Common issues that keep you under 1,000 subscribers

Thanks for the advice.I have been doing everything I can to increase my subscribers. I feel like I have a good product and I just need to be found. I was hoping you would have some miracle answer, like... Clone your friends! lol. Just kidding. Anyways, I am able to take heart that I am already following your 3 biggest tips to grow. I have been studiously working (nonstop it feels like) to get lots of good quality content up on my channel. I have a brand I have stuck with, and I think my thumbnails are interesting, They stand out amongst others in 'Let's Play' searches at least.

So I guess I am saying I didn't take any new tips but it is nice to know I am on the right track.

I have only been putting out content for about 50 days, and I have gained 25 or so subscribers in that time. I wonder is that average? Does gaining subscribers lead to a snowball effect of subscribers?
Thanks in advance to any more advice you can give.[DOUBLEPOST=1476981641,1476981510][/DOUBLEPOST]
I've been stuck at under 1k subs for over a year now, I think my branding, thumbnails etc is ok.. but i'd love an outsiders opinion from someone because something clearly isn't working! Any suggestions would be very welcome :)
I tried to look at your page, and let you know what I thought of your brand and look. But your page link doesn't work! I would like to take a look! Just trying reposting your 'page title' in your account settings. =)
 
It probably applies to less folks on these forums as it does the general mass of new YouTubers, but being unwilling to put in the work comes to mind too. You can't spend 30 minutes a day on YouTube and then run off to watch Netflix and expect anything other than 30 minutes worth of results.
Exactly! When already big youtubers say that YouTube is a lot of work, they aren't kidding. Everyone thinks it's all fun and games but really it's hours and hours of work.[DOUBLEPOST=1477066304,1477066168][/DOUBLEPOST]
This is so true! I've only just started my channel about 2 weeks ago and know that my videos aren't very enticing to watch.

Does anyone else get a little embarrassed talking to the camera?!
I know I need to include more clips of me actually interacting with chatting to the camera as if I was talking to my friends but I just get a little anxious.

Any tips on vlogging? Would be great help!

YouTube channel: MEGANDOMARECKI
Yes! I'm so awkward on the camera. I feel like I don't show any emotions (wondering if I have RBF or I'm just shy) but I think you just get used to it over time. If you watch older youtubers and their hella old videos you can see they are the same way
 
So I am determined to read the whole 56 pages of the thread (already reached 20), but just wanted to give a shoutout to everyone that posted anything in here - already gave me so many ideas and visions, just have to take my time and apply! Thank you, everyone - and, specially, topic starter, Tim Schmoyer!
 
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.
Thanks. That helps a lot
 
This is so true! I've only just started my channel about 2 weeks ago and know that my videos aren't very enticing to watch.

Does anyone else get a little embarrassed talking to the camera?!
I know I need to include more clips of me actually interacting with chatting to the camera as if I was talking to my friends but I just get a little anxious.

Any tips on vlogging? Would be great help!

YouTube channel: MEGANDOMARECKI
I am far from an experienced vlogger, a few months experience but my best advice is you really need to not care what anyone thinks. The more you don't think about what people think of you the more you will be able to loosen up and act like there is no camera watching you. The camera becomes your friend in the room.

I act pretty silly and crazy off camera so if I am going to vlog I want to capture me and not someone I am not. So be you as if the camera isn't there.

Also, if you are someone that tenses up because the camera is on, walk around with the camera before recording to loosen up. Then when you feel like you are acting natural, hit record and start vlogging.
 
I just found this post. A lot of good advice on here. I do thing that at times it can be about exposure. Even if you're doing something that people want to watch, if they don't know you exist(cause your videos aren't exposed to a large audience) then even with good branding and titles etc you won't get the views. Thanks Tim!
 
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