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YouTube Subscribe Button: Why It’s Important & How It Works

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YouTube has become a popular secondary outlet for many bloggers, and it’s a platform that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Since most of the current generation frequents YouTube often, it is a great way to gain additional followers and drive traffic to your main website.

Getting subscribers can be difficult if you don’t know where to begin, but luckily if you already have a blog or a website, YouTube offers a couple of tools to allow your readers to easily subscribe to your channel.

Today we’ll discuss one of those tools – the YouTube subscribe button.

What is a YouTube Subscribe Button?

The YouTube subscribe button allows people to follow their favorite content creators.

When someone subscribes to a YouTube channel, they will not miss any of that creator’s latest videos.

Subscribers are alerted of new content through emails or alerts.

If you’re a content creator or just someone looking for new content, the YouTube subscribe button can help.

When a subscriber clicks the channel’s subscription button, it adds that channel to the ‘Subscriptions’ tab of the user’s YouTube homepage.

This feature allows fans to navigate to their favorite page quickly instead of using the search tool.

What Is the Purpose of the YouTube Subscribe Button?

Simply put, the purpose of the YouTube subscribe button is to link a content creator’s channel to the subscriber’s home page.

It provides easy access to the creator’s page.

Additionally, the YouTube subscribe button sends content alerts to subscribers through emails and notifications.

These alerts eliminate the hassle of signing up for mailing lists or keeping track of new content.

How Does the Subscribe Button on YouTube Work?

The YouTube subscribe button can go anywhere with embedded JavaScript, like personal websites.

YouTube subscribe links are also available for social media sites and messaging services.

When a content creator adds the subscribe button to a video, they embed it.

It is common to see a call for fans to click the YouTube subscribe button at the beginning of the video.

But it is also usually placed towards the end as a reminder.

What Is the Benefit of a Subscribe Button on YouTube?

It is beneficial to add a subscribe button to every video.

The button makes it easy for fans to follow a content creator’s videos.

YouTube has a simple process for content creators to add the button to every video through the ‘Customize Channel’ button.

Why Having a YouTube Subscribe Buttons Is Important

YouTubers ask people to subscribe to their channel to get identified by the server’s algorithm.

The algorithm then recommends these channels and videos to people.

Subscribers ensure a creator’s video receives likes and comments.

Likes and comments move a content creator’s videos higher up the YouTube algorithm.

Creators with large numbers of subscribers, likes, and comments are more likely to receive monetary contributions for their video uploads.

1. The Viewing Benefits of Having a YouTube Subscribe Button

It’s simple. With more subscribers come more views.

Viewers don’t commonly land on a creator’s homepage when viewing videos.

Often, they search for a topic.

Based on where that video lands in the algorithm, a creator’s content will appear in the viewer’s search.

Creators catch subscribers by adding the button in their videos.

Embedding the subscribe button provides a seamless experience for the viewer.

They can subscribe to a channel and continue navigating through their YouTube experience.

2. The Financial Benefits of Having a YouTube Subscribe Button

YouTube does not pay content creators for subscribers.

However, they do pay through views. Subscribers are guaranteed views.

They comment on and share videos more often than non-subscribers.

So, although YouTube does not pay for subscribers, they are essential to monetization.

Including a subscribe button in every video increases the possibility for more views, likes, and shares.

3. The Benefits of Subscribing to a YouTube Channel

Subscribers benefit from hitting subscribe by getting alerts from their favorite channels.

When someone subscribes, they stay up to date.

Additionally, subscribers then receive content that fits their needs.

They also gain access to a community with similar viewpoints.

Subscribing to a YouTube channel increases the odds that a viewer has a pleasurable experience.

How To Make Your Own YouTube Subscribe Button

illustration showing a hand holding a mobile phone with a youtube subscribe button popping out of it

There are several premade YouTube subscribe buttons available online.

It’s all just a matter of what suits your needs.

There are pre-coded animated YouTube subscribe buttons.

These are HTML codes easily placed on websites.

The same code can also embed into any YouTube video.

Websites with videos like blogs and vlogs benefit from easy access to a YouTube subscribe button from the page itself.

Adding to a website requires embedding code into the site

Utilizing a premade YouTube button is easy.

Find the subscribe button you like, copy its code, then insert it into your website.

Here are the best methods to make your own.

Create a YouTube Subscribe Text Link

The first way to collect subscribers is through a simple text link. You can include a link within your post text, or create a custom image for your sidebar that matches your blog design.

To add a text link, copy the code below and replace the text with your own link text, and username with your own YouTube channel name:

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/YOURCHANNELNAME?sub_confirmation=1">Subscribe to my channel!</a>

This code will create a link like this: Subscribe to my channel! 

Any user who is not currently subscribed to you will see a popup over your YouTube page asking them to confirm their subscription.

Create a YouTube Subscribe Image Link

To use your own image instead of text, use the code below, replacing the username with your own channel name, and the image URL with the URL of your hosted image.

Hint: upload it to a place like Photobucket.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/YOURCHANNELNAME?sub_confirmation=1"><img src="http://YOURIMAGEURL.com/IMAGE.jpg" alt="Subscribe"></a>

Create a YouTube Subscribe Button with Counter

YouTube also offers a button you can place on your site or sidebar as well which can display your subscriber count.

Go to the YouTube Developer page here.

You will see a variety of button types to choose from and a form to input your own channel information.

Configure the button however you like and copy the generated code. You can then add this code to your sidebar by creating an HTML/Javascript widget in Blogger or Text widget in WordPress and pasting it there.

<div class="g-ytsubscribe" style="text-align: center;" data-channel="TheBlogBeautician" data-layout="full" data-count="default">&nbsp;</div>

If you’d like to center it, just wrap the code in <center> elements like so:

<div class="g-ytsubscribe" style="text-align: center;" data-channel="TheBlogBeautician" data-layout="full" data-count="default">&nbsp;</div>

Now you have an easy way for your readers to subscribe to your channel!

How To Add a YouTube Subscribe Button to Your Videos

YouTube makes the process of adding subscribe buttons to videos simple.

  • Go to the YouTube homepage and log into your account.
  • Click on the ‘Customize Channel’ button from your channel’s page.
  • Select ‘Customization’ on the left-hand side of your ‘YouTube Studios’ page.
  • Select ‘Branding’ from the ‘Customization’ page.
  • Click on ‘Upload’ from the ‘Video Watermark’ option on this page.
  • Select the ‘Subscribe’ image and click the ‘Upload’ option.
  • Finally, click ‘Publish’ in the top right corner of the page.

How To Show Your Channel Name and Logo in Your Subscribe Button

YouTube allows for customized subscribe buttons.

They also provide a way to embed unique subscription buttons directly into websites.

Created HTML embedded codes are accessible for anyone looking to show their channel name and logo in their subscribe button.

Simply copying the code and replacing some text with your channel ID will automatically create a custom YouTube subscribe button.

Changing the data layout also makes a custom name and logo with either a full or default presentation.

How To Add YouTube Subscribe Button in WordPress

Adding a subscribe button in WordPress may sound intimidating, but it is actually simple.

  • First, configure your YouTube subscription button from the Google Developers page.
  • Under options, type in your channel’s name or ID, then select the layout, theme, and subscriber count.
  • Select the ‘Preview’ button and make sure you like the design.
  • Copy the HTML code from the bottom of the page.
  • Paste that code into the desired location of your website.
    That’s it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions by content creators considering using the YouTube subscribe button in their videos.

vector graphic showing an illustration of the starting a youtube channel process

Do subscribers give YouTuber creators money?

As mentioned before, subscribers do not give YouTube creators money.

However, YouTube pays for views, and subscribers are guaranteed views.

Subscribers also provide likes and shares.

These elements increase the odds that the YouTube algorithm places your video at the top of its search results, providing more views that will bring monetization possibilities.

What happens if you don’t get 1,000 subscribers on YouTube?

YouTube requires some benchmarks before paying out for views.

These benchmarks are 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in 365 days.

A misconception is that if a channel doesn’t reach 1,000 subscribers in the first year, it is not eligible for monetization.

This misconception is false.

YouTube determines eligibility based on the past 365 days.

Therefore, a channel taking more than a calendar year to reach 1,000 subscribers is eligible for monetization the same as any other, regardless of when this goal occurs.

Wrapping Up

Understanding why the YouTube subscribe button is important and how it works ensures the opportunity for more views and monetization of your YouTube channel.

Embedding a subscribe button into your videos and placing it on your website will improve your visibility and raise your videos and their placement higher in the YouTube algorithm.

Did I leave anything out?

Comment below with any questions regarding the YouTube subscribe button or any other online queries.

Happy creating!

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