Common issues that keep you under 1,000 subscribers

I think that having a schedule is incredibly important, as well as being consistent in terms of content or what not.

I had a steadily growing channel, but I ended up ruining it by not uploading in a long time, and uploading content that wasn't true to what my original subs wanted. I really regret it. I've started a new channel for my off-topic stuff, but the damage is done.
 
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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[DOUBLEPOST=1468337466,1468337175][/DOUBLEPOST]hello Tim :) , I think some channels do have these points in place , and really good channels but i think there is so many channels out there on YouTube they get lost in the millions of smaller channels , I think these days channel growth will take possible 10 years to grow even if content and criteria are amazing loving the journey and at it since 2013
 
Hey @Tim Schmoyer thanks for the tips, some good stuff here. I've only began my channel a couple of months ago, and I'm slowly edging towards my 50th subscriber.
And I definitely intend to have a look through some of the videos on your YouTube channel, see what else I can learn.
I won't allow myself to believe that I'll ever be able to live off a YouTube income, but your tips and tricks are helping me to see that maybe I could earn a few bucks here and there.

Thanks for taking the time to drop this thread, I look forward to taking a boatload of notes later on, when I'm not stuck at work!
 
I am new in this forum but my advice is, create an account on facebook, twitter, instagram. if you want to have separate accounts from your personal one and start sharing your videos with the world. Use hashtags too! They matter and use keywords in videos they are a must have! Think and create catchy titles. Make good content, proof read your titles. Then you'll win[DOUBLEPOST=1469113186,1469113165][/DOUBLEPOST]I am new in this forum but my advice is, create an account on facebook, twitter, instagram. if you want to have separate accounts from your personal one and start sharing your videos with the world. Use hashtags too! They matter and use keywords in videos they are a must have! Think and create catchy titles. Make good content, proof read your titles. Then you'll win
 
I've been thinking about that third point in relation to my own videos a lot lately. I've been considering writing scripts for myself, because I feel like it would help both on the front and back end. The only problem is that's a lot of work. I guess that's what I signed up for, though!! :p
 
jjwickings said:
I've been thinking about that third point in relation to my own videos a lot lately. I've been considering writing scripts for myself, because I feel like it would help both on the front and back end. The only problem is that's a lot of work. I guess that's what I signed up for, though!! :p
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Honestly...for me...scripts were to awkward. Maybe noting key points to be sure to include.
 
pizzaboynizza said:
Honestly...for me...scripts were to awkward. Maybe noting key points to be sure to include.
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I can see that. But as somebody who did speech in high school, I'm familiar enough with them to work through it. The only problem will be the time from writing >> practicing >> actually doing the video.
 
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