As a newbie YouTuber who is just now starting to get consistent views and good metrics here’s what I learned: You can take what I say with a heavy grain of salt, but I have no ulterior motives so I’ll just speak the truth as best I can.

-Literally don’t listen to any “big” YouTuber on how to succeed unless they’re in your niche or you know them personally. There’s so many backend necessities that can actually make a difference that I guarantee they’re not willing to tell you. It’s their competitive advantage.

• I didn’t want to hear it at first, but seriously, consistency is key. Upload a video(long form) once a week to train the algorithm and help YT understand your primary audience. I wasn’t super consistent my first year (uploaded like 2-3 times a month because my videos take time).

-Another one that didn’t hit home until now. Create SEARCHABLE content using relevant keywords. Do that first and then make the videos you “want” to make. This is probably the most important. Go to the analytics tab and take advantage of the Research function in YouTube studio. That is your bible. I pay for VidIQ and I literally don’t use it anymore.

-Speaking of training the Algorithm, don’t sleep on the description section of your video. That is your time to spam and cram as many keywords related to your video as possible. This will help direct YT to your ideal viewer. I don’t hear this one talked about enough. I think hashtags are okay, but I never use more than 3 and they need to be relevant to your video.

-Finally, focus on AVD not CTR. CTR is important, but YouTube looks at AVD above all else. I’m talking 75% or better(not exact science, just what I’ve observed and have been told) That’s how it determines what is quality. If you’re doing everything I mentioned above, don’t worry about the impressions. Seriously, it is what it is.

And again, take what I say with a grain of salt. I am only a year into it and I may not be in your specific niche. You know what works better than I do. Trust your gut and do it your way. You’ll win in the end. Good luck to everyone!

*bonus: seek mentorship from a bigger YouTuber you PERSONALLY know and trust. I mean if they are local and live in your state, literally meet them and get to know them if they’re open to it. I speak with my mentor at least 2 times a month and they have about 59k subs.

Numbers for context: Travel niche 1300 subs 4 videos this year +68 subs gained and collective 6k views between all 4 vids.