Youtube is a killer place to build and grow an audience in the 2020s. Thanks to smartphones and improvements in internet technology, video has become the most popular medium of information exchange and some of us creators have crossed the hurdle of building our audience on Youtube. But with increase in competition and growth in the Youtube automation trend, some of your esteemed subscribers might be calling quits on your channel and the reasons might surprise you. Here are 5 reason why you might be losing subscribers on Youtube.
1.You’re topic of upload is inconsistent and haphazard
You must stop thinking from the perspective of a content creators and think from your viewers shoes. If you’re trying to be too broad in your niche, too soon, you run the risk of your subscriber base clicking away. Let’s say you upload 2 videos , a video on shoe review and another reviewing a laptop. Now both of those videos can be excellent in their own right. But the people who subscribed from your video on shoes, are more likely to be interested in more videos on shoes and would more than likely click away from the video on laptop. So, while you’re thinking from the perspective of “I am delivering quality content”, maintaining consistency with regards to topic is very important. It is is often under-looked especially during early stages of creating a channel. So, you must create videos, not just for the algorithm, but also for those who have subscribed to your channel.
2. You are uploading too frequently.
In theory, if you were to upload twice as frequent, then you’re bound to gain subscribers twice as fast. Right? Wrong. Keep in mind that your subscribers are human beings with a life outside of watching Youtube videos. So you must’nt confuse subscription to your channel as a super exclusive commitment. Viewers can sometimes, subscribe out of gratitude for one video they really liked. So, don’t expect them to dedicate twice the time in watching your uploads, just because you are uploading twice as fast. It’s best to space your uploads out, schedule them . If you simply have too many sub topics to talk about, instead of making separate video, trying clubbing them into something congruent and timeless.
3. You aren’t regular with your uploads.
Conversely, uploading once a blue moon might make your viewers forget about you. This is especially the case for smaller Youtube channels. With the advent of Youtube shorts and other short form content, there’s always an alternative. When you disappear, you lose that personal connection with your viewers. It’s a bit like, abruptly stopping communicating with someone, whom you just started getting to know better. When that personal connection is lost, the personal factor for viewing your videos gets lost too. A good subscriber base is a one that sticks around for what you have to say, and not just the topic of your video. When they are subscribed for YOU, then you can really experiment with the topics. So, to conclude you must upload consistently, whether it is once a week or once a month (if your content is high quality).
3. You aren’t focusing on quality over quantity.
With increase in the number of creators, the viewers attention keep getting divided. Gone are the days when the right information was enough to get views. You must keep in mind, the competition and must hook the viewer to increase retention. With more and more recommendations, there’s a higher chance of viewers clicking away and finding substitute for low quality videos. So instead of pumping out content, too frequently, dedicate a good amount of time towards creating high quality, engaging videos.
4. Your subscribers came from one video and are disappointed with your future uploads.
You will gain most of your subscribers from a handful of videos. This is commonly known as the 80-20 principle where 80 percent of your results will come from 20 percent of your efforts. And this conversely means, that the remaining 20 percent will come from the majority 80 percent of your efforts. The rest of your videos, besides the viral ones, should closely represent the core idea of your viral videos that brought in subscribers. Just because they are subscribed to you, doesn’t mean that they will automatically view the video. Subscription merely gets you through the front door, but it is quality that holds your audience’s attention.
So, if you were to upload a really funny cat video in a well established channel on cooking, people will still click away.
5. You aren’t focused on being a brand.
This closely follows the point I elaborated in my previous video. In order to thread together all of your videos and create a fanbase who watches you, for your unique style. With so much competition in this ever growing landscape of content creation, your high quality videos, without branding, wouldn’t still draw in your subscribers. You must leave a personalized fingerprint in all your videos. It can be a catchphrase, a certain lighting or just style of editing. But constant elements promotes brand recognition, and this is exactly what is required for you to succeed in the long run.