Intro + 6-month YouTube monetization challenge

[Sleepless]

Hello,

I've only read around a little bit on the forum so far, but it's been such an insightful read already. I enjoy the honest but helpful sort of air that seems to permeate the threads. But I know myself, and before I give into the bad habit of soaking up every newfound fountain of knowledge for hours on end instead of actually doing something, I want to get right down to business (haha).

I didn't spend my youth following any entrepreneurial inclinations. As a kid I liked making games and writing stories (still do). But I like to think this doesn't disqualify me from breaking off the script and achieving my version of freedom. I actually ended up reading TMF when I was 16 years old by chance, because even back then I didn't think my parents' exhausting and financially strained lives seemed very inviting. I'm 20 today (so I guess you could argue I'm still in my youth) and I've reached the point of no return. I simply can't see holding down any traditional job to be the best path financially or in terms of autonomy.

There's only one thing I think I know how to do well, and that's YouTube. I've enjoyed it for years, I've studied every aspect of it - I even did it myself for a little while to no avail. And then one day I woke up to a few thousand people enjoying my videos and urging me to continue. I couldn't because of shaky life circumstances, but I'll never forget the encouraging words people left. I couldn't believe my eyes and I know I'll die with regret if I don't give it a proper shot again. It was just a lot of fun.

Except for earning myself a livable existence, I don't have wild entrepreneurial dreams. I set three overarching goals that makes my heart ache with how proud I would be if they came true:

• Helping my mother out of not poverty, but too close to it for comfort
• Being able to tell my long-distance girlfriend that I'm earning money doing my own thing and that it means I can come be with her permanently
• My brother finding my videos on his own because they've become popular enough (we're into the same thing)

I'm well aware that starting a YouTube channel is not akin to starting a "real" business. On top of this it arguably violates many of the CENTS commandments. This is why other than just making videos I'm thinking of leveraging the eyeballs into other value-driven services/products that I'll develop over time. But one thing at a time. I fully agree with the anti "do what you love" sentiment, but I don't think there's anything wrong with leveraging skill(s) you both enjoy and might be good at. The market will decide and I'll adjust accordingly.

---

The Goal

If I could get monetized within these six months (1000 subscribers and 4000 hours of watch time) and start seeing some measly ad revenue I'd be happy. That'd be proof enough for me to keep going with this particular direction. Also it is just a clear goal to work toward when starting from scratch. Most people don't get there that fast and maybe I won't, but I think 6 months is a decent runway. Either the plane starts lifting off the ground or it doesn't.

---

The Plan

Here's the battle plan. I'll be in a very fortunate position for the next ~6 months. I live in a small apartment I pay for with a part-time job, but I cannot stay longer than August (it might end up being shorter, I don't know). It will take too long to explain and no one cares about my life circumstances, but basically what this means is that I have six months where in it doesn't matter how obsessively I'm spending my time. I can work on videos whenever minus when at the job.

I'm aware that I'm using a long-term strategy for a short-term challenge, but this is what I want to try: I'll be posting at least one video every month because that's how long they take to produce on average (due to animation). I'll be working on cutting down the production time as much as possible so hopefully I can make more without dropping significant quality. On top of this I will make an "extra" video documenting the process of learning a skill in a bizarre way, which I'm not sure how much time it'll take. So that comes out to be ~7 videos. Doesn't sound like a lot, but I would rather take the time to execute on a unique, evergreen idea that racks up 100,000 views over time rather than 100-1,000 views and is then lost in the sea of similar time-bound videos. The Internet Historian and James Jani (Valier) said it best:


(That doesn't mean it's not possible spending a month producing hot garbage, but once again the market will decide).

I'll put the end date as August 15th for now as I don't know at what date in August I'll have to start easing off the gas somewhat. I'll be updating every Friday with:

• Subscriber count (0/1,000)
• Watch hour count (0/4,000)
• % of video completed + video #
• (Days remaining, to scare myself)

Finally, I want to say that I won't be posting any of my videos in this thread (is it even allowed?). This is because I want to have as anonomous of an online presence as possible as I'll be running a faceless channel, and don't want to make unnecessary connections between points online. I just want to share the insights I gain along the way, the progress and some stats that may be of use to anyone reading.

Thank you for taking the time. See you next Friday!

 

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[CrimsonNight]

Hello,

I've only read around a little bit on the forum so far, but it's been such an insightful read already. I enjoy the honest but helpful sort of air that seems to permeate the threads. But I know myself, and before I give into the bad habit of soaking up every newfound fountain of knowledge for hours on end instead of actually doing something, I want to get right down to business (haha).

I didn't spend my youth following any entrepreneurial inclinations. As a kid I liked making games and writing stories (still do). But I like to think this doesn't disqualify me from breaking off the script and achieving my version of freedom. I actually ended up reading TMF when I was 16 years old by chance, because even back then I didn't think my parents' exhausting and financially strained lives seemed very inviting. I'm 20 today (so I guess you could argue I'm still in my youth) and I've reached the point of no return. I simply can't see holding down any traditional job to be the best path financially or in terms of autonomy.

There's only one thing I think I know how to do well, and that's YouTube. I've enjoyed it for years, I've studied every aspect of it - I even did it myself for a little while to no avail. And then one day I woke up to a few thousand people enjoying my videos and urging me to continue. I couldn't because of shaky life circumstances, but I'll never forget the encouraging words people left. I couldn't believe my eyes and I know I'll die with regret if I don't give it a proper shot again. It was just a lot of fun.

Except for earning myself a livable existence, I don't have wild entrepreneurial dreams. I set three overarching goals that makes my heart ache with how proud I would be if they came true:

• Helping my mother out of not poverty, but too close to it for comfort
• Being able to tell my long-distance girlfriend that I'm earning money doing my own thing and that it means I can come be with her permanently
• My brother finding my videos on his own because they've become popular enough (we're into the same thing)

I'm well aware that starting a YouTube channel is not akin to starting a "real" business. On top of this it arguably violates many of the CENTS commandments. This is why other than just making videos I'm thinking of leveraging the eyeballs into other value-driven services/products that I'll develop over time. But one thing at a time. I fully agree with the anti "do what you love" sentiment, but I don't think there's anything wrong with leveraging skill(s) you both enjoy and might be good at. The market will decide and I'll adjust accordingly.

---

The Goal

If I could get monetized within these six months (1000 subscribers and 4000 hours of watch time) and start seeing some measly ad revenue I'd be happy. That'd be proof enough for me to keep going with this particular direction. Also it is just a clear goal to work toward when starting from scratch. Most people don't get there that fast and maybe I won't, but I think 6 months is a decent runway. Either the plane starts lifting off the ground or it doesn't.

---

The Plan

Here's the battle plan. I'll be in a very fortunate position for the next ~6 months. I live in a small apartment I pay for with a part-time job, but I cannot stay longer than August (it might end up being shorter, I don't know). It will take too long to explain and no one cares about my life circumstances, but basically what this means is that I have six months where in it doesn't matter how obsessively I'm spending my time. I can work on videos whenever minus when at the job.

I'm aware that I'm using a long-term strategy for a short-term challenge, but this is what I want to try: I'll be posting at least one video every month because that's how long they take to produce on average (due to animation). I'll be working on cutting down the production time as much as possible so hopefully I can make more without dropping significant quality. On top of this I will make an "extra" video documenting the process of learning a skill in a bizarre way, which I'm not sure how much time it'll take. So that comes out to be ~7 videos. Doesn't sound like a lot, but I would rather take the time to execute on a unique, evergreen idea that racks up 100,000 views over time rather than 100-1,000 views and is then lost in the sea of similar time-bound videos. The Internet Historian and James Jani (Valier) said it best:
View attachment 42076View attachment 42077

(That doesn't mean it's not possible spending a month producing hot garbage, but once again the market will decide).

I'll put the end date as August 15th for now as I don't know at what date in August I'll have to start easing off the gas somewhat. I'll be updating every Friday with:

• Subscriber count (0/1,000)
• Watch hour count (0/4,000)
• % of video completed + video #
• (Days remaining, to scare myself)

Finally, I want to say that I won't be posting any of my videos in this thread (is it even allowed?). This is because I want to have as anonomous of an online presence as possible as I'll be running a faceless channel, and don't want to make unnecessary connections between points online. I just want to share the insights I gain along the way, the progress and some stats that may be of use to anyone reading.

Thank you for taking the time. See you next Friday!

I am looking forward to seeing your success!

Do you have any plan to offer your animation skills as a service while you are building your channel? It might add another form of assurance.

And regarding your apartment, is it easy to find another one with the same rent?

 

[Sleepless]

I am looking forward to seeing your success!

Do you have any plan to offer your animation skills as a service while you are building your channel? It might add another form of assurance.

And regarding your apartment, is it easy to find another one with the same rent?

Thank you!

That's a good idea, though I'd prefer to focus on building this one thing first and improve my skills before I sell anything. A great thing about doing YouTube is that you have to wear a lot of hats at once, so regardless if I succeed with this or not I think I'll come out with more than I started with. Btw I actually read your thread before posting mine, how's your channel process going?

It might not be impossible, but in August I'm actually moving cities to attend a trade school program. It's unclear whether I'll be moving in with family or finding a place of my own at this time.

 

[Sleepless]

Week 1

Happy Friday (Saturday)... in some time zone... somewhere... probably not. I got flow working on a video and stayed up late, woke up in the early hours in my desk chair. All I can say is that I'm lucky I didn't hit a key to close down all of my unsaved work in my sleep. My sore neck is demanding I go to bed on time next time

Progress:
Subscriber count (0/1,000)
Watch hour count (0/4,000)
~30% of video completed, video #1
178 days remaining

I've had a couple revelations during this short time.
1. A week goes by so fast. Even faster now that I'm using this thread to measure each one, and I can already see it's going to be like subscribing to a weekly wake-up call. There is always time that could be spent better.

2. If an option, making videos that take a long time to produce is probably smarter to do for a channel with established audience trust. I listen to a lot of YouTube educational content whenever I'm doing chores and or heading to work, and after numerous examples of channels growing faster just by uploading more frequently I've realized: don't sacrifice momentum unnecessarily. Not only do more videos mean more coins into the gumball machine, but YouTube actively favors channels that upload consistently and often. It doesn't necessarily even matter that the videos are short, as explained here:

View: https://youtu.be/FnxCpMbRY08?t=356



This is golden advice from Logan Paul's editor, as it's tried and true (the whole video is valuable, I recommend watching the whole thing). Short videos can create binge sessions due the viewer being left wanting more, allowing YouTube to serve a ton more ads and falling in love with your channel. It's a model that definitely will/already benefits the creators who uses it. This all being said, with the type of videos I make I just cannot cut down my production time to less than 3 weeks. And even 3 weeks is pushing it as I'm still a newbie. My new theoretical schedule:

• 1 day title/thumbnail
• 1 day script
• 2 days audio
• 2 days edit
• 15 days video

Any day is including my job, so it's never a full day unless it's possibly the weekend. I was looking to take 4 weeks to produce one video but I'm hoping by writing shorter scripts from now on it will be 3, hopefully less on some. I'm trying to see it as a challenge to only pack the highest quality/most interesting bits into a video and cut all the fluff.

My (practical) reason for going this route/starting a channel:
I believe I've found a gap in the market. A lot of big creators have stopped uploading in my niche over the pandemic, and as soon as even newcomers upload a video of decent quality it gets great traction. It's not a new or trendy niche and has been established on YouTube over many years, but it takes a lot of effort to keep up and it's understandable that many have quit. I believe I can not only fill this gap but also put a unique spin on it that will bring more value to the general audience.

Many channels in this niche hire help to keep things going, and perhaps if I bootstrap this well enough I could too in the future. That's it for now, goal for the next week will be trying to cut down on the current video and upload it sooner than I otherwise would. I don't know if I can this far into production and still make it good but I'll try. I'm itching to upload my first video and start to feel the pressure of being consistent, because nobody gets anywhere being in la la land just planning and predicting around in circles.

 

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[Einfamilienhaus]

I tried to figure it out but what type of video are actually doing? Is it the same type The Internet Historian does? Otherwise it wouldn't make any sense to produce one video in 4 weeks. I think it would only make sense if you are already good in the "YouTube Game". Which means you know how to tell a great story and you know how to keep your audience hooked with your editing style.

If you haven't got any experience in Youtube the best way to learn about your audience is through creating content and see how it works.

Believe or not but the audience will tell you what they want to see. Simply by asking you or giving you an honest advice. But your major goal should be to get recognized for what you are actually doing.

Since I do YouTube by myself, I can tell you that the best ideas came through work itself and later to keep yourself a step away from your work. Asking yourself: Are those videos good? It this the message the audience want to know?....

Don't think about techniques and start producing. Your first videos will be terrible anyways. Like in the most causes for all successful Youtubers.

 

[Sleepless]

I tried to figure it out but what type of video are actually doing? Is it the same type The Internet Historian does? Otherwise it wouldn't make any sense to produce one video in 4 weeks. I think it would only make sense if you are already good in the "YouTube Game". Which means you know how to tell a great story and you know how to keep your audience hooked with your editing style.

If you haven't got any experience in Youtube the best way to learn about your audience is through creating content and see how it works.

Believe or not but the audience will tell you what they want to see. Simply by asking you or giving you an honest advice. But your major goal should be to get recognized for what you are actually doing.

Since I do YouTube by myself, I can tell you that the best ideas came through work itself and later to keep yourself a step away from your work. Asking yourself: Are those videos good? It this the message the audience want to know?....

Don't think about techniques and start producing. Your first videos will be terrible anyways. Like in the most causes for all successful Youtubers.

I can't say it's the same thing he does but I would assume it is similar on a production/"effort" level. I appreciate the perspective but I don't think that's true at all. "Being good in the YouTube game" often leads to channels focusing on uploading often, leading to a channel filled with mediocre, similar video ideas that was never allowed to be expanded upon due to the creator sticking to strictly uploading once a week/daily/whatever. I do think this is good for practicing required skills like talking into the camera or capturing b-roll, but I just don't want to be a channel full of average ideas executed in an average manner. Almost all the channels I watch and remember never uploaded daily or sometimes even once a week. Great ideas don't always have to take a long time to realize of course, it just depends. Right now I'm learning how to animate faster so I can cut down on production time.

Adhering to that your first video(s) will "be terrible anyways" is also one of those widely accepted notions that is not true. Your first videos will probably suck in a lot of ways, but it doesn't have to be terrible. Once again I think that's an excuse to not think about if you're actually bringing something new/interesting/valuable to the table. In a lot of cases when a YouTuber blows up with a video hit, their backlog of videos get injected with significant traction as well. If that were to happen to me I would rather be hosting a few, uniquely interesting videos than a long list of "eh, doesn't look too enticing". This recently happened to a YouTuber called Leon Hendrix. His small but golden (according to the numbers) library got injected with tons of residual views as a result of a single video blowing up. It's exhilirating when it happens.

But you are completely right that it is useless for me to ponder techniques when I have not even uploaded yet. It was just something interesting I found and wanted to share, and really something I probably won't even be able to implement given my stubborn attitude of taking my time haha.

 

[Sleepless]

Week 2

It's Friday once again, and just like I predicted the week flew by so fast I'm starting to get anxious about it.

I'm in the thick of animating and doing the most creatively demanding work, which turns out, is harder to pump out than repetitive or monotone tasks like sorting your files in an easily accessible way or something. On top of this I've come down with a cold that is making it hard to focus. This will be a short post as I've made progress only I can see, and I'm even debating posting here only when I've uploaded something. But for now, I'd like to add a quick Tip/Resource of the Week to add a little value to anyone reading who is also looking to do YouTube/content.

Tip/Resource of the Week:

Thumbs Up – Standard

thumbsup.tv

This is a website for checking how your thumbnails look on different devices. It's super handy and an in-your-face reminder that your eye-catching thumbnail that made on your giant monitor might be indecipherable on mobile. Sometimes I manually shrink my thumbnails down and edit it onto a screenshot I took on my phone, but this is arguably better. It's vital to get this right as most users watch YouTube on their phones.


Progress:
Subscriber count (0/1,000)
Watch hour count (0/4,000)
~50% of video completed, video #1
172 days remaining

 

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[Sleepless]

Happy Friday...

I've been sick with covid for the last two weeks.

I've now realized what it's like to be sick, living on your own and without a car. The motivation to get groceries and other necessities truly drops to zero...

I thought it would make for a boring post to update with being sick so I let it be. Yesterday was the first day I've woken up feeling a little more like usual, which feels great. This has obviously slowed down my challenge quite a bit but I'm itching to get back to work now that I'm starting to regain my energy.

Since the weeks have officially been all messed up, I thought I'd do as I was thinking of before and just update whenever I've posted a video. Then I'll take it from there. Reading this thread in retrospect will probably be more interesting and/or valuable being able to just look through what I've posted and what results they've garnered. It defeats the "accountability" aspect but I don't think I need it. I'd be doing this regardless of some forum post published in the void.

As for another neat resource, see here:

Free YouTube video title length checker

Free YouTube video title length checker

www.socialvideoplaza.com

It's a tool to check whether your titles get truncated depending on the platform and which aspect of YouTube the viewer is using. It's handy to run your titles through so you're title doesn't get cut off and lose its appeal.

Until next time!