like "Is the New Camera Really Worth It? An Honest Review." This reframes it as a question the viewer is likely asking themselves. Always think about the direct benefit or the emotion you want your title to evoke.

Craft Descriptions That Feed the Algorithm

So many creators completely ignore the video description, treating it like an afterthought where they just drop a few links. This is a massive missed opportunity. The description is your prime real estate for giving YouTube rich context, helping it understand your video on a much deeper level.

The first couple of sentences are critical because they're what people see in search results, so make sure your main keyword appears there naturally. Beyond that, write a few short paragraphs expanding on what the video covers. Use related keywords and phrases, almost like you’re writing a mini blog post that summarises the key takeaways.

"Your video description is your chance to sell the video to both the algorithm and the viewer. Use it to expand on your title, add timestamps for key moments, and link to relevant resources. Don't just stuff keywords—write naturally for a human reader."

This extra detail gives YouTube the confidence to recommend your video, which is absolutely essential for anyone wondering how to increase the subscribers on YouTube.

Design Thumbnails That Stand Out

On a busy homepage, a powerful thumbnail is what stops the scroll. You could even argue it's more important than the title. It’s your visual sales pitch, and it has to work in a split second.

Your thumbnail needs to be clean, easy to understand on a small mobile screen, and consistent with your channel's overall look and feel. Use bold text, high-contrast colours, and expressive faces to create an immediate emotional connection. A classic mistake is to cram too much text onto the thumbnail or use blurry, low-quality images.

High Contrast: Use bright, bold colours that pop against YouTube's white or dark background.

Minimal Text: Stick to 3-5 powerful words that add intrigue and complement your title.

Expressive Faces: It's proven that including a human face showing a clear emotion (like shock or excitement) significantly boosts clicks.

Take a look at what the top creators in your niche are doing with their thumbnails. You can learn a lot about what works by studying their approach—a key part of smart competitor research. To get better at this, check out our detailed guide on how to conduct competitor analysis to gain an edge.

Use Tags Strategically

Tags are another tool for giving YouTube context about your video. While their importance isn't what it once was, they still play a part in discoverability, especially for newer channels trying to get traction. The key is quality over quantity, so don't just dump in dozens of irrelevant terms.

Your very first tag should always be your main target keyword—the exact phrase you want to rank for. From there, add a healthy mix of both broad and specific tags. For a video on "easy vegan dinner recipes," your tags might look like this:

Specific Tags: vegan pasta recipe, 30 minute vegan meal

Broader Tags: vegan cooking, healthy recipes, plant-based diet

Channel Tags: Always include your channel name as a tag to help YouTube suggest your other videos to viewers.

Put yourself in a viewer's shoes. What different phrases might they type into the search bar to find content like yours? This simple shift in perspective can help you uncover some really effective tags you might have missed. To dig deeper into discoverability, explore these valuable YouTube SEO tips. Mastering these elements together creates a powerful system that gets your videos seen.

Building a Community That Viewers Want to Join

Getting someone to click "subscribe" is just the first step. The real magic happens when you make them feel like they're part of something special. This is where you shift from simply collecting subscribers to actually building a community.

When viewers feel a genuine connection, they transform from passive watchers into your channel's biggest fans. They don't just show up for new videos—they comment, share, and become vocal advocates for your content. That sense of belonging is the true engine for sustainable, long-term channel growth.

Spark Conversations in the Comment Section

Think of your comment section as your channel’s virtual hangout spot, not just a place for feedback. Treating it as a one-way street is a huge missed opportunity. Your mission is to turn it into a bustling hub where viewers feel seen, heard, and valued.

Make it a habit to reply to as many comments as you can, especially in the first few hours after a video goes live. Don't just "heart" them; ask follow-up questions to get a real discussion going. This simple act shows you actually care about what your audience has to say and encourages others to chime in.

"When a creator takes the time to respond, it tells a viewer that their input matters. That small gesture can be the very thing that convinces someone on the fence to subscribe. It proves there's a real, caring person behind the camera."

As a bonus, all this activity sends fantastic signals to the YouTube algorithm, which can help push your video out to a wider audience.

Use the Community Tab for Deeper Engagement

Your Community tab is a seriously underrated tool for connecting with your audience between video uploads. It’s the perfect way to keep your channel on their radar and build a much stronger bond with your subscribers.

Use it to give your audience a voice and make them feel involved in what you're creating. Here are a few simple ideas:

Run Polls: Let your audience weigh in on what you should film next. Asking for their opinion not only gives you direct feedback but also makes them feel invested in your channel's direction.

Share Behind-the-Scenes Snippets: Post a quick photo from a video shoot, a teaser for an upcoming project, or a casual personal update. This humanises your channel and gives your subscribers an exclusive peek behind the curtain.

Promote Older Videos: Got a great video from a year ago that new subscribers probably missed? Share a link to it on the Community tab and breathe new life into your back catalogue.

This kind of consistent, non-video interaction builds a layer of loyalty that a simple upload schedule never could. You're building relationships, not just a viewership. Cultivating this kind of loyal following is essential for long-term growth; you can find more strategies on how to build an online community to take it even further.

Weave in Natural Calls-to-Action

You have to ask for what you want, but how you ask makes all the difference. The tired, old "Like, comment, and subscribe!" at the end of every video is just background noise people have learned to ignore. For your calls-to-action (CTAs) to actually work, they need to feel natural and offer a clear reason.

Instead of a generic sign-off, tie your CTA directly to the video's content. For example, if you just wrapped up a tutorial, try saying, "If this guide helped you out, hit that subscribe button so you don't miss next week's advanced techniques." See? Now there’s a specific, value-driven reason for them to subscribe right now.

You can also fire up engagement by asking a specific question. Let's say your video was about saving money. You could end with, "I just shared my top three tips, but I want to hear from you. What's your single best money-saving hack? Drop it in the comments below!" This not only boosts your comment numbers but can also spark fantastic conversations. Plus, you might just get some brilliant ideas for future videos straight from your audience—a perfect example of user-generated content. You can learn more about what is user-generated content and how powerful it can be for your channel.

Take Your Channel Beyond YouTube's Borders

If you're only focused on YouTube's algorithm, you're leaving a lot of growth on the table. Relying on people to just stumble across your channel can be a painfully slow process. To really put your growth into high gear, you need to look beyond YouTube itself.

The most successful creators don't wait for an audience to find them; they build bridges from other corners of the internet directly to their content. Think of it as a multiplier for your efforts, helping you tap into fresh audiences that might never have found you through a YouTube search.

Use Social Media to Your Advantage

Your social media profiles on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter) should be your channel's promotional outposts. Each one is a chance to reach new people, but the key is to create content that feels native to that platform, not just spamming links.

A single 10-minute YouTube video can be a goldmine for short-form content. Pull out a juicy 30-second tip for an Instagram Reel. Find a funny outtake for a TikTok. Grab a thought-provoking quote and turn it into a graphic for X. Just remember to add a clear call to action like, "Watch the full video, link in bio!" to guide people back to your channel.

Instagram: Use Stories for quick polls or Q&As about your latest video. Reels are perfect for high-energy vertical clips. Even small accounts can get a lot of traction here, and learning about Instagram sponsorship for small accounts can spark some great collaboration ideas.

TikTok: The algorithm here is a powerhouse for discovery. Post fast-paced, engaging clips that show off the most exciting moments from your YouTube video.

X (Twitter): This is the place for conversations. Share key insights from your video, start a discussion thread, and jump into conversations with other creators in your niche.

This strategy meets viewers where they already are, giving them a taste of your content and a genuine reason to see what else you have to offer.

Team Up with Other Creators

Want to get in front of a relevant, engaged audience quickly? Borrow one. Collaborating with another creator in your niche is a classic win-win that can introduce your channel to hundreds, or even thousands, of potential new subscribers almost overnight.

Look for channels that are a similar size to yours and share the same target audience. You don't need to chase the biggest names. Instead, focus on building real connections with your peers where a collaboration would feel natural and genuinely benefit both of your communities.

"A great collaboration is so much more than a simple shoutout. It’s about creating something together that neither of you could have made alone. The real goal is to cross-pollinate your audiences in an authentic way."

This could be a joint video, an interview, or a guest appearance on each other's channels. The exposure you get can give your subscriber count an immediate and significant boost.

Build a Direct Line with an Email List

You don’t own your audience on social media. An algorithm change can wipe out your reach in an instant. That’s why an email list is so powerful—it’s a direct line to your most loyal fans that you control completely.

Encourage viewers to sign up for your newsletter by offering something valuable for free, like a checklist, an e-book, or an exclusive video. Then, every time a new YouTube video goes live, you can send out an email. This drives a wave of initial views from your core community, which sends fantastic signals to the YouTube algorithm.

This is especially true in growing markets like India, where 574 million internet users are consuming video content. The financial incentives are there, too. YouTube's ad revenue in India hit around $8.66 billion—a 13% jump year-over-year—and globally, YouTube Premium and Music have over 125 million paid subscribers. To dig deeper, you can discover more YouTube statistics on RecurPost. This shows that creators who invest in building a community have a huge opportunity. An email list ensures your hard work never gets lost in a crowded feed.

Your YouTube Growth Questions, Answered

Even with the best strategy in place, you're bound to have questions as you work on growing your channel. It's totally normal. Let's tackle some of the most common ones that pop up for creators trying to get more subscribers on YouTube.

How Long Does It Take to Get 1,000 Subscribers?

Ah, the classic question every new creator asks. The honest, no-fluff answer is that there's no magic number. For some, it might take a few months; for others, it could easily be a year or more.

I've seen it happen both ways, and it almost always comes down to a few key things:

Your Niche: Is it a trending topic or a super crowded space?

Content Quality: Are you actually making videos that people want to watch and share?

Consistency: Are you showing up for your audience on a regular schedule?

Promotion: Are you getting your videos in front of people off of YouTube?

Instead of getting hung up on "how long," try to focus on nailing the process. If you consistently put out great, optimised videos that help or entertain people, the subscribers will come. It's a marathon, not a sprint.

Is It a Good Idea to Buy Subscribers?

Let me be blunt: absolutely not. It's a tempting shortcut, I get it. You see those "buy 1,000 subscribers for ₹500" ads and think it's an easy win. But trust me, it’s one of the fastest ways to kill your channel's potential.

Those "subscribers" are just bots or inactive accounts. They will never watch your videos, leave a comment, or hit the like button. This tanks your engagement rate, which sends a massive red flag to the YouTube algorithm. YouTube will see that your "subscribers" don't care about your content and will stop recommending it to anyone.

"Real growth is built on a real community. A channel with 1,000 passionate fans who actually watch your stuff is a thousand times more valuable than one with 10,000 fake subscribers. Don't sacrifice your channel's integrity for a vanity metric."

How Often Should I Be Uploading New Videos?

This is where so many creators burn out. They think they need to upload daily, but the truth is, consistency beats frequency every single time.

Putting out one truly excellent, well-made video every week is far more powerful than posting three rushed, mediocre videos in the same timeframe. Find a schedule that you can realistically maintain without wanting to pull your hair out.

Whether that’s once a week or every ten days, stick to it. Your audience will learn when to expect new content, which builds loyalty and anticipation. The algorithm also tends to favour channels with a predictable rhythm, helping your new videos get that crucial initial push.

Ready to turn your passion into a real online business? At Mayur Networks, we provide step-by-step training and a supportive community to help you build and scale. Start your journey for free today at https://mayurnetworks.com.

About The Author

Mayur

Mayur, founder of Mayur Networks, teaches entrepreneurs and creators how to build digital hubs that attract clients, grow audiences, and generate income online. His articles break down digital marketing, automation, and business growth strategies into simple, actionable steps.

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