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

When YouTube cut its subscriber requirement for early monetization from 

, it opened the door for more creators to earn money and build sustainable channels. 

three public uploads in the last 90 days

3,000 public watch hours in the past 12 months or 3 million Shorts views in 90 days

YouTube Relaxes its Monetization Rules: Only 500 Subscribers Needed!

There's one caveat, though. Hitting this new milestone doesn't mean you can monetize your content with ad revenue — only 

What Is Fan Funding and Why Should You Care?

 is YouTube’s way of letting viewers directly support creators they love. Instead of relying solely on ads or sponsorships, creators can earn tips and recurring payments from their audience. YouTube introduced fan‑funding in 2014 to give viewers a way to make voluntary donations.

This built‑in “tip jar” includes three major tools—

—each unlocking at 500 subscribers and allowing creators to monetize while still growing toward full ad revenue. 

 is a monetization feature introduced in 2017 that allows viewers to purchase a chat message that stays highlighted and pinned at the top of the live‑chat window. The more a viewer pays, the longer their message stays on screen. 

This gives fans a way to stand out in busy live chats and gives creators a direct revenue stream.

 Enable Super Chat in your channel’s monetization settings and remind viewers during live streams that they can support you. Celebrate their contributions on screen, call out their messages, and thank them personally—it’s a powerful way to encourage repeat support.

 lets viewers tip on regular videos, not just live streams. Fans can pay between $2–$50 to trigger a celebratory animation and leave a highlighted “Thanks” comment. It’s similar to Super Chat but works on any published video. Super Thanks is available to monetized channels that meet YouTube’s eligibility requirements and comply with all policies.

 Mention Super Thanks in your video descriptions or on end screens. Encourage viewers who found value in your content to show their appreciation. Since it’s passive income, Super Thanks can generate tips long after a video is uploaded.

 are paid subscriptions that offer exclusive perks such as badges, custom emojis, members‑only videos, live‑chat access and other benefits. Fans pay a monthly fee to access these perks, and the steady income helps creators sustain their channels.

 Once you qualify for the YouTube Partner Program and meet eligibility requirements (usually 30,000 subscribers for non‑gaming channels), set up membership tiers in YouTube Studio. Offer meaningful perks—think behind‑the‑scenes videos, members‑only live streams, or early access to new uploads. The more value you provide, the more likely fans are to join and stay.

Fan funding can be a gratifying way to make money consistently on YouTube. But to do that, you need quality subs who are open to supporting you financially!

Building a community of 500 people may feel daunting when you’re starting at zero, but it’s achievable. Here's how to get those natural, fan-level subs on your channel.

Woman looking at phone and surrounded by emojis

It's nice to have 500 subscribers (and unlock fan-funding), but that doesn't mean viewers will automatically send you money on YouTube. They must feel 

 to do it, which usually happens when they connect with your content.

 (that you didn't pay for). These viewers will show up to watch your videos and support your content with the occasional Super Chat or Super Thanks, to show their appreciation.

So, how do you build a real YouTube community? As soon as you have 30, 40, or 50 viewers on a steady basis, reply to their comments! 

Engage with them on the YouTube Community

 tab and ask them what they want to watch. Keep showing up, and they'll do the same!

2. Choose an Underserved Niche on YouTube

 What type of viewer will most likely send you a Super Thanks (aka, a monetary tip)? We already know that organic, engaged subscribers will do this. But can you think of anyone else?

Alright, we won't keep you in suspense. If you can find an underserved community on YouTube — like unicyclists who walk their dogs simultaneously — make videos for 

. Chances are, they're waiting for someone, 

, to show an interest in their hobbies. If you're that special creator, they'll appreciate you 10 times more and

Another way to lift your subscriber count is by paying attention to global trends. For example, which video games come out next month? Is there a new dance taking over TikTok? What's happening in sports, cinema, and music?

 aligns with your channel, don't let the moment slip away. Make a video about it! Our 

 will inform you when there's a popular trend ongoing at once!

vidIQ can help you with that, especially when using 

 our newest feature. This nifty tool shows you which topics are growing in popularity on YouTube, along with a keyword score, competition score, and the monthly search volume of the term.

4. Target YouTube's Recommendation Algorithm

 watch videos that YouTube recommends? As a new creator, you have a tremendous opportunity here to reach new viewers. When seeking more subscribers, there's no better place for your content to surface than in someone's 

The YouTube video suggestions that appear beside a particular video

But which videos will YouTube recommend? Your best bet is filming something that 

 and likes. It should also mirror what people enjoy right now.

, look at your competitors — aka, channels that make similar content to yours. What are their most popular videos, and which videos are being recommended next to 

Study each recommendation. Write them down so you can make similar videos with your unique spin, flair, or perspective. After all, you now have 

 that YouTube recommends specific videos to your target audience. Use that info to grow your channel!

5. Make Search-Based Content at Least 30% of the Time

Standing out on YouTube is challenging, especially as a small creator. The good news is you have plenty of ways to get viewers' attention! You can make videos with a unique perspective or blend two niches to "wow" people. You can make the brightest, boldest thumbnails to get more clicks.

But no matter what, remember to make videos people are actually searching for. YouTube has many search pages; getting your content on just 

 could result in more views and even increase your subscriber count.

Channels that surfaced YouTube search for "start a youtube channel"

It all starts with optimizing your videos for YouTube search and doing something called 

Add relevant keywords to your video title, description, hashtags, and video chapters.

6. Borrow the 12 Most Popular Thumbnail Styles

Thumbnails are essential for getting your first 500 subscribers on YouTube. Most creators spend hours on those images, from developing an idea to ensuring the thumbnail matches the video title.

So, here's a neat shortcut to quicken the journey: Make thumbnails that are proven to work!

  How To Make Attention Grabbing Custom Thumbnails on YouTube with vidIQ

Show a final result (like the finished meal after a cooking tutorial)

7. Promote Your Videos Outside of YouTube

Woman holding a phone surrounded by social media icons

 so it pays attention to your channel. You do this by promoting your content 

According to Todd Beaupre, who leads the discovery product team at YouTube, sharing your videos in online communities is wise. You'll get your first video views much faster, enter viewers' watch history, and prompt the algorithm to share your content with similar audiences.

5 Secrets You Didn't Know About the YouTube Algorithm

So, think of all the Facebook groups, Discord servers, or forums that align with your channel's topic. Could you share your videos there? As long as you're a genuine member of the community — one who engages and brings value — it's OK to share content that adds to the conversation.

8. Use Links and Buttons to Help Viewers Subscribe

Sometimes, viewers need a little convincing before subscribing to your channel. And even then, they may only click the button if it's right in front of them!

 want to subscribe to your channel; you just have to make it easy for them.

That's where buttons and links come in handy on YouTube. You can add a YouTube subscribe button to the bottom of your videos, on your end screens, and on your website. You can also paste a subscribe link that adds people to your community once they click it.

8 Ways to Help Viewers Subscribe to Your YouTube Channel

9. Get Discovered with Viral YouTube Shorts

Did you know that creators are getting more subscribers with YouTube Shorts? We're seeing this happen monthly with vidIQ customers who reach 1,000, 10,000, or 100,000 subs in just a few weeks. Most of the time, they focus on short video content that ends up going viral.

How to Make a YouTube Short In 2025: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide

But how do you make a YouTube Short go viral? First, hook your viewers with 

 that gets their attention. Then, start analyzing the most popular Shorts. What do they have in common that other videos don't?

Generic advice will get you a long way, but never to the top. If you're starting from zero, getting a YouTube coach is the best thing you can do for your creator journey. However, you don't want just 

 coach. You want proven experts who give you personalized advice for your channel and content. 

And that's why here at vidIQ, we built the 

 where creators like you can grow with the help of  the best YouTube minds

So, sign up for the vidIQ coaching program and let your YouTube dreams come true!

Woman filming a youtube video on her phone

Smiling woman recording video with smartphone on tripod against pink background

Are you ready to monetize your channel? The first step is getting 500 subscribers on YouTube, so here are 10 ways to reach that magic number!

How to Get 500 Subscribers on YouTube & Unlock Fan Funding | vidIQ

YouTube shorts are the new hot trending topic in the YouTube world. But what are they? 

YouTube has not been totally clear about how they work, so we decided to do our own investigation into YouTube Shorts.

On this episode of TubeTalk, vidIQ's own Rob Wilson, Dan Carson, and Liron Segev answer all your YouTube Shorts questions including:

What are the requirements for creating them?

Do you need to have #shorts in the title and description?

Should you put Shorts on your main channel

Want to Know Even More About YouTube Shorts?

How Creators Can Get More Views With YouTube Shorts

Can You Get 1 Million YouTube Views By Making Short Videos?

YouTube Shorts: What We Know About How They Work

TubeTalk has been informing video creators and marketers since 2014, and is one of the most respected and listened to podcasts in the online video industry. Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to TubeTalk on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode!

You can also find the complete list of all the

YouTube Shorts logo with "TubeTalk" text on blue gradient background.

In this episode of TubeTalk, vidIQ does its own investigation into YouTube Shorts. You're welcome.

YouTube Shorts: The Ultimate Guide

When you created your YouTube channel, you probably had an idea of what your videos would be about. Whether you wanted to create Fortnite gaming tutorials, comedic sketches, or hours upon hours of pranks, you at least had 

But here’s a question worth asking yourself: 

Does your audience know what your channel is about? 

It almost seems silly to ask, especially if you’ve been pumping out very specific content. Nonetheless, it’s worth answering to make sure you’re on the right track. For example, if you think your channel is about one topic while your audience thinks it’s about something totally different, that tiny misconception could block your channel’s growth.

Fortunately, a new panel within the YouTube Studio can help. To see if you and your audience are on the same page about the content you create, just keep reading.

YouTube’s ‘Audience Watched’ Panel Is a Data Goldmine

Most likely, your audience watches a wide variety of YouTube videos within your niche. To get a glimpse of what that content is - and whether that proves you have a clear, concise channel by comparison - make your way to YouTube’s new audience panel:

From most YouTube desktop screens, click your profile image in the top right corner and go to the YouTube Studio.

You should arrive at the main analytics screen. In the uppermost menu, click on the ‘Audience’ tab.

About a third of the way down the screen, probably on the right side, you’ll see a panel called ‘Other videos your audience watched’.

You’ll know you’ve reached the panel when you see something that looks like this:

Or, if you need some extra guidance and would rather hear and see the instructions in real-time, watch our video tutorial:

Not Seeing Any Audience Data? Here’s Why

While some of you may see the ‘audience watched’ panel above, a lot of you might not because of a lack of data.

There are a few reasons why no data is appearing in this panel. It might be because you're violating YouTube’s Community Guidelines or your content is made for kids, which means YouTube won’t collect any audience information. But most likely, it’s because you don't have enough data on your YouTube channel.

To get a more scientific reason for this issue, we went to our beloved vidIQ community to see what their ‘audience watched’ panels look like. 

After creating a poll on our Community Tab, we discovered that 13% of creators in our community found the panel and could see some data. Unfortunately, another 18% could see the panel but no data. And much worse, 14% said they couldn't see the panel at all. The remaining 55% chose a throwaway option, which said, "I’m going to vote here to spoil your data." I guess we walked right into that one, but still, it kind of hurt. We laughed it off in the end. Sort of.

This poll tells us less than half of our typical vidIQ audience is able to see this panel (with data). Our typical audience includes channels under 1,000 subscribers, less than 4,000 hours of Watch Time, and any channel working toward YouTube monetization. 

So that could be a reason some channels (or yours) have zero data. You might need to increase your channel’s Watch Time so YouTube has enough data to work with.

If You Have Zero Audience Watched Data, Use This vidIQ Tool Instead

If you aren't getting any data from the ‘audience watched’ panel, vidIQ has an alternative. As long as you have vidIQ installed, follow this path to get the data you need:

In your YouTube Studio homepage, go to the left menu and click ‘Channel Audit’.

On the next screen, you should see a huge report card on your channel. Scroll down, look to the right, and find a section called ‘Top Suggested’:

Free users can see this section, but paid users can click on it and get a full list of videos. This is essentially what YouTube’s ‘audience watched’ tool would have shown you.

How to Use the 'Other Videos Your Audience Watched' Panel

OK, back to the YouTube audience tool itself. This panel shows you what your audience watched on YouTube over the last seven days. At the time of writing, it shows you 15 videos split into three pages, and you can click on either the video title or the channel’s name to view the content. These videos aren’t sorted by age, the number of views, or channel size, but it’s worth looking through all of them if you can.

Now, here comes the real question: Why is this so important? The basic premise is that the content your audience watches on other channels should be the content they enjoy watching on your channel. That’s how YouTube encourages you to use this tool. You can use it to find new video topics, title and thumbnail ideas, and collaboration opportunities.

And here’s the most important thing to know: 

No matter what you, the creator, think your channel is about, your audience thinks it’s about the topic in your 'audience watched' panel.

How to Research ‘Audience Watched’ YouTube Data

OK, let’s do an experiment using the vidIQ channel. In our ‘audience watched' panel, we should see a list of videos that reflect our target audience.

How to Get Your First 1,000 Subscribers on YouTube in 2020

How to Stop Haters, Trolls, and Spammers on YouTube

How to Color Grade in Adobe Premiere Pro for Beginners

How to Get 100 Subscribers on YouTube Every Day

Dream & MrBeast Gaming Speedrunning 10 Million Subscribers Live 

It's great to see our friends at Think Media on the list. And YouTube is right on the money with a video about how to get your first 1,000 subscribers in 2020. That's the type of content we make, no doubt. 

Nick Nimmin is also on the list with a video about haters, trolls, and spammers. We recently did a video on 

Interestingly, there’s a video about color grading in Adobe Premiere Pro, a video editor. That's something we don't cover on the vidIQ channel, so YouTube doesn't always get it right when it comes to mixed audiences. And finally, another video we're happy to be connected with is fourth on the list: How to get 100 subscribers on YouTube.

But the next two are subscriber battles, which is cause for concern. We’ve tested the topic on the vidIQ channel with great success, gaining tons of subscribers from each video. However, they aren't necessarily what we cover every single day. Instead, we're about YouTube education and growth.

If YouTube suggests this content to our audience, they may be left a little disappointed. Everything else on the list looks pretty good, though. If anything, this panel confirms we should do more videos about how to get a certain number of subscribers, how to grow your channel, how to get 100 subscribers every day, and how to get more views.

Can you see the value of this panel and its data? We've been able to learn so much about our YouTube channel in two minutes.

How to Track YouTube Channels That Share Your Audience

With the new ‘audience watched’ panel, YouTube empowers creators to research the targeted and mixed audiences on their channel. But, guess what? vidIQ has a tool to help you track the audiences you share with other creators.

As mentioned earlier, you can click on any of the videos in this audience watch panel to jump straight to the watch page for that video. Well, you can also do this from our channel audit tool. Once you’re on the watch page, next to the likes and dislikes, you'll see a vidIQ button that looks like this:

Next, click the button to reveal an ‘Add competitor’ menu option. Once you select that, you can add the channel of the video you’re currently watching to your competitor list. That allows you to track their most successful videos via views per hour.

If you share an audience as YouTube already suggests, it's likely you can make similar content. It's more likely to be suggested by YouTube and most importantly, watched and enjoyed by more viewers within that audience.

So, what does your audience think your YouTube channel is about? If you’re not sure, all you have to do is follow the data.

If you're new to vidIQ, our creator-obsessed goal is to educate you on your YouTube journey. We help you 

 and create an outstanding career on YouTube, one you can be proud of. For competitor research tools, video analysis, and helpful channel audits, 

And if you’re really serious about growing your YouTube views and subscribers, sign up for exclusive access to the 

 and learn how to launch a successful YouTube Channel in just 30 days.

Laptop screen showing YouTube logo, pie chart, and bar graph with growth arrow.

YouTube recently released a new audience data tool. If you’re not sure who your audience is or how they behave, let’s explore all the ways it could get you more views.

How to Get More Views from YouTube’s Audience Data Tool

To say 2020 has been weird is an understatement! So as we round off the year and head into the final quarter of 2020, what should we focus on as YouTube creators?

While it's easy to be despondent, you can easily double-down on the skills you have and still finish this year on a high note! In this episode of TubeTalk, we're joined by YouTube mastermind Benji Travis. As one of the guys behind the influential 

, he knows a thing or two about YouTube success! In this episode you will learn:

Important lessons for creators from the 2008 recession

That you have skills that businesses need

Want to Know the Five Big Mistakes YouTubers Make?

Benji has joined us before on TubeTalk to talk about the top five mistakes YouTube creators often make. These mistakes can often block their path to success. 

TubeTalk has been the #1 podcast for video creators and marketers since 2014. It's one of the most respected and listened to podcasts in the online video industry, so don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to TubeTalk on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode!

You can also find the complete list of all the 

Smiling man in gray polo shirt with TubeTalk blue and white logo on left side background

2020 has been a very challenging year, but YouTube creators can still end the year on a successful note. Find out how in this episode of TubeTalk.

What YouTube Creators Need to Focus on for the Rest of 2020

Convincing viewers to subscribe to your YouTube channel may be the hardest thing you’ll ever do. It takes time and effort to create unwavering loyalty among viewers, so of course, no one gains millions of subscribers overnight. 

In fact, before that happens, you may ask viewers to ‘like, comment, and subscribe’ hundreds of times.

But once you get the number you’re looking for - several hundred, a thousand, or even hundreds of thousands - that’s going to feel amazing. All the hard work of starting a channel, sticking to a niche, and uploading consistently will finally be justified.

And guess what? Nothing will bring you down - not the army of bots spamming your videos with sub4sub comments, not even the discrepancy between 

. Nothing will steal your joy except maybe, quite possibly, seeing a number like this on your channel analytics dashboard:

By the way, that’s how many subscribers our YouTube channel, 

, has lost since joining the platform: 349,032.

But why does this happen? How can any creator lose so many subscribers on a free platform?

If you’re experiencing the same thing, don’t worry. 

The relationship between creators and viewers is just like any other. It goes through changes, seasons of uncertainty, and sometimes it ends altogether. To prepare yourself for the impact of losing fans, watch our “Why Am I Losing Subscribers” video on YouTube:

As long as you’re gaining more subscribers than you’re losing, that’s a win. But if you need more proof, here are six reasons why all YouTube creators lose subscribers at some point:

7 Reasons Why Your YouTube Channel is Losing Views (And How To Fix It)

Are you slowly losing subscribers on your YouTube channel? Here’s why.

Your In-Depth Guide to Building a Successful YouTube Channel

How to Get 500 Subscribers on YouTube & Unlock Fan Funding | vidIQ

YouTube Shorts: The Ultimate Guide

How to Get More Views from YouTube’s Audience Data Tool

What YouTube Creators Need to Focus on for the Rest of 2020

6 Honest Reasons You Might Be Losing YouTube Subscribers

How to Blur Anything You Need to in Your YouTube Video

What Happens When You Publish a YouTube Video? [Timelapse]

How To Get More Views as a Small YouTube Channel

Virtual Halloween 2020: Top Keywords on YouTube

Career Goals: Make Money Drinking Boozy Beverages on YouTube

How to Find the Right Time to Publish on YouTube

What is Cottagecore and Why is it Taking Over Social Video?

How Creators Can Get More Views With YouTube Shorts