I currently have 760K+ subs on YouTube, and I want to share 12 random things I learned from building a successful YouTube channel for creators.
1. You have to fall in love with making videos (Filming, editing, scripting, research, etc.). This is the most crucial tip; everything falls in line after this.
2. Watch many YouTube videos in the categories you try to get into. I watched at least 20 videos a day when I started, and I still watch a ton of YouTube up to this day, and it taught me a lot.
3. Your friends and family won’t support you. (Don’t take it too personally). Your litmus test is when strangers start to love your work.
4. Focus on creating value, and the money will always come.
5. The first 10,000 subs are the hardest.
6. If you need more patience, get a regular job. Building anything on the internet takes time, and patience is vital.
7. Quantity at first, then quality after. I started by posting many videos, then gradually focused on quality as I grew. Quantity helps you build skill and find your audience; quality enables you to build a brand and get more views per video.
8. A great thumbnail/title can be the difference between 50K views and 5 Million views; how you package your video is super important.
9. If you need help with what to make, find an intersection between what you love doing and what an audience wants. A great way to do this is by making content about 3-5 different areas you are interested in and focusing on the ones that pop off. For me, it was real estate, travel, and business stories.
10. If you want to make travel content, start from your surroundings. I began with Lagos and scaled to Nigeria, Africa, and now the world.
I have noticed telling a story about a significant construction in any city worldwide always pops off. One of my first videos to pop off was about “Eko Atlantic” in Lagos, so maybe find some big project going on in your country and try to tell a story about it.
11. We all want to make money, but having that as the only reason behind why you do what you do might lead to quitting before you even begin. This shii is hard. 🥲
Figure out “Why you want to make videos early enough. A great book that might help with this is “Start with Why” by Simon Sinek.
12. Whatever makes you different, lean into it. That will separate you from everyone else and help make your work stand out.
That’s all I got for now. Ok bye. 😊
By Tayo Aina
