NOTABLE! Growing a YouTube Channel to 100,000 Subs

[SamRussell]

Man, those YouTube numbers are great. It's shame you had to shut down the free group though! The production quality on your videos is great... how long do they take you to shoot and edit?

 

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[Fox]

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.

Here is a great video to show you how the top people make money from YT.
Adsense YouTube ads) is usually a very small part.

The real value of having an audience is not the little money from Yt ads but the chance to sell them something great built on the trust you already have. @biophase was talking about this in his eCommerce ideas thread recently too.

In Peters case its a camera bag...
(one thing he is now doing)



In my own case is services and training related to web design/freelancing.

 

[Fox]

Man, those YouTube numbers are great. It's shame you had to shut down the free group though! The production quality on your videos is great... how long do they take you to shoot and edit?

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.

 

[Entre Eyes]

Excellent follow up.

What would be some crazy stuff behind the scenes you can share that a newbie would never take into account when starting? Copy cats? Haters? Thumbnails? Titles? Techy stuff?

 

[SamRussell]

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.

 

[Entre Eyes]

May I ask? What was your honest reaction to the person that went on a Terror Rage because she lost her YTube revenue?

 

[Andy Black]

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...

View attachment 28252

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.

Good work. You're very good at presenting Rob. Curious if you're using a teleprompter with that script?

 

[Fox]

Excellent follow up.

What would be some crazy stuff behind the scenes you can share that a newbie would never take into account when starting? Copy cats? Haters? Thumbnails? Titles? Techy stuff?

I don't really have any haters or copycats.

The rest I have learned from watching the best in the video/filmmaking niche. Given their profession I think these are the best people to learn from when it comes to prodcution. I can listen to what a marketing person says about YouTube production or I can learn directly from what a pro video person does.

May I ask? What was your honest reaction to the person that went on a Terror Rage because she lost her YTube revenue?

No idea what that is. I don't care about general viral clips.

Good work. You're very good at presenting Rob. Curious if you're using a teleprompter with that script?

I used to use one but I don't like it. I print up notes and have them offscreen. I then go through a section at a time and use editing/cuts to hide the gaps. For me, it works way better.

 

[Entre Eyes]

I don't really have any haters or copycats.

The rest I have learned from watching the best in the video/filmmaking niche. Given their profession I think these are the best people to learn from when it comes to prodcution. I can listen to what a marketing person says about YouTube production or I can learn directly from what a pro video person does.

Yes no doubt about it you are not typical my friend already another level.
Here I was thinking about some slide videos to begin with.

 

[Fox]

Yes no doubt about it you are not typical my friend already another level.
Here I was thinking about some slide videos to begin with.

The "go viral" YT model is based on max clicks leading to max ads.

But when you want to sell directly to your audience you want to focus much more on trust-building videos and narrowing down the focus of your content.

 

[Bishop Black]

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.

Out of curiosity, do you think there is much viability on YouTube for a channel which isn't heavy on "visual" content?

I started recording audiobooks and putting them on YouTube, I use VSDC video editor to add a basic visualization, but most of the successful channels I'm aware of are heavy on the visual medium (usually they are either webcam videos of the host talking or putting on a "performance", or ones which make use of visual content, such as movie or video game footage). Thanks.

 

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[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]

I changed the thread title to reflect the specific goal I am dedicated to achieving - 100k subs.

I will update soon but I am fully committed to making this goal happen and doing what it takes to get on that level.

More info soon.

 

[Runum]

Thanks for sharing the info @Fox. It has been interesting watching you grow the channel. I also picked up a lot of tips from other members. Thanks to all. I will be sharing my progress soon.

 

[Olov]

Great thread! I've been reading a few pages, but won't be able to go through every post tonight. So I will continue tomorrow.

I wonder, what software are you using to do Youtube keyword research? I saw some printscreens where you could see the estimated volume.

As of now I am only doing SEO, but thinking of expanding to Youtube. So any leads on software for research and creation would be appreciated. Especially when it comes to keywords. I think Ahrefs has for Youtube, but it didn't look like you used that.

Thanks for a lot of great info in this thread!