What I've Learned from 4 Years of Making Videos On YouTube

Although I spend most of my video production time with WriterSanctuary, I actually have a few that I manage. And over the years, I've learned quite a bit about YouTube from the perspective of my target audience.

No, I'm not overly popular. Hell, I'm not even monetized or in the YouTube Partner Program because I am just shy of 4,000 hours of watch time. However, the things I learned along the way of getting to where I am has been an invaluable experience.

I have no doubt that things will turn around this year...as long as I put in the effort to make them change.

Why Are You Creating the Channel?

Perhaps the most important part of creating a successful YouTube channel is the purpose behind doing so. If you're in it to just make money, you'll have a much harder time trying to get where you want to be.

Making money with a YouTube channel is much harder than what it might look like from the perspective of your favorite creators.

Make sure you're starting the channel for all of the right reasons. Those should include:

• Wanting to share experiences and knowledge
• Wanting to entertain others
• Having a skill set you wish to show off, which also contributes to entertainment
• Accentuating your business, which YouTube is great for marketing
• Teaching others how to do certain things

It should never be about the money in the beginning. Not everyone is going to become instantly viral with brands tossing money at them. Life doesn't work that way, and a lot of creators will find it much more difficult to reach pinnacles of success if all they care about is the cash.

Like blogging, YouTube centers around the user experience. This means you need to engage those users before you can even think about making money from them.

Focus On Your Audience, Not Your Numbers

Sure, it would be awesome to hit the 1,000 subscriber threshold and the 4,000 hours of watch time to get into the YouTube Partner Program. But the fact of the matter is that it's not all that easy.

Especially since YouTube primarily focuses on established creators who can maintain the attention of their audience.

Don't worry about the numbers in the beginning. Create content that your target audience wants to consume. Because without them, you'll find success on the platform virtually impossible.

Measure your success by the people who adamantly watch every video because they love what you produce. Case in point, I am currently at 3.7k hours of watch time in a 12-month span. But, the videos and live streams I create have helped me establish a strong following of a few people. And some of them even bought my book when it was first published.

Your audience will help you become a success even if YouTube won't give you access to video AdSense. Those relationships with viewers are far more valuable in the long run.

Don't Assume You'll Get Rich off of AdSense

No creator with over a million subs uses AdSense as their primary source of income. Many will have affiliate links, sponsors, or even sell their own products.

Why is that? Because AdSense pays extremely low in comparison.

Now, it's true that I don't have access to the video version of AdSense. But I have used AdSense on blogs for about a decade. And if they are any way similar, it would take 350,000 views in a single month just to hit $1000.

Some of you might be able to grow that quickly and produce some top-tier videos right off the bat. But statistically speaking, the odds of that happening are exceptionally low.

AdSense should never be your primary focus when it comes to monetizing your channel. Look for other methods that can bring in a buck or two.

For example, you could set up a Buy Me a Coffee account and immediately use it on your videos as a link in the description. If people like your content, there is a better chance they'll support you with tips or monthly memberships.

Create Videos People Want to Watch

This is perhaps the most difficult aspect of YouTube. You need to create videos that your target audience is looking for. Otherwise, no one is going to watch your content.

My niche for WriterSanctuary is exceptionally narrow. However, my videos have a high click-through rate for those who are looking for specific information about freelance writing, Textbroker, or self-publishing. Those are the people for which I'm making videos.

Know that even though you think a topic is awesome and you're providing some rich details, the video itself could do exceptionally poorly. This could be for a myriad of reasons, but in my experience, it's been because my audience didn't care to watch the video.

It's not what you think they should need, but more of what they want.

Stick to Your Niche

Like Google search, YouTube loves niche channels. This is because a focused niche is more likely to attract and maintain a very specific audience who will spend time watching all of your content.

If you try to step outside of your channel's niche, you may find those videos to perform worse as the algorithm tries to redefine your target audience.

Besides, a more focused audience for your niche is more likely to buy products you promote or click on ads that are relevant to your channel. In other words, you'll make more money in the long run.

Case in point, my audience bought the first copies of my book as it pertained to freelance writing and how I got to where I am today. That kind of product interested them as it was relevant to the niche of my channel.

Use Live Streams at Your Own Discretion

Live streams can do wonders for boosting your total watch time on YouTube. However, they can also have an adverse effect depending on the rest of the content you create.

Ever since I started doing two live shows per week, the rest of my videos are being shown in the Suggested columns less and less. After spending three days researching the problem, it seems that a lot of creators experienced the same once they added one to two-hour-long podcasts and videos.

On the other side of the coin, many other creators don't seem to have the same problem with their channels.

So, I am assuming it has more to do with the niche, audience, and layout of your channel than anything. Unfortunately, I still have yet to fix this problem without dumping the live streams altogether.

You can easily add a live stream to your routine. Just be aware that you might see a significant decline in viewership for the regular videos over time.

Keep a Consistent Routine

Again, like Google search, YouTube loves creators who are consistent with their uploads. If you maintain a good schedule of content over the next few months, you might see all of your videos being "Suggested" more often.

This is because the platform won't view your channel as one that has been abandoned. YouTube loves fresh and regular content.

Now, the number of videos you upload every week will differ depending on your audience, your niche, the time you have available, and the style of videos you create. But once you're in a good groove that allows YouTube to share your content more frequently, make sure you maintain it.

Keep Your Eye on the Analytics

Never underestimate the value of good data. Keep your eye on the information provided by YouTube so you can create content your audience likes most.

The platform has a lot of metrics you can sift through to see what the best course of action will be for your channel. Everything from the most popular videos to how effective your titles and thumbnails are according to click-through rates are all available.

This information can help you create content strategies that will help you get to where you want to go with the channel.

Take Advice, But Cater to Your Audience

There are a lot of YouTube experts out there who provide a slew of information about how to grow your channel. Do you know how many of them have actually helped me? Two.

The thing is that everyone's audience is unique. Some people will watch you simply because they like your personality. This means that not every strategy shared by "experts" is going to fit in with your dynamic.

It's OK to listen to advice and perhaps try a few things according to what they share. But realize that those tips and tricks may not work with your audience at all. And in my case, I wound up losing some of my audience by trying the tips from "experts."

In the end, it all comes down to you and the people watching. Cater to those who are giving you their time. By listening to what they want and creating content they want to consume, you'll grow your channel.

Beware the Algorithm

Lastly, understand that the YouTube algorithm is quite anal and hard to please. In fact, I've found it easier to rank blog posts in the number one spot during a Google search than it is to get any type of views from the same topic on YouTube.

Pay close attention to the data I mentioned earlier. It'll help you figure out how the algorithm is viewing your content while helping you build a strategy to make it happy.

You could create the most informative and well-planned video the world has ever seen. But the algorithm can still bury it within the background if you're not paying attention to what YouTube wants to show.

Not Everyone Will Be Instantly Successful

Don't assume that creating a YouTube channel will help you become successful overnight. A lot of us have to work exceptionally hard to keep the audience we get while taking years to get into the YouTube Partner Program.

YouTube isn't a get-rich-quick scheme.

However, it can be an incredibly fun experience. Especially if you get an awesome audience who will watch everything you put out with fervor.