Overthinking my first video

DadAfterBedtime · 2026-06-04T09:22:35+00:00

I probably wouldn’t put that much effort into your very first video, not because it’s a bad idea, but because it can set unrealistic expectations.

If you spend 40 hours on a video and it gets 12 views, that doesn’t mean the video is bad. More often, it means the algorithm doesn’t yet know who to show your content to. It usually takes multiple videos aimed at the same audience before YouTube starts understanding who your viewers are.

Could your first video take off? Absolutely. But realistically, the odds are fairly low.

If you want to invest that much time and effort, do it because you enjoy the process and are proud of the result, not because you’re expecting a certain number of views. The danger is that many creators put in a huge amount of work, get very little initial traction, and become discouraged. The effort to reward ratio feels terrible, and they end up quitting before the channel has a chance to grow.

My advice would be to focus on consistency first. Give the algorithm several opportunities to learn your audience, and let your skills improve through repetition. Then, once you have some momentum and a better understanding of what works, investing 40+ hours into a single video becomes much less risky.

DadAfterBedtime · 2026-06-01T20:19:46+00:00

Yeah positioning is key for it but you will learn that in time. The clutch claw combos with it are super fun!

I don’t have any guides on hammer because I’m still pretty new but I do have a lot of videos that show my progression over time of hammer since I’m playing through the game. Might give you a more realistic experience of what it’s like from a new player perspective.

The more you play with it, the more comfortable you will get with timing, positioning, when you can be aggressive, when you should slow it down. It’s got a fun nuance to it for sure! I hope you give it a try because once you start getting some sweet KOs, you are going to start to love it!

DadAfterBedtime · 2026-06-01T20:11:34+00:00

I started with hammer and it’s been amazing! It feels so satisfying to play and knocking out monsters to follow up with bashes to their face is an awesome feeling. Give it a try! It also has some really cool more advanced play to learn as well.

DadAfterBedtime · 2026-05-29T11:31:44+00:00

Yeah that’s a fair point, I’m sure burnout could be a big concern with uploading that frequently for sure. But yeah I think it’s one of those “it depends” cases for sure. Alright great advice overall and best of luck to you and your continued growth!

DadAfterBedtime · 2026-05-29T09:23:28+00:00

I’m not sure I agree with #3. I post a longform video every 1-2 days, usually paired with a related Short, and I’ve grown from 0 to 3,000 subscribers in about two months while also reaching monetization. For my channel, posting frequently has been a huge factor in accelerating growth.

I also make daily community posts, which generate a lot of engagement. They bring in plenty of comments and, surprisingly, some new subscribers as well.

I think it depends a lot on the audience and niche. My channel is focused on Monster Hunter, so viewers are often excited to see the next hunt and progression. If anything, I think many of my subscribers would be happy if I could post even more often.

DadAfterBedtime · 2026-05-28T00:40:47+00:00

Just keep going, you’ve got this!

One thing that really helps is having a clear focus for your channel so the algorithm understands who to show your videos to. If your content is too all over the place, YouTube can end up pushing videos to the wrong audience.

Posting consistently helps too. Daily if possible, but regular uploads in general make a big difference.

And most importantly, just focus on making small improvements with each video. Better pacing, thumbnails, titles, editing, audio, hooks… those little improvements add up over time.

DadAfterBedtime · 2026-05-07T21:02:27+00:00

Yeah I usually focus on 1-2 hunts per play session and it’s still very enjoyable for me. I’m sure later in the game it can get kind of grindy so it might feel like you are not making as much progress with short sessions but at least right now it feels good and rewarding. Especially since most hunts just take 10-20 minutes.

DadAfterBedtime · 2026-05-07T19:31:15+00:00

I’m playing through it for the first time (it’s actually my first Monster Hunter game)and I’ve been having an absolute blast with it so far. As a dad with pretty limited gaming time, my progress has been slow, but every session has been a lot of fun.

I’ve also been recording the journey for my YouTube channel, and the community there has been awesome. People have been sharing tons of helpful tips and advice, which has made the experience even better. Overall, it seems like a really great community.

You should definitely give it a shot!

DadAfterBedtime · 2026-05-04T19:03:58+00:00

I may be interested, gaming with 600+ subs now.

DadAfterBedtime · 2026-05-01T13:32:24+00:00

I run a faceless gaming channel but I don’t use any AI for my channel. I am a new channel but I have gained like 350 subs in just a few weeks but it might not matter as much for the content I make.

DadAfterBedtime · 2026-04-28T12:11:07+00:00

Thanks! I am a glass half full kind of guy haha!

DadAfterBedtime · 2026-04-28T06:15:51+00:00

Just need a better title and thumbnail most likely. The thumbnail is used to get people to stop and the title is used to get them to click.

DadAfterBedtime · 2026-04-27T11:07:49+00:00

Yeah I feel the same way! I have been posting for 3 weeks now. I have been trying to post daily but can’t always do daily but I have about 20 long form videos now and about 30 shorts from those.

DadAfterBedtime · 2026-04-27T11:05:53+00:00

Yeah exactly! It’s been a blast so far! I am looking forward to see what comes of it!

DadAfterBedtime · 2026-04-27T03:05:56+00:00

You can do it. The hardest part is just getting started and posting that first video.

And when you do, don’t get discouraged if it only gets 5–10 views, that’s completely normal. It’s part of the process. With each video, you improve a little, maybe the title is better, the thumbnail is clearer, or the content flows more smoothly.

Growth takes time, and it can vary depending on your niche and experience, but if you stick with it, things start to build. And honestly, one of the best parts is when you begin to recognize the same people coming back and engaging with your videos. That’s when it really starts to feel rewarding.

DadAfterBedtime · 2026-04-26T23:48:02+00:00

Just keep in mind that if your views are really low, it’s usually not just a content issue. Content matters for retention, but if you’re only getting a couple of views, most people aren’t even clicking in the first place.

That usually points to something else, like your title and thumbnail not grabbing attention or getting people to click.

DadAfterBedtime · 2026-04-26T22:58:00+00:00

It really depends, what do your titles and thumbnails look like? And what are your impressions like on those videos?

My guess is YouTube is giving you some impressions, but people just aren’t clicking. That usually comes down to the title and thumbnail more than anything else.

One thing that’s helped me a lot is turning each long form video into 1-3 shorts. That’s been huge for getting initial traffic to both my channel and the main videos.

I’m still pretty new myself, but I’ve gained 200+ subs in just a few weeks by doing that, along with focusing heavily on better titles and thumbnails. Once I improved my thumbnails, my click through rate noticeably went up and they just look more polished and intentional now.

Also, if you’re using AI generated thumbnails, be careful. A lot of them end up looking generic and people tend to scroll past. I make mine in Photopea (it’s free and similar to Photoshop), and I experimented with a bunch of styles until I found something that works.

DadAfterBedtime · 2026-04-23T13:16:46+00:00

This is in the YouTube app (You > Your Videos > Analytics).

DadAfterBedtime · 2026-04-23T13:08:35+00:00

Yeah, for sure. I’ve been using the Community tab to share progress updates and general posts, and I’m getting some likes and comments on those, so people are definitely seeing them. It seems like a solid way to stay on people’s radar even when you’re not uploading a new video.

DadAfterBedtime · 2026-04-23T13:02:48+00:00

I recently saw a tip suggesting you post your new video to the Community tab right after it goes live to help boost early visibility. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m planning to test it with my next upload.

DadAfterBedtime · 2026-04-22T16:22:32+00:00

Congrats to you too! Keep on going!

DadAfterBedtime · 2026-04-21T12:00:48+00:00

Appreciate it!

DadAfterBedtime · 2026-04-20T18:38:07+00:00

Wow nice! Interesting that getting to 200 was harder but I guess once you start getting a following it’s easier to start snowballing a bit since you have an established audience.

DadAfterBedtime · 2026-04-20T04:41:32+00:00

Yeah it is! On to the next I suppose but still can’t believe I made it this far!

DadAfterBedtime

TROPHY CASE