So you started a Youtube channel and uploaded your first video. Now what? It can be challenging to grow your channel at the start. You might get little to no views at all, which can be very discouraging. We will show you how to get your first 100 subscribers on youtube in seven basic steps.
With a clear plan in place, you can grow your channel, even with zero subscribers. The key is understanding that this goes beyond just making great content; you have to know how to promote your videos.
So why 100? Once you are past 100 subscribers, it usually gets a lot easier to grow your channel. Usually, youtube channels grow exponentially, which means that in the beginning, it’s going to be really slow and frustrating before traction starts to pick up. But once it does, things will go a lot faster.
Below, we lay out the seven steps you can take to get your first 100 subscribers on youtube. Good luck!
The 7 Steps to Get Your First 100 Subscribers on Youtube
1. Find Your Niche
When it comes to picking the topic of your channel, we always recommend choosing something you at least have an interest or passion in. This will help you be consistent with releasing videos over a long period of time.
Think of your target audience. Who are they? What would they like to see? What other channels do they follow, and what is the best way to reach them? Narrow down your audience until you have a clear set of people you want to appeal to.
2. Learn Youtube SEO
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It is the science behind getting your videos recommended by youtube and ranking on search.
Youtube’s goal is to give its audience the best content possible to keep them watching. The youtube algorithm goes through thousands of videos, rewarding what it believes is the best content in a certain topic by higher rankings and recommendations to viewers.
To grow a successful Youtube channel, you will need to learn how to craft good titles, use keywords, tags, and descriptions for your channel. Creating good videos is a must and making sure to put time and effort into everything around that as well.
We have an extensive article teaching you everything you need to know about youtube SEO: How to Master Youtube SEO in 2020
3. Create Amazing Youtube Thumbnails
A thumbnail is the small preview image that appears on the search page for videos. Because it’s the first impression people get of your content, you should really put effort into making them the best they can be.
The easiest way to create an attractive thumbnail is to use a free tool like Canva.
We have another great article showing you how to create attractive thumbnails for your videos: How to Make a YouTube Thumbnail
4. Create a Channel Trailer
To create a compelling channel trailer, you don’t need a bunch of clips to showcase your channel; you might not have that yet. Instead, create a video where you explain the purpose and meaning of your channel. Maybe introduce yourself. This will help potential subscribers who land on your channel page to quickly get what you are about.
5. Use Calls to Action
There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking your viewers to like and subscribe to your videos. In fact, you should put a subscribe button pop-up on every video, either at a small segment in the beginning or/and at the end. You could say: “If you enjoyed this video, like and subscribed for more videos like this.” Or something similar.
You can also ask people to further engage with your content by sharing and commenting on your video. This goes a long way when starting a youtube channel.
6. Stay Consistent
For any new content creator online, consistency is the key. It can feel discouraging when you put time and effort into a video and get little to no views. But that is entirely normal in the beginning, and that’s why most people give up way too early.
The key here is to be patient and upload content regularly. There is no shortcut around this fact.
Expectations are also very important. If you believe you will gain thousands of subscribers with five videos, you probably set yourself up for great disappointment and will probably give up.
Instead, understand that it is a hard and long road ahead and that youtube is not a way to quickly get famous or rich. How long it takes to start seeing traction on your videos will vary a lot from person to person. But expect it to take months, at least.
If you have picked a topic or area where you have a genuine interest, it will be a lot easier to enjoy the process of making the videos.
To help you with the process, make an upload schedule, and stick with it. Will it be one video a week? Two videos weeks? Make sure to choose what works best for you that is in line with how much time you have available. Do not make an unrealistic upload schedule that will be hard to deliver. Go easy on yourself at first.
7. Create Great Content
Lastly, and probably the most important thing of all; Creating great content is the foundation of any good youtube channel. Create videos that provide value to your audience. Either by entertaining or informing them.
Learn how to improve your videos by practicing and uploading regularly. Each time you make a new video, you will improve your understanding of lighting, audio, and storytelling for youtube.
In Conclusion
By now, you should know how to get your first 100 subscribers on youtube. Once you hit that goal, things will get a lot easier. Just remember to have fun along the way.
