The YouTube monetization rules have been changed. Now you only need 500 subscribers to get eligible for the YouTube Partner Program. Previously, it was 1000 subscribers. Since the monetization rules have been changed for good, helping more creators earn from Ad revenue. You must stay ahead of the competition.
In the blog, we’ll provide you with tips to quickly gain 500 YouTube subscribers. Discuss the monetization program, how it will impact, and provide some guidance on what mistakes to avoid when aiming for 500 YouTube subscribers.
Tips to Reach 500 YouTube Subscribers
Either you are starting from the start, or you must have gained some subscribers. The tips are beneficial at every stage of a YouTuber’s journey. Even if you have more than 500 YouTube subscribers, you can use most of these tips to aim for 1000 YouTube subscribers or 10K YouTube subscribers.
1) Stick to Niche
Most YouTubers start uploading content, and eventually, they figure out what they are interested in. This method is effective, but we need to quickly determine which niche to focus on, as the competition on YouTube is increasing.
Have a predefined idea about your niche. Take as much time as you need, but determine your niche and then begin uploading. Suppose you have a clear understanding of your niche. In that case, you can generate ideas quickly, such as identifying topics to research, focusing on relevant skills, analysing key competitors, and targeting the right audience.
Also note that some niche generates more money than others. For example, a business niche provides more Ad revenue than a lifestyle niche. Because the advertisers are willing to pay more in this niche.
2) Tell People You Have a Channel
Shout out to every person passing by and distribute pamphlets. Sorry! Kidding, you don’t have to do that. Just tell your friends and family. Start with people close to you and gradually expand the circle. For example, if you are a student, tell your friends and then the whole school/college, including teachers, professors, and staff. You might feel shy, but trust me, it doesn’t bother you once you see the growth in subscriber count.
Utilize social media to promote your YouTube channel. This will create momentum, and soon you will get 500 YouTube subscribers. When users see that you produce high-quality videos and have a low subscriber count, they are more likely to subscribe to your channel.
The momentum from friends and family will suggest to the algorithm that the content is valuable, and it will get recommended to more audiences.
3) High-Quality Content Only
When you start your YouTube journey, focus more on quality rather than the number of contents you publish. Even if you are aiming for 500 YouTube subscribers, your audience will subscribe to you if they see value in your content.
Producing high-quality content will help you build an audience. High quality doesn’t mean you have to create the next Marvel movie. The video needs to have a proper script and structure.
Add video chapters, properly place information cards, and include end screens. Give a professional outlook with proper descriptions, no misleading thumbnails and titles, a well-formed call to action, and a hook within 30 seconds.
4) Optimization of the Channel
By optimizing the channel, the content appears in search engine results, YouTube search results, and YouTube recommendations. Basically, optimization is a part of the SEO process that increases the discoverability of content.
Optimization includes updating profile pictures, banner images, a cohesive theme, keywords in titles, thumbnails, descriptions, tags, hashtags, and chapter names.
Utilizing end screens, adding infographics, conducting YouTube video promotions, social media promotions, and newsletter promotions. Utilize YouTube features to optimize your content for the target audience. You can utilize features such as YouTube A/B thumbnail and title testing to determine what your audience prefers.
5) Consistency
It happens, you will feel demotivated when you don’t see growth in subscribers. But every top YouTuber felt the same way. An example I often mention is the STORROR channel. It took them 8 years to reach one million subscribers, but the next one million came within a year. Their growth accelerated within a year. Currently, they have over 10 million subscribers.
That’s why consistency is important for a YouTuber, even if they are aiming for 500 YouTube subscribers.
6) Engage with Audience
Even if you have one subscriber, make high-quality videos for them. Tell viewers to subscribe by giving a genuine reason. When you are just starting out. One privilege you have is the ability to like and reply to comments. Since the number of comments is few. You can engage with each comment. Give them heart and reply to their comment.
By doing this, you engage with the audience on a personal level and form a strong connection with them. You can encourage viewers to comment by asking questions. You can start a YouTube giveaway to increase your engagement.
Once you build a community, you can earn from superchats, merchandise, superthanks, and channel memberships. You will not have to depend on ad monetization or brand deals.
Read about: YouTube Voice Reply, creators can reply to comments using voice notes.
7) YouTube Shorts for Exposure
You must have seen that short-form videos are popular on every platform. YouTube Shorts is one such way to gain exposure and attract an audience. In the new monetization update, in addition to 500 subs on YouTube, you also need 3 million Shorts views within 90 days.
The Shorts are engaging, shareable, and quick to edit. You can use Shorts to bring viewers to long-form content. The Shorts are a great way to showcase your creativity to the audience.
Compared to long-form content, Short gets quick exposure. Also, YouTube is pushing for Shorts monetization. You can use Shorts to reach broader audiences, helping you achieve 500 YouTube subscribers and ad revenue.
8) Collaboration
You can collaborate with someone in your niche and divert some of their viewers to your channel. For example, Marques Brownlee has over 20 million subscribers and operates four additional channels. He is not a direct part or face.
The popularity of Marques Brownlee helped his other channel grow quickly. Just by appearing a few times, he has diverted many viewers to associated channels. You can use the same technique and collaborate with someone in your niche who has subscribers close to you.
There is no bar to approaching YouTubers. If you can collaborate with MrBeast, then why not?
Expanded YouTube Partner Program
To be eligible for the YouTube Partner Program, you must have 1,000 subscribers, 4,000 watch hours on public content within the past 12 months, and 10 million Shorts views in the past 90 days.
However, YouTube has expanded the YouTube Partner Program to more creators. The creators can gain early access to fan funding features if they meet the following requirements: 500 subs on YouTube, 3,000 watch hours in the past 12 months, 3 public uploads in the last 90 days, and 3 million Shorts views in the past 90 days.
Once creators achieve this early YPP milestone, they get access to SuperChat, SuperStickers, Channel Membership, YouTube Shopping, and Super Thanks.
Although not direct Ad monetization, creators can create revenue using these features.
Things to Avoid For Early YouTube Monetization
You might think reaching 500 subs on YouTube is easy, but it can get difficult if you make these mistakes, and if these mistakes are repeated, you might struggle to get back on track. Here are common mistakes to avoid:
Fake or Bot Engagement: You may fall into the trap of acquiring views or subscribers in a certain quantity. However, these service providers may provide you with Bot subscribers. We have been in this business for a long time, and we understand that it’s challenging to deliver genuine engagement.
Even our customers sometimes doubt that we provide them with Bot views, but once we deliver results, they are convinced the strategy provides genuine engagement.
Being Non-Consistent: The YouTube algorithm pushes active channels. If the algorithm doesn’t see you, it might not recommend it to a broader audience. Try to post at least every two weeks. If you make long-form videos that are more than half an hour long. Try posting once a month. And prepare your audience to see content every month.
Not Analyzing Analytics: Many YouTube gurus can give you tons of hacks and tricks. But it all comes down to understanding what works for your channel.
The only way to understand your audience is YouTube Studio Analytics. Make your content strategy based on your channel statistics. You can implement the tips and techniques we mentioned above, but the core idea should be based on your own data.
Conclusion
The benefits of 500 subscribers on YouTube are that you get early access to YouTube Fan Funding. For extended monetization, you need 500 YouTube subscribers, 3,000 watch hours on public videos, and 3 million Shorts views. In the blog, we provided you with tips that can help you achieve this. Additionally, the blog provided you with overviews on what mistakes to avoid. The extended program made monetization possible for more creators. So hop & start your YouTube journey.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What happens if you get the first 500 subscribers on YouTube?
When you get 500 YouTube subscribers, aim for 3000 watch hours and 3 million Shorts views. You will unlock features such as channel memberships, SuperChats, and SuperStickers.
Q2. How can I get 500 subscribers on YouTube?
To get 500 YouTube subscribers:
- Create high-quality video for your niche audience.
- Discover YouTube features, including Studio Analytics.
- Use SEO technquies.
- Promote your YouTube videos.
- Be consistent.
Q3. How can I earn money from YouTube Shorts with 500 subscribers?
Achieving the YouTube 500-subscribers reward in unlocking fan funding features with 500 YouTube subscribers, 3 million Shorts views, in 90 days, and 3000 watch hours. Not a direct ad monetization, but you can earn from fan donations.
Q4. What happens when you hit 1000 subscribers on YouTube?
When you hit 1000 subscribers, you are partially eligible for the YouTube Partner Program. Apart from subs, you need 4000 public watch hours in 12 months and 10 million Shorts views within 90 days.