How much do subscribers actually matter for YT 2015?

KatyAdelson said:
This is something I've been wondering... Back in 2010, subscribers and views seemed to govern everything. I'm suspicious that this might not be the case anymore, especially with subscribers. I think YouTube got rid of their subscriber views analytics this past March, and they seem to have been really pushing their "What to Watch" and "Recommended for you" playlists instead of displaying subscription videos. I'm curious how much traffic actually comes from subscribers these days, or if the concept might be fading away. I have a small subscriber count, so I really don't have much to measure with, but I do know that the majority of my views come from searches and YouTube's "What to Watch." Before YouTube pulled the data, about ~5% of my views came from subscribers.

I'm starting to wonder if subscribers are becoming more like a "channel like." I think the subscriber count can be looked at as a measure of progress, and there still is some traffic still associated with subscribers, but I suspect YouTube is trying to change the way they work.

So what are your thoughts about subscribers in 2015? How much traffic do you think comes from subscribers clicking through their subscription list?
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Viewer retention has become realllly important. Your SEO is highly affected by how long the viewers stay. I think subbing is definitely fading away; most people sub to channels to support them/say they approve, not to keep up with the channel.
 
KatyAdelson said:
This is something I've been wondering... Back in 2010, subscribers and views seemed to govern everything. I'm suspicious that this might not be the case anymore, especially with subscribers. I think YouTube got rid of their subscriber views analytics this past March, and they seem to have been really pushing their "What to Watch" and "Recommended for you" playlists instead of displaying subscription videos. I'm curious how much traffic actually comes from subscribers these days, or if the concept might be fading away. I have a small subscriber count, so I really don't have much to measure with, but I do know that the majority of my views come from searches and YouTube's "What to Watch." Before YouTube pulled the data, about ~5% of my views came from subscribers.

I'm starting to wonder if subscribers are becoming more like a "channel like." I think the subscriber count can be looked at as a measure of progress, and there still is some traffic still associated with subscribers, but I suspect YouTube is trying to change the way they work.

So what are your thoughts about subscribers in 2015? How much traffic do you think comes from subscribers clicking through their subscription list?
Click to expand...

I feel subscribers are very handy to give your new video a kickstart. You need some initial views to get ranked well in Youtube. After that your video will organically gain views from viewers from different traffic sources. And besides that, having a fanbase isn't a must, but still very nice to have.

Nowadays having ranked as high as possible for different search terms is key, I think. It's something like: audience retention * total minutes watched * secret Youtube formula = your video ranking. Thus audience retention and total minutes watched are important.

Nowadays your subs-base is quite volatile, quick subs but they tend to forget you quickly. Hence the low % of views from your subs.

To wrap it up: No, Youtube subs are not key anymore, but they are still very nice to have.
 
I think subscribers are mostly important for building the videos first lot of views if it isnt from search or suggested videos. I believe it can give your videos a leg up for placement in searches.
 
The big thing with subscribers for me is that they are more likely to support the channel... and not even as just someone who will share a video, but as people who comment and offer up words of encouragement, constructive criticism, etc... Not sure how much fun doing this would be if there was no community around the channel.
 
I watch my subscriptions a lot. My "loyal" subscribers often watch my videos within a couple hours of it being posted and leave lots of friendly comments. Subscribers help me out a lot
 
I can see subscriber views really helping with the initial views, and their channel support is really encouraging! I can see how the initial views might help with the search and suggested videos, but I sort of wonder about that, too. I hear so much about how the first week is super crucial to a video's success....But some of my older videos sat for several months with almost no views and were at the bottom of search result lists...now a few of them somehow magically made their way towards the top, but I haven't changed anything with them, and it definitely wasn't because of their initial views.. =/ It's interesting to see what other YouTubers think about Subscribers! You guys have way more YouTube experience than I have! ^_^
I think it seems to vary between channel types, too. A How-To channel with lots of searchable content might get less views from subscribers than a mini web series..
 
KatyAdelson said:
I can see subscriber views really helping with the initial views, and their channel support is really encouraging! I can see how the initial views might help with the search and suggested videos, but I sort of wonder about that, too. I hear so much about how the first week is super crucial to a video's success....But some of my older videos sat for several months with almost no views and were at the bottom of search result lists...now a few of them somehow magically made their way towards the top, but I haven't changed anything with them, and it definitely wasn't because of their initial views.. =/ It's interesting to see what other YouTubers think about Subscribers! You guys have way more YouTube experience than I have! ^_^
I think it seems to vary between channel types, too. A How-To channel with lots of searchable content might get less views from subscribers than a mini web series..
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I feel there's some kind of minimum view before the Youtube ranking system kicks in. And I feel that number is 301. I'm not sure but that's what I've been experiencing with my own videos.
 
Squeal Cat said:
I feel there's some kind of minimum view before the Youtube ranking system kicks in. And I feel that number is 301. I'm not sure but that's what I've been experiencing with my own videos.
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Ohh! I just looked at my videos, and they show the same thing! After 300 views there's a change in the slope.. That's neat to know! ^_^

edit.. To me, after comparing the few videos of mine that have more than 300 views, it sort of shows that it's less about how the video does the first week, but more about how well the statistics are for the video after the first 300 views.. o.0
 
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Depends on your demographic too, young kids don't sub as often as older kids. Subs can help impress brands and media and help you land deals. Still you get paid on ad views, not subs, so that trumps all. Lots of older channels have high subs but no one watches any more.
 
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