How to Put a Subscribe Button on Facebook

Thinking about how to put a subscribe button on Facebook to grow your audience? You’re in exactly the right place. This guide will show you how to do it, walking you through every option available - from enabling a simple “Follow” button on a personal profile to setting up paid subscriptions on a Business Page for your most loyal fans.

Understanding Your "Subscribe" Options on Facebook

First, it’s helpful to understand that the term “subscribe” on Facebook can mean a few different things depending on your goal. A decade ago, Facebook had a literal “Subscribe” button for personal profiles, but that has since been renamed to “Follow.” Today, your strategy depends on whether you're using a personal profile or a professional Business Page.

Here are the three main ways you can add a subscribe-style button, each serving a different purpose:

• For Personal Profiles: You can enable a "Follow" button, allowing people who aren't your friends to see your public posts in their News Feed.
• For Business Pages: You can customize the primary Call-to-Action (CTA) button to encourage follows, sign-ups for a newsletter, or other actions.
• For Monetization: Eligible creators and brands can set up official Facebook Subscriptions, a paid feature that adds a "Subscribe" button for fans to support them directly.

Let's go through the steps for each one.

Method 1: Turn On the "Follow" Button for Your Personal Profile

If you're a public figure, content creator, journalist, or leader who uses their personal profile for professional purposes, enabling the "Follow" button is essential. It allows an unlimited number of people to see your public updates without you having to accept thousands of friend requests. It effectively turns your personal profile into a public broadcasting platform.

Setting it up is quick and easy.

How to Activate the "Follow" Button:

1. Navigate to Settings: Log in to your Facebook account on a desktop. Click on your profile picture in the top-right corner and select Settings &, Privacy, then click Settings.
2. Go to Audience and Visibility: In the left-side menu, look for the section called Audience and Visibility. Click on Followers and Public Content.
3. Change Who Can Follow You: The very first option you'll see is "Who Can Follow Me." If it's set to Friends, change it to Public.

And that’s it! Once you set this to Public, a "Follow" button will automatically appear on your profile for anyone who isn't already your friend. People who click it will see your posts that you share publicly, but they won't have access to content you share only with friends.

Method 2: Customize the Call-to-Action Button on Your Facebook Page

For any business, brand, or creator with a dedicated Facebook Page, the blue Call-to-Action (CTA) button directly under your cover photo is your most valuable piece of digital real estate. This button is designed to drive your audience toward the single most important action you want them to take. While there isn't one "Subscribe" option, there are several powerful choices that can achieve the same goal.

The best part? You can choose a CTA that perfectly aligns with your specific marketing objective.

How to Set Up Your Page's CTA Button:

1. Go to your Facebook Business Page as an admin.
2. Look for the blue button located under your Page's cover photo. If you’ve never set one up, it will say + Add Action Button. If you have one already, it will show its current text (like "Send Message"). Click on it, and then select Edit Button.
3. A pop-up menu will appear with a list of button options. Click Try It and choose the action that best fits your goals.

Choosing the Right CTA 'Subscribe' Button for Your Goals:

Here are the best options for growing your audience and a little on when to use each one.

1. "Follow"

This is the most direct equivalent to a subscribe button. It’s a simple, low-commitment action for visitors. When they click it, they’re choosing to see your content in their feed, making it a great choice if your main objective is purely to grow your on-platform Facebook audience.

• When to Use It: You're focused on building a large community directly on Facebook and increasing your follower count.

2. "Sign Up"

This is arguably the most powerful option for long-term brand building. Instead of just getting a Facebook follower, you get an email subscriber. Link this button directly to your newsletter or email list landing page. An email list is an asset you own, making it immune to algorithm changes. You can drive traffic, announce products, and build a relationship directly in people's inboxes.

• When to Use It: Your primary goal is to build an email list. You want a direct communication channel with your audience that you control completely.

3. "Watch Now" or "Watch Video"

If you're a video creator, this is a fantastic option. You can link this button directly to your YouTube channel, a recent video premiere, or a landing page that hosts your flagship content. It tells visitors exactly what to expect and sends them to the platform where your core content lives. This helps you build subscribers on multiple platforms simultaneously.

• When to Use It: You're a YouTuber, a course creator, or a brand that uses long-form video to connect with its audience.

4. Other Smart Options

• Book Now: For service-based businesses to schedule appointments.
• Shop on Website: For e-commerce stores to drive direct sales.
• Learn More: A general-purpose button to send traffic to your blog or homepage.

Method 3: Activate Paid Subscriptions for Your Audience

If you have an established community of dedicated fans, Facebook Subscriptions lets you monetize your content directly on the platform. This feature is for eligible Pages and allows your followers to pay a monthly fee in exchange for exclusive content, special access, and a supporter badge. When you activate this, Facebook adds an official "Subscribe" button to your page, making it clear how fans can support you.

Eligibility and Setup:

Facebook's eligibility criteria for Subscriptions can change, but generally, you'll need to meet requirements related to:

• A minimum number of followers (often 10,000 or more).
• A certain level of engagement over the last 60 days (e.g., post engagement or returning viewers).
• Compliance with Facebook’s Partner Monetization Policies and Content Monetization Policies.

How to Check Your Eligibility and Get Started:

1. Go to Meta Business Suite: Navigate to your page's Business Suite.
2. Find the Monetization Tab: On the left-side menu, click on Monetization.
3. Check Your Status: Facebook will show you which monetization tools your Page is eligible for. If you see "Subscriptions" as an option, you can click it to begin the setup process.
4. Set it Up: Follow the on-screen prompts to set your monthly subscription price, configure your payment account, and create exclusive benefits as a thank you to your supporters.

Once approved and set up, the "Subscribe" button will appear, giving your most devoted followers a clear path to supporting your work.

3 Strategies to Get More People to Click That Button

Simply having the button isn't enough, you need to encourage people to click it. Here are three simple ways to increase your conversions.

1. Design a Smart Cover Photo

Your Facebook cover photo is the first thing people see when they land on your Page. Use this space strategically. Create a design that subtly or directly points visitors toward your CTA button. You can add a small arrow or include a text call-out like, "Click 'Sign Up' below for our free email course!"

2. Promote Your CTA in Your Posts

Don't be afraid to remind people about your subscribe or sign-up button. When you publish a post, finish your caption with a direct call to action. For example:

• "If you found this helpful, click the ‘Sign Up’ button on our page profile to get more tips like this delivered to your inbox every Tuesday!"
• "For the full high-resolution video, click the 'Watch Now' button on our page to head over to our YouTube channel."

3. Create Content That "Sells" the Click

Show people the value of subscribing. If your CTA is "Sign Up," create a post about a recent newsletter that was particularly valuable. If your CTA is "Follow," make a quick video explaining what people can expect to see from you when they follow your page. Giving people a peek behind the curtain makes the click feel much more worthwhile.

Final Thoughts

Whether you're activating the "Follow" button on your personal profile, optimizing the call-to-action on your Business Page for email sign-ups, or monetizing with paid subscriptions, you have plenty of strong options to grow your audience on Facebook. Choose the method that best aligns with your goals, and don't forget to actively promote it in your content.

Keeping track of your content schedule, promoting your CTA, and staying engaged with new followers can feel like a lot to manage. This is where we built Postbase to help. Our straightforward visual calendar helps you plan and schedule posts that consistently drive people to your subscribe button, while our unified inbox brings all your comments and messages into one place. This lets you focus more on creating great content and less on the chaos of managing it all.