How To Get Your First 1,000 Subscribers On YouTube


Getting your first 1,000 subscribers on YouTube comes with some candy (and really worthwhile) perks. From unlocking income sharing and promoting alternatives to exponentially accelerating channel development, the milestone is important for any YouTuber.

Lower than 10% of YouTube channels attain the 1,000-subscriber mark, and people who do typically add movies for years earlier than reaching the milestone.

Nevertheless, many channels attain 1,000 genuine subscribers in months as an alternative of years. And it’s no coincidence that all of them use comparable strategies to get there.

On this information, we share tales, examples, and distinctive skilled ideas from individuals who have constructed profitable YouTube channels. We’ve additionally included a “Tips on how to get 1,000 YouTube Subscribers” guidelines to kickstart your development on the platform.

Whether or not you’re selling a enterprise you already personal or seeking to earn revenue as a YouTube creator, this information will steer you towards YouTube success extra rapidly.

Why Getting 1,000 YouTube Subscribers Issues

Reaching the 1,000-subscriber purpose is a significant milestone for anybody with a brand new YouTube channel. It might not sound like loads in comparison with different YouTubers you watch. However reaching that first 1,000 may be fairly robust. 

Lower than 10% of YouTube channels have 1,000 followers or extra.

Fortuitously, YouTube relaxed a few of its Associate Program eligibility necessities in 2023. Now, even new channels can entry instruments and options that may assist them develop sooner.

For instance, Group posts have been as soon as restricted to channels with 1,000 subscribers, however at the moment are open to any dimension channel, no matter subscriber depend. Group posts assist you to have interaction with viewers outdoors of video uploads (within the Group tab) utilizing polls, GIFs, quizzes, photos, and extra. 

Whenever you attain 500 YouTube subscribers, you unlock options akin to:

  • YouTube Associate Program (monetization choices)
  • YouTube Merch Shelf (promote your merchandise)

Reaching 1,000 YouTube subscribers unlocks:

  • Income sharing for advertisements
  • Income sharing for YouTube Premium

Unofficially, reaching 1,000 subscribers additionally provides you credibility, paving the best way for model partnerships and accelerated channel development.

For instance, it took Reddit person bassedmike 3 ½ years to succeed in 1,000 subscribers however solely an extra six months so as to add 5,500 extra subscribers.

Reddit post where YouTuber bassedmke talks about how it took him 3 1/2 years to reach 1,000 subscribers

How lengthy does it take to get 1,000 subscribers on YouTube?

It’s 100% regular to take years for a channel to succeed in the 1,000-subscriber milestone on YouTube. 

It doesn’t should take that lengthy, although. Some folks attain 1,000 subscribers a lot faster. 

By studying how YouTube works, you’ll be able to develop, optimize, and market your channel for sooner development.

In the event you goal to succeed in 1,000 subscribers inside your first yr, the information beneath will allow you to get there. 

In case your purpose is a bit slower-paced, that’s okay, too. You may nonetheless use the recommendation to information your development. Many, if not most, profitable YouTubers spend years creating their channels.

For instance, it took Mr. Beast, the world’s #2 hottest YouTuber (with 237 million subscribers), a few years to get his first 1,000 subscribers.

Post where MrBeast talks about it taking years for him to get his first 1,000 YouTube subscribers

Within the information beneath, we share skilled recommendation from individuals who have been there. Some gained their first 1,000 subscribers in weeks, whereas others reached the milestone in a single yr or extra. In the event you’re searching for a strategic method to construct a neighborhood on YouTube, the following pointers will allow you to get there.

9 Professional ideas that can assist you get your first 1,000 YouTube subscribers

I chatted with a number of YouTubers who’ve had success on the platform and in addition dug into the again tales of a few of YouTube’s most profitable creators. Listed below are a few of their most dear ideas for reaching 1,000 subscribers on YouTube.

#1 – Select a distinct segment viewers and subject you’re captivated with

Narrowing your audience can assist you add YouTube subscribers extra rapidly. 

The perfect viewers isn’t already overloaded with rivals but is massive sufficient to justify posting content material.

For instance, Taxi driver Tom Hutley, who has greater than 91,000 subscribers, reached his first 1,000 inside six months of beginning his YouTube channel, Tom the Taxi Driver

Hutley’s distinctive commentary on taxi driving and the town of London is a success along with his subscribers, who eagerly have interaction within the feedback part of practically each video he posts.

Taxi driver Tom Hutley, who has more than 91,000 subscribers, reached his first 1,000 within six months of starting his YouTube channel

Tuomas Kivioja’s YouTube channel, Web Made Coder went from zero to 2,000 subscribers in two weeks.

In his video titled How I Acquired Monetized in 2 Weeks on YouTube, he explains that he struggled to get subscribers for a earlier channel however realized from his errors. 

I used to be making the very same mistake that actually everybody who begins YouTube makes at first — I used to be not specializing in a selected audience.”

Kivioja provides, “I wasn’t making movies I used to be completely captivated with,” as he stresses the significance of creating movies on subjects you actually care about.

Creating movies for years to come back — and avoiding burnout —  can solely occur in the event you love what you’re sharing. Narrowing your focus to a selected area of interest will allow you to to face out and achieve extra YouTube views and subscribers from day one.

#2 – Don’t skip on sound high quality

To create nice movies, start with the audio. This lesson resonates throughout practically each YouTube channel dialogue.

Poor sound high quality annoys viewers and sometimes causes them to rapidly “bounce” away out of your movies. 

The YouTube algorithm notices your excessive bounce charges, which ultimately reduces the visibility of your movies in its feeds. These fast bounces additionally dramatically scale back your probabilities of getting folks to faucet the “subscribe” button.

Whether or not you have to purchase new tools or cushion the room, delivering high-quality sound is definitely worth the effort. 

Questioning find out how to get it proper? Head to YouTube and search for movies on how different YouTubers get skilled sound for his or her movies. 

Good sound high quality doesn’t imply you must break the financial institution. Nevertheless it does take a little bit of understanding about what sort of mic to make use of and find out how to arrange your studio.

Within the clip beneath, content material creator Ben Johnson supplies some easy recommendations on getting knowledgeable sound on your movies. 

#3 – Optimize your channel and movies for YouTube search engine optimisation

Software program engineer Alex Hyatt makes use of his YouTube channel to assist builders study new abilities. He presently has 19,500 YouTube subscribers however reached his first 1,000 in solely 5 months

In his weblog put up “1000 Subscribers in 5 Months: My Technique,” Hyatt recommends that new YouTubers deal with getting visitors from YouTube Search.

Picture of Alex Hyett's YouTube channel

How does YouTube search engine optimisation work?

YouTube search engine marketing (search engine optimisation) refers to optimizing your channel and movies for its native search engines like google and yahoo. It includes including key phrases to your channel and movies in strategic methods.


Tim Stoddart, Owner of Copyblogger and Sober Nation

“Getting subscribers on YouTube has been largely about search engine optimisation.

Consider the questions your audience is asking after which make movies that particularly reply these questions. 

Most significantly, folks go to YouTube to get solutions and in the event you can reply the questions on your viewers, your subscriber numbers will undergo the roof.”

Tim Stoddart
CEO, Stodzy,Inc.
Proprietor of Copyblogger and Sober Nation


Advertising skilled and YouTuber Gillian Perkins explains find out how to optimize a YouTube channel in her video “YouTube search engine optimisation Fundamentals- Rank Your Movies #1 on YouTube (Quick!)”

#4 – Write efficient video titles

Your video titles are among the many first issues YouTube viewers see in your channel and within the search engine outcomes. Titles play a big half in gaining subscribers as a result of they’ll drive new viewers from outcomes and suggestion feeds to your channel.

A very good YouTube video title features a clear and correct description of the video, plus its key phrases. Google recommends limiting ALL CAPS and emojis in titles, utilizing them solely once they ship real worth.

Resist the urge to deal with catchy titles that gained’t drive visitors to your channel. As an alternative, deal with searchable titles that assist your movies attain extra viewers.

Digital advertising and marketing skilled and former Google worker Kevin Miller explains that titles are a set off for YouTube algorithms and a key consider driving new viewers.


Kevin Miller, Co-Founder & CEO of GR0

“Although many will deal with their video thumbnail and manufacturing values to realize YouTube subscribers, we targeting the significance of the title. 

A title is greater than only a method to inform your viewers of what your YouTube video entails, it’s also the set off for the platform’s inside search engine optimisation algorithms for it to be discovered.”

Kevin Miller
Co-Founder & CEO of GR0
2021 American Enterprise Awards”Entrepreneur of the 12 months”


#5 – Associate with influencers on YouTube and different platforms

Need to instantly achieve publicity to people who find themselves more likely to subscribe to your channel? Partnering with influencers who share an analogous viewers may be one of many quickest methods to develop a social media following

You don’t want a giant model price range to accomplice with influencers.

In the event you’re working with a small price range, think about hiring micro-influencers or partnering with different small YouTube channel house owners for co-sponsored occasions, contests, takeovers, and promotions. 

For one of the best outcomes, collaborate with influencers who’ve extremely engaged audiences just like yours. 

Grooveshark and Harmonic Attain Advertising founder Sam Tarantino encourages rising your YouTube channel with cross-platform influencer collaborations. 


Sam Tarantino, Founder of Grooveshark and Harmonic Reach Marketing

“By partnering with influencers and creators who share an analogous viewers, we have been in a position to co-create content material that offered worth and piqued the curiosity of each subscriber bases. 

This mutual promotion accelerated subscriber development not simply by means of direct referrals but in addition by enhancing content material discoverability.”

Sam Tarantino
Founding father of Grooveshark and Harmonic Attain Advertising


#6 – Use different social media channels to check your content material

Ebook creator Lauren Kay reached the 1,000-subscriber milestone on YouTube at lightning pace in only one month. Her expertise constructing audiences on different platforms, akin to TikTok and Instagram, gave her insights that helped pace her development on YouTube.

Book author Lauren Kay's YouTube channel

For instance, considered one of her TikTok movies obtained 700,000 views, so she thought the subject may be a hit on YouTube as nicely. She created one other model of it for YouTube, and that video made it to the highest 3 outcomes on the platform, incomes her 500-1,000 views every week.



Whenever you create a sense of neighborhood, individuals are extra more likely to return to your channel and share it with their pals. Partaking with viewers within the feedback part of your movies is likely one of the greatest methods to construct a real neighborhood.

Cleartail Advertising founder Magee Clegg explains that participating with viewers goes a great distance towards reaching new folks and rising your subscriber depend.

We actively work together with each remark, which helps to construct a neighborhood feeling and set up a direct dialogue with viewers.

Primarily based on one marketing campaign we managed, this strategy didn’t simply encourage current viewers to subscribe but additionally drew their networks into the dialog, thereby boosting our subscriber depend organically.”

– Magee Clegg, founder and CEO of Cleartail Advertising

#8 – Have interaction together with your subscribers in inventive methods

Take engagement to the subsequent degree by searching for inventive methods to work together together with your YouTube subscribers.

Rongzhong Li, whose YouTube channel PetoiCamp has greater than 20,000 followers, recommends utilizing interactive components to interact YouTube viewers.


Rongzhong Li, Founder/CEO | Petoi

“By incorporating components like polls, quizzes, challenges, or interactive storytelling, I used to be in a position to captivate my viewers and encourage energetic participation. 

This not solely saved viewers hooked and coming again for extra, but in addition helped to extend watch time, engagement, and in the end entice extra subscribers to my channel.”

Rongzhong Li
Founder/CEO of Petoi


E mail advertising and marketing is one other nice method to hold your subscribers engaged. 

Sending a weekly e-mail publication permits you to promote your YouTube channel on a wider scale. You need to use your e-mail publication to do issues akin to:

  • Provide unique ideas.
  • Run contests and giveaways.
  • Encourage readers to share your movies with pals.
  • Ask what kind of YouTube content material they’d prefer to see subsequent.
  • Let subscribers find out about upcoming particular occasions.

To encourage publication subscriptions, think about creating lead technology content material and linking to its touchdown web page in your video descriptions.

And (trace trace), in the event you’re searching for a trusted, easy-to-use e-mail advertising and marketing platform that permits you to handle e-mail advertising and marketing, touchdown pages, and lead gen content material from one place, think about giving AWeber a strive!

#9 – Run cross-channel promotions

In the event you’ve already constructed a following on different social media channels akin to Instagram, Fb, TikTok, or Pinterest, give your followers a purpose to go to your YouTube channel.

For instance, you would possibly embody extra in-depth content material on YouTube or run a particular giveaway contest out of your YouTube channel.

Marques Brownlee, who makes movies about expertise, has greater than 18 million followers on YouTube. He started importing movies to his channel at age of 15 in 2009, and it took him 5 years to succeed in the 1,000-subscriber milestone.

Marques Brownlee YouTube channel

Brownlee’s focus has all the time been his YouTube channel, however he’s taken benefit of different social platforms to advertise.

For instance, when his channel was nonetheless younger, Brownlee ran a reside Q & A session on Reddit that attracted practically 6,000 feedback and greater than 18,000 views.

An example of a social media post from Marques Brownlee

Cross-channel promotions can go a great distance towards reaching your first 1,000 YouTube subscribers extra rapidly. Artistic concepts for particular occasions, contests, and reside broadcasts may be very efficient in driving social media followers to your YouTube channel.

The “Tips on how to get 1,000 YouTube followers” guidelines

Essentially the most profitable YouTube creators suggest the next methods to extend subscribers on your channel:

Bonus tip: Launch your channel with at the very least 5 movies. 

Former YouTube worker MatPat, who has began a number of channels with hundreds of thousands of subscribers, says that launching a channel with just one video (or none) is a mistake. 

With out a number of movies, you’ll be able to’t hold folks in your channel very lengthy — which makes the YouTube algorithm assume that your channel can’t retain viewers.

Reaching 1,000 subscribers on YouTube is a big milestone. Whether or not you’re seeking to promote a enterprise or earn revenue as a YouTube creator, the strategy is similar: 

  • Select a distinct segment subject. 
  • Produce beneficial content material that issues to you. 
  • Have interaction together with your viewers. 
  • Promote your channel. 
  • Enhance primarily based on suggestions.

By following the skilled ideas on this information, you’ll be able to start to construct a neighborhood of subscribers who help your channel and model.

Constructing an engaged neighborhood on any social media channel takes time, effort, and well-thought technique.

Earlier than you spend money on constructing subscribers on a platform like YouTube, think about the way you’ll guarantee entry to your viewers over the long run.

Social media algorithms can change with out warning. Accounts may be hacked. Insurance policies may be modified. And whereas it’s not more likely to have an effect on entry to your viewers, it’s all the time a risk.

Earlier than you start rising your subscriber listing, think about integrating e-mail advertising and marketing into your social media technique. By driving viewers to a hyperlink that encourages them to join your e-mail listing, you make sure that you’ll all the time have direct entry to your viewers past the confines of social media.

AWeber simplifies e-mail advertising and marketing with a drag-and-drop interface, simple e-mail automation options, {and professional} templates. Why not give it a strive? Join a free AWeber account right now.