Ask any YouTuber and they will tell you that generating significant views and subscribers isn't easy. But with the right strategy and tools, any video creator can build an engaged subscriber base when they understand what those subscribers want to watch.

Appealing to an audience to watch content you are passionate about making is just the first step, you need to know how to reach them and get your videos discovered. Our guides to how to guide more views on YouTube will give you the best tips to succeed on the platform.

Getting Views

How To Get More Views on YouTube

Getting thousands or even millions of YouTube subscribers is a dream for most creators. In the articles below, we'll show you how to turn casual viewers into long-term fans. 

Subscribers

YouTube Subscribers

Do you want to make money on YouTube? Millions of creators are earning a very good living from monetizing the platform and uploading content that drives huge views and engagements. Whether that YouTube income is from advertising revenue, merchandise sales, or brand deals, or subscriptions, we keep you updated with best practices and ideas.

Monetization

How To Make Money on YouTube

Want to see how your channel is performing? Read these YouTube analytics articles to discover what's working and what isn't. You'll learn how to identify which videos have the most Watch Time, clicks, audience retention, revenue, and more.

Analytics

YouTube Analytics

Watch Time is arguably THE most important metric on YouTube right now, and creators won’t be able to monetize their content without 4000 hours of it. But what is it and how can creators increase the amount of Watch Time their videos attract? We keep you updated on the best practices around Watch Time, and how you can increase how much your video content generates.

Watch Time

YouTube Watch Time

YouTube Shorts content is set to explode! 

All the latest tips, tricks, and rock-solid advice you need for this new feature.

YouTube Shorts

Do you know how to do keyword research so you understand what videos people are actually searching for on YouTube? Do you know how to create a custom YouTube thumbnail? Do you know how to create a Playlist on YouTube?

vidIQ has a ton of tips that will help every creator maximise their video content. We publish content every week to keep you up to date with all the best practices.

Tips & Tricks

YouTube Tips & Tricks

At vidIQ we have incredible insights into what viewers are searching for on YouTube. Not only can we confirm the top keywords being searched for, we can also show you how you can leverage that interest to create content around trending topics and tentpole events. That's going to give you a clear edge over other creators!

Insights

YouTube Insights

Your In-Depth Guide to Building a Successful YouTube Channel

Thumbnails are one of the biggest pain points for new creators, and an important one to solve. Thumbnails are the "book cover" of your video—something that needs to grab attention in just a fraction of a second. 

There are so many elements that go into making that winning thumbnail for your content, and it's simply not possible to address all of that here. So, 

 with expert, John Scott, to get all your thumbnail queries answered.

In this post, we'll walk you through the ideal 

, some key best practices for creating thumbnails that stand out!

12 Types of YouTube Thumbnails People Love to Click On

First impressions are critical in the endless ocean of YouTube content. The thumbnail plays a massive role in getting viewers to click on your video over countless others. For new YouTubers trying to gain traction, getting your thumbnail right can be the difference between a low-performing video and that ever-alluring viral hit. Here’s why size specifically matters:

: YouTube thumbnails appear across a wide range of devices—desktops, tablets, and, most importantly, mobile phones. Therefore, you need a thumbnail that remains sharp and eye-catching across all these platforms.

: Thumbnails with the correct size and dimensions ensure a polished, professional look. Low-quality, blurry images won’t just make your video less appealing—they’ll make it look amateurish.

 Faster Than Ever: 6 Ways to Make YouTube Thumbnails in Record Time

The Best Size for YouTube Thumbnails in 2024

When designing your thumbnail, the recommended size is 

 with a 16:9 aspect ratio. This size works across devices and ensures your thumbnail looks pleasing to the eye. Additionally, the minimum width YouTube accepts is 640 pixels but going lower than the recommended size is probably not a good idea. To keep things simple, here's what you need to follow.

: 16:9 (standard YouTube video aspect ratio)

https://www.oberlo.com/blog/youtube-thumbnail-size

Using the optimal size guarantees that your thumbnail will look crisp, regardless of the screen size it's being viewed on. It also helps your video stand out in YouTube search results and suggested video sections, making it an essential element of your overall video SEO strategy.

Best Practices for Creating YouTube Thumbnails

Creating a well-designed thumbnail is more than just getting the size right. It’s about crafting something that resonates with your audience and drives them to click. Let’s break down some important design strategies that’ll help your thumbnails pop in 2024:

Your thumbnail needs to deliver a clear message in a split second. Overloading it with too many details, colors, or text can be overwhelming, especially when viewed on smaller screens like mobile phones. Stick to one focal point and keep the design clean.

Text on thumbnails can be incredibly effective—if done right. Use 

 that stand out against the background. Avoid cramming too many words; instead, aim for short, snappy phrases that intrigue viewers. Also, contrast is essential. If your background is dark, make sure your text is light, and vice versa.

Your thumbnail should immediately grab attention, even when it’s displayed alongside hundreds of others. Using high-contrast colors can help your image stand out. Consider using colors that are complementary or that contrast sharply with YouTube’s default red, black, and white color scheme.

Thumbnails that feature human faces—especially ones that show strong emotions—tend to get higher engagement. Whether it’s excitement, surprise, or curiosity, showing a human expression can create an instant connection with potential viewers.

One great trick for building brand recognition is to use a consistent style for all your thumbnails. This could include specific color schemes, text placement, or the use of your logo in a corner. Over time, viewers will come to recognize your videos at a glance, making it more likely they’ll click on your content.

For example, this is how the vidIQ channel home page looks at first glance. As you can see, there is homogeneity in the way we use our creators faces and other graphical elements across videos./

While designing thumbnails can be fun, it’s wise to avoid a few traps. Here are some common mistakes that you should avoid at all costs:

: Never use clickbait or misleading images that have nothing to do with your video’s content. This will only frustrate viewers, hurt your channel’s reputation, and lead to a high bounce rate—something YouTube’s algorithm won’t like.

: You don’t want to clutter your thumbnail with unnecessary text. Keep it short and to the point. Let the title of your video do the talking, and use text on your thumbnail sparingly.

: More than half of YouTube’s traffic comes from mobile devices, so always ensure your thumbnails are legible on small screens. If you’re adding text, make sure it’s large and bold enough to read easily on a smartphone.

: A blurry or pixelated thumbnail can significantly reduce your video’s chances of getting clicked. Always use high-resolution images, and if you’re unsure, err on the side of larger file sizes (

Tips for Testing and Optimizing Thumbnails

If you’re not sure which thumbnail design will work best, don’t be afraid to experiment. YouTube allows you to change thumbnails even after your video has been published. Here are some tips for testing and optimizing your thumbnails over time:

: Try switching between different thumbnails on the same video and track their performance in 

. This way, you can identify which design drives more clicks.

 of your videos. A higher CTR means more people are engaging with your content, which helps boost your visibility in YouTube’s algorithm.

: Beyond the CTR, also look at how long people are watching your video. If your audience is dropping off quickly after clicking, your thumbnail might not accurately represent your content. 

 for optimizing, testing, and comparing different thumbnail options for the same video by using the above metrics. 

According to YouTube, 90% of the best-performing videos use custom thumbnails.

 In 2024, making it on YouTube involves more than just creating great content—you need to package it well, starting with your thumbnail. Understanding the 

 and following design best practices will set you on the path to success. 

Whether you’re just starting or looking to level up your YouTube game, getting your thumbnail right is a crucial step to increasing your views, engagement, and subscriber count. 

Now it’s time to create that killer thumbnail

Learn the correct YouTube thumbnail measurements for 2024 and how to optimize them for the best quality and viewer engagement!

YouTube Thumbnail Measurements: The Right Size for 2024


On YouTube, few milestones are as satisfying as getting 1 million subscribers. After years of filming and uploading, watching your channel go from zero to hero is 

. It’s even better than gaining your real first subscriber (who isn’t a robot or sub4sub operative).

But what does it take to grow your audience and 

receive the infamous gold YouTube plaque?

, we share tips to help creators of all sizes hit 1 million subscribers. Regardless of your niche, Vyyyper (vidIQ executive producer), Daniel Holzhauer (social and community manager), and Rob Wilson (YouTuber-in-residence) share the secret sauce for rapid growth. And guess what? We used these same strategies to grow the 

First, Break Your Million-Subscriber Goal Into Smaller Chunks

One million is a big, intimidating number. To reach that many subscribers on YouTube, you should break the figure into mini-goals that are easier to process.

For example, you can plan your growth as follows:

From there, aim to reach 20,000 subscribers; 30,000; 

Chunking it out this way will keep you focused and motivated. Instead of thinking, 

I must reach 1 million subscribers as fast as possible

, you free yourself from lofty expectations.

11 Strategies to Reach 1 Million Subscribers on YouTube

Increasing your subscribers on YouTube is surprisingly formulaic. While some creators grow their audiences using different topics, one thing remains constant: 

You must hook viewers, deliver the value they’re craving, and convince them to return.

 Do these three things, and you’ll turn casual viewers into loyal subscribers.

Here are 10 actionable tasks that make the journey easier.

Your channel needs a clear niche regardless of the content you upload. It’s hard to accept, but people won’t subscribe if you keep switching your channel’s theme. In fact, they may never return if you switch from lifestyle content to sports commentary to gardening to cryptocurrency. They’ll wonder, 

Where are the videos I subscribed to see?

How to Choose the Best Niche for Your YouTube Channel

On the vidIQ channel, we hit 1 million subscribers by finding a niche and sticking to it. We were all about YouTube education, and people subscribed because we constantly shared YouTube advice, tutorials, and news.

“We were the first channel to really talk about hashtags as a new search traffic driver…. [YouTube] sent that video to the top of the search rankings, and its been there ever since,” Rob says. “That was a catalyst for us to think about how we could be the primary resource for all sorts of basic YouTube education.”

We sort of stumbled into the YouTube education lane, but don't hesitate on your own channel; declare a niche as soon as you're ready.

2. Create a Service-Based Channel That Helps Viewers Succeed

The more you serve your audience, the bigger your channel grows on YouTube.

It sounds like a cliche – an obvious statement that makes creators say, “Duh!” But thousands of people skip this important step.

So when you create your channel, ask yourself a brutally honest question: 

What is the specific value I’m providing viewers?

How to Make the EXACT Videos YouTube Subscribers Want to See

There’s no right or wrong answer to this question. But just know that to gain 1 million subscribers, you need 

 sort of answer. You’re not making content to please yourself; you’re trying to solve a problem in the viewer’s life, whether that’s extreme boredom or needing to buy a single-family home on a tight budget. It all depends on your niche and the challenges people face. How can you help them succeed?

3. Master the Ultimate YouTube Duo: Video Title + Thumbnail

What if we told you viewers spend less than three seconds deciding which videos to watch? How would you make your content stand out on YouTube after hearing that?

There’s only one correct answer this time. To get more subscribers, you need attractive YouTube thumbnails and emotional video titles. Both items are the lifeblood of your channel, and together, they attract viewers before you’ve spoken a word.

“You’re just trying to get someone to see it and stop that scrolling action,” Daniel says. “It’s the same as when you’re looking through your Instagram feed; you’re looking through Twitter, you’re half reading, you see something – and boom. You stop, and you look at it…. that’s how YouTube is.”

4. Add a YouTube Subscribe Button to Your Videos

The easiest way to gain subscribers is to display a watermark that reads, “Subscribe” on all your videos. When viewers click this button, they have the option to…well, subscribe. Pretty simple, right?

Once you have an image you want to use as a subscribe button, all you have to do is upload it to the branding section of your channel.

Here’s how to add that watermark to YouTube videos:

Upload your image and choose when you want it to appear in your videos: at a custom timestamp, the end of your video, or the entire time.

And here are the image requirements for YouTube watermarks:

PNG, GIF, BMP, or JPEG files (1MB or smaller)

5. Use YouTube End Screens to Promote Your Videos

End screens help you get more YouTube views and attract subscribers. These interactive screens appear at the end of videos and allow viewers to click on extra content from your channel. So instead of someone watching one video, you encourage them to watch two – possibly three if the following video has 

YouTube End Screens - How to Make Cool Video Outros

As you recommend more content, viewers begin to understand the value of your videos. That builds a compelling case for 

 someone should subscribe to your channel. If you add a subscribe button to all of your end screens, that seals the deal too.

Instead of placing two or three videos on your end screen (plus a subscribe button), display just one video.

 who kind of teased this idea of having one very intentional end screen,” Rob says. “If you give someone more than a few options, they’ll have choice paralysis. Give them one option and be very explicit about why they should choose that option.”

6. Be Engaging on YouTube to Retain Viewers

If you want to grow your channel to 1 million subscribers, you should make content people crave. That’s easier said than done, but you can succeed by focusing on one YouTube metric: 

A video has three crucial “moments” for retaining viewers:

 How many people are still watching after the first 30 seconds?

 As you move from scene to scene, are viewers staying or leaving?

 Are people making it to the end to click your end screen and watch more content?

How to Increase Audience Retention on Every YouTube Video

The length of your video doesn’t matter as much if the whole thing is entertaining. To achieve that, 

slowly improve your average view duration

. This is a percentage showing how long viewers watched a video on average.

“Whatever length your video is, get people to watch that video for as long as humanly possible,” Vyyyper says. “I think that’s the real metric.”

Want to introduce your content to potential subscribers? 

 within your niche, then make videos about the ones that matter to your audience. If you include high-volume keywords that aren’t too competitive, your video could really take off.

You might see something like this in the YouTube Studio if that happens:

. Make sure the trend has some crossover between your current viewers and those excited about the trend. Both audiences should have similar goals – learning to cook, discovering new music, etc. – so new subscribers have a reason to watch non-trend-related videos.

“We did quite a lot of trend jacking and surfing two or three years ago when I was looking at the Pewdiepie versus T-Series subscriber race,” Rob says. “We got a lot of traffic from it and a lot of new viewers, but they weren’t necessarily interested in YouTube education. They were interested in the subculture of the subscriber race.”

This tip is pretty straightforward but easy to miss: Create an upload schedule and stick to it no matter what happens. Posting videos consistently will help you retain the subscribers you’ve gained on the road to 1 million.

If you slip up and become inactive on your channel, viewers will depend on another creator for their entertainment or education. That pushes you 10 steps backward when you’re growing a channel.

9. Don’t Be Afraid to Pivot Your Content

We have a confession that will transform your YouTube journey forever.

The videos that attract your first 10,000 subscribers are worthy of celebration, but they won’t attract your next 100,000. Furthermore, videos that help you reach 500,000 won’t take you as far as 1 million – and that’s OK.

On YouTube, viewers change their interests over time. You should explore new video ideas to attract subscribers and retain old ones simultaneously.

7 Tips to Craft Irresistible Video Ideas on YouTube

“Our target audience tends to be YouTube channels that are under 1,000 subscribers, and they are working toward monetization…. But there is so much more untapped audience out there – people who have monetized and want to turn their channels into businesses and full-time professions,” Rob says. “I think there’s also so much in YouTube culture that we just gloss over the surface of.”

No matter how well something is working on your channel, experiment. Test new video concepts to reach more viewers and get your channel discovered.

10. Outsource the Work You Can’t Handle Alone

Can you grow a YouTube channel to 1 million subscribers without help? It’s certainly possible. That’s what we did on the vidIQ channel. 

But imagine how many subscribers we would have if we outsourced our extra work. With a team of people editing videos, writing scripts, and creating thumbnails, we might have 2 million subscribers.

“I think the one thing creators struggle with is giving up control,” Rob says. “You get to a certain size of community and content and quality that you 

Once you have 500,000 subscribers or more, it’s time to audit your workflow. What’s the one thing stifling your productivity? Who could you hire to ease that burden?

11. Almost at a Million Subscribers? Live Stream the Final Moments

Let's say your channel is sitting at 980,000 subscribers and slowly creeping toward a million. There are two things you can do in this situation:

Let people subscribe at a natural pace (within a few weeks).

Live stream the experience to reach 1 million in a few days.

We chose to stream those final moments, and it paid off; viewers joined the celebration and started subscribing to help us reach our goal.

Here’s how we set up our million-subscriber live stream:

We ran a continuous stream on the vidIQ channel for a few days.

 None of us were talking or appearing on the stream yet, but we had a screen showing our live subscriber count. It was steadily ticking toward 1 million subscribers, so people knew the point of the video.

When we were close to 1 million, several creators at vidIQ hopped on the live stream.

 We continued to show the subscriber count, but now there was more discussion and intrigue. We talked about the journey to 1 million subscribers and shared YouTube growth advice.

Lastly, we displayed channel names as a free shout-out whenever someone subscribed.

 This really boosted our subscriber count. You can achieve the same thing using a plug-in from 

In 11 steps, you can take your YouTube channel from its current size to 1 million subscribers. Keep reading to learn how.

How to Reach 1 Million YouTube Subscribers In 5 Years or Less


Growing a YouTube channel is frustratingly difficult. It’s easy to create a channel, customize it, and make your first video. But everything that comes next is an extreme test of willpower.

Imagine posting for an audience of zero while earning 50 views at best. Or gaining one subscriber per video. That’s the kind of slow burn that makes creators give up before they’ve started.

But here’s the good news: Plenty of people 

making it on YouTube. Small creators grow their channels from zero subscribers to several thousand every year.

7 Beliefs You Need to Have to Grow a YouTube Channel

Rene Ritchie, a tech journalist who’s now a full-time YouTuber, says there are two keys to achieving this goal. First, you must understand how YouTube works. And second, you have to adopt the creator mentality.

, Rene shares powerful tips that helped him grow 

 to nearly 300,000 subscribers. Some of his advice will sound familiar to budding creators. But there are lesser-known tips – strategies people don’t explicitly think about – that make or break a YouTube channel.


When your channel isn’t growing, here are five things to remind you of what it takes to win on YouTube.

1. You Must Honor the Promise You've Made to Subscribers

When a viewer subscribes to your channel, they do so for two reasons:

They’re interested in your channel’s topic.

Gaining a new subscriber is exciting, but the real work begins after that. Viewers expect similar content of the same value, and it’s up to you to deliver that promise. That means you can’t go 

 or suddenly become less entertaining. If you do, viewers will abandon your channel for a new one.

“You’re nurturing and creating an audience, and that audience is nurturing and creating your channel at the same time,” Rene says. “It’s like a symbiotic relationship. And once you understand that, you’re not thinking about what’s algorithmically good – because that can lead you down all sorts of dark paths – but what’s good for your audience.”

Don’t think of viewers as an obstacle between you and more views. Instead, focus on 

. And when you create something your audience loves, ask yourself, 

2. It’s OK to Recreate an Existing Video

Picture this. You’ve just started a cooking channel on YouTube, and you want your first video to be a salmon tutorial. It seemed like a good plan at first, but days later you realize dozens of channels have posted the same video. Even worse, some of the videos have gone viral.

Now you have a choice to make. Do you proceed with your plan or abandon the idea?

There may be hundreds of videos on a topic, but yours will be different.

You’ll bring a new perspective to the discussion, which sets your content apart from others.

 alongside popular videos of the same topic.

The beauty of creating on YouTube is that video ideas come from everywhere – even your competitors.

“You can’t steal somebody’s script; that’s still plagiarism and copyright infringement, but if you want to make a video on the world’s tallest building, and I want to make a video on the world’s tallest building, nobody owns that idea,” Rene says.

3. You Can Grow Your YouTube Channel, But Only If You Upskill

Did you know that upskilling is the key to success on YouTube? While some creators focus on video editing and production, those aren’t the only skills you need to learn.

Want to Make YouTube Your Full-Time Job? Master These 5 Skills

Depending on the channel, a creator should master:

That’s a long list, but you can do it if you 

. For example, Rene likes to spend two or three months learning one YouTube skill, and when he masters that thing – lighting, audio, intros, etc. – he moves on to the next skill.

This plan will keep you busy all year, but you’ll emerge with six new skills that are perfect for YouTube growth.

4. The Best YouTube Videos Get Straight to the Point

Creating a long intro is a dangerous way to start a YouTube video. It’s a risky bet because viewers, like most people, are

wildly impatient. They’ll click away if you spend 30 seconds introducing the main point.

But it’s not just the intro you need to worry about; every chapter of a video has what Rene calls 

. These lulls or uninteresting parts of a video prompt viewers to leave.

When your YouTube channel stops growing – or never even started – it’s time to identify your problem areas. Here are five things you could be overlooking on your channel.

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