6 Mistakes that killed my YouTube channel and how to you avoid them
In 2019, while I was traveling, I found myself running out of space on my iPhone. I had an empty YouTube channel that I had created on a secondary email address, but I couldn’t remember why I had created it. In a last-ditch effort to free up some space, I uploaded a large video of a musical show to the channel. This solved my problem, as the video took up a significant amount of space.
I forgot about that video for a few months. After more than a year, I checked back and found that it had been viewed 339 times. This wasn’t a huge number, but it was enough for a video that I had filmed and uploaded without any editing, SEO, description, or tags. I was encouraged by this, so I decided to continue posting videos on the channel
Originally, I wanted my YouTube channel to be a lifestyle channel that would cover a variety of topics, such as vlogs, plant care, and cooking. However, over time, my channel has evolved to focus primarily on cooking. I now post short videos of me cooking, without showing my face or voice. The videos focus on the food itself, with varying levels of detail depending on my mood and what I’ve filmed.
Four years have passed since I created my YouTube channel, and I have posted 80 shorts and videos. I have received 50,193 views and 489.6 total watch hours. However, my channel has only 300 subscribers and is not yet monetized.
I know that if I’m struggling to attract subscribers, it’s likely because my content isn’t interesting. However, I believe that there are other factors that have contributed to my channel’s failure.
In this post, I will discuss six of these mistakes, and I hope that you can avoid them if you’re planning to start a new YouTube channel in 2023.
1. I missed out on the promotion that YouTube gives to beginners
YouTube typically gives new channels a boost in the beginning. The more videos you publish in the early days of your channel, the more likely it is that YouTube will promote it. Unfortunately, I didn’t take advantage of this opportunity.
As I mentioned earlier, I stopped posting videos for almost two years. When I came back, I started posting vlogs and planting videos. However, by this time, I had missed the opportunity to get promoted by YouTube.
2. My content does not have any identity
Another reason for the failure of my channel is that my content lacks a clear identity. I published videos on different topics, without really focusing on one. This made it difficult for people to know what to expect from my channel.
When creating a YouTube channel, it is important to choose a niche or a specific topic to focus on. This will help you to attract viewers who are interested in the same topics as you.
For example, you could create a channel that focuses on books and productivity, or on making money and content creation. However, you wouldn’t want to create a channel that covers cooking and coding, as these topics are not very closely related.
By choosing a niche, you can create a more cohesive and consistent channel that will be easier for viewers to find and subscribe to.
3. Niche saturation & content quality
The type of content I initially created was in the lifestyle and cooking category. However, this niche on YouTube is already over-saturated. To shine, creators need to be exceptionally creative, visually appealing, and preferably show their face on camera.
In my case, I cooked like an everyday home cook, without trying to create picture-perfect Instagram shots or videos. And I preferred to remain faceless, which made it harder for viewers to connect with me on a personal level.
There are many tools available today that can help you assess the competitiveness of a niche. These tools can provide you with information on the number of channels already operating in the niche, the level of competition, and the potential for growth. By using these tools, you can avoid entering a saturated niche and increase your chances of success.
4. I am not regular
One of the biggest reasons for the failure of my YouTube channel is that I was not consistent with my uploads. This is a common mistake that many content creators make, and it can be a major setback.
Consistency is key to success on YouTube. When viewers know that they can expect new videos from you on a regular basis, they are more likely to subscribe to your channel and watch your videos.
In my case, I published videos irregularly. Sometimes I would upload several videos per week, and other times I would go months without uploading anything. This made it difficult for my subscribers to know when to expect new videos, and it also made it difficult for YouTube to promote my channel.
YouTube recommends publishing at least one video per week. If you want to be successful on YouTube, it is important to be consistent with your uploads. This means setting a schedule and sticking to it, even if it is just once a week.
The language barrier
I speak French, English, and Arabic, and my videos are in all three languages. At first, I published my videos in all three languages. However, this made it difficult for people to find me. In the previous period I decided to focus on English more than Arabic and French but I think it was too late.
A multilingual YouTube channel can help you reach a wider audience, but you should use YouTube’s dedicated features to create effective titles, descriptions, and subtitles in each language.
The name of my channel is not relevant
The name of my channel is “Curly Abbourr”, simply because my nickname is Abbourr and my hair is curly. Which is just not relevant to my content. I don’t make content about curly hair. I should have chosen a more relevant name, like “My Kitchen” or “My Daily Life”.
A good channel name is short, easy to remember, and relevant to your content.
If I were to start a new YouTube channel today, I would focus on three things: consistency, niche, and branding. I would create a content calendar and stick to it, so that my viewers know what to expect. I would also choose a specific niche that I am passionate about, and I would make sure that my channel name and branding reflect that niche.
However, I am not going to give up on my current cooking channel. I will change the channel name to better reflect the content, and I will try to be more consistent with my posting schedule. I believe that these changes will help me to grow my channel and reach a wider audience.
Finally, if you would like to help me grow my YouTube channel or if you simply like my content, please show your support by giving my channel a view, a like, or a subscribe. Here is the link. Thank you for your support!