Growing a YouTube Channel to 100,000 Subs

[Vermilion]

Youtube as a platform is pretty shady lately and its hard for newcomers to advance as easy as they would some years ago.

This video explains the whole thing pretty much. Power of owning everything to your name.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1if_kLguQ4

 

[DanWasDrunk]

That video was hard to watch, only lasted a minute.

Anyone thinking big on YouTube isn't going to focus on monetization.
Video monetization is around $500 - $1000 per million video views.

To put that in perspective my friend has been doing YT for over a year and has well over a 100 videos with 15k subs.
His channel is on around 1.2 million views total. So his ad revenue for the year is maybe $600 - 1,200.
BUT he runs a business that gets a huge spotlight from his YT channel, growth there is in the 100s of thousands.

People like to bitch about YouTube cause its good for video views and always a relevant topic. Big channels run on outrage media so its great to have an enemy and work everyone up (more comments and playtime).

Really though YouTube is still great, its easy to grow a channel, and there are 100 ways to make money out of your own channel separate to YouTube.

Amen. That's something that you got me thinking a lot about. That ad revenue would be nice, but definitely not going to get rich off it or anything these days. And I definitely don't want to be 100% tied down into somebody else's platform. Then it's everything by their rules. They have your business by the throat.

I definitely need to come up with a valuable product or external business idea. Either a consumer product, an seo review website, or my own production company, but I need to do more research and I'm literally just spitballing tie-ins.

This thread is great, though. You're making a ton of progress and I can't wait to see where this goes.

 

[Fox]

hey fox, I have a good topic for you. I struggle with mindset, focus, and simply pulling the trigger. Can you cover those? Any tips? Also what is your success rate out of say 20 cold calls? Those I think would be good topics to cover for your youtube series and would be general enough for people not doing web design..

Also I've realized that the more engaged the youtuber is with their audience the more I am likely to subscribe to their channel. Talk about your struggles, why web design, barriers, etc...those would be great topics, everyone wants to hear inspiring stories.

Thanks.

Ya great advice and I want to start making the content more personal and “behind the scenes” very soon. Thanks for the feedback, I’ll try do some videos on this soon.

 

[dgr]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB-jBFDCd84


Here is a great example.

I actually remember subscribing to his channel after watching his struggle. When you feel someone's GENUINE pain, you root for them. Some of these youtubers are fake as f*ck and most people can see through it (example Logan Paul).

Authenticity and a coherent brand are behind all successful youtubers.

I don't have experience with this, but this weekend a friend of mine introduces me to the Casey Neistat channel (he has a serious addiction to the channel) and I immediately was interested about how this guy has made it.

I like your videos, @Fox. They're very informative in a way is not usual to find out there. And you look very honest in them. But what I've found is that all these successful youtubers are more entertainers than teachers.

That's a pain for me because I prefer to teach, and to be informed first, and entertain, or be entertained, last.

But I suppose that you have to engage your audience (mainly your new visitors) emotionally first and then provide them value. Like any other selling process, I guess.

Anyway, maybe these videos can help to get some tips

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFLz_-u2CXM

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXLz42Kkd5g

 

[Fox]

This week has been zero for youtube. I got areas that need more immediate focus and youtube took the hit.

Going forwards I’ll have to work smarter to make time and stay consistent.

Thanks for the post above @diegorueda - I’m on a phone so won’t quote you.

 

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[Fox]

Hello just thought id pop back in on this forum with an update. I created this personal website Home - chicagoheightsmma with some the advice from FOX's web design thread.

after finishing the udemy course that was recommended. I'm already getting good feed back on design and messages for sign ups.

It's also linked to my YouTube channel OMG SEBS.

TIPS I'VE LEARNED for Website making:
*5 second rule. From first sight, what do you do? and what do you sell?
*Call to action, clean design, testimonials, contact etc... find a design you like some what replicate it or tailor it to your service
*Use local lead gen. tip from @Andy Black's YouTube.

Thanks peeps hope that helps someone out

Glad to help out. Thats cool that you got such a dynamic subject for your first job, that will help you sell later.

How did you connect with the fighter to get this project?

 

[Fox]

This is really cool, thank you! I've been following this for a few months and I'm launching a youtube weekly series tomorrow, in my own niche, it's been great to see what you're doing.

Also my mom worked at that factory from your last video!

wow thats cool! haha Did you show her?

Let me know if you need any input or help. The channel hasn't been too busy last few weeks but there is a lot going on behind the scenes.

 

[Cat Lady]

wow thats cool! haha Did you show her?

Let me know if you need any input or help. The channel hasn't been too busy last few weeks but there is a lot going on behind the scenes.

I did! I don't know if it is the same company still there but she worked there before she joined the military.

I was going to PM you but it appears maybe I'm not cool enough to have access, so let me know if you want to discuss off-thread, but one thing I'm struggling with is personal brand vs professional brand. I believe you changed the name of your YT channel awhile back to your business, has that helped? My business niche is personal finance, particularly for millennials and usually featuring a lot of CATS! (I'm very google-able). I'll be doing a lot of personal finance instructional videos with cats.

But I also have a fair amount of folks that follow my personal brand due to personal data tracking/design work I do and I plan to do more videos showing that work off through vlog-styble videos, since quantified self is very light on youtube. I have a channel for myself and a channel for my business, and I'm struggling with how to structure video uploads between the two. Just run two channels and possibly split the subs? Do everything on my personal channel?

Any advice?

(Also I know some very big youtubers - like people with 3.1 million subs - through a nonprofit I'm on the board of - so I'm hoping once I get rolling to see if I can interview some of them to get the channel moving.)

 

[Fox]

How to deal with the people who steal content or copy videos as it is?

In what way? If its for another YouTube channel that would be an easy copyright strike.

All my videos feature me so I don't really see the point or how that would even work.

 

[Late Bloomer]

I don't want to get locked into a niche and would rather build a personal brand. Who knows what happens over the next ten years and I don't want to have "coding masterclass" and I move into property in 3 years.

"Fox's Design Den?"

 

[Late Bloomer]

Great timely thread, Rob.

I go way back with video production, but haven't been involved with it in a while. I've long thought that it might be a good marketing channel for me.

I'm a bit worried about how much Control Youtube can have over video distribution. But, I don't plan to go into business as a video blogger. And I do plan to have other non-video marketing channels and to also use Vimeo. (How much bigger is Youtube than Vimeo? Am I right that Vimeo is the #2 video sharing site?)

Maybe I don't need to worry too much about Youtube's giant Control in this area. I do want to try to use videos to get subscribers onto a mailing list. This would mean I could still reach at least a percentage of viewers, even if Youtube shuts me down for some weird reason.

I'd like to be able to include videos, along with web sites, as part of a comprehensive marketing package for clients as well as for myself. I also see offering training programs on video, as part of my future career. All that would be using video skills I already have.

Oh I see you already mentioned this: "Hopefully in the future I can offer web, video, photos, branding, and also some copywriting." That's my goal too, a more comprehensive marketing agency.

I also put a drone camera on my long-term shopping list.

I decided to try out Youtube in a low-stress way, where it doesn't hurt me if I get it wrong.

This will be my first experience publishing videos onto Youtube. I want to learn how to get traffic and make friends, fans, and subscribers with a new channel for free.

My theme will be some silly, wacky stuff for entertainment only. This first batch of clips are parody edits of a popular TV show, which has hardly any parodies. (I've often enjoyed well done parody edits of other popular shows.) This way, there's no pressure on me. If other people like the parodies, I'll make some new friends and get to demonstrate a sense of humor with whimsical editing. If it seems that there's a lot of enthusiasm for my silly ideas, I guess adding a pass-the-hat Patreon link would be the way to monetize them.

If nobody likes the parodies, that's okay. They'll be up under a pen name anyway!

There's a chance my parodies could be tossed out with a copyright claim. But for this show, lots of people are putting up commentary/reaction videos that stay up for years. It seems the only thing that gets wiped out is if people have more than a few minutes of footage straight from the show. Individual scenes seem to be allowed. I think I'm on the safe side here.

Second theme or channel will be point of view driving around some pretty countryside and interesting cityscapes. Pretty much unedited dashcam footage, plus some royalty-free background music. Not sure if I should put those on the same channel or give them their own channel.

Last week I downloaded Davinci Resolve, and made some parody rough drafts I like. I want to tighten up the timing a bit. I also want to fix a few glitches where I forgot to carry over the audio of someone we only occasionally see speaking. I expect I'll be able to do that this week, create a Youtube account and channel, and upload my clips.

Once I see what works and what doesn't work, I'll create a new channel with my own name, and put up business related content.

Should I share my results here, or put them in a different thread?

 

[Fox]

Great timely thread, Rob.

I go way back with video production, but haven't been involved with it in a while. I've long thought that it might be a good marketing channel for me.

I'm a bit worried about how much Control Youtube can have over video distribution. But, I don't plan to go into business as a video blogger, and I do plan to have other non-video marketing channels and to also use Vimeo. (How much bigger is Youtube than Vimeo? Am I right that Vimeo is the #2 video sharing site?)

Maybe I don't need to worry too much about Youtube's giant Control in this area. I do want to try to use videos to get subscribers onto a mailing list. This would mean I could still reach at least a percentage of viewers, even if Youtube shuts me down for some weird reason.

I'd like to be able to include videos, along with web sites, as part of a comprehensive marketing package for clients as well as for myself. I also see offering training programs on video, as part of my future career. All that would be using video skills I already have.

Oh I see you already mentioned this: "Hopefully in the future I can offer web, video, photos, branding, and also some copywriting." That's my goal too, a more comprehensive marketing agency.

I also put a drone camera on my long-term shopping list.

I decided to try out Youtube in a low-stress way, where it doesn't hurt me if I get it wrong.

This will be my first experience publishing videos onto Youtube. I want to learn how to get traffic and make friends, fans, and subscribers with a new channel for free.

My theme will be some silly, wacky stuff for entertainment only. This first batch of clips are parody edits of a popular TV show, which has hardly any parodies. (I've often enjoyed well done parody edits of other popular shows.) This way, there's no pressure on me. If other people like the parodies, I'll make some new friends and get to demonstrate a sense of humor with whimsical editing. If it seems that there's a lot of enthusiasm for my silly ideas, I guess adding a pass-the-hat Patreon link would be the way to monetize them.

If nobody likes the parodies, that's okay. They'll be up under a pen name anyway!

There's a chance my parodies could be tossed out with a copyright claim. But for this show, lots of people are putting up commentary/reaction videos that stay up for years. It seems the only thing that gets wiped out is if people have more than a few minutes of footage straight from the show. Individual scenes seem to be allowed. I think I'm on the safe side here.

Second theme or channel will be point of view driving around some pretty countryside and interesting cityscapes. Pretty much unedited dashcam footage plus some royalty-free background music. Not sure if I should put those on the same channel or give them their own channel.

Last week I downloaded Davinci Resolve, and made some parody rough drafts I like. I want to tighten up the timing a bit. I also want to fix a few glitches where I forgot to carry over the audio of someone we only occasionally see speaking. I expect I'll be able to do that this week, create a Youtube account and channel, and upload my clips.

Once I see what works and what doesn't work, I'll create a new channel with my own name, and put up business related content.

Should I share my results here, or put them in a different thread?

Feel free to share wherever you want man - I don't mind.

Youtube is multiple times bigger than Vimeo. Vimeo have a really good product but the marketing isn't there. They aren't getting the search volume and its not that sort of platform. Its more for sharing artsy type content or professionals to network.

If you want your content to be searchable and shareable its got to be Youtube. Other options could be IGTV or FB but Vimeo would be way down the list.

 

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[Late Bloomer]

Why can be that? I'll try to provide a theory in another post. Not to create a cliffhanger, but because I can't attach more images to this post

I thought you were demonstrating a Youtube technique. "But WHY is January so hot? Click here to see my answer is part 2 (points up), hit me up with a comment down below (points down)."

I had to get some new usernames on Fb and twitter but I think it reads a lot better now.

I thought Twitter allowed people to have as many accounts as they like, but FB is trying to enforce one account, one person, one real name policy?

 

[lowtek]

View attachment 19977

I was making quite a few mistakes with how I was using YouTube tags. I had a lot of general tags on videos thinking that would help. So in the video above I had tags like "travel" "vlog" "georgia". Totally pointless since it doesn't rank and its a waste of potential tags that can rank.

If you are uploading videos try have a super focused video idea with highly linked tags for it to rank well.

What are you using to see ranks by tag?

 

[jcvlds]

I want to know who's going to CREATE the next Youtube? Isn't that the point of FastLane Millionaire - to be in total control and own the process?

Let me take out my crystal ball to see who the lucky winner will be and then invest my life savings with him


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Fox]

youtube will be on its way out within the next few years possibly

Sounds definitive. Possibly.

It is only the worlds second biggest website - owned and promoted by the worlds number one biggest website.

 

[sparechange]

Lol. You’re out of your mind


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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...

 

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[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.

 

[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".

 

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[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

 

[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

 

[StrikingViper69]

To do everything about 1-4 days (depends on the video).

But I have a small team so we split that time amongst us all.

For this last video for example:
- video script
- video itself
- b-roll
- editing
- final video touches
- checklist
- 15-page guide
- thumbnail
- video description on YT
- the email that gets sent out to launch this video
- the landing page for the free guide
- the email system for the landing page

Some of those are quick, some take a few hours.

It's funny once you do YouTube for a while and you think about when you thought that it was "just making quick videoes with a camera". It for sure takes work and the standard is always getting higher. But there is still a ton of potential there.

I thought you would have a few people behind you working on it. Thanks for sharing that list.

 

[foodiepersecond]

Hey everyone,

I have been snowed in at a hotel in Kazbegi, Georgia for the last few days with no sign of leaving so I wanted to start a thread I have been thinking of for a while. One regret with my original web design thread is that I didn't start sooner. It is nice when it is possible to see a progress thread from the very early stages.

With that in mind here is my progress thread on growing a YouTube Channel.

First off some background context:

I didn't have much (hardly any) experience with making videos till about a year ago. I recorded a little when I was younger with skateboarding but these were just fun skate videos. I made one "sponsor" tape that consisted of having two video players and recording clips from one into one video on the other.

So in the last year I watched some free video tutorials on YouTube, took a great video course from my friend Thomas, and got some camera gear. I made a few practice videos in 2017 of traveling but I wanted to wait till 2018 to have a proper run at things.

Camera Gear:

My primary camera is a Sony A7 with 16mm, 35mm, and 50mm lenses. This is the camera I use for most of the cinematic shots within my videos. I am new to cameras but so far this has been great to use. The menu is super easy to navigate, very easy to use, and after a day or two it feels very simple to operate.

I also got a proper mic that connects to this but the sound actually isn't that amazing. Still working on this. Good sound is a crucial part of having a video that is enjoyable for people to watch.

Alongside the main camera I am using a Sony RX100 for the "vlog" style shots. It has a flip over screen that is great for seeing yourself as you film so you know what is in frame. Also a cool feature of this camera is super slow mo which is around 250 frames per second. It is really nice for some amazing video.

Other cameras I use are a DJI Mavik drone and a gopro (4 I think!!?). The drone I use a fair bit but I have crashed two already so I am a little more cautious than when I first started! The gopro hardly ever. They are quite annoying to operate although the video can look really good when you go to the hassle.

Editing:

I am using premier on a mac. Really easy once you play around with it. Again I was a complete beginner with this but some courses and free tutorials later and I feel like I know a few tricks. Still so much to learn on this but I will pick it up over time I am sure.

So that is the actual camera gear covered.

----------

Actual Video Format:

The aim of my videos is to inspire people to start learning web design, teach them how to sell their services and grow a business, and show them what its like to be your own boss. Web design is a cool job since you can work from anywhere and you don't need much equipment or set schedule.

I don't see anyone making "cool" web design videos - there are tons of boring tutorials but they lack any character or fun. I am aiming for part inspiration and part education.


YouTube:

It seems a huge challenge with YouTube is just getting the initial traction. By studying a lot of other channels it seems once they break through to around 5000-10,000 subs they start growing a LOT faster. I think the main goal for any newcomer should be to focus on nailing the format for producing great content and growing that core audience first. Once you lockdown the basics and hit 5k subs it should start to grow itself quite naturally if your content stays high quality.

Since I am so new I am still learning on creating a good format for each video. I have two general styles I like so far...

Vlog/lifestyle style - this is like a short video that is more focused on what goes on behind the scenes. I am using a 4/5 minute format with a cool intro, talking mid section, and nice outro. This is a great format to start with since its fun to watch and also quite easy to produce. Since you won't be talking as much as other formats it means you don't have to rely as heavily on voice only content.

Tutorials/talkative videos - these are actually surprisingly a lot harder to produce. You need to have a solid storyline/tutorial that can capture attention and keep it over 5-15 minutes. Usually these are going to be dialed in on a very specific topic. Since so much of YouTube is people searching for a topic the better you can match that exact search the better your engagement.

Right now I am doing a bit of both and working on becoming a better speaker and also delivering as much value as I can in an engaging way. I feel like I know my topic really well but the challenge is in communicating that as best as possible.

YouTube Hacks: Just like an system there are ways to improve you odds at success. Youtube has a bunch of different ways to improve engagement. These can be clickbait titles, the thumbnail pics, using video tags, channel tags, getting views to do an action (like/comment), running competitions, and much more.

So far I haven't been focused on this too far. I don't want to have some clickbait style channel and ovetime people usually will drop off if your content isn't delivering. Better to start small, make great videos, and improve your content while your channel is still small.

One thing I have been playing with those is the video tags. I will do a full post on this soon since there is a lot you can do here to improve your videos performance.

At the end of the day YouTube is just a platform and your main business should be your primary focus. That being said it seems to allow for a lot more natural growth in a short amount of time compared to Facebook and Instagram which I think are now primarily pay-to-play platforms. For those who manage to crack YouTube it is an amazing way to get your message out there and engage with people.

I will update this thread as I learn and grow my channel. If anyone else here is doing the same please feel free to join in also.

Some samples of my content so far:

Vlog style:

(travel style)

(travel/behind the scenes style)

Tutorial:

(shorter format)

(long format)

Any questions or suggestions - please let me know, thanks.

As an Atlanta, Georgia native, I was struggling to see where Kazbegi was. Crispy, clean videos. I certainly will subscribe and catch up on the videos since I also want to grow a Youtube channel.

 

[Fox]

@Fox
From what I've watched and read so far, I'm sure you'll hit your 5k subscribers sooner than you think!

I'm not a YT channel creator however do watch many a YT vid and I suggest you check out Vidiq's product (chrome extension or direct install on your channel - Vidiq.com) so that you get a behind the scenes peek with any YT vid you watch.

The FREE version should meet your needs of seeing stats on :

• views per hour
• social mentions (like Twitter, Reddit LinkedIn)
• SEO (was end screen/cards used)
• video and channel tags used
• estimated earnings and other stuff

After installing, when you upload your vids, it recommends keywords to rank your vid, suggested trending vids to include in your vid tags and has an SEO 9 point checklist and of course more stuff not for me to list here.

Had it installed for a few years now and interesting to see how and what a YTuber has done to get me to view! Not forgetting me being nosey with their earnings *wink*

Also check out Social Blade( .com) website to see your ranking on YouTube, Twitch, Instagram, and Twitter! Gotta have something to look back on on where and how far you've come one year later innit? Certain you'll have moved up the social ranks this time next year.

It also gives the Who's Who's in which YT category and their ranking. Seeing who's in the top YT 50 or 100 or 500 Tubers and using the tags they use or seeing their hidden stats, may get you ranking quicker me thinks. After all why else would they be in the top ranking? Surely modeling them can be the way to go???

As a head up, If seeking to montize further down the road your YT channel with adverts, note that on Feb 20th 2018 as a starter with a YT channel, you'll need:

1,000 subscribers + 4,000 watched hours (240,000 minutes) to qualify for adverts on your YT vids

Meaning? One without the other is a no go!

More here on this new ruling is found on the YT blog here:
YouTube Creator Blog: Additional Changes to the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) to Better Protect Creators

As said above though, I'm certain you'll smash that YT qualifying requirement x2 in no time AND your 5k minimum subscriber target!

Thanks for the encouraging feedback.

I got vidIQ and have been using it a lot - it will definitely help.

 

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[Fox]

Great Thread @Fox, Your content is providing me more value than you know for web design and video production.

I'm also trying to grow my YT Channel. I'll be following this thread.
Thanks...Good Luck

Thanks man, want to post your channel up here?

 

[skysnap]

How to deal with the people who steal content or copy videos as it is?

 

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[Late Bloomer]

For anyone who reads this. If you don't know how to turn it on or want to write the subtitles, just send me a pm and I'll be more than happy to help you out!

Can you post that here please? Looks like useful information for everyone putting their content onto Youtube.

 

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[chuckypita]

I want to know who's going to CREATE the next Youtube? Isn't that the point of FastLane Millionaire - to be in total control and own the process?

 

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[Niptuck MD]

ome courses and free tutorials later

hey fox, can you recommend some of this courses/free tutorials you utilized in your process?

 

[Fox]

hey fox, can you recommend some of this courses/free tutorials you utilized in your process?

Sean Cannell has tons of advice on ranking and recording

Peter McKinnon on recording and gear

Thomas Norman has some great videos on creating a story and getting travel montages

A great feature of YouTube is video people love to make videos on videos! So its really really easy to get amazing content on how to make... amazing content. Its probably the best type of content to find for free on YT.

So I just wait till I am stuck on a very specific point and then go searching.

Let me know what you need help with though and Ill see if I can recommend anything.

 

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