How to get subscribers and views on YouTube
In the digital age, YouTube has become more than just a platform for watching cat videos and music clips. It's now a full-blown career path for content creators, marketers, educators, entertainers, and businesses. However, with over 500 hours of video uploaded every minute, growing a YouTube channel and attracting subscribers and views is no easy task. This essay will explore effective strategies to help you grow your YouTube channel, gain loyal subscribers, and consistently boost your video views.
- Define Your Niche
The first and most crucial step in growing on YouTube is defining your niche. Your niche determines your audience, content style, and even your branding. It could be anything from tech reviews, beauty tutorials, finance tips, comedy skits, to educational content.
Focusing on a specific niche allows you to create targeted content that appeals to a certain group of people. This helps build a loyal community, making it easier to grow over time. Avoid trying to appeal to everyone—find your tribe and serve them well.
- Create High-Quality Content
YouTube viewers are more discerning than ever. If your videos are poorly shot, have bad audio, or seem unprofessional, people will click away within seconds. To maximize watch time and encourage subscriptions:
Invest in a decent camera and microphone.
Use good lighting. Natural light or a ring light can make a huge difference.
Plan your content. Use scripts or outlines to ensure your video flows logically and maintains viewer interest.
Edit professionally. Even basic editing using free tools like CapCut, iMovie, or DaVinci Resolve can greatly improve your final product.
High-quality videos increase the chances of people watching to the end and subscribing to your channel.
- Optimize for Search (YouTube SEO)
YouTube is the second largest search engine after Google, which means SEO (Search Engine Optimization) plays a major role in getting discovered.
Here are a few SEO tips:
Use relevant keywords in your video title.
Add keyword-rich descriptions.
Use tags wisely. Include a mix of broad and specific keywords.
Create custom thumbnails. Eye-catching thumbnails with readable text can improve click-through rates.
Add subtitles and captions. These help with accessibility and improve SEO.
Use tools like TubeBuddy or VidIQ to help with keyword research and performance tracking.
- Hook Viewers in the First 10 Seconds
The average viewer decides within 10 seconds whether to keep watching a video. That’s why your introduction is crucial. Avoid long intros or vague openings. Instead, immediately tell viewers what to expect and why they should stick around.
For example:
"In this video, I’ll show you three proven ways to grow your YouTube channel in 2025—even if you have zero subscribers!"
This creates curiosity and sets clear expectations.
- Post Consistently
Consistency is key on YouTube. Uploading regularly trains both the algorithm and your audience to expect new content. You don’t have to post daily, but choose a schedule you can stick to—weekly is a great start.
Batch film your content if necessary, and use YouTube’s scheduling tool to plan ahead. This keeps your channel active even when life gets busy.
- Engage With Your Audience
YouTube is a community platform. Building relationships with your audience is essential for long-term growth. Here’s how to engage effectively:
Respond to comments. This shows viewers you care and encourages repeat interaction.
Ask questions in your videos. For example, “What’s your biggest challenge as a beginner creator? Let me know in the comments!”
Use community posts and polls to engage outside of video uploads.
Engagement signals to YouTube that your channel is valuable, which can help boost your visibility.
- Promote Across Platforms
Don’t rely solely on YouTube for traffic. Promote your videos on:
TikTok: Create short clips or teasers of your videos.
Instagram: Use Reels and Stories to drive traffic to your channel.
Twitter/X and Facebook: Share links with compelling captions.
Reddit or niche forums: Participate in relevant communities and share your videos when appropriate.
Your website or email list: Embed videos or link directly.
Cross-promotion helps bring in viewers who might not have discovered your channel otherwise.
- Collaborate With Other Creators
Collaborations can help you tap into new audiences. Partner with creators in your niche who have a similar or slightly larger audience. Collaboration ideas include:
Joint tutorials or challenges
Q&A videos
Interviews or discussions
Make sure the collaboration is mutually beneficial and offers value to both audiences.
- Analyze and Adjust
YouTube provides detailed analytics. Use this data to understand what’s working and what isn’t. Key metrics to watch:
Click-through rate (CTR): Are people clicking your thumbnails?
Watch time: Are viewers watching until the end?
Audience retention: Where do viewers drop off?
Traffic sources: How are people finding your videos?
Use this data to tweak your content strategy, improve thumbnails, and optimize titles.
- Stay Patient and Persistent
Success on YouTube rarely happens overnight. Many top creators spent months or years uploading before gaining serious traction. Here are some tips for staying motivated:
Celebrate small wins (first 10, 50, or 100 subscribers).
Track progress with a growth journal.
Learn from failures—each video is a lesson.
Persistence is what separates the successful YouTubers from those who quit too soon.