4 HIDDEN YouTube Features That Will DOUBLE Your Subscribers

Summary

This video script reveals four YouTube features creators often overlook to boost subscriber count. It details how optimizing video retention, using a special URL to prompt subscriptions, strategically asking viewers to subscribe, and linking long-form content to YouTube Shorts can significantly increase engagement and viewership. The speaker shares tested strategies and psychological tricks that have doubled subscriber growth, emphasizing the importance of providing value before asking for commitments.

Takeaways

• 🔍 **Retention Optimization**: Utilize YouTube's 'Trim and Edit' tool to remove dull parts of videos, improving audience retention and making your channel more attractive to subscribers.
• 🔗 **URL Subscription Prompt**: Add a special code to your channel URL to prompt visitors to subscribe, leveraging choice architecture to increase the likelihood of subscription.
• 🗣️ **Strategic Subscription Asks**: Timing is crucial when asking viewers to subscribe; provide substantial value first, then make the request, tying it to the value provided to logically persuade viewers to subscribe.
• 📹 **Leveraging YouTube Shorts**: Use the 'related link' feature in YouTube Shorts to connect them with longer videos, converting 'fast-food subscribers' from shorts into more engaged, long-form viewers.
• 📈 **Viewer Retention Analysis**: Analyze viewer retention graphs to identify and edit out parts of your videos where viewers lose interest, which can lead to higher audience satisfaction and channel growth.
• 🎞️ **Video Editing for Engagement**: Edit your videos to ensure they start strong and maintain interest, as a video's initial segments significantly influence whether viewers continue watching.
• 🔗 **URL Manipulation for Engagement**: Manipulate your channel URL to include a prompt for new visitors to subscribe, making the subscription action more accessible and visible.
• 📊 **Data-Driven Content Improvement**: Use data from your video's performance to make informed decisions about content improvement, focusing on areas that need enhancement to better engage your audience.
• 📲 **Mobile-First Strategy**: Consider the mobile viewing experience when creating and editing videos, as many viewers consume content on mobile devices, and ensure your call to actions are mobile-friendly.
• 🌟 **Value-Driven CTAs**: Craft your calls to action (CTAs) around the value you've provided in your content, making the ask more relevant and appealing to viewers who have already gained something from your video.

Q & A

What is the main claim of the video regarding YouTube subscribers?

The video claims that it's possible to double your YouTube subscribers in about 5 minutes without creating a new video by utilizing certain overlooked features on the platform.

What is the first feature discussed in the video that can help improve subscriber retention?

The first feature is the 'trim and edit' tool in YouTube Creator Studio, which allows creators to remove boring parts of their videos to improve audience retention.

How does the video suggest using the 'trim and edit' tool to optimize videos?

The video suggests using the 'trim and edit' tool to surgically remove parts of the video that correspond to dips in the audience retention graph, thereby making the video more engaging and improving subscriber retention.

What is the psychological trick mentioned in the video that can double subscriber gains?

The psychological trick is asking viewers to subscribe to the channel at a point in the video where they have already received value, thus making the request more likely to be accepted.

How does the video recommend timing the request for viewers to subscribe?

The video recommends waiting until at least halfway through the video to ask for a subscription, ensuring that the viewer has received substantial value before making the request.

What is the term used in the video to describe subscribers gained from YouTube shorts?

The term used to describe subscribers gained from YouTube shorts is 'fast food subscribers,' implying they are easily acquired but may not be as engaged as other subscribers.

How can YouTube shorts be used to convert 'fast food subscribers' into more engaged viewers?

The video suggests linking long-form videos directly to YouTube shorts, allowing viewers who enjoy the short content to easily transition to more in-depth content and become more engaged.

What is the special piece of code that the video mentions can be added to a channel URL to prompt subscription?

The special piece of code is '?sub_confirmation=1', which when added to the end of a channel URL, immediately prompts viewers to subscribe when they click the link.

What is 'Choice architecture' as mentioned in the video, and how does it relate to YouTube?

'Choice architecture' refers to the idea that people are more likely to take action when presented with a clear and easy option. In the context of YouTube, it's used to explain how prompting viewers to subscribe or like a video can increase the likelihood of them doing so.

How does the video suggest leveraging the power of YouTube shorts to grow a channel?

The video suggests leveraging the high reach of YouTube shorts by linking them to longer videos, thus converting viewers who are drawn to the shorts into subscribers of the longer content.

What is the new strategy mentioned at the end of the video for channels to get millions of views?

The new strategy hinted at the end of the video involves channels with zero subscribers getting significant views on their first video, suggesting a focus on content discovery and optimization rather than just subscriber count.