Gaining Subscribers : Do's & Don'ts!

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omgpaulthompson said:
From the past 3 years that I've been on YouTube, I have finally started to make progress! Here is a quick guide from my past experiences! 5 Do's and Don'ts on gaining subs'

Do's

1) DO promote your channel on various sites including Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Instagram
These social networks could soon become the gateway to your Subscribers contacting you!
If people follow you on these Social sites, they get a chance to see the real you off camera too!
It also allows you to really interact with your 'fans', get to know them - why do they like your vids?
What could you do better?
Also, perhaps vitally, RT's, shares and love. If your followers see on your social network that you
have a new video out, they will be inclined (hopefully) to mash that RT button, or like button,
opening up your channel and videos to the masses. Consider this a snowball effect. One person
shares your video to her 400 Facebook friends, two of them then Share it as well to their combined
1400 friends, 10 of them share to a total of 40,000 friends, etc etc. Congratulations Sir, your
video just reached 50,000 people starting from one 'fan'!

2) DO be yourself! This tip is mainly aimed at vloggers/game play channels/beauty channels.
Think of your videos as a real theatrical event. People flock to your videos to see YOU. They
didn't click your Vlog to see you act as Pewdiepie or RayWilliamJohnson (Yes, that means don't
call your fans "Bro's" and shout "Barrels!" during your Let's Play videos. There is a reason
PewdiePie has Millions of subs', and it's because it's HIM. He isn't acting as anyone else but
himself, and that's what you need to aim for. Originality in a popular area such as vlogging or
Game play is extremely hard, but once you break the mould - you will never look back! A viewer
is more likely to subscribe to you, if you're original. Why would they want to Subscribe to a
person who is merely copying? Give them something to want to see again!

3) DO consider buying 'upgrades' to your equipment. A viewer won't give your channel a second
glance if your videos are filmed using a potato and talking into a tin can. (Is that possible?)
Perhaps not possible, but it is still a valuable lesson. Quality on YouTube is so so so important.
Viewers don't have to be open to all channels and give them the benefit of the doubt. There are
enough videos out there for them to enjoy without giving your channel a second whiff, all due
to the fact they couldn't see, or hear you. Now I don't mean going out and buying a Canon 5D
MIII and Zoom H2 microphones. (Unless you have the cash) I started off on a small camcorder
and my Macbook Pro Microphone (It done the job) until this Christmas just past where I bought
a Canon 600D and Rode Videomic. The difference was seen instantly and my subscriber intake
was more in a few weeks than ever in my YouTuber lifespan. Your audience might not go
"Ooooh good quality" they shouldn't have to - it should be the benchmark. If they are focused
on the grainy quality and quiet sound, they will simply miss your content. Let your content be
the most important thing that they experience.

4) DO take your time, and don't give up! Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither will your
channel, so take your time to learn the ropes! My old Vlogs are perhaps the most cringe-worthy
videos in the history of YouTube, but I have learned simply through trial and error. Through
this educational journey you will not only gain knowledge - but subscribers. Viewers will
acknowledge how much your channel has 'grown' and how much you have as well! You will
eventually see yourself bringing out great Vlogs without even a second thought. Like all things
in life, practice makes perfect. Ride the hardships and you will have open Sea ahead with
bountiful subscribers swimming around, ready to be reeled in!


5) DO enjoy yourself! If you are on YouTube to make a living, then I advise you just close this tab
and get a reality check. You should be on YouTube because you have a passion for making videos
on your chosen subject, not because of the potential paycheque from a partnership. Viewers will
be able to see if you are having fun making these videos, and if you are having fun - they will too!
There is nothing more soul destroying than seeing someone who doesn't care about what they're
doing, then wonder why no one is subscribing!




1) DON'T rely on competitions/giveaways/Sub4Sub. This is definitely from personal experience!
I arranged a giveaway competition in which to enter you had to subscribe. It was sucessful in that
I gained 230+ Subscribers. However, within days of the results being announced, I lost 75% of
those subscribers. It was awful seeing these people just leave like that. This wasn't my fault in
the sense of not following any of the "Do's", but it was simply that they subbed for the competition,
and after they had lost, they simply didn't care. So be careful, you might gain some, but be ready
to lose some as well! It's always a battle, isn't it? :p

2) DON'T Try to do anything and everything. Target your channel to a certain demographic.
Why doesn't PewDiePie do Make-Up videos? Because 90% of his subscriber demographic would
not want to see this. They want to see his gameplay videos, and if he was to move from these, he
would surely lose a tonne of subscribers. Learn why you're subscribers are here (See Do #1)
If it's your comedy sketches, then continue them - please the people! If you want to do vlogs
then consider opening a channel solely to your vlogging antics. (A lot of people do this) It is all
about learning what your viewers want, and by fulfilling this - you maintain/grow your channel.


3) DON'T S.P.A.M other peoples channels/twitter feeds/news feeds. Nothing is more annoying to
a subscriber or potential subscriber than : "Guys!!!! New video!!! check it out!!!!!" fifty times in
five minutes all over the place. Once or twice is more than enough! Why would I want to
subscribe if all i'm going to hear is "NEW VIDEOOO" every second of every day? Play it safe.
Post videos as responses/Politely ask people to check your channel out at their own leisure.

*** MORE TO COME ****



Thanks for reading :) Please stay tuned as some refinements are coming!
Click to expand...
Great post there! :) Here is a long read, but the parts I've underlined are the questions I have..

On the DO's
#3, I'm struggling with this due to a limited budget, so could lesser video/audio quality be ok for a while as long as the content is very good? I remember that back in the days especially back in 2008 or so, some people tend to get 5-digit views or many more even though their video was at best maybe 360p/480p and I have seen some 240p make it up there too... This is not to say that I won't invest or get better videos if I can (of course I will), but I simply don't have a choice right now...
I like #4 and all I have to say regarding that one is that I would be willing to get there though times, though a small caveat is that there is a difference between slow progress and stagnant progress. It's the stagnant progress (not moving at all) that bothers me most since it doesn't matter how much time one has. If they make no progress Rome would not advance in greatness..
On #5, I'm partially in agreeance but also somewhat disagreeing with it. Yes I do it for fun, not for the money, but there is a part of me (sensibility) that tells me if I put x amount of time, effort, and money into a video/project but receive less than x or nothing, then it would be a waste and I become more reluctant to keep going (when money gets involved, then things get serious).

Onward to the DONT's
On #1, I learned something new today and this is quite an insight :O I have never done a giveaway before, but now I know the nature and aftermath of giveaways.
On #3, would it be considered spam if I commented on another channel/video that is related to mine but instead of the generic "check my videos/subscribe to my channel" stuff, I put a compliment or something about the video and then ask the uploader (politely of course) or others to check out my stuff?
 
Henrypiano6888 said:
Great post there! :) Here is a long read, but the parts I've underlined are the questions I have..

On the DO's
#3, I'm struggling with this due to a limited budget, so could lesser video/audio quality be ok for a while as long as the content is very good? I remember that back in the days especially back in 2008 or so, some people tend to get 5-digit views or many more even though their video was at best maybe 360p/480p and I have seen some 240p make it up there too... This is not to say that I won't invest or get better videos if I can (of course I will), but I simply don't have a choice right now...
I like #4 and all I have to say regarding that one is that I would be willing to get there though times, though a small caveat is that there is a difference between slow progress and stagnant progress. It's the stagnant progress (not moving at all) that bothers me most since it doesn't matter how much time one has. If they make no progress Rome would not advance in greatness..
On #5, I'm partially in agreeance but also somewhat disagreeing with it. Yes I do it for fun, not for the money, but there is a part of me (sensibility) that tells me if I put x amount of time, effort, and money into a video/project but receive less than x or nothing, then it would be a waste and I become more reluctant to keep going (when money gets involved, then things get serious).

Onward to the DONT's
On #1, I learned something new today and this is quite an insight :O I have never done a giveaway before, but now I know the nature and aftermath of giveaways.
On #3, would it be considered spam if I commented on another channel/video that is related to mine but instead of the generic "check my videos/subscribe to my channel" stuff, I put a compliment or something about the video and then ask the uploader (politely of course) or others to check out my stuff?
Click to expand...


Thank you very much, and they are some excellent questions, and some very good points!

1) Of course it is still acceptable! As i mention, I was using a camcorder with 360p footage for months and month, and people still seemed to like it, as long as it isn't from an old Nokia phone or something you will still be totally fine :P


2) Nope, not at all! I would actively encourage you to jump into the YouTube community, and it
is perfectly okay to ask people "I loved 2:50 in the video haha! I have made something similar
and i'm an aspiring blah blah, feel free to check it out :) " Some people might disagree with
this but I don't deem it SPAM, as you are still on topic and giving the creator feedback :)
 
I feel like this is geared to beginner users. I would think it is pretty self-explanatory, most of it atleast, but it is a great post for those who are confused on how to start.

The Giveaway part was interesting, never knew that.. xD
 
thedigblackbick said:
I feel like this is geared to beginner users. I would think it is pretty self-explanatory, most of it atleast, but it is a great post for those who are confused on how to start.

The Giveaway part was interesting, never knew that.. xD
Click to expand...

Totally - I guess once you get the basics of YouTube and the way in which your demographic is heading etc then you should be good to go solo! :)
 
omgpaulthompson said:
Thank you very much, and they are some excellent questions, and some very good points!

1) Of course it is still acceptable! As i mention, I was using a camcorder with 360p footage for months and month, and people still seemed to like it, as long as it isn't from an old Nokia phone or something you will still be totally fine :p


2) Nope, not at all! I would actively encourage you to jump into the YouTube community, and it
is perfectly okay to ask people "I loved 2:50 in the video haha! I have made something similar
and i'm an aspiring blah blah, feel free to check it out :) " Some people might disagree with
this but I don't deem it SPAM, as you are still on topic and giving the creator feedback :)
Click to expand...
Thanks for the responses and I will keep those in mind :) Glad that there is someone that believes that getting into the YouTube community is a good way to get more traffic and attention :)
 
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