How I Gained My First 1000 Subscribers On YouTube - With Tips For Beginners
I run a YouTube channel named “Malayali Millionaire”. First video was posted in july 2019. So far, I have posted about 25 videos on my channel.
1 months back this channel crossed one of the most important milestone a new YouTube channel struggles to cross, getting 1k Subscribers. You will know why in just a minute.
(All the videos in my channel are in malayalam, my mother tongue)
I found that it took me about 9 months to reach the 1000 subscribers range. But it took me only 1 month after that to reach 1500 subscribers. And I am expecting that it will be much easier for me to reach 2k and 10k subscribers mark.
(Please note that I have taken a 5 month break in the 9 mentioned above)
That is the reason I say that getting a 1000 subscribers is the most important and certainly the second most difficult milestone for a new youtuber.
Now you may ask, what is the most difficult one? It is getting 4000 watch hours for starting monetisation. I am only halfway at completing this objective.
Now let me give you some tips that I put into practice, so that you too can reach 1k mark.
#1. It is about your audience and not you
Well, this is not always true. For example, if you are doing life vlog and stuffs like that where you are sharing your experiences and personal life then this heading is not for you. But if you run a channel to help people, like me, you need to get in their shoes.
Think of what your audience may like and what their queries are. Then come up with help that you can provide them with your videos.
Here are some tips on how to do this:
If you don’t have a niche, you don’t have an audience
Niche or the topic on which you create videos about is the key to the room filled with your audience.
I have seen a common mistake that beginners commit. They post on wide variety of subjects that they know or don’t know about.
The problem with this approach is that you are not providing the reason for your viewers to be your subscriber.
So before the next video you post or even before starting that channel, think about the topics you wish to vlog about and note them down. Then take some time to narrow the list down to 1 topic that you are confident in.
I don’t need the whole 7 billion people to watch your content, even a handfull who are genuinely interested in my work would be enough for me
Do not ignore SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
YouTube is a search engine and people search to get answers for their queries. And if those queries are related to your channel, you need to get their attention.
Which means you need to rank your videos for those search keywords.
45% of my channels views are from YouTube Searches
Targeting those keywords that people search for and optimising my videos when I started helped me to get consistent traffic to my videos even to this day, after 11 months from posting them.
You could use tools like TubeBuddy or VidIQ to help you with SEO and keyword research.
#2. Focus on what you have
Some YouTubers think that they need to get to more audience as fast as possible. I am not against this, infact I do this too. But this often leads to they ignoring the 20 or 40 subscribers they actually have that actually cares about them.
You have to interact with them. Most importantly reply to each and every one of their comments.
If you look into the comment section of my videos I have replied to almost all of the comments from my audience.
Even a “thank you” or a love emoji would help to strengthen the bond that they have with your channel.
I have people commenting to my replies that they never thought I would reply to them. Think of the impression that person will have about me.
Also getting replies will make a feeling in your audience that there is an actual human being behind it who actually cares about their audience.
#3. Don’t let these stop you from posting it
My videos must be perfect
There is no perfect video in the world. Even if you thought that your work was perfect when you look into it again you could see areas of improvement.
You could waste 1 day, 1 week or months creating videos and not posting it. Or you could post it, then learn and improve as you post more content.
This hold true for everything that you wish to accomplish.
Being aware of this craving to create the perfect one will help you a lot.
Let me tell you a story about launching my podcast “The Malayali Millionaire Show”. I came up with an introduction trailer for the show and I was not sure weather to post it or not. Then I asked my friend Athul to help me out. He listened to it and said “It can have so and so improvement, but don’t mind it is good, just post it”.
It is okay to spend weeks recording and editing videos but it is not worth your time when you are starting out.
What would they think about me?
This is one of the most common thing that pushes one back: The Fear of Criticism.
Even I had this feeling. To be honest with you guys I wasted 1 whole year without posting because of this fear.
Now I know that people don’t care about you(except for your really close to you, even they may not) it is just your mind saying to you that someone is going to watch this and he is going to tease you.
Some people may try to pull you down so that they can get to your spot.
So if you are thinking of starting a YouTube channel or posting that video, you better do it now. Don’t care about the people who hates you or who tries to demotivate you. Be sorry for them that you did this before them.
Be in the circle that helps you and inspires you and get away from any toxic connections that you have.
#4. Patience and Consistency
If you ask me to describe my YouTube journey in two words, these are those words.
Being patient is a difficult task in modern world. When you can get products deliveries to your door within on day of clicking it, you will also want to get results quickly. Well that doesn’t happen unless you are extremely lucky.
The journey is hard and slow. Your willpower and patience will be tested multiple times. I assure you if you keep posting and keep on improving as you move forward you will find success.
Before you go I really need to say this, and please get this through your system.
The key to success is Creating and Delivering more VALUE to your Audience.
Hope you will all get to that 1k subscribers mark and above soon.
Thank you.
