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

Amidst the countless creators, getting verified is one of the best ways to distinguish yourself and set your channel apart. Creators that get verified on YouTube are basically recognized by the platform as trusted channels. This can help improve the channel’s visibility and bring various opportunities within and outside the platform.

This is why YouTube verification is highly sought-after status for creators, brands, and businesses alike. This post will delve into the YouTube verification process, explain the necessary steps to qualify, and explore how smaller creators can improve their chances of earning that prestigious checkmark.

What Is YouTube Verification and Why It Matters?

YouTube verification is a process that provides a gray checkmark next to your channel’s name. This symbol is more than just a badge—it indicates to your audience that your channel is authentic, trustworthy, and officially represents the creator, brand, or business it claims to be​.

The checkmark appears across YouTube, from search results to comment sections, making it easier for viewers to distinguish your official account from imposters.

 A verified channel appears more legitimate, making it easier for new viewers to trust and engage with your content​

Verification helps protect your brand from copycat channels and impersonators who may try to capitalize on your name

Verified channels often receive more visibility in search results, increasing the chances of growing your audience.

What are the Eligibility Requirements for YouTube Verification?

To get verified on YouTube, your channel must meet specific criteria. While these requirements may seem stringent, they’re essential for ensuring that only authentic and established channels are granted the checkmark.

For YouTube verification, a channel must meet a few essential criteria that demonstrate its authenticity and activity on the platform. YouTube requires channels to have a minimum of 100,000 subscribers, which shows a significant following and credibility. However, subscriber count alone isn't enough. Your channel must accurately represent the creator, business, or entity it claims to be. This involves having a complete profile, including a well-designed banner, recognizable profile picture, and an informative description that clearly reflects your brand or identity.

Beyond appearance, YouTube values consistent engagement. Channels that actively post content, interact with their audience, and follow community guidelines are much more likely to be approved for verification. In contrast, inactive or dormant channels, regardless of subscriber count, are often rejected. By maintaining both a professional profile and regular activity, your chances of getting verified increase significantly.

How to Get Verified on YouTube: Step-by-Step Process

Once you’ve met the basic requirements, you can apply for YouTube verification. Below is a step-by-step guide to help you through the process.

Ensure your channel meets YouTube’s subscriber and content standards before proceeding. Even if you haven’t hit 100,000 subscribers, building a strong community and consistently creating quality content can improve your chances of approval.

, where you’ll find the form to apply for verification. If your channel qualifies, you will be able to access the form.

You’ll need to input your channel name and ID. If you’re unsure of your Channel ID, you can find it by navigating to your YouTube settings under "View advanced settings."​

Advanced settings feature on YouTube account

Once you’ve filled in your information, submit your application. The review process can take several weeks, and YouTube may ask for additional documentation to confirm your identity​.

After submitting your application, YouTube will review several factors, including your channel’s age, activity, and authenticity. If everything checks out, your channel will receive the verification badge.

Can You Get Verified Without 100K Subscribers?

It’s widely known that you need at least 100,000 subscribers to apply for verification, but there are exceptions. Smaller channels may qualify if they have a substantial presence outside YouTube.

If your channel represents a well-known brand, celebrity, or entity, YouTube may consider verifying you even with fewer subscribers.​ Musicians can also apply for the Official Artist Channel badge, even with fewer than 100,000 subscribers. This requires having an official music video distributed on YouTube and being part of the YouTube Partner Program.

While it is rare, exceptions can occur, so if you believe you have a significant presence or impact outside YouTube, you can reach out to YouTube’s support team for consideration​.

How to Increase Your Chances of Getting Verified?

Even if your channel doesn’t yet qualify for verification, there are ways to boost your chances. Focus on building a robust channel, improving engagement, and increasing your subscriber base.

1. Create High-Quality, Consistent Content

YouTube prioritizes channels that post regularly and create valuable content. Focus on producing high-quality videos that engage your target audience. Having a consistent upload schedule helps, as it demonstrates your commitment to building your channel.

No More Scrambling: How to Craft a Foolproof YouTube Upload Schedule

Ensure that your profile is complete, professional, and aligned with your brand’s identity. This includes:

Choosing a clear, recognizable profile picture.

Writing a compelling description that explains who you are and what content you create

Customizing your channel banner and organizing playlists to improve user experience.

Actively engaging with your audience through comments, likes, and discussions is a great way to show YouTube that you are dedicated to fostering a community. Encouraging viewers to subscribe and interact with your content signals that your channel is authentic and active​.

How to Use the YouTube Community Tab and Engage with Viewers

Optimizing your videos for YouTube search is crucial for increasing your visibility. By using relevant keywords in your video titles, descriptions, and tags, you can improve your chances of ranking higher in search results. High-performing videos help demonstrate your channel’s influence and authority.

YouTube SEO: How to Optimize Your Videos for Maximum Views

Approach your channel with a long-term strategy in mind. Focus on building a solid brand, setting goals for content creation, and using data analytics to improve your performance. Collaborating with other creators and being active in the YouTube community can also give your channel the boost it needs

If you thought the hard part was over, you were wrong. Once you’ve earned your verification badge, you must ensure that you remain compliant with YouTube’s rules to maintain it. Some key points to remember are:

Any breach of YouTube’s Community Guidelines or Terms of Service could result in your badge being revoked​.

Changing your channel’s name will automatically remove the verification badge. You’ll need to reapply under the new name, which could delay the process.

Keep posting content regularly and continue engaging with your audience to show YouTube that your channel is still relevant.

Getting verified on YouTube is a major milestone that can set your channel apart and boost your credibility. By focusing on growing your audience, optimizing your content, and adhering to YouTube’s guidelines, you can work toward achieving that coveted checkmark. Remember, success on YouTube takes time, patience, and dedication, but with consistency and effort, verification is within reach.

While verification is a worthy goal, it’s more important to build a loyal audience and create a sustainable channel. Verification will come as a natural consequence of your growth and impact on the platform​. If you’re just starting, focus on creating great content and engaging with your viewers. So, what are you waiting for? Get creating and 

Getting verified on YouTube is a dream for most small creators. Get a well-rounded understanding needed to achieve this goal through this post!

How to Get Verified on YouTube


Want to grow your YouTube channel quickly? The first step is paying attention to your audience. On YouTube, each viewer has a desire to be entertained, informed, or challenged. Figuring out which topics will satisfy those desires, within your niche, is the key to discovering your “growth factor.” And that could be almost anything these days. You could make videos about raising chickens or building Lego towers at the top of a mountain. If your content is specific enough, 

7 Beliefs You Need to Have to Grow a YouTube Channel

Once you’ve found your niche and a specific audience, move on to the next step. Build an active community that engages with you and attracts more subscribers.

, we chat with British creator David, who runs a channel called 

. As a UK citizen, he reacts to American culture. Foreign candy, the weather, and even the U.S. military are hot topics on his channel.

David’s channel has more than 50,000 subscribers. He has hundreds of comments on each video, which is more than most creators receive.

Want to build a community that’s equally engaged? Do these five things. 

What kind of videos are you making right now? Are they tutorials, reactions, reviews, or something else?

No matter what they are, just know that your video format can lose popularity over time. That’s why David decided to give vlogging a try, in addition to reaction videos.

“A lot of these guys are really interested in me and what I’m doing,” David says. “Even down to the cat. They 

Vlogging brings you and your audience closer together. Viewers get to peel back the curtain and learn more about you, and you get to discover what they love about your channel. This bond helps you grow faster, especially if people are addicted to your personality.

Our opinion on vlogging? Post them once you’ve built a cult following. It’ll be easier for people to transition once they know who you are and why they should watch.

2. Create Deeper Connections With Channel Memberships

Have you noticed any creators offering Channel Memberships? These paid subscriptions give viewers access to your exclusive content. You can unlock this feature by:

Being accepted into the YouTube Partner Program

Additionally, Channel Memberships must be available in your location and your channel must be in good standing.

The wonderful thing about Channel Memberships is how much you get to bond with subscribers. It’s a tiered service, with each level offering more value. On the cheaper end ($2.99/month), David offers loyalty badges and custom emojis to use in live chats. On the pricier side ($24.99/month), viewers get every perk in the lower tiers plus the opportunity to collaborate with him virtually.

Make More Money on YouTube With Channel Memberships

“With each tier you get more perks, up to getting a free merch item or free T-shirt of your choice,” David says.

So how will a Channel Membership grow your channel? Well, take a scroll down David’s comment section. There are several people with member badges, and that creates curiosity. New viewers may think, 

“Where do they get those badges from?”

Who is this creator with a comment section full of colorful, badge-having viewers? Is there something different about his channel?”

A lot of your success on YouTube is harnessing curiosity. The more you entice people to click a thumbnail, watch a video, and subscribe – or in this case, become a member – the better your chances of growing your channel. Plus, Channel Memberships are exclusive. That creates major FOMO.

When you want more YouTube views, sometimes the solution is simple. Just ask viewers what they want to see.

You can do this easily with the YouTube Community tab. Like Channel Memberships, you need 1,000 subscribers to unlock it. But once you have access, you get to engage with your community using text posts, GIFs, polls, and more. It’s an extra way to gain exposure and discover what viewers like at the same time.

YouTube Community Tab - The Underrated Growth Tool You NEED to Use

“Pay attention to your community,” David says. “What do they want? What do they like seeing? What do they like about you? It’s just a great gauge. Hitting 1,000 subscribers and having that Community tab has been wonderful.”


When posting on the Community tab, always remember to...

 (both subscribers and non-subscribers can see the posts).

4. Niche Down and Make Specific, Targeted Videos

As we mentioned before, you need a niche to grow on YouTube. But don’t make it too broad! That’s a mistake many creators make before tightening the focus of their channel.

“I thought comedy, making people laugh, was a niche…. But there’s just so much to comedy,” David says. “There are so many different ways of making people laugh and feel good.”

That’s why David makes funny videos in a specific, targeted way. He does reaction videos to American food and customs, not general comedy. It also helps him bond with his audience over a shared interest.

3 Steps to Create Valuable, Highly-Watched Videos on YouTube

Are you having trouble finding your niche? David recommends making three or four videos to see which one performs the best. The best video topic is probably worth exploring on YouTube.

5. Don’t Fake Your Passion; Do What Makes You Happy on YouTube

One thing to realize with absolute clarity is that real humans are watching your videos. They want you to be your authentic self on camera because that creates a better experience for them.

Creators who bond with viewers and grow their channels year after year aren’t faking it. They don’t live a manufactured lifestyle, and they don’t become who they think subscribers want them to be. They share their passions on YouTube and attract like-minded people. If their passion is gardening, they won’t create a channel about real estate to fit in.

“People aren’t stupid,” David says. “They will soon see if you’re [faking]. With myself, what you see is what you get. Of course, I have my down days. Everyone does. But I’m not trying to put on an act.”

In a word, it’s all about originality. Just be yourself!

Growing a YouTube channel is about building a community. And before that, it’s about overcoming self-doubt so you can grow with confidence. Avoid these 

Are you curious? Authentic? An advocate for online bonding? When it comes to growing on YouTube, that's exactly what you need to build a large community of subscribers.

5 Ways to Grow Your YouTube Channel Faster 

, where you can learn more about starting a lucrative YouTube career.

Here are some stats people were sharing on Twitter about how long it took YouTube creators to get subscribers (averaged):

100,000-1 million subscribers: 1,171 videos

The problem with these stats is that they take into account all the channels on YouTube, and that’s around 37 million. Not everyone comes to YouTube to become a creator!

, it takes much less to build that initial audience.

10 Solid Ways to Get 1,000 YouTube Subscribers

Talking about a niche topic, but presenting information as if the audience were fifth-graders

Taking titles, thumbnails, and YouTube optimization seriously

How Long It Took to Get 10,000 Subscribers on 3 Different YouTube Channels

Here are some stats on how long it took me to grow three of my YouTube channels:

Are you surprised to see how many videos attracted 10,000 subscribers? Or how many days passed before I reached that milestone? Keep reading to learn what happened on all these channels.

 in December 2014 and had no idea how YouTube works. Despite those growing pains, it only took 

39 videos and 390 days to reach 10,000 subscribers. 

This is pretty good, considering it's a Russian language channel. That's a smaller market compared to my other two channels.

2. Linguamarina (teaching English in English) 

I started this channel in February 2016, two years after Marina Mogilko. It's my fastest-growing channel right now with 80,000 people subscribing monthly. 

Relatability. I am not a native-speaker of English, but many people say it’s easier to learn from me.

I "hacked" the algorithm by using the right thumbnails and titles.

23 videos in 180 days to reach 10,000 subscribers.

Thousands of people want to learn, speak, and write English better. I took advantage of that by sharing valuable lessons, like the YouTube Short below about cutting the word "very" from your vocabulary.

3. Silicon Valley Girl (business and income)

The growth of this channel has been crazy. I started 

 with a video titled, "Buying a Lamborghini After Selling a Company to Microsoft," with me and a Lambo on the thumbnail. I knew it would work. And honestly, it wasn’t me who sold the company. It was my friend, Matt, and that was his Lambo. The whole video was about him.

 Then I just needed 44 days and four videos to reach 10,000.

How did I do this? Here are four key reasons:

 (a questionable approach because the audience wasn’t exactly entrepreneurs, which was the initial goal).

 with click-worthy titles. That was a good start, but now I'm looking to build a more engaged audience on that channel.

So what are the key takeaways from my 10,000-subscriber journey?

Make sure your first videos are searchable

, which means people are actually searching for those topics on YouTube. Make sure the titles are juicy and intriguing. Imagine the views you can get from "Buying a Lamborghini After Selling a Company to Microsoft" versus "A Successful Entrepreneur’s Story."

Aim for a bigger market, but start with niche content.

 I started Linguamarina, my English channel, with videos about the TOEFL exam. The content was highly-searchable and helped me build my initial audience.

 Familiarize yourself with the power of SEO, attractive thumbnails, and good titles. This will help you take advantage of the algorithm and fast-track your journey to 10,000 subscribers.

Need a smaller goal to reach? Here's how long it takes to get just 

Ready to get 10,000 YouTube subscribers? Here's how long the journey takes, plus tips to expedite the process.

How Long It Takes to Get 10,000 YouTube Subscribers


Do you need better thumbnails for your YouTube videos? How about an email list that generates a second or third stream of income?

If you’re passionate about growing on YouTube, these challenges loom in the back of your mind. Fortunately, the solution is clear. It’s time to enlist the help of technology, which means finding the best digital tools for YouTube creators.

, we chat with Aurelius Tjin about which tools a creator needs to succeed on YouTube. From monetizing social media to managing video projects, he shares an app that can handle the task.

 with more than 56,000 subscribers, where he trains creators to be solid digital marketers. Here are six YouTube tools he recommends to level up your channel.

1. Canva: YouTube Channel Art, Thumbnail Maker, and Video Editor

Most people know Canva as a user-friendly tool for designing graphics. It does more than that, though. Canva has 

, which boasts thousands of video templates, as well as millions of stock videos, music tracks, and animations. And when you’re not editing a video, Cava has templates for every graphic you’d need on YouTube. That includes channel banners, video thumbnails, and profile icons.

Tjin creates nearly half of his thumbnails using Canva. He says the background remover is his favorite feature on the site.

“You just press one button and then it just removes the background [from an image],” Tjin says. “For thumbnails [showing myself], I remove the background, and then I place a different kind of background. It’s actually a Canva Pro option but worth every dollar, in my opinion.”

 Free, Pro, and Enterprise plans at $0, $9.99 per month, and $30 per month, respectively.

Do you have tons of videos to shoot but no way of organizing those projects? Give 

 a try. This all-in-one solution will help you plan and track your projects with robust documents, notes, and calendars. You can visualize an entire project from start to finish, which makes Notion a worthy tool for YouTube creators.

“The way I like to use it is by using a kanban system developed by Toyota,” Tjin says. “In terms of YouTube videos, you’ve got your ideas in one section. The next step would be to outline it or script it or maybe do some keyword research. Then you move it from scripting to recording. I like how you can set all this up in Notion.”

Tjin says Trello and Asana are also good project management apps. But Notion edges them out when it comes to creative flexibility. You can embed a table within 

 Personal, Pro, and Team plans at $0, $4 per month, and $8 per month, respectively. Contact Notion for a quote on Enterprise plans.

3. Things: Create To-Do Lists for YouTube Tasks

, a task manager for iOS users, is all about getting stuff done. It takes your digital lists and sorts them into daily tasks that are beautiful, yet easy to read.

feature. This is where you dump random to-do items to be organized later. The 

 feature lets you declare when you’ll start a task, as opposed to setting a firm deadline. Next, Things will organize the tasks and send notifications when something is approaching.

That’s it! Now you can own the day. As productivity tools go, Things is the simplest one for YouTube creators.

 $9.99 for iPhone and iWatch, $19.99 for iPad, and $49.99 for Mac.

4. ConvertKit: Monetize Your YouTube Audience Via Email Marketing

Do you have an email list for your YouTube channel? If not, set one up with 

. It’s an awesome email marketing tool for beginners, and the first 1,000 subscribers to your newsletter won’t cost you anything on the free plan. Across the various plans, you can send email broadcasts, sell digital products, create funnels, check your analytics, and more.

Making Money on YouTube - 7 Tips to Start a Successful Business

Tjin says ConvertKit has clean, uncluttered designs. It’s also a good choice when you need a solution beyond email marketing.

“They’ve got landing pages you can set up with a few clicks of your mouse,” Tjin says. “So you don’t need to worry about all the CSS and HTML and integrating it with WordPress or whatever platform you’re using.

 Free, Creator, and Creator Pro plans starting at $0, $29 per month, and $59 per month, respectively.

5. Koji: Monetize Your YouTube Audience on Social Media

Here’s an overlooked YouTube tool creators 

 is a “link in bio” that supercharges your revenue. Koji’s tools will help you make money, engage with subscribers, and grow your community – all from just one bio link.

“I like that it integrates with the ability to sell digital products or services – or cameo shoutouts, if you want to do that,” Tjin says. “[There’s a] 'buy me a coffee' tip jar you can add to it, as opposed to using LinkTree, which purely acts as a page where you’ve got a list of links.”

 It’s free, but there are various transaction fees. Review them carefully!

6. vidIQ: Grow on the Go With YouTube Data and Channel Insights

Last on the list is our very own YouTube tool. When you 

, it integrates with YouTube to turn your channel into a number-driven universe. There are metrics showing video views per hour. A collection of graphs shows you the best time to publish videos. The SEO video score, which measures search optimization, will rate your video according to its title, description, and other metadata. And that’s less than 10% of what vidIQ offers.

Tjin uses vidIQ all the time. More than anything, he says the keyword research tool is a game-changer.

“You get actual numbers for how many people are searching for a term,” Tjin says. “That’s what stood out to me compared to a couple of the other keyword research tools.”

 Basic, Pro, Boost, and Boost+ plans starting at $0, $7.50 per month, $39 per month, and $415 per month, respectively. 

The best tools for YouTube creators make everything easier. If you want to simplify the journey even more, here are 

Need some amazing YouTube tools in your life? Use these apps to make thumbnails, manage video projects, and get stuff done.

6 Digital Tools Every YouTube Creator Needs

Are viewers watching your YouTube videos to completion? Is your audience retention so high that 70% of people are still watching after the first 30 seconds?

If not, you have an opportunity to improve the "stickiness" of your videos. This is a special kind of video magic that stops people from clicking away. Creating sticky videos is about identifying what’s working (or not) to keep viewers engaged.

This simple act will help you flourish on YouTube. The algorithm loves to 

YouTube Watch Time - The Secret Sauce to More YouTube Views and Subscribers

The first step is understanding how audience retention works. Keep reading to discover this metric on your own channel, plus six simple ways to keep people watching.

 shows how many viewers are watching a video throughout the beginning, middle, end, or altogether. The "altogether" rate is shown as a percentage of total views. So for example, if you post a 12-minute video, and people watch for eight minutes on average, your audience retention rate is 66%.

In the YouTube Studio, you’ll see different moments within a video that affect your audience retention, such as:

Want to boost your YouTube audience retention? Here are six ways to improve that metric and keep viewers watching for longer.

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