Common issues that keep you under 1,000 subscribers

Tim Schmoyer said:
I guess this is where I'm going to disagree with you. I have two secret channels where I occasionally post random evergreen videos that get tens of thousands of views without a single tweet nor any promotion.
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It's okay to disagree :) Honestly, conversation would be boring as hell if everyone agreed on everything. That being said, I don't think we disagree as much as you think we do. I definitely worded my comment poorly and only with entertainment-style/vlog/gaming channels/videos in mind (i.e. videos that likely won't be found through search for a number of reasons..(competitive search words, skits that won't be found through search, etc). There are several types of channels/videos that can grow from the ground up without initial help from outside sources and/or the suggested video traffic source. These are primarily channels/videos that get the majority of their early views (from their first several videos, for example) from Youtube or Google search results. Then, when Search results have built up their views, they begin to appear in more suggested videos. Tutorials are a prime example of this and are a great and consistent earner as far as partners are concerned, providing slow but steady growth that never seems to stop. I started a tutorial channel a couple years ago...posted 4 tutorial videos (3 in the first few months) and basically forgot about it/abandoned it. I looked the other day to see that the channel has over 100k views and a few hundred subs. The views came almost solely from search (I really should do something with that channel lol). Some types of videos (e.g. Tutorial/how-to videos) transcend the need to promote outside of youtube. Others need the help and outside promotion.

Tim Schmoyer said:
I have two secret channels where I occasionally post random evergreen videos that get tens of thousands of views without a single tweet nor any promotion.
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My guess would be that the majority of those videos views (at least early on) came from search results. Niche videos can also do well despite not being promoted on social media, etc. The competition for the keywords may not be as high, nor does the search algorithm seem to favor views as much as the suggested video algorithm (I see videos with less than 1000 views in search results much more often than i see them in the suggested video section of other videos).

So I will qualify the statement I made earlier by saying that while some channels/videos (turorials...niche channels, etc) have content that can thrive despite not being promoted, most entertainment-type channels or vlog channels (even video game channels because of the competitiveness of the search terms and the oversaturation of that niche) will have a hard time without solid marketing and promotion outside of Youtube, mostly due to how Youtube's algorithms "push channels with creators who already know how to get discovered on their own." to quote your friend.

The bottom line (I hate writing that, btw) is that it all comes down to having quality/compelling content. Without that you can't even begin to succeed.
 
Such good tips, I have only put my first video up the other day and only have one subscriber however constructing my channel and videos in the way that viewers like it did get me some good comments! So I'm happy with that small milestone I have and have ever intention to keep trying to grow my channel.

This site is so good and helpful,

Thank you
 
lucyharrietmccoy said:
Such good tips, I have only put my first video up the other day and only have one subscriber however constructing my channel and videos in the way that viewers like it did get me some good comments! So I'm happy with that small milestone I have and have ever intention to keep trying to grow my channel.

This site is so good and helpful,

Thank you
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Yeah, you'll learn a lot of good stuff here at YTTalk! Welcome! And glad my post was helpful for you! :)
 
Tim Schmoyer said:
Hey YTTalkers! I recently heard a small YouTube creator complaining about how YouTube needs to update their algorithm to favor small YouTubers and not just "the big guys." Other small creators chimed in and readily agreed, but I honestly have a different perspective on why small creators stay small and it has nothing to do with YouTube's algorithm.

I thought about this community today and thought I'd share my thoughts here in hopes of encouraging some of you. Hopefully this helps some of you break out from under the 1,000 subscriber barrier that seems so difficult to break sometimes.

First of all, let's talk about that good ol' YouTube algorithm. Is it really geared for the large creators?

For context, I'm a YouTube Certified Consultant and work with both my personal channels and client channels. I started my first channel in 2006 and grew my most recent personal channel from 0 to 10,000 subscribers in the first 12 months. It's now about 25 months old and has 54,000 subscribers and 2.8 million views. It's in a very narrow, small, specific niche, too, not something big and broad like gaming, vlogging, or beauty (ha! image me doing that!).

Most of the channels I work with as clients come to me with under 1,000 subscribers. After about a month or two of working through some common issues that keep creators stuck in that subscriber bracket, they start to exponentially grow. That proves to me that the problem is not algorithmic.

One client of mine came to me before he even started his channel. After 9 months, he's now making $30,000 per MONTH in Adsense revenue alone. I don't say that to point the finger at me -- I say that to say: You can do this! If this guy who didn't even have a YouTube channel can do it, so can you. The algorithm is not the problem.

I've worked with countless channels that have grown from 0 to hundreds of thousands of subscribers and a lot of money fairly quickly. In fact, I used to be co-workers with the guys behind the CinemaSins channel. They'll be the first to tell you that YouTube's algorithm doesn't squish the little guys on YouTube. They started with 0 views just like everyone else. You can do this!

So what are those common issues that cause creators to feel stuck at under 1,000 subscribers?

1. Poor branding.
This goes far beyond a simple forum post, but think much broader than logos, header images, and branded bumpers. Essentially it's answering the questions, "Who specifically is this content for?" and, "Why should that person care?" Why does your channel matter? What difference does it make in that person's life? What's their motivation for wanting to subscribe to your channel in the first place? How easily does your channel answer those subconscious questions for them? How well is that "branding" integrated into your content and channel?

2. Poor titles and thumbnails.
It doesn't matter how awesome your content is if the thumbnails and titles aren't engaging, enticing, and attract people to click. That doesn't mean you should be misleading and tease a story that really isn't in the video -- that will backfire every time -- but it means knowing what the true value of your video is for someone and then crafting a "billboard" for it (title and thumbnail) that accurately pitches its value.

3. Craft better videos.
And I don't mean just in terms of production value -- I mean in terms of actual content value. Most creators assume that their videos are awesome and that the only problem they have is exposure. The problem with that way of thinking is that it locks you into a mindset that doesn't change with YouTube and causes you to start blaming other things that you don't control. It's pretty self-defeating. If you've been creating videos for even 6 months, go back and look at some of your first videos. You thought they were awesome back then. Today you're probably embarrassed by them. And next year you'll look back on the videos you're creating right now and feel the same way. So use tools like "audience retention" in YouTube analytics to craft better videos. Drop the stuff that causes audience drop-off (like branded intros, for example) and learn to start the videos with better hooks, eliminate wasted time, stuff like that.

Hope that helps some of you get on the right track. Like I said, anyone can do this YouTube thing. I really believe that. The key is to work smart, not to just work hard.

I'd love to hear what tips and ideas you have for breaking past 1,000 subscribers! Let's all help each other out here.
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hey I believe I am having this issues. my views are decreasing and my sub count isn't budging. Im always told how good my videos are and why I am not famous yet. I have tried communicating and building a relationship with my subscribers. But it seemed that it didn't really help. I feel like I am missing something.
 
Gametrix said:
... my views are decreasing and my sub count isn't budging. Im always told how good my videos are ...
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To sum it up you have good quality content but view and subscriber numbers are low. It's absolutely normal that subscribers only grow with views.
If views are decreasing that's in my eyes a sign that your content is not highly searchable like evergreen videos (tutorials, lifehacks, re-occurring tent-pole events like super bowl, Xmas, ...) or sharable (comedy, drama alert, ...). Otherwise you would get constant views from search (check your SEO) or social media.
 
Gametrix said:
hey I believe I am having this issues. my views are decreasing and my sub count isn't budging. Im always told how good my videos are and why I am not famous yet. I have tried communicating and building a relationship with my subscribers. But it seemed that it didn't really help. I feel like I am missing something.
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Even though I don't have many video's or subscribers I still feel that even though people apparently tell you your videos are good doesn't mean it's getting to everyone in that audience, meaning you are obviously doing something wrong in attracting your videos to people, the tags that you are putting, make sure you are putting the appropriate tags to your videos and not just random ones. Why don't you make a blog that solely attract your subscribers (and future subscribers that could be interested) go on social media it helps so much.

Lucy.
 
I just read this post now and it's very helpful. I am a new youtuber and it's always helpful to read about tips and tricks. It's so true that only posting doesn't work. You have to make a name for yourself and by commenting and being active, you get your name out there. It's time consuming but it is totally worth it!
 
These are really good tips and really true. I have been reading your book for the last few days and so far it helped me get 3 more subs in just a day. I will be sure to follow your advice!
 
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