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Why am I Losing YouTube Subscribers?

Social Media Marketing

No one gains millions of subscribers overnight. Convincing viewers to subscribe to your YouTube channel might be the hardest thing you need to do.  

But once your channel starts to gain traction, from sticking to a niche and uploading videos consistently, subscribers will start pouring in. Seeing those numbers rise is going to feel incredible!  

This is why nothing is more disheartening than seeing your channel lose subscribers. But why exactly does this happen? Why do viewers unsubscribe on a free platform? Why can’t they just stay subscribed forever?

Your relationship with your viewers is just like any other relationship. There are seasons of pure bliss, but there are also rough patches, and sometimes it ends altogether.

But this doesn’t mean it’s the end of your channel too. Maybe all you need is Miami SEO to help you reach the right viewers.  

In this article, we are going to discuss the different reasons why you might be losing subscribers and how to fix this.  

6 Reasons Why You’re Losing YouTube Subscribers

1. YouTube Deletes Bots and Spam Accounts

YouTuber asking viewers to subscribe to her channel.

Every so often, YouTube audits your list of subscribers for bots and spam accounts, especially if their system detects any suspicious activities.  

They verify the legitimacy of these accounts first. Once it’s confirmed that they are illicit users, they remove them from your subscriber list or the platform altogether.  

When YouTube gets rid of these accounts, just know that it’s not your fault. They have been terminated because of a policy violation, and they’re trying to make the platform a better place for everyone.

Unless you’ve been buying YouTube followers, you’ve got nothing to worry about. Plus, the platform has been abbreviating subscriber count to the public so people may never notice that you’re losing a couple of followers.  

2. Subscribers Are No Longer Interested in Your Content

As hard as it is to accept, your current subscribers may, at some point, outgrow your channel. So, they end up unsubscribing because they’re simply no longer interested in what you have to offer.  

But this doesn’t just happen to viewers. A lot of content creators end up changing or tweaking the theme of their channel, depending on what they're currently interested in.  

As people journey towards self-discovery, their interests and passions change. They go through experiences that alter their priorities and they start to follow newfound passions.  

An example of this is Pewdiepie. At first, his videos were just all about gaming. Today, he offers a wide array of content, from reaction videos and day-in-a-life videos. Videos of him playing PC games are now just one part of his brand.

If you're starting to lose a lot of subscribers and your videos aren't getting as many likes as they used to, you have two options:

  • Stick to your niche, but give your viewers variation by serving them new video styles. For example, instead of just publishing cooking videos, consider doing challenges and maybe even collaborating with other content creators. Ask your viewers what videos they’d like to see more from you so you know what you should be serving.  
  • Change your channel depending on your interests. If by any chance your interests have changed and your channel no longer represents who you are, don’t be afraid to open up to your viewers and let them know what’s going on. You will lose some subscribers, but you will also gain some, especially those who share the same interests as you.  

3. Your Fans are Going Through Viewer Fatigue

Have you experienced viewer fatigue before? It’s when a person stops watching their favorite YouTubers, even though they enjoy their content, for no particular reason.  

According to Techopedia, viewer fatigue happens when viewers become overwhelmed with too many channels, too many videos to choose from and spend too much time online watching them.  

This could be the reason why you're losing subscribers.  

Many people find themselves in that exact dilemma. They fall in love with a YouTuber and binge-watch their content, look forward to watching their latest blogs, and follow them on all social media platforms.  

But one day, they just get tired of it all. They simply stop watching their videos and ignored them every time that YouTuber popped up on their feed until they finally decide to unsubscribe.  

The question now is, can you prevent viewers' fatigue? And, how can you fix it before you lose your subscribers? Here are some tips to help you:

  • Get straight to the point and make your videos brief. Modern users are distracted by the number of videos they can find online. Be quick to grab their attention, hook them, and be clear about what they're going to get out of your video.  
  • Create a schedule and upload blogs consistently.  
  • Use customer data to inform your content strategy. Figure out what type of videos get the most engagement from your videos, which pieces of content they don’t like, and what they’re searching for on the web.  
  • Respond to feedback and comments. Always make your viewers feel heard and important.  

4. They Subscribed Because of a Viral Video

YouTube silver play button plaque.

When a video goes viral, users go to that channel and subscribe, hoping to get more of that kind of content. Unfortunately, they soon discover that the contents of that channel just aren’t their jam.  

This shows that it’s entirely possible to be a hit one day and wake up irrelevant and unpopular the next!

It's crucial to meet your viewers’ expectations, but you can't please everyone. So, you should just focus on your niche and ask your viewers directly what kind of videos they want and seek their feedback so you can improve and meet their expectations.  

5. Your Content No Longer Provides Value

One of the reasons why viewers keep coming back for more is because they get something valuable from watching your videos. You provide actionable insights, key takeaways, and evergreen content.  

Evergreen videos are the ones that remain useful to your viewers year after year. They’re not based on trends or current events but tackle subjects and core issues that your target audience faces.  

Evergreen content is so valuable, it's the type of video that people save or bookmark and come back to time and time again.  

If your videos are no longer valuable to your subscribers, they'll likely unsubscribe.  

Ensure you're providing your viewers a balance of evergreen content and trendy videos to keep them engaged and loyal to your channel.  

6. You Haven’t Optimized Your Channel for Miami SEO

YouTuber optimizes YouTube channel for Miami SEO to boost visibility.

Many people end up finding YouTube channels they like through search. In fact, 93% of online experiences begin with a search.

By optimizing your channel, playlists, closed captions, metadata, and descriptions for SEO, you can put your videos in front of viewers who want what you have to offer.  

This is a great way to drive traffic to your channel and grow your subscriber count.  

When optimizing your YouTube channel for search, here are some tips to keep in mind:

  • Incorporate your keyword into your video file name. YouTube reads your video's file name, so adding your keyword will help its system identify what that video’s content is all about.  
  • Add your keyword naturally into the video titles. Your titles should be clear, concise, and closely matches what users are searching.  
  • Provide a short description of what viewers can expect from watching your video. Make sure to include your main keywords. Add a video transcript for better accessibility and a better user experience.  
  • Use relevant hashtags to help users and bots understand the content and context of your videos.  
  • Categorize your videos to organize them in different playlists. It makes it easier for people to sort through your videos.  
  • Use a custom thumbnail image for your videos to pique your viewers’ interest and encourage them to click through.  
  • Add subtitles and closed captions to optimize your video for Miami SEO by highlighting important keywords.  
  • Use "Card" to increase your channel's views. Cards are circular icons with an "i" in the middle that appear in the upper right corner of your YouTube video. You can use them to direct viewers to another channel, encourage donations on behalf of nonprofit organizations, ask your viewers to help fund your video content, redirect viewers to an external site, direct users to vote or answer a survey, and link to other related YouTube.  
  • Use end screens to display similar information as Cards.  

Optimize your YouTube channel for Miami SEO to increase your chances of being discovered by users who will likely turn into subscribers!

Gain More Subscribers by Optimizing Your YouTube Channel for Miami SEO!

Is your YouTube channel losing subscribers? There are many reasons why a user will unsubscribe.  

It could be because they've outgrown your videos, they're experiencing viewer fatigue, your videos no longer provide value, or they were spam accounts, to begin with.

Whatever the reason is, don’t worry. By optimizing for Miami SEO, you can put your videos in front of users who are interested in your content and grow your subscriber count!

At Digital Resource, our Miami SEO experts and digital marketing specialists will work with you to create a custom SEO and marketing plan. This will help your YouTube channel gain traction and teach you data-driven content to serve your viewers to keep them engaged and loyal.  

Contact us today to start growing your subscriber count!

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