What I've realized about YouTube

Although I think the OP is exaggerating a bit, in my experience those videos that are made just to get viewers are important. My channels aren't really conducive to trend riding, but small time sensitive things have helped my channel. If I could go back I'd spend more time on throw away content rather than try to make videos that will be relevant for years to come. I know that sounds strange, but IMO my mix has been off and I think I'd have more subs if I focused more on things I knew would get views.
 
TheKingCranee said:
What I've realized about YouTube...

It's serious not possible to grow on YouTube without videos that go some what viral.

To get a video to go some what viral is luck... YouTube is luck. I may seem pessimistic about this but it's the ugly truth and I'm sorry.

Please if you differ or think other wise let me hear it.
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Totally false. If you make good videos then youtube will suggest them to new viewers.

The metric to determine if your video is good is watch time. Youtube only needs a small sample size to see how viewers react. If you can make long videos that people watch the majority of then youtube will want you to grow and will throw your channel into all those related and suggested algorithms.

I see that you are making relatively long videos. What is your average view duration? I've heard from gurus that your subs should be watching about 66% of your videos before clicking off. non-sub activity is less important.

Go into analytics for a particular video. Look at the first week. And look at subscriber data. How much of hte video did they watch? How engaged are they (likes, comments). If these numbers are low then the video sucks and youtube will bury it and make sure no one see's it. It's their goal to spread the best content and grow the best channels.

But, first, you have to make good videos.
 
mattv2099 said:
Totally false. If you make good videos then youtube will suggest them to new viewers.

The metric to determine if your video is good is watch time. Youtube only needs a small sample size to see how viewers react. If you can make long videos that people watch the majority of then youtube will want you to grow and will throw your channel into all those related and suggested algorithms.

I see that you are making relatively long videos. What is your average view duration? I've heard from gurus that your subs should be watching about 66% of your videos before clicking off. non-sub activity is less important.

Go into analytics for a particular video. Look at the first week. And look at subscriber data. How much of hte video did they watch? How engaged are they (likes, comments). If these numbers are low then the video sucks and youtube will bury it and make sure no one see's it. It's their goal to spread the best content and grow the best channels.

But, first, you have to make good videos.
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I can't agree more with Matt. Sure, there is some "luck" involved with videos when they go viral. But, most videos that go viral don't end up bringing in lots of subscribers. Yeah, it brings in views, but not a lot of subs. You need a large combination of things to "make it" with YouTube. Great content, excellent thumbnails, building a community on different social media sites. The list can go on and on.

Now, some YouTubers can get lucky and become chosen. But most of the time, its because they already created a great channel. Just a matter of the battle that you want to take.
 
YouTube is a lot of work, both mentally and physically. It's also something that you have to do out of pure passion or you'll end up burning out real quick. Having a video go viral helps a ton, there is no doubt about it. But over time you will grow. Keep that fire lit and your hard work will eventually pay off. (:
 
It is not impossible to grow on YouTube without a viral video. It just takes longer, more patience and dedication. Nobody that is big on YouTube today got there in a short period of time. I think your pessimism is spawning from the problem that you have not seen the growth you want to see in a short period of time.
That isn't how YouTube works.

It took me 4 years to get my gaming channel to 6k subs and 2.5 million views. All I did was stay dedicated, consistent and I never gave up. I knew that it would be a long road but I also knew it was one I wanted to follow.
 
YouTube is luck to some degree. You can always raise your chances by sharing it with as many people as possible (forums, social media, real life friends/family) but the basis is that it has to be good content. Or so bad that it's just a meme
 
Paitience is a virtue. I've Had my YouTube for a year & always questioned my low subscriber count of 300, but I know it comes with patience & consistency.
 
How long have you been on YouTube? You seem pretty discouraged. Are you on YouTube for views, or because you enjoy making videos?
 
GreyStreetGirl said:
How long have you been on YouTube? You seem pretty discouraged. Are you on YouTube for views, or because you enjoy making videos?
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Been on youtube roughly 4 months. Wanted to start 5 years ago but didnt because i didnt have enough courage. However, I am on youtube because I do love making videos but... I got carried away with numbers, subscribers, etc.
 
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