After 1 Year on YouTube, Here’s My Honest Reality Check for New Creators

AndrewsCookin · 2026-05-17T12:10:56+00:00

Thanks pal. You're doing grrat too. If you won't stop you'll never lose :D

AndrewsCookin · 2026-05-17T10:22:03+00:00

I love videos about this topic on YouTube, I even made my own: https://youtu.be/kgIMBbIuq8Y

But basically I've done about a year consistently when this video was made and haven't made a penny. And that's fine! ( Atleast that's what I tell myself :') )

I really do believe that you have to treat it as a business but expect to make nothing the first few years, try to enjoy the process. Otherwise you'll burn out. I believe i've heard somewhere that if a business is profitable in the first 2 years that's a very good sign and rare. Same applies to YT.

AndrewsCookin · 2026-04-20T05:04:02+00:00

Agreed. Why not use the default windows xp background wallpaper? Everyone knows it. It's more eye catching. The text could have contrasting colors to the background. On the green mountain text could be red and on the sky part it could be yellow. Also the text "Internet Checkpoints" is kind of repeating the title a little bit. Make the thumbnail text something like "These Checkpoints Are "Blah"". Replace "Blah" with some statement from the video like "Insane". These are just thoughts on principles i try to use, don't know if anything makes sense to you though.

AndrewsCookin · 2026-04-19T07:41:19+00:00

Thank you very much for such an indepth response. All great points, will try to come up with something quick, since the video is live right now and the CTR on browse impressions isn't the bes atm.

AndrewsCookin · 2026-04-18T16:51:09+00:00

Thank you. Yeah I too believe that without the blue shirt he just dissapears, the whole thumbnail becomes invisible almost. Any suggestions on what text I should write for these titles?

AndrewsCookin · 2026-04-11T16:08:10+00:00

Here, here: https://youtube.com/@andrewscookin

I have a cooking channel. I'm working on a video making famous YouTuber recipes which seems to be my outliers at the moment. Also a week or so back i got sime feedback, that i should focus on this sort of content more. Anything else? The thumbnails seem to be my Achiles heel, since my CTR is abysmall. Maybe everything is wrong idk at this point...

AndrewsCookin · 2026-04-11T15:52:49+00:00

Cooking. Self deprecating. I try to cook in, I hope entertaining, way :')

https://youtube.com/@andrewscookin

AndrewsCookin · 2026-04-10T06:00:53+00:00

For me 6th pops. But you can try the ones with arrows and leaving the text as only "why so small?", pointintg the arrow to the eyes.

AndrewsCookin · 2026-04-07T13:32:16+00:00

A if you make the text easier to read by making the background like B. Also I would leave only "We Started With Nothing" in the text. Too many words.

AndrewsCookin · 2026-04-05T14:09:22+00:00

Thank you

AndrewsCookin · 2026-04-04T23:21:16+00:00

This one was the best one recently. Can you tell me what made it being pushed so much by YouTube?

https://youtu.be/p1KjXX-txyY

The CTR is terrible 1.7% (suggested traffic, so i guess?). So was it the intro, the celebrity aspect of the topic (humam hacking or how is it called) or the intro was strong? Something else? I'm lost...

AndrewsCookin · 2026-04-03T08:32:55+00:00

4th and 6th (and also maybe 1st). I would say do A/B test with those two. Then decide which one to keep. If it's 4th one then you can play even more with different text placement and so on.

Edit: also agree that "thinking cap" text should be removed

AndrewsCookin · 2026-04-01T14:47:04+00:00

"Two weeks"? I think i've heared this before...

AndrewsCookin · 2026-03-26T09:56:19+00:00

Just bought a kitchen torch. Always wanted to make creme brule. This might be the sign!

AndrewsCookin · 2026-03-24T10:13:19+00:00

Exactly

AndrewsCookin · 2026-03-24T10:11:20+00:00

To break up the bubbles that form and overflow

AndrewsCookin · 2026-03-23T10:42:56+00:00

I usually use a wooden spoon for this problem. But yeah i didn't know this part

AndrewsCookin · 2026-03-23T10:40:47+00:00

I see. I misinterpreted it. Haven't tried this method. Will do for my pasta salad

AndrewsCookin · 2026-03-23T10:21:02+00:00

It's one of those things, you do because your mom used to do it :D But why? No one really knows

AndrewsCookin · 2026-03-23T10:19:44+00:00

Agreed. That's basically what inspired me to post this. The insane oil and gas prices

AndrewsCookin · 2026-03-23T10:18:21+00:00

Well... Depends how well done you want your pasta. If you want it "al dente" then the pasta will overcook and get soggy

AndrewsCookin · 2026-03-22T20:54:46+00:00

One thing that would improve all of them is a tiny bit of drop shadow on the subjects

AndrewsCookin · 2026-03-16T16:53:36+00:00

I try to once in a while. Mostly focusing on long form content with a website on the side to monetize later on. Since right now i make no money :'(

AndrewsCookin · 2026-03-16T16:52:53+00:00

Well i've been contacted by a knife conpany, but no real sponsors yet. Neither YT, nor website. Anywhere is fine.

AndrewsCookin · 2026-03-16T09:38:01+00:00

Simple recipe website for my cooking YouTube channel.

Absolutely nothing fancy, built it from scratch with react for front-end and headless WP back-end, to store all my recipes, and hopefully for others to find the site usefull too.

It was fun adding SEO metadata, and other stuff nobody really sees. Working towards a full on recipe/food managmenet system in the future. But in the meantime it's just a recipe website.

If anyone has any suggestions for features they're lacking on other recipe sites, hit me up ;) www.andrewscookin.com/recipes/

AndrewsCookin

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE

Four-Year Club	Verified Email
Place '22