The reason why you won't succed

Ishtiak Ahmed

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2018
Messages
56
Reaction score
19
Location
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Channel Type
Youtuber
I'm really surprised that everybody are giving pieces of advice about titles, keyword, the right time to post videos, the lenght a video should have etc.. but anybody wonders "how to engage my audience ?", "How to make videos with 80% or more average watch time", "what will make a viewer to come back to my channel after seing one of my video ?"

I can't understand people who, after several months or years on youtube, continue to make long video with barely 10% watch time and they hope that if they are enough patient their chance will come.

As one of the most popular french streamer and youtuber said "it's not a question of luck, if you are still making barely 500 views per video after one or two years on youtube the problem comes from your content".


And the source of the problem is a lack of self criticism.
Different thought...This is very important topic...
 

KatyAdelson

I Love YTtalk
Staff member
Joined
Mar 13, 2015
Messages
7,166
Reaction score
6,855
Location
Colorado
Channel Type
Musician
Different thought...This is very important topic...
Please note that this is an old thread and the OP is no longer active on the forums. Please be careful of bumping old threads.

But it's still an interesting topic that is still relevant for 2018, so I'll keep it open for now.
 
  • Like
Reactions: iGM

iGM

That Scottish Guy
Joined
Oct 21, 2015
Messages
312
Reaction score
112
Location
Scotland
Channel Type
Youtuber
It depends on a lot of variables.
Having been on YouTube since 2012 and having two channels, I can tell you, luck does play a part but a very small one. So does advertising, branding, consistency, relevance, quality of content, content similarity, content frequency and so on. There are so many variables that making such a generalization is not really the way to go.
Yes self-criticism has a place, it too is a variable. Yes, the content you make is also a variable but simply chalking it down to content that 'isn't engaging' isn't really enough. There are many variables that affect the success of a video as well as many variables that affect viewer drop off and engagement.
Just because a channel may not get a consistently high frequency of views per video does not mean they are making bad content. Similarly, just because a channel doesn't get a consistently stable frequency of watch time does not mean they are making bad content.

An example of what I mean being that if a channel is mixed (my bigger gaming channel being an example) - it will have long videos of up to 20 minutes as well as short videos than barely scratch 2 minutes. On average, the 2 minute videos will drag down the watch time average percentile for my channel. This is simply because in comparison to other videos, it may not seem like it has a lot of watch time but in reality a viewer may have watched 70 or 80% of the video - it is just that video is short in duration.
In contrast, longer videos where people watch maybe half way through will affect the drop off duration - negatively - as the video duration is long despite the watch time being greater than that of shorter duration videos.
YouTube has so many variables that affect the success of a channel and its content that saying 'you won't succeed because of X, Y and Z reasons' is somewhat ignorant. No matter who you are or how much experience you have. Similarly, there is no one formula for success and saying 'you will succeed if you do X, Y and Z' is equally ignorant.
Finding a way that suits you and your channel (as well as your subscribers - no matter how many) is all that really matters in the end.

Whoever this French streamer is, he has a point that content is the most important variable but what he may (or may not) have missed is that it is a far cry from the only important variable.
 
  • Like
Reactions: KatyAdelson

TYTD

If it's radioactive, Its on TYTD
Joined
Oct 9, 2017
Messages
579
Reaction score
187
Location
UK
Website
tytdreviews.com
Channel Type
Reviewer
I would also argue that a lack of self criticism doesnt really apply to quite a few scenarios. For example; Im fully aware of the limitations of my channels appeal. I understand where my faults are and im always trying to improve my videos quality and content. Equally im always engaging with audiences both directly and indirectly connected to the community im targeting and I dont just stop at questioning my own content I regularly ask content creators both in my field and who've spent a good chunk of the professional careers working to optimise there yotube channels to the best of there ability for advice, critique and feedback about my channel.

What I realised very early on that this would be a marathon; not a sprint. My subs are at a snails pace; but they're still moving upward slowly but surely, my views are growing (For the most part) on every video that I do and I try and cover a wide range of genres and topics on both a micro and a macro level (With plenty of new ideas and content in development as well!) will I be on 1000 subs in 2 years time? I dont know...at the current rate definately not. but I enjoy what I do, I take it seriously and I have purpose behind what I do, having people to engage with and to have along for the ride is all part of the growing experience :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: KatyAdelson

genp

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2017
Messages
53
Reaction score
27
Someone with above average IQ has been working and researching the market 20 hours a day for a few years, he/she should have at least 1 million subs even if he/she is in an saturated niche with many competitors. It's about 'focus'. Stay razor focused if you want any form of major breakthrough in any area. I know because that's what I did.
 
  • Like
Reactions: KatyAdelson