“Don’t forget to hit that subscribe button!” That’s a common reminder we hear from many creators on YouTube.

Subscribing to a YouTube channel is a convenient way to receive instant updates from and keep track of the activities of your favorite YouTubers. It’s a useful way to stay informed and connected online. And can keep you entertained for hours on end. 

But what exactly are the benefits that subscribers get from it? Let’s find out.

5 Benefits of Subscribing to a YouTube Channel    

1. You Stay Updated with New Content

Why wait to discover the latest news about your favorite YouTubers when you can be updated right when they publish new content?

By default, subscribing to a YouTube channel means you’ll automatically get notifications about the highlights from that account. You can also choose to receive instant updates every time that channel uploads a new video. You just need to click the notification bell. Hence, some Youtubers emphasize “tapping the bell icon,” at the end of their videos. 

Another simple way to stay on top of what your favorite YouTubers post? On your subscriptions page, YouTube shows you, by day, all of the new content that has been uploaded by the channels that you subscribe to.

If you are not subscribed to a channel but happen to be a frequent viewer, Youtube may still send you notifications about new videos you may be interested in. The downside of this is that it isn’t consistent and doesn’t always recommend content related to the channels you are actually invested in. That is why if you want to follow a specific channel and its content, it is easy to keep up with them by subscribing and tapping the bell icon for notifications. 

2. You’re Served with More of the Content You Like 

YouTube operates much like Google (well, it’s owned by Google). This means that when you subscribe to a particular channel, you’re further giving the algorithms an idea of what kind of content you want to see. Thus, the platform gives you more of that and will also try to guess what other interests you might have.

For example, when you subscribe to a yoga channel, you’re more likely to see videos about health, fitness, and well-being on your homepage and suggested videos on the side tabs. And yes, these can include content from channels you’re not subscribed to or haven’t even visited before.

Keep in mind that YouTube is a search engine. This means that the more you search for a particular person, topic, music, channel, brand, or product, the higher the chances of you seeing videos closely related to that search. Since YouTube is linked to your Google account it affects your YouTube algorithm, so whatever your recent Google searches are can be reflected in your YouTube recommendations. 

Like Google (and Facebook, too), YouTube is really good at showing you exactly what you want to see. The YouTube recommendation algorithm is designed to keep users engaged for as long as possible. The ‘YouTube Rabbit Hole’ is very real and easy to fall into, Google has a sophisticated artificial intelligence system that works to draw you deeper into YouTube’s system.

This sophisticated algorithm monitors how long you spend watching a video, what types of videos you click on, and how engaged you are with the video (i.e. liking the video, writing comments, etc). It seems a bit futuristic and scary, but it works to keep you happy with the content you want to see and helps you avoid the content you don’t want. 

3. You Get Emails Sent Directly to Your Inbox

When you subscribe to a channel, you can check a box in the subscription form so you get emails directly to your inbox when you opt-in. This allows YouTube to send you email updates each time the user uploads a new video, a weekly summary of your subscribed channels, and other options, depending on the preference(s) you ticked.

To do this, sign in to your YouTube account. In the top right, click your profile picture, and then select settings. In the left menu, click notifications. Scroll down to “Email Notifications” and select your preferences. You have the option to get notified of general product updates or a particular creator’s announcements.

Once saved, YouTube will begin to send you emails detailing your subscriptions’ activities, without you having to visit their pages individually or the subscriptions page on the site.

‍

Of course, you can opt-out of email notifications if you feel like your inbox is already cluttered. You can still rely on notifications from your YouTube app if you still want to be notified of new video uploads, live streams, or announcements from the channels you care about. 

4. You Get Access to a Wider Community

With over two billion users worldwide, YouTube is an incredibly powerful place to engage with individuals who have the same interests as you do – from all over the globe.

When you subscribe to a channel, you immediately get to enjoy access to that YouTuber’s community. For instance, you’re able to interact with people in the comments section. And from there, you can connect with them separately, recommend related videos, establish friendships, and perhaps even collaborate on making your own content. Some YouTube creators also live stream on the platform, so being subscribed allows you to get notified if one of your favorite creators is streaming. 

During live streams on YouTube you can directly interact with other views in a chat and also the content creator themselves might interact with the chat. It has been reported that 30% of people watch at least one live stream on YouTube weekly. This is mostly a popular platform with the sports and gaming community, but anyone can live stream at any point. Some channels even do charity live streams where viewers can donate money towards the creator to donate the money to a specific cause or charity. 

Most, if not all, YouTubers encourage viewers to contribute or share their opinions and ideas in the comments section. They're trying to drum up excitement, engagement, and a sense of community. Plus it opens the discussion for any questions you might have about their content. When utilized positively, this is an opportunity for you to learn something new or to satisfy your curiosity by engaging in online discussions with other subscribers.

5. You Maximize Your Learning

YouTube is an immensely educational platform with channels carrying all kinds of information. As a subscriber, you get to gain new insights and keep yourself updated with what’s new in your subscriptions’ niches.

Whether it’s tutorials, reviews, news, DIY and how-to tips, or general videos, brands, and influencers use YouTube to position themselves as experts in their field. Some even offer detailed explanations, examples, and solutions to people’s problems.

A lot of professors offer a ‘YouTube University’ and upload lectures or tutorials for their students or anyone to have access to. This is a great resource for people who want to self-teach on whatever subject they have an interest in, and keeping up to date with lectures makes you feel like you’re attending classes on your own time!

In addition, the platform has multiple features including subtitles, video descriptions with links to downloadable content, and timestamps to direct the viewer to certain parts – all promoting customer experience and optimal learning.  

Subscribing to a YouTube channel certainly offers a number of benefits, not only for the creators but also for the viewers. You get to stay updated with the latest on your interests, easily get served with related content, and directly get email updates as you prefer. Additionally, you learn limitless new information and get to connect with people from all around the world.

Need help in building digital solutions for your brand?  Want to learn how to utilize social media such as YouTube for your business? We’ve got your back. From content creation and SEO to social media management and web design, LSM offers a vast array services to help your business grow.

Ready to take the next step? Contact us today.