How to Grow Your YouTube Subscribers and Views
You shoot videos. You edit all night. You make thumbnails. But your channel has 100 views and 3 subscribers. Two of them are your mom and your ex.
Sound familiar?
The problem isn't that you're bad at shooting. Most likely, your content is fine. The problem is that YouTube doesn't know who to show it to. Or it knows, but chooses other channels.
The YouTube algorithm is not an enemy. It's just a program that looks for videos that people watch to the end and return to. It's not against you. It's for viewer attention.
In this article, you'll find 12 methods that genuinely increase subscribers and views. No artificial boosting. No "secret techniques." No promises of a million in a week.
Why YouTube Isn't Showing Your Videos
You might think: "The algorithm banned me, YouTube doesn't like me." No. YouTube wants viewers to watch for as long as possible. If your videos aren't being watched, the algorithm found others that are.
Here's what's actually happening.
You publish a video. The algorithm shows it to 100–1000 subscribers (a test pool). It looks at two metrics: click-through rate (do people click on the thumbnail and title) and retention (do they watch to the end, do they watch the middle).
If the click-through rate is low, the algorithm will decide the topic isn't interesting. If retention is low, it will decide the video is boring. If both metrics are high, the video flies into recommendations for thousands and millions of viewers.
There's no "dislike" here. There's mathematics.
Method 1. Thumbnails and Titles That Compel Clicks
Before a viewer sees your talent, they'll see your thumbnail and title. In 0.5 seconds. If they don't grab attention, they won't click. Talent is irrelevant.
The title should evoke curiosity but not deceive. The difference between "clickbait without lies" and "scam clickbait" is in the details.
Bad title (scam clickbait). "I'm shocked by the result!", "Banks are silent about this", "Do this and get rich".
Good title (clickbait without lies). "I tried ChatGPT for code and here's what happened", "Why aren't my videos getting views? YouTube Algorithm 2025", "3 habits that destroy your productivity".
A title is a promise. A thumbnail is a poster. The thumbnail should make it clear what the video is about, even if all text is removed. A close-up of a face (with emotion). Contrasting colors (yellow, red). 3–5 words that complement the title.
The best metric for titles and thumbnails is CTR (Click-Through Rate). Check YouTube Studio: if CTR is below 5–7% – it's bad. Below 3% – change it immediately. You can change the title and thumbnail even after publication. YouTube provides this option.
Method 2. The First 30 Seconds Decide Everything
The viewer clicked on the video. If the first 30 seconds are boring, they'll leave. Without reaching your brilliant explanation in the middle.
Structure of the first 30 seconds. Hook (0–5 seconds): a question, intrigue, unexpected action. Value promise (5–15 seconds): "In this video, I'll show 3 ways to...". Proof (15–30 seconds): why you should be believed (screenshots of results, examples, reference to previous videos).
What not to do at the beginning. "Hello, my name is..." – the viewer left. "Today I will talk about..." – boring. "Subscribe and like" – no one will subscribe if they haven't seen value. Forget about this until the end of the video.
Method 3. Mid-Video Retention: How to Keep Them Watching
The viewer stayed after 30 seconds. Now the task is to keep them for 5–15 minutes. The secret is simple: you need something new every 30–60 seconds.
Change the shot, insert B-roll (additional footage), show screenshots, add text to the screen, change your intonation, make unexpected transitions.
Mid-video retention triggers. "I'll say the most important thing in 2 minutes, don't leave." "And now I'll show you something you didn't expect." Ask the viewer questions: "What do you think happened next?". Add bonuses: "Stay until the end – I'll give you a link to a free template."
Look at the retention graph in YouTube Studio (Analytics → Engagement → Audience retention). The ideal is a smooth curve with small dips. If there's a sharp drop at the 2-minute mark, that segment needs to be cut or re-shot.
Method 4. Upload Time Works for You
YouTube loves it when viewers watch videos completely and return to the channel.
What this means in practice. A long video (20–40 minutes) has a better chance of high overall watch time than a short one (5–10 minutes). But a long video must be interesting the entire time. If you can't hold attention for 20 minutes, shoot 10.
A stable schedule is more important than frequency. Better one video a week on Sundays than 3 videos on chaotic days. Subscribers get used to it and wait.
Method 5. The Link Between Shorts and Long Videos
Shorts are the entrance door to the channel. Long videos are the house. Without a door, you can't enter the house. Without a house, the door leads to emptiness.
Shorts easily gain views, but they rarely convert into subscribers for long videos. You need a link.
How it works. You shoot a 15-minute long video. You cut 3–5 Shorts from it, 30–60 seconds each – the brightest moments, life hacks, intriguing fragments. At the end of the Shorts, you say: "Full video on the channel, link in description." In the Shorts description, you put a link to the long video.
Numbers. A channel with 1000 subscribers and 10 Shorts per month gets +5–10 subscribers per week for long videos. A channel without Shorts gets +1–2.
Method 6. Playlists Increase Watch Time by 2–3 Times
A viewer finished one video. What do they do? 80% leave. 20% move on to the next if offered.
A playlist is an automatic transition. You created a playlist "How to Start Streaming on Twitch: A Complete Guide," and put 5 videos in it. The viewer watches the first – at the end, the second pops up. And so on for all 5. Watch time grows like a snowball.
How to design playlists. Create a thumbnail for the playlist that is clear at first glance. Don't call it "My Videos," but "How to Cut Clips for TikTok from Scratch." Add the playlist as an end screen card to each video.
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