10 Tips to Reach 1,000 Subscribers on YouTube and Monetize
Grow your YouTube channel and hit 1,000 subscribers. These 10 proven strategies will help boost visibility and unlock monetization tools.
The 1,000 subscriber milestone is a tough feat for anyone, even rookie content creators, to achieve. To make money or grow an audience for your passion, focus on strategy. Consistency leads to an increase in your subscribers.
Here are 10 powerful, proven tips to help you grow your YouTube channel and reach 1,000 subscribers.
You’ll be making money from your channel with YouTube Merch Shelf in no time.
1. Find a Niche You’re Passionate About
One of the biggest mistakes new YouTubers make? Trying to do everything and anything and hoping something sticks.
The quickest way to grow is to focus on one niche. This niche should solve a problem, entertain a group, or educate an audience.
But most importantly, it needs to be a fun content-making experience!
Tonni Art and Craft is a DIY crafting channel that specializes in personality-driven paper crafts. She has generated millions of YouTube subscribers by creating content that resonates with a wider audience. Crafting is a popular niche that people love to watch and take into their own hands (literally!).
Think about your interests and what you would want to create a community around.
Here are 12 profitable niches for 2025 if you need some extra inspo.
2. Post Consistently (Even if It’s Once a Week)
The YouTube algorithm loves creators who have a regular posting schedule. Daily uploads are a thing of the past. It's unrealistic and can lead to creator fatigue.
You need to stick to a schedule that works for you and your life.
Weekly uploads are a great place to start. Even if you can only post once a week, make it count. Let your audience know when to expect new content and follow through.
Tease videos on socials or post Shorts with clips to generate more hype.
Consistency builds trust, and trust builds more YouTube subscribers.
3. Optimize Every Video for Search
Easy to forget, but YouTube is a search engine. To get discovered, optimize your content using proper keywords and other marketing strategies.
Here are some beginner SEO tips:
Use SEO tools like TubeBuddy or VidIQ to find low-competition, high-search keywords.
Include keywords in your video title, first line of your description and tags. Include those keywords in thumbnails for even greater visibility!
Answer common questions like “How to start a podcast” or “Best products to sell in 2025.”
Create playlists based on keyword clusters to increase watch time and visibility. But this is more of a long-form goal than a short form goal.
When you help people find exactly what they’re searching for, the algorithm rewards you with more eyeballs.
This leads to more subscribers and optimizes your channel to the fullest.
4. Nail Your Thumbnails + Titles
You won’t grow your YouTube channel without meaningful clicks.
Your thumbnail and title are first impressions for potential subscribers. So make them count. The best thumbnails:
Are bold, clear and visually consistent
Create curiosity without being clickbaity
Use expressive faces, bold fonts and fun visuals
Quality thumbnails from creators always have their audience’s interests in mind. What are they most likely to respond to?
Kenna Marie is a fashion/beauty influencer. Her thumbnails are lifestyle and aesthetic-driven, just what her audience of pre-teen/teenage girls responds to.
Pro Tip: A/B test different thumbnail styles using tools like TubeBuddy to see what gets the most clicks!
5. Create Short, Valuable Intros
The first 5-10 seconds of your videos are everything. If you don’t hook viewers fast, they’ll bounce. And that hurts your search ranking.
Use your intros to:
Tell viewers what the video is about up front.
Promise a benefit (“By the end, you’ll know how to launch your first merch line, etc.”)
Keep it moving - no long-winded backstories. Unless it’s part of your brand!
Short intros = more watch time = faster growth!
6. Use YouTube Shorts
Want to grow quickly in 2024? Don’t sleep on YouTube Shorts.
YouTube heavily pushes these vertical, under-60-second videos. And they’re a great way to reach new audiences!
Use Shorts to:
Repurpose clips from longer videos
Tease full content drops
Hop on trends in your niche
PLUS, Shorts are often shown to non-subscribers, which makes them a powerful discovery tool! When you’re strategic with Shorts, you can build a following of loyal YouTube subscribers.
7. Ask Viewers to Subscribe (Strategically)
To get people to subscribe to your channel, you should ask them in a thoughtful and genuine way. Instead of just saying, "subscribe to my channel," give your audience a good reason to do it. Show them the value they will get.
Start by emphasizing the unique content you offer. For example, you could say, "If you like learning about new technology trends, subscribe to my channel. This way, you will get helpful reviews and tutorials. You won't miss important information that can improve your skills and knowledge."
Next, create a sense of community. You could express, "By subscribing, you’ll join a growing community of like-minded individuals who share your interests. Together, we can engage in meaningful discussions, share ideas, and support each other on our journeys."
Try this:
“Subscribe for weekly gaming tips or content creator strategies!”
You can also:
Add a visual subscribe cue during videos
Use end screens to suggest more content and encourage subs
Include a pinned comment with a CTA
Small nudges have the potential to create big impact.
8. Engage with Your Audience
YouTube wants to see engagement. The more likes, comments, and replies you receive, the more likely the platform will recommend your video.
How to boost engagement:
Ask a question at the end of your video
Reply to every comment (especially early on)
Pin a top comment with a question or link to your merch/store
Use community posts once enabled
Your audience will feel seen - and stick around!
9. Collaborate with Other Creators
You don’t need 10k followers to collaborate. Team up with other small YouTubers in your niche to cross-promote, guest star or co-create content.
Even simple shoutouts can bring new traffic to your channel. It’s a win-win and helps you tap into new audiences who already like similar content.
10. Review Your Analytics
YouTube gives you powerful data—use it.
Check these key metrics:
Click-through rate (CTR) – How effective are your titles and thumbnails?
Watch time – Are people watching your videos all the way through?
Audience retention – Where do they drop off?
Double down on what’s working, and tweak what isn’t. Small improvements = faster growth.
Getting 1,000 subscribers on YouTube is not just about beating the algorithm. It’s also about earning trust with your audience and being consistent. Stick to your niche, provide value and keep learning with every upload.
Once you reach 1,000, you unlock your earning potential. You will have built a strong foundation that keeps growing even after this milestone.
YouTube Merch Shelf
The YouTube Merch Shelf is a useful tool. It lets eligible creators show custom merch from print-on-demand companies like Spreadshop. Subscribers can shop these products directly below your videos.
This creates an interactive shopping experience for viewers and allows you to showcase new designs and trending products!
One of the big criteria to qualify: 1,000 subscribers!
It takes just a few clicks to connect to Merch Shelf:
Go to your YouTube Studio
Navigate to Monetization → Shopping
Link your Spreadshop and select products to feature
Your merch will now appear below your videos!
Open your free shop and connect to YouTube to start profiting from your content!