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300 subs after roughly a year

Gediphoto

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So after being active on YouTube for roughly a year, I just hit 300 subscribers.

if I was relying solely on the YT algorithm, I’m estimating that it would be more like 50

Lessons so far are;
- Drive traffic to your channel yourself
- compromise between playing the algorithm game and doing what you love
- 1 or 2 videos per month is quite enough

/G
 

Rhody Seth

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Well done! Here's to more growth over the next year! I will say that I've heard that uploading at least one video a week is important to give yourself even a chance with the mysterious algorithm.
 
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Gediphoto

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Thanks @mirrorlessNY(youtuber) and @Rhody Seth :)

In regards to the algorithm, I've heard the same thing - do one video per week or be (severely) punished. I do however not have time or the will to create one video / week, not when I'm such a small channel. I'm not monetized and I don't feel that such a small channel like mine should keep up with the algorithm much like the big channels with hundred of thousands subscribers do. If you see noticed in their videos, you can also see them struggling, begging you to interact with the video to get more reach.

Right now I get almost 25% ratio of views / subscribers and I'm happy with that (in comparison to the bigger channels in the same genre that have 15-20% ratio). Although Seth, I'm noticing an impressive growth of your channel, it's just a matter of time before you pass my subscription count. Is that because of the algorithm or because you're simply better sharing your stuff in different communities?

As for the "algorithm game", here's what I "know", vs what I "do"

One video / week -> Nopes, I do 1 video every other week
SEO -> YES, I really do try here, I'm currently trying out the free version of vidIQ together with my own experience in SEO to see if that will help
Interesting topics / clickbaits -> Well.. maybe just a little bit, but I try to keep it clean here. I did a UFO video (Photographer's tips on how to photograph UFO's) and that one is still the most viewed one
Good covers - Yes, I really try here too
Begging for interaction (likes/comments) - Yes :) But try to keep it classy
Collaborations - Not yet, but I've been thinking about this, you guys might get a message from me soon ;)

Anything I have missed that is good to do?

/G
 

Rhody Seth

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Although Seth, I'm noticing an impressive growth of your channel, it's just a matter of time before you pass my subscription count. Is that because of the algorithm or because you're simply better sharing your stuff in different communities?
Yeah over the last two months I've had a good run of subs. It's not the algorithm, I've been sharing in different places.
  • I shared a video on reddit in a Rhode Island specific forum for the first time that netted me a dozen new subs
  • My recent ultramarathon video likewise reached a new audience and that got me a bunch
  • One of my YouTube friends gave my channel a shoutout when he set off on a thru-hike and that gave me a nice bump. He subsequently met a bigger YouTuber on the trail who gave him a shoutout and that netted him 100+ subs. Circle of life.

Still hoping for a video to take off at some point but until then it's slow and steady growth for ol' Seth.
 

Gediphoto

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Excellent work! And don't forget that your videos are quite entertaining and inspiring as well :) That might have something to do with the numbers going up too ;)

Thanks for the inspiration dude, I'm gonna check out other channels too (I'm basically just on Instagram and TIkTok).

BTW, I'm thinking of some sort of collaboration with others that are in the neighborhood of my genre other than photography and videography (like hiking / camping / nature - "the love of nature" kinda thing). I just haven't figured out a good approach to a fun collab yet (other than a simple shoutout). But as I mentioned, I might send a request for interest in the collab section soon enough :)

Cheerio from Sweden! Or Halloj från Sverige :)
 
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LearningStuff

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Congrats! That's great progress!

I think this uploads frequency really depends on your genre. I upload 4 or 5 videos/week (or at least try to). The more successful channels in my genre tend to upload very frequently, sometimes multiple videos per day.

I admit I don't drive traffic to my channel from outside sources, it's all search traffic. It took me a year to get to 100 subs but since then the frequency has been ramping up, Now up to 98 new subs in the last 28 days which nearly matches my entire first year. Time in the system (and really total views) might be the most important part of the YouTube algorithm since they need to build data on the demographics that watch your videos/channel so they can better recommend your videos.
 

greatmane

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So after being active on YouTube for roughly a year, I just hit 300 subscribers.

if I was relying solely on the YT algorithm, I’m estimating that it would be more like 50

Lessons so far are;
- Drive traffic to your channel yourself
- compromise between playing the algorithm game and doing what you love
- 1 or 2 videos per month is quite enough

/G
Congrats!!
 
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