If you had told me a few years ago that I’d be writing a blog, running a side business, and posting videos out to YouTube every week, I might have thought you were a little bit crazy. Besides occasionally catching up on a few YouTubers here and there or sporadically reading some blogs, I really didn’t know anything about the industry. More about that journey here.
Looking back at is all, I think that deciding to start my blog and YouTube channel was one of the best leaps of faith I ever took. I always tell people who are thinking about starting a blog or a YouTube channel, “just do it.” The biggest step is getting started. You can’t start trying, learning, failing (and learning from your failures), and succeeding until you try.
Deciding to go down the path of blogging and making videos has taught me a lot (like, A LOT A LOT A LOT). It’s one of the reasons I love doing it so much; because I enjoy the challenge and enjoy continuing to learn. Today I wanted to reflect back on some of the biggest lessons making the leap of faith to start a YouTube channel has taught me.
1. You’re not too old
Believe it or not, I was worried that going into YouTube (at the time in my mid-20’s) was too late. A lot of the “big time” YouTubers started when they were in their teens and were successful before they were the legal drinking age. I thought starting at 26 was way too late in the game. What I’ve learned is I was totally wrong. There are people of all ages and all scopes making YouTube videos and being successful on the platform. Being “older” than the perceived age I thought Youtube was simply ended up giving me an edge. I could create content for other people like me, who were in their mid-20’s, struggles with the same “getting into adulthood” thing that I was.
2. You don’t have to have hundreds of thousands of subscribers to be “successful”
The people on YouTube who impress me the most honestly aren’t the ones who have hit a million subscribers. That’s just numbers. The people who impress me are the ones who use YouTube in a strategic way. They create videos and grow their following but use that reach to grow/start a sustainable business. At the end of the day, YouTube ALONE isn’t a fully sustainable option for your revenue. Firstly, you don’t really own anything on the platform once you upload it. On top of that, a lot of outside factors can impact your views and revenue – we’ve even seen it with possible changes to the YouTube algorithm last year, or the change in ads being shown on videos. The smart people use their reach to develop other revenue streams from the platform. I’ve seen people with as little as 20,000 subscribers being wildly successful because they used that reach in a smart, targeted way.
3. Being True to Yourself is the only way to find real success
I’ll admit it right here, right now….I’ve made the awful mistake of “chasing the viral video.” If you’re not a YouTuber you might not understand what I mean. Essentially, videos can go viral on YouTube (just like things can on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest.) A viral video is sure to give you a big boost in subscribers, views, and ad revenue. To get that “viral” video, so many YouTubers chase after viral ideas and “clickbait” tactics to get people to watch their videos. When trying to figure out YouTube and how to get real, sustainable views, I tried creating “viral-worthy” videos in the hopes of growing my viewership and subscriber base. Instead….my stats plummetted. I hit an all-time low for views and subscriber growth.
Creating a successful YouTube channel is all about being TRUE to yourself. Share on XWhat I learned was the important lesson that I needed to be 100% true to myself. I needed to create videos I ENJOYED making, on topics I ENJOYED teaching, and in a format I ENJOYED using. I stepped back to really thought about what I loved to create videos about and the style I loved to do that in. I’m still constantly honing my craft, but I now 100% enjoy the process, am happy and proud of the content I create, and am once again growing on an upward trend.
4. You gotta have a thick skin
There’s no way to sugar coat it, YouTube can be a breeding ground for nasty comments, rude people, and just plain mean words. Eventually, it’ll happen. I’ve had my fair shares of comments in these categories. People who are just outright rude and tell you, “you’re annoying,” “your eyebrows suck,” “you’re stupid,” “you talk too much,” “you talk too loud.” Then, of course, there are the inappropriate comments I don’t need to repeat here. There are the comments where people act like they know you from a single video clip and call out your character, such as”You don’t seem like a good person.”
Weirdly enough, these types of comments have taught me things. The first thing they’ve taught me is you really, TRULY, HONESTLY, cannot please everyone. Some people just won’t like you because you talk too loud or blink too much. Secondly, it has taught me that often negative comments really aren’t about me…they are left by small people who feel bigger when they say mean things.
Don't let negative comments bother you...they are left by small people who feel bigger when they say mean things. Share on XDo I wish there were no mean comments ever? Yea, sure, and let’s throw in world peace and unlimited free soft serve ice cream. The mean comments are inevitable but I’ve learned to not let them bother me. Instead, I focus on the good comments, which always strongly outweigh the bad.
5. Real Growth on YouTube is a Multi-faceted Approach
From all my experience, including learning hands-on with YouTube production team and professionally trained creators, I’ve learned that there isn’t one step to YouTube success. Being successful on YouTube requires a lot of different factors. It requires creating engaging videos (and defining what an engaging video is for your channel), understanding your audience (to a tee), developing a strong channel strategy, understanding the YouTube algorithm, having a channel mission statement, and so much more. That’s why I decided to create my e-course “Conquer YouTube.”
I wanted to combine everything I’d learned over the years of making YouTube and finding what truly made a channel successful, into an all-in course that could help other video creators (or those thinking about getting started), to find a fast track to that success.
Let me Introduce Conquer YouTube
The online e-course that’s your complete guide to creating successful video content and growing your audience. This course will teach you how to get views for your videos and subscribers for your channel, strategies and best practices for filming setup, equipment, and editing, and how to create engaging videos people want to watch. It also includes actionable steps to optimize your channel and videos, tips for breaking through the YouTube algorithm so your videos get suggested, and how to create a channel strategy that helps you stand out.
Learn how to put your YouTube channel on the fast-track to success. Share on XNo fluff. Just real strategies that I KNOW work. Conquer YouTube is an all-in course designed to help you become confident creating videos and give you the knowledge to grow a successful channel. This course tells you the exact methods I use on my own channel each and every week including some hands-on demos and tutorials.
When you purchase Conquer YouTube, you get a Channel Audit ($300 value) for free! That’s $675 worth of services for only $375! Learn more and ENROLL RIGHT NOW.
Ready to start creating awesome video content that gets views and grows your audience? Then Conquer YouTube is for you.
Here’s a Sneak Peek Inside the Course:
Module One – Production
-The best equipment for creating YouTube videos
-Pre-production strategies to get setup for success
-Hands-on demo of how I setup my filming space and lighting best practices
-Video planners and checklists to keep you organized
Module Two – Getting Views
-Optimize your channel for more views
-Tips to create engaging videos people LOVE to watch
-How to break the YouTube algorithm and show up in suggested videos
-SEO checklists, collaboration ideas, and tips for your distribution plan
Module Three – Getting Subscribers
-Learn how to get a viewer to convert into a subscriber
-Define your target audience and what they like.
-Develop a stronger understanding of your current audience
Module Four – Channel Strategy
-The five pillars EVERY YouTube channel needs – and how to get them
-Craft your channel mission
-My secret to developing a posting schedule to get new subs and make your current subs happy
That’s not it!
This e-course also comes with a 45-page workbook designed to help you get actionable with what you’re learning and think critically about your channel. It also has tons of awesome planners and organizers to streamline your process.
Learn more about Conquer YouTube and sign-up for this exclusive deal today!
Wait, wait! There’s more!
Get a Channel Audit totally free. A YouTube Channel audit is a customized check-up on your YouTube Channel. It comes with personalized tips and tricks on how to improve. It’s conducted in a 45-minute Skype call where I will cover all aspects of your YouTube Channel Audit from things you’re doing well to suggestions for improvement. The audit is meant to be conversational, and you can ask any questions you might have to make it most effective for you. We’ll cover channel optimization, video content, thumbnails and SEO, and how it connects to your brand. It’s a one-time consultation to help you identify your strengths, pinpoint places for improvement, and discuss pain points. (*Want a Blog Audit instead? Swap it out for no fee)
Get it all for $375! A $675 value! Enroll now!
Have more questions?! Just ask.