Unexpected YouTube Success

Wow, wow, wow. When I started my new YouTube channel just one week ago, I never in my wildest dreams imagined it would be seen 100,000 times, get over 7,000 subscribers and 300 comments, from just two videos. But here we are.

“Wait. You started a new channel?“

Yes. Even though I had 9,000 subscribers on my main channel, I was only getting 100~200 views on my regular videos, probably because my subs came for English “test” videos, and I was making English “lesson” videos. Believe it or not, they appeal to completely different audiences! So YouTube probably thought, “Well, if his own subscribers don’t watch his videos, they can’t be worth showing to anyone else.”

“Okay, so how did your new channel grow so quickly?”

Now, I would like to believe it was because the first video I made was a full, 45-minute lesson, showing a way to speak English fluently using vocabulary that students already know. It was unique, and presented in an entertaining way.

“But you have your doubts?”

Yes. I mean, It was those things, and the positive reaction certainly triggered the YouTube algorithm, which went off to find a big, suitable audience for it. But the real reason for the channel taking off was simply… luck.

“What do you mean, luck?”

Well, if the merits of the video alone were responsible, you would expect the same response when posting it to Facebook. But nope, the same video only got 4 likes and one comment on that platform.

“Are you complaining?!”

I wouldn’t be British if I didn’t! Lol. No, my point is that so much of social media success comes down to having a lucky break. I have a student who teaches Japanese on YouTube. Over the course of 3 years, she’s made 250 videos, most of them over 20 minutes each, and she still hasn’t met the requirements for monetization. It’s just not fair, really. Uploading a new video is like buying a lottery ticket. Sometimes you win a small prize, but only a few hit the jackpot.

“So are you rolling in cash now?”

Haha, not yet! I’m waiting for YouTube to update my “watch hours” statistics to see if I qualify for advertising income. I think the initial buzz has worn off, so any money I make will have to come from future videos, not the ones that were actually popular. Also, my subscribers are mostly from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Brazil, so I’m not sure how lucrative the ad revenue will be.

“What’s the plan now, then?”

Well, I want to focus on making a real business out of it. I haven’t figured out how yet, but it might involve public speaking in Mumbai. 😀

If you like, you can find me on Twitter at @nick_ramsay. I'd love to hear from you!