NOTABLE! Growing a YouTube Channel to 100,000 Subs

[sparechange]

Lol. You’re out of your mind


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you dont think zuckerberg is trying to crush youtube?

it will take some time but in the future i wouldn't count it out, remember MSN messenger & myspace?

anyways dont care to get into a debate, carry on...

 

[Fox]

you dont think zuckerberg is trying to crush youtube?

it will take some time but in the future i wouldn't count it out, remember MSN messenger & myspace?

anyways dont care to get into a debate, carry on...

Thats why you don't build 100% on a platform. But if/when it does decline Ill have a personal brand built that I can move elsewhere. Its good now and it is showing no sign in slowing down - so time to take action while others can guess what new app might pop.

 

[Fox]

So update time:



Finally made the 4,000 hours needed (within a one year period) to monetize the channel.

I won't be much money but it is a start and I do think it helps YouTube list your videos higher.
Anyway, the goal here isn't to make money from Adsense - it is to create an audience and grow a tribe.

If you break down the 4,000 hours of content thing it means 11 hours on average are being watched every day on the channel over a year.
If I do the average of the last week though it is around 40 hours a day of videos being watched.

That is pretty amazing - I only have 22 videos total and haven't uploaded properly in a long time.
Shows the power of YouTube, even on a small scale like this.

I got a lot more to do with YouTube and I hope the next update crushes these figures.

Here are some more stats on the channel:

 

[MTF]

I won't be much money but it is a start and I do think it helps YouTube list your videos higher.

It would make sense to rank them higher with the new partner requirements since they should theoretically filter out low-value channels.

As for revenue, I find it sad how little revenue it is considering how many people consume your content and how many hours they spend watching it.

I've been a YouTube partner since 2016. I stopped uploading videos a long time ago because the costs to produce them were too high (I worked with an illustrator and voiceover artist) compared to the revenue they generated.

My videos have continued generating income, but it's really low compared to watch time, the number of views, and the number of subscribers. Watch time was 67 days and 6 hours last month, there were almost 31,000 views, I have almost 24,000 subscribers and I made only $87.10.

It's better than nothing, but considering that in my case I would have to get over 350,000 views each month just to make $1000, it's not really lucrative. I guess in the end ad revenue should only be a small part of Youtube's creator revenue - they should focus on growing their customer base outside of the platform.

 

[Kyle T]

you dont think zuckerberg is trying to crush youtube?

it will take some time but in the future i wouldn't count it out, remember MSN messenger & myspace?

anyways dont care to get into a debate, carry on...

I'm sure that Zuckerberg is trying to crush Youtube & I am sure that Google is trying to crush Instagram.

Doesn't mean that either will happen.

With that said I think that IGTV makes sense for the future given that videos are being watched on smartphones but YoutTube definitely isn't going anywhere.

 

[Fox]

It would make sense to rank them higher with the new partner requirements since they should theoretically filter out low-value channels.

As for revenue, I find it sad how little revenue it is considering how many people consume your content and how many hours they spend watching it.

I've been a YouTube partner since 2016. I stopped uploading videos a long time ago because the costs to produce them were too high (I worked with an illustrator and voiceover artist) compared to the revenue they generated.

My videos have continued generating income, but it's really low compared to watch time, the number of views, and the number of subscribers. Watch time was 67 days and 6 hours last month, there were almost 31,000 views, I have almost 24,000 subscribers and I made only $87.10.

It's better than nothing, but considering that in my case I would have to get over 350,000 views each month just to make $1000, it's not really lucrative. I guess in the end ad revenue should only be a small part of Youtube's creator revenue - they should focus on growing their customer base outside of the platform.

Ya YT as a direct source of income sucks. You would want to be playing the viral video game which I doubt any of us do.

I just see it as a way to connect with people and get the word out.

That is a big audience @MTF - maybe some other way of using that to your advantage.

 

[Fox]

Finally making that YT cash money lol!

But it is good to be seeing progress. Average video watch time across all my content is over 6 minutes which is great.

I definitely let myself down with the YouTube goals this year though. I hope to be able to show a lot more progress in 2019.

 

[andrewsyc]

Perennial content.

Best rates are when student in the United States are in session. I want other countries to increase GDP and make more, that way the ad rates go up there.
I started cutting up problems I did for people as it's much more likely that other people will have those same problems (6+ month delay). Throw up a lot.

I was setting a goal for about 3 million views in any given 30 day period and then just cutting it off.

I got people through my channel to do gigs with but craigslist converts much much better. I don't spend much on craigslist now but will probably go all out and spend $500-750 a month and work over $10k+ on client gigs.

 

[chuckypita]

Youtube... over 1 million views and just over $1,000 paid to me... not sure it's worth the time, effort or energy. Gotta find alternative ways to provide value for others.

 

[Jeff Noel]

I think the best strategy here would be to become an Amazon Affiliate (or other website affiliation) and add links in your description for everything you used in your videos (microphone, camera, etc.).

I know people with low-high amount of subscribers (60-80K subs) that make somewhere between 2-3K per month from Amazon affiliate links.

 

[Fox]

I think the best strategy here would be to become an Amazon Affiliate (or other website affiliation) and add links in your description for everything you used in your videos (microphone, camera, etc.).

I know people with low-high amount of subscribers (60-80K subs) that make somewhere between 2-3K per month from Amazon affiliate links.

Thanks - I do have a kit.com page which has seen a few thousand views but very little sales.

I am going to focus on my own products and courses which are much more profitable (and in my control).
That being said it is always best to do as much as you can (without being spammy) so I will keep the kit.com in there also.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[ChrisV]

View attachment 22297

Finally making that YT cash money lol!

But it is good to be seeing progress. Average video watch time across all my content is over 6 minutes which is great.

I definitely let myself down with the YouTube goals this year though. I hope to be able to show a lot more progress in 2019.

Not gonna lie.. the first dollar is always the sweetest.

Great thread.

 

[ChrisV]

Nice video, Fox. A few tips on the Georgia one:

Audio: For the voice over, when recording material like that, try not to script it completely.
Instead, list a few things you would like to touch on and just deliver it.

Visuals: When shooting scenes like 0:40 - 1:05 try not to shoot against the light, if you're not going for a silhouette effect. Some parts work, like 0:49 - 0:52. However, 0:44 - 0:47 for instance neither works as silhouette nor integration of subtle natural lighting.

Overall, nice video. Keep shooting!

That said, now tell me more about this friend of yours.

Do you have any recommended reading / viewing in terms of learning the "art of YouTube"?

Same question for @Fox, aside from what you've already posted here

I think I want to build a channel in the near future.

And I think it's a skill everyone needs in this age. Like, if you're not doing YouTube and Podcasts you're potentially missing a huge wave.

 

[Fox]

Do you have any recommended reading / viewing in terms of learning the "art of YouTube"?

Same question for @Fox, aside from what you've already posted here

I think I want to build a channel in the near future.

And I think it's a skill everyone needs in this age. Like, if you're not doing YouTube and Podcasts you're potentially missing a huge wave.

There is a guy called Sean Cannell from Think Media who does a lot of good content on how to rank videos.

To learn how to actually shot videos I just try and backwards engineer what the best are doing.

Don't, of course, have your own style and take.

 

[ChrisV]

There is a guy called Sean Cannell from Think Media who does a lot of good content on how to rank videos.

To learn how to actually shot videos I just try and backwards engineer what the best are doing.

Don't, of course, have your own style and take.

Yep! I do something similiar.

You know how I learned graphic design? When I see a design I'm impressed by, I try to recreate that design almost exactly... from scratch. Why? Now the entire process is added to my 'mental toolkit.' I learned all those techniques that they used that I can add to my own style. Actually even to this day i still do this. when I want to learn a new technique.

For instance I loved this guy's style, so I tried to learn it to add to my own toolkit:

James Traf (@traf) • Instagram photos and videos

James Traf

I'm doing this approach with video editing as well. Finding videos that I love then trying my best to recreate them from scratch. The learning process is great because it's almost like you're learning from your favorite artists.

 

[Fox]

View attachment 22297

Finally making that YT cash money lol!

But it is good to be seeing progress. Average video watch time across all my content is over 6 minutes which is great.

I definitely let myself down with the YouTube goals this year though. I hope to be able to show a lot more progress in 2019.

Made some progress since this post.



Will be finishing out the year with around 2,600 subs.

Let's see how 2019 goes.

 

[Fox]

>>> Current Goals <<<
Videos
Goal: 100
Current: 7
Subs
Goal: 1,000
Current: 312
Views
Goal: 100,000
Current: 4,628
Watch Time (minutes):
Goal: 500,000
Current: 22,760

Results on the 2018 goals:

Goal: 100 videos
Goal: 1,000 subs



Smashed the sub goal but fell way behind on total video count.

Goal: 100,000 views
Goal: 500,000 minutes watched



Ha... one slight over and one slightly under - but very close!

Goals for 2019:
100 total channel videos
10,000 subs
1,000,000 views

 

[Fox]

Newest video up.

I am testing longer format tutorial content versus shorter format more entertaining/lifestyle content. Ill have to wait for a few days to share the results.

This one is a longer tutorial-style video

Also starting to rank for some much bigger tags...



Just need one of these to hit and take off to see some massive progress. Eventually one will so its just a case of keep going and trying to always be improving.

 

[ygtrhos]

I am definitely going to follow this.

I do not think you can make millions over YouTube directly, but a personal brand has way other repercussions.

As long as you have attention on you, you can sell a lot of stuff. Courses, e-books, even promotional material like t-shirts and cups. You can also put affiliate links. You can even give keynotes or other stuff as an "expert".

 

[gurps94]

Really good job on the Youtube channel and congrats on hitting over 5k subs! There are some great tips in this thread too. I was looking for some advice if possible as you seem to have a lot of success with your channel so far.

I've started a YouTube channel focusing on car videos & travel vlogs - One of the benefits of this is I have a passion for modifying cars, and by growing a social media presence on YouTube, Facebook & Instagram I get access to discounts/sponsorships for modifications, and the goal eventually is to invited to exclusive manufacturer events etc.

Having had the channel for about 7 months now, I've shifted a few times but seem to have found my "flow" with the channel, content etc. I'll admit production quality is quite low, and I am still working on branding/keeping thumbnails consistent, but what other improvements could I make as I believe the content itself (for the most part) is high quality?

www.youtube.com/c/SwatiGurpreet

 

[Fox]

Really good job on the Youtube channel and congrats on hitting over 5k subs! There are some great tips in this thread too. I was looking for some advice if possible as you seem to have a lot of success with your channel so far.

I've started a YouTube channel focusing on car videos & travel vlogs - One of the benefits of this is I have a passion for modifying cars, and by growing a social media presence on YouTube, Facebook & Instagram I get access to discounts/sponsorships for modifications, and the goal eventually is to invited to exclusive manufacturer events etc.

Having had the channel for about 7 months now, I've shifted a few times but seem to have found my "flow" with the channel, content etc. I'll admit production quality is quite low, and I am still working on branding/keeping thumbnails consistent, but what other improvements could I make as I believe the content itself (for the most part) is high quality?

www.youtube.com/c/SwatiGurpreet

Hey, your content is really good and you are very solid on camera. Good tone and talking style.

I think a big help would be a clear intro with WHY they should watch the video. I know they just clicked a link saying the reason but mention it again. "In the video, I will show you how to wrap your car's interior no matter...". These are tutorials but shot like vlogs. You need to pick one style (tutorials are best for growth) and shot and edit them to match.

Also, I would look at titles and ideas that got more viral potential. What has done well for smaller channels that you could do better?

One last thing is the theme of your content -why should people stick around? Okay, one video is good but why wait for more. Where are you taking them and why should they follow along?

You got the skills, I would work on the strategy side a little more to see big gains.

 

[gurps94]

Hey, your content is really good and you are very solid on camera. Good tone and talking style.

I think a big help would be a clear intro with WHY they should watch the video. I know they just clicked a link saying the reason but mention it again. "In the video, I will show you how to wrap your car's interior no matter...". These are tutorials but shot like vlogs. You need to pick one style (tutorials are best for growth) and shot and edit them to match.

Also, I would look at titles and ideas that got more viral potential. What has done well for smaller channels that you could do better?

One last thing is the theme of your content -why should people stick around? Okay, one video is good but why wait for more. Where are you taking them and why should they follow along?

You got the skills, I would work on the strategy side a little more to see big gains.

Thanks for the reply.
I will start to implement a new intro. I started to do it in some videos but for some reason I must have forgot or changed my style, I'll aim for more consistency.

When you say they are tutorials like vlogs what do you mean? On my how to videos, I try to keep it concise. the car videos I try to mention what tools are needed followed by the steps needed step by step. how could I improve this?

The main selling point again for the car videos is to follow the journey from a stock car to a fast road/track ready car. I'm thinking to format the video like an intro, followed by what's in the next video, followed by the actual video. for example "In this video I will be upgrading my diverted valve to the new revision which will help to maintain boost. In the next video we will be fitting an aftermarket exhaust". does this sound good or is it poorly formatted? When filming our videos, my wife and I dont have too much time to plan as I work 12 hour days + filming videos + editing and uploading.

Again, I appreciate the advice!

 

[Kyle T]

Just started my own YouTube channel and read through this whole thread for the first time.

Just wanted to say thanks for everything that you have contributed in this thread. It has been an awesome resource for me and I am excited to get to work!

P.S. Tip that I learned today for any aspiring YouTubers is that if you add "?sub_confirmation=1" to the end of your channel URL then it will make viewers one simple click away from subscribing.

Using my new channel as an example:

Measure Twice Media

 

[NMdad]

For monetization, I posted something similar on another thread, but it's relevant here.

There are a number of ways you can monetize a YouTube channel:

1. YouTube ads: Ads will likely have the lowest return per # of views or subscribers.
2. Affiliate products
3. Consulting & coaching
4. Infoproducts: Probably the highest return--for example, you could offer a course on music production.

Also, I've heard anecdotal evidence of folks making way more via infoproducts from YouTube traffic than website/blog traffic. Which makes sense, since most web/blog traffic is cold, vs. YouTube where people feel like they know you personally--as a result, you get much higher conversion rates from YouTube.

Like others have mentioned, you don't want to rely on YouTube exclusively, so if you direct people back to your website, you can capture emails, etc.

YouTube wants people to spend as much time as possible on their site, so if your videos do that, YouTube will send you more traffic by featuring your videos as suggested videos to users. And once your have 1,000+ subscribers, it'll be easier to get to 5k, 10k, etc.

 

[Nicozilleruelo]

Hi Fox could you help me with some tips about the camera gear to shoot on board ships. That Is not very expensive and the software you need.

 

[Jeff Noel]

Hi Fox could you help me with some tips about the camera gear to shoot on board ships. That Is not very expensive and the software you need.

Use your cellphone's camera to begin with. Use some free editing software or get your hands on Vegas Pro or Premiere Pro.

Just launch the channel already. Do it !

 

[Andy Black]

Hi Fox could you help me with some tips about the camera gear to shoot on board ships. That Is not very expensive and the software you need.

I’m not sure about the ship part, but for talking head videos I suggest you use your smartphone, and get a lapel mic and a selfie tripod stick.

For screenshare videos then your laptop, a lapel mic, and Loom should do the job.

Check out the videos in this post, and the post after:

• NOTABLE! - [Progress] #AndyTalks

 

[Fox]

Results on the 2018 goals:

Goal: 100 videos
Goal: 1,000 subs

View attachment 23123

Smashed the sub goal but fell way behind on total video count.

Goal: 100,000 views
Goal: 500,000 minutes watched

View attachment 23124

Ha... one slight over and one slightly under - but very close!

Goals for 2019:
100 total channel videos
10,000 subs
1,000,000 views

Havent updated this in a while...



The channel gets around 1,000 views a day right now and between 20-30 subs.

I should make my goal of 10k subs by the end of the year.
I don't think my total channel views will be 1 million though.

This is cool though...



My average watch time on all videos is over 5 minutes each. That seems pretty solid.

One day this channel will "pop" but till then I will just keep doing my thing!

 

[Fox]

Okay I am back with an update.

The last few months have been hard to keep growing. The main reason is I shut down my free Facebook group which means 12,000 less people to see my videos every time they are released.

I shut down the group because it was getting low quality/spammy and was talking a lot of time away from other areas that were more valuable to be focusing on. There were just too many people for what was once a tight group with tons of value.

With the group gone the main way to gain growth moving forward is 100% YouTube SEO and audience building activities. This means the right videos, with the right topics, that provide HUGE value.

It is a challenge cause I don't ever want to get into things like clickbait or buzz topics that give me a short term spike but lose long term trust with my audience. I want to provide real last value and have people feel that any video they watched was worth their time.

The new approach, for now, is to do a value-packed video + great bonus content.

With this video, for example, there is a 15-page guide and also a free checklist.

I think the main focus moving forward will be to get into a little more general "freelance selling skills" content that can rank higher and get more views (while still being really valuable). I know what I teach can be applied to areas outside web design like SEO or video production.

This is the growth for the last 365 days...



I am hoping to do the same stats or better for next year which should put me around 40-50k subs by the end of 2020.

I'll update this thread more often now with different strategies I am using and what the response is like.

 

[Entre Eyes]

What an awesome thread to @Fox and to the people that in addition contributed heaps of value.

I would never calculate Youtube as revenue from their ads vs my efforts to produce.

That place is a lead generator on steroids that is the only way I would ever view it.

Income generated would be that link to my email incentive and anything from YouTube would just be gravy.