I just hit 150,000 subscribers on YouTube, and earlier this year I went from 1000 to 100,000 in less than 8 months. And here’s the truth: I didn’t necessarily follow a plan. In some ways I did, but most of it I figured out along the way.
And, yes, I learned a lot that is now giving me massive momentum. So, I’m going to break down exactly what worked for me in getting to 100,000 subscribers.
These are my 3 biggest takeaways…that I would tell anyone wanting to grow their channel quickly. So, if that’s you…you’re going to want to read this.
# 1. This is absolutely critical. It’s the biggest reason why I first failed on YouTube and why it took me 2 years to get to 1000 subscribers. And it’s why when I look at small channels, all across YouTube, I see that more than 90% are getting this thing wrong.
The most important factor for growing on YouTube is making videos for a highly defined audience or viewer. I call this a “Target Persona”. You want your content to resonate with an audience…the same audience…again and again…over and over. Let me explain what this means.
To grow a channel, you need the algorithm to put your videos in front of the right people. Everyone talks about this, but so few people get it right. When you help the algorithm find these people…by staying in the right “category” (Not to specific, but not too general)…it will push your videos to more people and you will grow faster.
If you make it harder for the algorithm to find these audiences, it will not push your videos, and you will grow more slowly. You must help YouTube have “signals” in knowing who to push your videos to.
Where I made a huge mistake is when I launched my first channel is I had the wrong “Viewer Avatar”. It was way too small…as in…there are only 1.5 million people in the world interested in the subject…and that’s way too small for a platform with Billions and Billions of views.
My TAM, or Total Addressable Market, limited my success, no matter how good my videos were. And another thing….because I only made videos about one specific topic, the algorithm did not push my channel to larger groups.
What I tell people today is get “crystal clear” on your YouTube strategy – ASAP! So that you have the greatest chance of the algorithm working for you, not against you.
Here’s a real scenario. If you make 15 videos in a row on…”Building Websites,” then YouTube is pretty confident that video number 16 is going to be about building websites. It knows exactly who to push video number 16 to… people that want to learn how to build a website. It’s a defined viewer… and all the videos are aligned for people that want to learn how to build websites.
But here’s the problem…what happens when you want to talk about something different?
See, the more you “switch up” your content, the more confused the algorithm gets. Say you make a bunch of videos about building websites, and then you make a video about computer keyboards, and then you make a video about your trip to a tech conference in Texas….while those things may seem related to you, they’re actually all targeting very different Viewer Personas.
In other words, the type of person who would find value in each of your videos is not the same person. Sure, there’s some overlap, but there’s also a lot of differences
When you do this, the algorithm doesn’t know what to do. It has no idea what your next video is going to be, so it doesn’t know which audience to push it to.
And the more you do this, the more the algorithm “punishes” you. Your click-through rates fall, and you don’t grow as fast.
This is an example of bad “Persona Targeting”…and if your audience is not aligned, your subscribers will not increase. And again, this is what I see all over YouTube with small channels.
They’re making the mistake of assuming that people will subscribe because they’re making videos about the stuff that the creator likes. But here’s the truth….people are not watching for you, they’re watching for them…and what they’re going to get out of it.
They like you as the messenger, but they’re primarily there for the message, whether it’s motivation, inspiration, education, or whatever – they watch your channel because they’re getting something out of it for themselves.
So, by making different types of videos that align with different personas, you’re actually alienating many of them. And again, YouTube doesn’t know how to help you…and you need the algorithm to find new people and get new subscribers.
The easiest way for this to happen is make sure every one of your videos has value for the same Persona. You need to think about your channel as not a collection of topics, but as an “Audience”…for example, a packed movie theatre with your video playing on the screen.
Think about what it is you could say that would be valuable for every single person sitting in the theatre and that they would want to come back to hear more of…again and again.
To grow on YouTube:
# 1 You must have a large enough Total Addressable Market, and # 2 You must have a clearly defined “Target Persona”.
If you need help with either of these, I offer a 90-minute 1:1 virtual call where we can take a deep dive into your channel and get both of these things “hyper-defined”.
And we can talk about anything else you want to. My experience comes from being in the trenches…writing, filming, editing, naming, and uploading all my own videos. My skills have improved through trial and error…and continuous education.
I don’t want you to go through the same painful process I did. Simply by identifying your market and audience, we can hopefully shortcut your path to success by maybe a year…or even two.
Let’s have a Strategy Call
I want you to think about your “Target Persona”. Imagine them as an actual person. What are they like? What do they think about? What motivates them? What’s on their mind at 3 AM? What are the problems they are interested in solving?
Then, you need to make videos that speak EXACTLY to that person…and if they truly are your ideal viewer, and your videos motivate or “move them”, there are likely going to be 1000s of other people exactly like them that the algorithm will go out and find for you.
When I changed my channel from a very specialized “vocational training” to the massive market of entrepreneurship, I was able to get 100,000 subscribers quickly. And now that I know this, every video I make is for that same Target Persona…Entrepreneurs who are looking for the same 5 things:
- Starting a Business
- Building a Personal Brand
- AI Automation
- How to Sell More
- YouTube Growth Strategies
And because I’ve planned for, and executed on this…. the algorithm has become good at helping me find more Entrepreneurs that want to be my audience.
If I make 10 videos today, the algorithm is confident that video # 11 is also going to be a good fit for Entrepreneurs. And because of that, it pushes my content to more of them. I believe the worst thing I could do right now is upload a video that is not in alignment with my Target Persona.
The thing I’ve come to learn is that this channel has a wide enough “Highway” that there are millions of interested people, but I’ve broken down the “lanes” to 5 very specific topics…and so far, it’s working for me as there is almost unlimited content.
#2 And this one is way more important than I originally thought. Especially after spending a few hours writing a script or recording a video two or three times….and it’s because we all need to make our videos stand out and rise above everybody else.
My first piece of advice is when you make a video, make the best video you possibly can. PERIOD!
What I mean is have the goal of always trying to increase the quality of every single video…Make each one…at least 1% better than the last. Your audience will notice it, and YouTube will reward you for it. And even if you’re just starting out, hold yourself to a high standard.
I know there are all kinds of YouTube coaches out there who say “Just Start” or “Just Post”, or “It doesn’t have to be pretty”…but what I’m going to tell you is this:
Quality Matters…it’s true in both life and YouTube. If you want more subscribers, then level up your audio and video quality, your scriptwriting, and your presentation skills. All of it makes a big difference…and it matters because even if it only holds a viewer for a few seconds longer, this increases your chance of getting them to want to invest in more of your content.
I’ve learned that having 4K video, a dynamic microphone, great scripts, and high-quality editing…it all will push your growth faster. It’s not that you can’t succeed without it, but it adds additional momentum.
And when you’re trying to get to your first 10,000 subscribers – A KEY MILESTONE – you need every advantage possible. And by the way, this does not have to cost a lot of money…For example, all the gear I’m using to make this video right now costs me about $3,000…so if you’re interested in what I use and how I’ve set up my studio, send an email and I’ll send you the link of what I bought on Amazon.
Always hold your content to the same “standard” as your Target Persona…and sure, If you’re a 12-year-old talking about Pokeman cards, then video on your phone will probably work…but if you are addressing a professional persona…you content needs to match them…they will expect that; otherwise they’ll move on to someone else.
And it’s not just the lighting, and video and sound…I also mean the quality of the overall value delivered. This is the quality of your message and how you’re delivering it. As in, how much value is the Target Persona going to get…each and every minute they stay on a video.
The easiest way to cut through all the “Noise” and “AI Slop” on YouTube is to differentiate your approach to making videos. I don’t think someone should start a YouTube channel until they have a specific plan for how they will deliver higher and higher quality as their channel grows.
Now, I know this is an investment. Not only in TIME but in upfront cost. But let me tell you…If you own or are building any business, YouTube can be the best lead generation platform anywhere. It’s been one of the best things I’ve done for my business, and I encourage everyone I talk to to get started…sooner rather than later.
Again, if you want to talk with me 1:1 about how to improve the quality of your YouTube Presentation, let’s jump on a call. I’ll review your channel, watch your content, and share my observations from my perspective. You can find the link to set up the call on this website.
I realize what I’ve said so far may not be where your channel is right now. I want to be honest about my journey and make it easier for you by relating these concepts. Oh, and by the way, it’s true that YouTube rewards consistency.
I’ve found that when I post more often, my content gets more reach, and the times I’ve posted less, my overall engagement drops.
#3 And this one is extremely critical to your success.
The reality with YouTube is that it’s not only a game of who can make great videos. It’s who can get the most people to click on their title and thumbnail. And I did not understand this in my first year. I thought I was fine naming my videos whatever the subject was about and then not putting much thought into the thumbnail.
What I know now is that YouTube is a “Presentation Game”… because the creators who have the highest click-through rates are the ones with the most appealing “packaging”.
And this is frustrating…because you spend hours on your scripts and recording, and then you’re passed over because of the title or thumbnail. Again, this was hard for me to accept at first…and it’s why I want you to really understand it as early as possible.
And I know it works! When I went back in my YouTube studio and changed out titles and thumbnails, I watched quite a few videos that had a few hundred views start getting thousands of views.
So Today, I start every one of my scripts with the title already determined. I’ll go to ChatGPT and prompt it to give me the “most clickable, SEO relevant video title for my Target Persona based on XYZ subject.” Then, when I’ve decided on a title, I’ll make the content to align with it…and I’d recommend you do the same thing.
Before you make your next video, have the title and thumbnail dialed in. They should complement each other and literally compel someone to want to click on it. See, you need people to click on that title or thumbnail before they’ll watch and get to know you.
I recommend titles that describe a “dream outcome” or alleviate a pain point. You should keep your thumbnails relatively simple and with large enough graphics that they can be seen on a phone from 2 feet away. Anything smaller – or complex or detailed – and people just won’t see it.
And here’s another tip that people don’t talk about. The emotion on your face in the image matters a lot. (I’ve done multiple A-B-C tests) You want the emotion on your facial expression to match the tone of the title or the tone that a viewer should experience when reading the title.
No one told me about this, but I’ve learned it makes a big difference. And one last thing…keep the wording on your thumbnails to 3 words or less.
Here’s an example…from my highest-performing video and the one that pushed me over 10,000 subscribers. And just so you know, it was recorded on my old camera and in front of one of those “stick on the wall” green screens you can find on Amazon for $60. It’s not the best video quality…but those who watched it gave over 3000 thumbs up.
I’m not super proud of this content today, but it was the “breakout” video where I really learned what my subscribers wanted me to talk about…and that changed the entire trajectory of my channel.
The title is “5 Business Truths I Learned Too Late – Cost Me Millions”. You’ll see I connect with my audience by talking about topics they are interested in, and I included a pain point that I don’t want them to go through.
When you look at the thumbnail, you’ll see there’s a “reaction statement” to the title and then a picture of me with a kind of annoyed look on my face…and then some flames on my hand to add intrigue around the concept of getting hurt.
The overall packaging gives the sense that I’m going to be telling stories about business experiences – Exactly what my target persona has an interest it. It aligns with my channel’s content while adding a little curiosity.
Now, before I close, if you’re trying to grow your YouTube channel, let me quickly summarize the exact steps I would take to replicate my success…and if you want to get to 100,000 subscribers, I recommend you do the same things
#1 Determine Target Persona that you can stick with for a long time and is best aligned to your product or offer. If you don’t have an offer yet, you need to be able to make 100 videos for this persona without running out of content.
#2 Level Up Quality – Make incremental improvement to every single video. If these means upgrading your camera, microphone, or studio – make it happen!
# 3 Focus on Presentation. Specifically Titles and Thumbnails. Figure out how to drive curiosity while adding emotion so people will want to click on them.
I do want to say that if you’ve ever watched, liked, commented, or are one of the 150,000 subscribers, thank you so much. It makes it all worth it when I hear from people telling me that something I said made a difference in their lives.
As the channel keeps growing, I’m going to keep investing in making better and better videos….all the way to 1,000,000 subscribers. As crazy as it sounds right now, I know it’s possible with the right strategy, mindset, and of course, action plan.
Sterling Caporale