Finding out how to get your first 1000 YouTube subscribers comes with good (and profitable) perks. From revenue sharing to selling opportunities and even accelerative channel growth. All are milestones to hit for any serious YouTube creator.
The data for YouTube channels that hit over 1,000 subscribers is less than 10%, and for those that do hit this mark have been uploading videos for years.
The good news is channels can reach over 1,000 subscribers in months instead of years. With the right strategies implemented of course if the intent is on how to get your first 1000 YouTube subscribers.
In this guide, I will share expert tips, examples, and stories from YouTube creators that have been successful with their channels. I will also include a “How To Get 1,000 Subscribers on YouTube” checklist to help you grow on YouTube.
If your currently promoting a business online or your looking to earn an income on YouTube, this guide will steer you in the right direction.
Why Is Getting 1,000 YouTube Subscribers Important?
To get 1,000 subscribers is a major milestone for any channel. This may not sound that impressive to other established YouTube channels, but reaching 1,000 subscribers is actually hard.
Remember, less than 10% of channels have over 1,000 followers.
Fortunately, YouTube released an update for the partner program back in 2023. So new channels can access the tools and features to help grow faster.
For example, community posts were limited to channels with 1,000 subscribers, but as of now it’s open to any size, regardless of subscriber following. Community posts allow creators to engage with viewers outside of video uploads (the community tab) using GIFS, polls, quizzes, and images.
When you reach 500 YouTube subscribers, you unlock features like:
- YouTube Partner Program.
- YouTube Merch Shelf.
When you reach 1,000 YouTube subscribers this unlocks:
- Revenue Sharing.
- Revenue Sharing for Premium Ads.
Reaching 1,000 YouTube subscribers gains you credibility, paving the way for partnerships and channel growth.
For example, it took Reddit user bassedmike 3 ½ years to reach 1,000 subscribers but only six months to add over 5,000 subscribers.
How Long Does It Take To Get 1,000 YouTube Subscribers?
It’s normal for channels to take years to reach 1,000 subscribers.
Yet, it doesn’t have to take that long. Some people reach 1,000 subscribers much sooner.
By learning how to develop, optimize, and market your videos, the growth can be much faster.
If your aim is to reach 1,000 subscribers, the tips below can help you get there.
If your goal is to go a bit slower, that’s still okay, too. You can still use the advice below to guide you. Many, if not most, successful YouTube creators spent years developing their channels.
The guide below is given from experts that found success with their YouTube channels. Some gained their first 1,000 subscribers in a matter of weeks, while others reach 1,000 subscribers in a year or more. If you’re looking for strategies to catapult your success, these tips from them can help.
5 Tips From The Pros To Help You Get Your First 1,000 YouTube Subscribers
I did some digging around into the back stories of some of the most successful YouTube creators. Here’s some of their most valuable tips to help you reach 1,000 subscribers on YouTube.
1: – Pick a Niche or Topic You’re Passionate About
Narrowing down your target audience can help increase subscribers.
There is an infinite amount of keywords to target and topics that are still left unanswered.
For example, Taxi driver Tom Hutley, who now has more than 91,000 subscribers, reached his first 1,000 subscribers within six months of starting his channel, Tom the Taxi Driver.
Hutley’s unique commentary on taxi driving and the city of London is a hit with his subscribers, who eagerly engage in the comments section of nearly every video he posts.
Tuomas Kivioja’s channel, Internet Made Coder went from zero to 2,000 subscribers in just two weeks.
In one of his videos titled How I Got Monetized in 2 Weeks on YouTube, explains that he struggled to get subscribers for a previous channel but learned from his mistakes.
I was making the exact same mistake that literally everyone who starts YouTube makes in the beginning – I was not focusing on a specific target audience.
Kivioja added, “I wasn’t making videos I was absolutely passionate about.”, which to me he’s stressing the importance of making videos on topics you really care about.
Creating videos for many years and avoiding burnout – can only happen if you love what you’re sharing. Narrowing your focus to a specific niche will help you to gain more subscribers and help to stand out.
2: – Don’t Skip Sound Quality
Creating great videos involves good audio. This lesson resonates across nearly every YouTube channel discussion.
Poor sound quality frustrates viewers and often leads to high “bounce” for your videos.
The YouTube algorithm can notice these high bounce rates, which eventually leads to less visibility for your videos. Also high bounce rates reduces your chances of people hitting the “subscribe” button.
Wondering how to get good sound quality? Watch the video below from content creator Ben Johnson as he provides some useful tips on getting sound right for your videos.
3: – Optimize Your Videos for YouTube SEO
Software engineer Alex Hyatt helps developers learn new skills on his channel. He currently has 28,000 subscribers but reached his first 1,000 in only five months.
His blog post “1000 Subscribers in 5 Months: My Strategy,” Alex recommends that new YouTubers focus on getting traffic from YouTube search.
How does YouTube SEO work?
YouTube search engine optimization (SEO) involves optimizing your videos for the YouTube search results. You do this by adding keywords to your videos and in strategic ways.
Marketing expert Gillian Perkins explains how to optimize a YouTube video with “YouTube SEO Basics – Rank Your Videos #1 on YouTube (Fast!)”
4: – Create Effective Video Titles
Apart from thumbnails, video titles are among the first things viewers see before deciding to watch a video in the YouTube search results. Titles play an important part in growing your following on YouTube.
A good YouTube video title includes a clear and accurate description of what the video is about, plus includes target keywords. Google recommends to avoid ALL CAPS and emojis in titles, and only using them when they deliver genuine value.
Resist the urge to focus on catchy titles as that won’t drive traffic to your channel. Instead, focus on searchable titles that help your videos reach more viewers.
Digital marketing expert and former Google employee Kevin Miller explains that titles are a trigger for YouTube algorithms and a key factor in driving new viewers.
“Though many will focus on their video thumbnail and production values to gain YouTube subscribers, we concentrated on the importance of the title.
A title is more than just a way to inform your audience of what your YouTube video entails, it is also the trigger for the platform’s internal SEO algorithms for it to be found.“
Kevin Miller
Co-Founder & CEO of GR0
5: – Use Social Media To Test Your Content
Book author Lauren Kay reached the 1,000 subscriber milestone at lightning speed in just one month. Her experience building audiences on other platforms, such as TikTok and Instagram, gave her insights that helped speed her growth on YouTube.
For example, one of her TikTok videos reached 700,000 views, so she created another version of it for YouTube, and that video made it to the top 3 results on the platform, earning her 500-1,000 views each week.
The “How To Get 1,000 Subscribers on YouTube” Checklist
Most successful YouTube creators recommend the following strategies if you have been searching on how to get your first 1000 YouTube subscribers:
- Create valuable content worth watching.
- Pick a niche you’re passionate about.
- Pay attention to quality of your videos, especially the audio.
- Optimize your videos and titles for YouTube search engines.
- Cross-promote your videos on other social media platforms.
- Engage in the comments of your own YouTube videos.
- Monitor your analytics to discover what type of content is doing the best (and create more of it!).
- Use email marketing to promote your YouTube videos.
Bonus Tip: Launch Your Channel With At Least Five Videos
Former YouTube employee MatPat, who started several channels with millions of subscribers, says that launching a channel with only one video (or none) is a mistake.
Without enough videos, you can’t keep people on your channel for very long – which makes the YouTube algorithm think that your channel can’t retain viewers.
Reaching 1,000 subscribers on YouTube is a massive milestone. Whether you’re looking to promote a business online or earn an income as a YouTube creator, the approach is still the same:
- Pick a niche topic.
- Produce valuable content that matters to you.
- Engage with your audience.
- Promote your channel.
- Improve based on feedback.
By following the expert tips in this guide for how to get your first 1000 YouTube subscribers, you can begin to build a community of subscribers who support your channel and brand.
As always, thanks for reading!
Carl Davies
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