If you have more than a thousand subscribers and a monetized channel, then you’re probably eligible to enable Channel Memberships for your fans. However, just because your fans can sign up to be Channel Members doesn’t mean they will. Encouraging them to sign up will take creativity as well as time.

Here are a few ways you can encourage more of your subscribers to become Channel Members.

Create more videos based on feedback from your current Channel members

You’ve probably used your community tab to share updates, polls, and behind-the-scenes content with your subscriber base. You can also create community posts that can only be seen by your channel members. These exclusive posts are the perfect place to get your Channel Members involved with the creation of your videos.

Film a Q-and-A where you answer questions that have been submitted by your Channel Members. Create exclusive polls where they can vote on what kind of video you should upload next. Make a post asking them to suggest future video ideas. Whenever you use these responses in a video, be sure to point out that they came from your Channel Members.

Demonstrate a higher level of engagement with channel members

One of the biggest perks you should offer to your Channel Members is a higher level of engagement than you have with the rest of your fans. They should be getting more attention from you in the comments section, during a live stream, etc. Try to remember their names and little things you learn about them. Then, your other subscribers will want to become a part of that exclusive club.

In YouTube Studio, you can set your comments filter to only show ones made by your Channel Members. Respond to as many of these comments as you can within the first day or two after your next video goes live. You can also hold exclusive live streams and live chats for them. If you really want to go the extra mile, you can upload Channel Members-only videos.

Be open about the ways their financial support will support your content creation and career goals

Finally, one of the most effective ways to encourage your subscribers to become Channel Members is to be open about how their contributions will support your channel directly. Instead of dancing around the fact that being a Channel Member costs money, talk about what their financial support will mean for your channel. Most importantly, talk about how it will make your channel better for your fans.

For example, if you’re currently working another job to support your content creation, then you could tell your viewers that you’ll be able to do YouTube full-time if you get enough Channel Members. If you’re saving up for new equipment, tell them about the kinds of videos you plan to make with a better a camera, a drone, studio lights, etc. If you’re working towards a major goal, such as building your own studio space or filming on location, discuss your plans on video.

Channel Memberships can be a great source of income for content creators. Use these strategies to encourage more of your subscribers to sign up so you can start creating bigger and better content.