Many WordPress users with YouTube channels often ask, “How can I increase subscribers from my website visitors?” This is a challenge we have encountered as well.
Through years of managing various WordPress sites and assisting others in expanding their YouTube presence, we have discovered that incorporating a well-designed subscribe button is essential for channel growth. When implemented correctly, it can transform your WordPress site into a powerful asset for attracting a larger YouTube audience.
In this guide, we will outline the specific strategies we employ to integrate YouTube subscribe buttons into WordPress sites. These effective techniques are compatible with all themes and will not hinder your website’s performance.
Why Should You Add a YouTube Subscribe Button to Your WordPress Site?
A YouTube channel is an excellent way to connect with a broader audience, enhance engagement on your website, and drive more traffic to your blog.
In fact, many websites, including CanadaCreate, also maintain YouTube channels.
If you have created a YouTube channel to complement your WordPress blog, it’s important to make it easy for visitors to subscribe.
This is where the YouTube subscribe button becomes essential.
This button allows visitors to subscribe to your channel in just a few seconds. It can also help promote your YouTube channel to visitors who may not be familiar with it yet.
In this article, we will guide you through two simple methods to add a YouTube subscribe button to your WordPress site. If you want to skip ahead to a specific method, you can use the links provided below:
- Method 1: Adding the YouTube Subscribe Button Code Manually
- Method 2: Using a Plugin to Integrate a YouTube Subscribe Bar
- Video Tutorial
Are you ready? Let’s dive in!
Method 1: Adding the YouTube Subscribe Button Code Manually
In this section, we will explain how to create a YouTube subscribe button using Google’s Developer tools. You can then place this button in any widget, post, or page using a shortcode.
To begin, the first step is to visit the YouTube subscribe button page.
Here, enter your YouTube channel name or ID in the ‘Channel Name or ID’ field.
To find this information, open a new tab in your browser and go to the YouTube homepage. Click on your profile picture in the top right corner and select ‘Settings.’
In the left-hand menu, click on ‘Advanced Settings.’
Once there, locate the ‘Channel ID’ field and click the ‘Copy’ button next to it.
Return to the YouTube subscribe button settings page and insert the ‘Channel ID’ into the ‘Channel Name or ID’ field.
The preview will refresh to display your current total of YouTube subscribers.
You can choose from two different layouts for your YouTube subscribe button. The default layout features the subscribe button along with your total number of subscribers.
The alternative option is the ‘full layout.’ Selecting this will showcase the YouTube subscribe button, your subscriber count, your channel’s profile picture, and the title of your YouTube channel.
To view how your YouTube subscribe button appears in the full layout, open the ‘Layout’ dropdown menu and select ‘full.’
The preview will automatically refresh to display the updated button design.
After selecting either the default or full layout, you can choose a theme for your YouTube subscribe button.
The default theme features a white background, but you can opt for dark mode if you prefer a darker background for your YouTube subscribe button.
To preview how your subscribe button appears with different themes, open the ‘Theme’ dropdown menu. You can choose between ‘default’ and ‘dark’ options to find the theme that best suits your website.
The following image showcases a YouTube subscribe button displayed in dark mode.
By default, the YouTube subscribe button displays your total number of subscribers. This visibility serves as strong social proof, demonstrating your channel’s popularity.
When visitors notice that a significant number of people subscribe to your YouTube channel, they are more inclined to view your website as a credible source within your blogging niche. This can encourage more users to subscribe to your channel.
However, there may be times when you prefer to conceal your total number of YouTube subscribers. For instance, if you are just starting out, you might want to grow your audience before revealing your total subscriber count on your WordPress site.
To hide the number of subscribers on your YouTube channel, simply access the ‘Subscriber count’ dropdown and select ‘hidden.’
As you modify the subscribe button, Google will automatically update the button’s embed code.
Once you are satisfied with the appearance of your button, copy all of the code provided in the ‘Code’ section.
You can easily insert the code into any widget, post, or page on your WordPress site. For detailed instructions on how to add the code, please refer to our guide on adding shortcodes in WordPress.
After you finish, remember to save your changes. You can then visit your WordPress site to see the YouTube subscribe button in action.
Method 2: Adding a YouTube Subscribe Bar with a Plugin
Another effective method to incorporate a YouTube subscribe button on your site is by using the YouTube Subscribe Bar plugin.
Once configured, this free plugin will automatically display a ‘Subscribe to YouTube channel’ bar on every YouTube video you embed on your website.
Important Note:We acknowledge that this plugin has not been tested with the latest three major releases of WordPress. However, we have tested it ourselves, and it continues to function properly. If you have any concerns, please check our guide on the safety of using outdated WordPress plugins.
This subscribe bar will show up on all YouTube videos you embed, whether they are your own or from other channels. It’s an excellent tool for promoting your channel and sharing videos from fellow creators.
Please note that this plugin is compatible only with YouTube videos embedded using the oEmbed format. The simplest way to embed a YouTube video via oEmbed is to go to the video and click the ‘Share’ button.
This will bring up a popup with several options for embedding the video. For more details on the various methods, please refer to our guide on how to easily embed videos in WordPress blog posts.
Since we are using oEmbed, ensure you select the ‘Embed’ option. After that, click ‘Copy.’
Next, open the page or post where you want to embed the video. Click the ‘+’ icon and search for ‘Embed.’
When the ‘Embed’ block appears, click on it to add it to your page or post.
You can then paste the YouTube embed link into the block.
After pasting the link, click the ‘Embed’ button to insert the video. You can then save or publish the page as you normally would.
You will need to repeat this process for each YouTube video where you want to display the subscribe bar.
Once you have embedded at least one video, you can install and activate the YouTube Subscribe Bar plugin. For more information, check out our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.
After activating the YouTube Subscribe Bar plugin, navigate toSettings » YouTube Subscribe Bar.
In the ‘YouTube Channel ID’ field, enter your channel ID. You can obtain this ID by following the earlier instructions.
In the ‘Subscribe to channel text’ field, enter the message you want to display on your subscribe bar.
The default text for this plugin is ‘Subscribe to my YouTube Channel,’ but you can customize it to your preference.
Next, you can adjust the color settings at the bottom of the page to change the background and text color of the bar. You can also modify the layout and select between light and dark themes.
The optimal settings may differ based on your WordPress theme. Therefore, you might want to experiment with various options to find the best appearance for your WordPress site.
Once you are satisfied with your adjustments, publish your subscribe bar by clicking the ‘Save Changes’ button.
You can now visit any page or post where you’ve embedded the YouTube video to see the subscribe bar in action.
Bonus Tip: How to Convert Website Visitors into YouTube Subscribers
Integrating a YouTube subscribe button into your WordPress site is an effective strategy to increase your subscriber count. Additionally, there are numerous other methods to motivate your website visitors to subscribe to your YouTube channel.
If you create blog content and videos on similar subjects, you can seamlessly embed YouTube videos within your WordPress blog posts.
When a visitor finds your blog post engaging, they are likely to be interested in the related YouTube video as well. This increases the likelihood that they will watch the video and subscribe to your YouTube channel.
Moreover, if you have a collection of related videos, you can arrange them into YouTube playlists. These playlists can be embedded directly on your WordPress site.
A well-structured playlist will lead your visitors through one video after another, enhancing their engagement with your content. If a visitor enjoys watching an entire YouTube playlist, they are more inclined to subscribe to your channel.
If you frequently upload videos to your YouTube channel, consider displaying your latest videos on your WordPress site.
This approach effectively demonstrates to visitors that you maintain an active YouTube channel. If they appreciate the content on your website, they may choose to subscribe to your channel to stay updated with your latest videos.
We hope this guide has shown you how to successfully add a YouTube subscribe button in WordPress. You might also find our tutorial on embedding Facebook videos in WordPress helpful, as well as our recommendations for the best YouTube video gallery plugins for WordPress.
If you enjoyed this article, please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for more WordPress video tutorials. You can also connect with us on Twitter and Facebook.
