As a Google property, YouTube brings increased exposure for your brand, not only in YouTube searches, but searches on Google itself. Additionally, statistics show that images and videos are more engaging for social media visitors, so utilizing your YouTube videos is also a strength. But how do you build your audience on YouTube, in the form of subscribers?

What exactly is a YouTube Subscriber?

When someone decides to “follow” your YouTube channel, in order to stay updated with your latest content, they become a subscriber. Not only does a subscriber get notifications when you create a new video, but they are also much more likely to comment and share your visdeos with others. Subscribers today become brand advocates tomorrow!

Visitors only become subcribers (and hopefully advocates) when you are successfully creating consistent, valuable and provocative content on your channel. Just like any other content stream, you should be creating regular videos on your channel. These videos should provide value to your viewers, in a way that provokes thought, either in an entertaining, intellectual, but most importantly, interesting manner.

So how do you get subscribers?

Create Annotations on Your Video

This is a potenitally dangerous and annoying method, so use this one sparingly. An annotation is like a sticky note right on your video. You can either create a “speech bubble” annotation right under your subscribe button, and/or a “spotlight” annotation linking directly to your channel subscribe page.

Placing these strategically in your video can make a huge impact on your subscribership. Use them too much, and you’ll just annoy your viewers.

Featured Channels

YouTube has an optional “Featured” tab that allows you to Featured other channels that you believe might be of interest to your visitors. Just as you can support other channels, you should ask relevant and influential like-minded channels to Feature your channel in their tab. This is a good way to create reciprocal linking, but in a way that is helpful to your brand. You can find more information on this in YouTube’s help section.

It Never Hurts to ask

It seems like a simple answer, but do you ask your viewers to subscribe? Ask in your description, ask in your video, and heck, even ask at the end of the video. Create an easy to understand call to action showing them what to do, how to do it, and why.

Be an Active Community Member

Beyond your own YouTube channel, you should consider your interactions on YouTube. Comment, like and subscribe to other content creators. Build support and camaraderie and seek opportunities to provide feedback and share.

Add a link, button or widget to your YouTube channel from your Blog

Why stop on the YouTube channel? Putting a widget, feed or even embedding YouTube into your blog, website or social media channels is a great way to funnel subscribers to your brand on YouTube. And it’s very easy to add.

A new feature was recently added that allows you to add a small graphic above your embedded videos on your blog that allow viewers to subscribe, so people don’t have to leave your blog to subscribe.

YouTube is more than just a place to host your videos. It is a vibrant community, just like other social network communities. And the more you put in and interact, the more you will get out of it, for improved visibility for your brand, and for your business.