Big Mistakes Small YouTube Channels Keep Making! – Part 1

Common Mistakes Small YouTubers Make

After working with many small channels to help them grow, I’ve noticed several common mistakes small YouTubers make. In this article we will review big mistakes small channels keep making that hurt their growth! 

There were so many mistakes that I have broken it down into Part 1 and Part 2. After reading through these articles and taking notes, you will be armed with better information to help you turn your channel around and get more views and subscribers!

Big Mistakes Small Channels Keep Making

#1 – No Distinct Niche or Unique Value Proposition

It’s not necessarily essential to choose a specific niche (topic or subject) for your channel to follow in the beginning. In fact, it is even a good idea to experiment with your first dozen videos or more. By experimenting you can see what type of content you enjoy making and what type of content seems to be getting the most views and subscriber growth on your channel. 

Focus on Value

However, the danger comes in making all types of random videos that do not give value, information, or entertainment to the viewer.  Often people watch youtube when they are bored and looking for something entertaining to watch or people use youtube to learn how to do something or research a topic. With this in mind, it is important to share something of value to the viewer who clicks on your video. Give them something they didn’t already know!

#2 – Not Hooking Your Viewer in the First 5 Seconds!

Hurry Up!

Have you ever clicked on a youtube video only for them to talk about random unnecessary information for the first few minutes and you keep thinking, hurry up and get to the point! Maybe the person in the video is making jokes, talking about their morning, talking about thinking about whether or not to make this video, or showing a long intro clip that they put at the beginning of every video.

This does not hook the viewer and they risk losing the viewer quickly. This hurts their opportunity to gain a subscriber, as well as hurts their overall watch time in analytics.

Short Attention Spans

Research has shown that humans have very short attention spans and will click away within seconds if they do not find the video interesting, helpful, or concise. This means that the most important part of your video is the first 5 – 7 seconds! In these seconds, it is your opportunity to hook your viewer into watching the rest of your video.  

This is done by teasing a clip from the best part of the video. Also consider asking a question to your audience like, “Have you ever felt frustrated learning guitar? In this video, I will teach 3 secrets to learning to play guitar fast!” Another idea is to share a shocking statistic or fact, that you will explain in the video. Hooking them in the first few seconds gives them the incentive to watch the rest of the video and possibly become a new subscriber. 

#3 – Uploading Inconsistently

A common mistake small new channels make on YouTube is uploading videos inconsistently and sporadically. Some new channels are excited to see growth and upload 5 – 10+ videos their first month on YouTube, but they get tired fast and then go months or a year or more without uploading. Then they upload a few or even a bunch of videos within a short time period and don’t see much growth on their channel. This causes several problems.

The main problem this causes is that when people see you have a few videos on your channel, but no new content in 6 months or a year. They don’t subscribe because they assume you aren’t making videos anymore. Also, if you batch create videos (make a lot of videos at one time or at one recording) then you can upload and schedule out their release weekly over time. This shows the Youtube algorithm that your channel is active and to new viewers that you are consistently making and releasing videos that give them a reason to subscribe.

 Also, the more new content you come out with, the better your opportunity is to get into suggested videos. More content also means you increase your chances of getting found in search, which leads to more views and subscribers. Overall, it is better to upload consistently each week, bi-weekly, or monthly, than to upload 5-10 videos in one day and not make videos again for another 3 or 6 months. Consistent videos help channels to grow. 

#4 – Not Studying How SEO, the YouTube Platform, and Algorithm Work

A friend of mine who had had a YouTube channel for several years with just under 200 subscribers accumulated, was surprised that I got to 1,000 subscribers in just over a year. In fact, I only made consistent videos for 6 months straight, one video a week. But then I got a new job and life happened and I stopped making videos for a while. 

YouTube SEO Optimization

However, in those 24 videos I made, I made sure to optimize them for SEO – search engine optimization. SEO means that you do everything you can to increase the rank of the content piece in the YouTube search page results. Basically, I researched catchy keyword titles, topics, and tags to make sure people would find my videos. Even though I wasn’t producing weekly videos anymore, people kept finding my videos and many subscribed and helped my channel grow thanks to knowing some SEO tips.

The difference between my friend and I was that she had never taken the time to actually learn how YouTube worked. She had never researched how to get more views. SEO was a foreign word to her. Her tactic was to upload the video and cross her fingers hoping people would come her way. In fact, she never even asked me for advice. She assumed it was all luck. This is a major common mistake small YouTubers make.

It’s Not All Luck

She’s not alone. Many people think it’s up to fate or people just get lucky with their videos. People believe you just have to keep making videos until you get “lucky.”  In reality, the people that grow the most is because they understand how SEO, YouTube, and the algorithm work, and that helps them create a strategy for success. 

There is so much information on Youtube about YouTube SEO, how to grow a YouTube channel, and the YouTube Algorithm. Some of the best channels to learn from are:

1. Think Media
2. Roberto Blake
3. Derrel Eves
4. Sunny Lendarduzzi
5. Gillian Perkins
6. Brian G Johnson

But just simply searching for how to get more views and subscribers will give you plenty of information to start with. Try to watch the newest videos, as older videos may have outdated information. Additionally, there are even courses that can teach you how to grow your channel. Most people that grow, make the decision to invest in their channel, whether that means in gear, educational YouTube courses, or video promotion. If you are serious about growing, learn how the platform works and you will be on your way!  

#5 Giving Up Too Soon!

Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash

Did you work really hard on your first videos only to get maybe a few views on each, and all from just friends or family? Did it make you feel disappointed and frustrated with YouTube? A lot of people start on YouTube with the expectation that they will get thousands of views and subscribers quickly. This is another common mistake small YouTubers make. The reality is major growth rarely happens right away. As one of my favorite YouTubers, Sean Cannell, says,” YouTube is a Marathon, not a sprint!” 

YouTube Growth

Growth happens when quality videos meet consistent effort over time. Give yourself at least 6 months to a year to start seeing some growth. Depending on how popular your niche is, if you’re getting anywhere from 1,000 to 10,000 subscribers in your first year, you’re on the path to success!

If over a year has gone by and you haven’t been growing as fast as you were hoping, reassess your strategy and channel. Take note of these common mistakes small YouTubers make in this article and learn from them. Check our article on 5 Skills New YouTubers Need. Next week we will cover Part 2 of Big Mistakes Small Channels Keep Making. 

If you are looking for a way to get more views and engagement (and subscribers!) for your YouTube Channel, our Sprizzy YouTube promotion service can get you seen by your target audience. Click Here for more information!

Have you committed one of these mistakes? Let us know how your YouTube growth journey has been in the comments!