- If you're watching this video,
chances are you're feeling a little bit burnt out
and you're not alone.
Oh my gosh.
Unfortunately, this is completely normal,
but what makes it worse is that most creators feel
like they just needa push through it.
Or if they quit posting, their channel is going to die.
But friends, the data says otherwise.
This is going to be your guide on taking a break
from YouTube without killing your channel.
Number one, how to take a break properly.
The things that you can do during your time off.
How to come back stronger than you left.
And then a few bonus tips at the end.
(classical music)
First off, don't be the YouTuber that post consistently
then disappears outta nowhere.
That's annoying and will 100% hurt your channel.
So announce it ahead of time.
Make a video explaining why you're taking a break,
drop a community post, update your banner.
Communication is key.
If you don't want people to lose interest.
- You used to be cool.
- [Judah Lee] Think you've given up or worse.
(explosion noise)
Just be sure to include a date for when you're coming back.
This date will hold you accountable
and give your audience something to look forward to.
- They get more excited and if you do it right,
your first video back will have an extra amount of views.
- If you plan to be a creator long term,
you're going to have to plan your breaks regularly
and not just constantly grind until you hit a wall.
But here's a good thing.
It's common for creators to see fluctuations
in their views and subscribers.
Look at your data.
Is there a time of year where views
and ad revenue already sucks?
That's when you plan your break.
So how long should your break be?
Todd, our favorite director at YouTube,
answered that question.
- I actually dug into some of the data
for hundreds of channels
that did take at least a two week break.
There were some channels that actually came back
with big gains.
There were other channels that did actually see a dip,
but overall, it was kind of like in the middle.
If somebody does take a break
and their audience is still interested
in seeing their content,
we're trying to make the algorithm show that to them.
(classical music)
- There are two types of breaks you can take.
The inactive break and the active break.
Inactive breaks are where you don't post
or engage with your audience at all.
You completely check out and recharge.
And there is no shame in this.
You absolutely deserve it.
Then there's the active break.
You post and engage, just in lighter ways.
You might keep your community tab active,
reply to comments,
some creators have second secret channels
where they post less produced or unedited content.
This is a great way to stay active
with your most dedicated fans
without the pressure of producing polished videos.
Now, that's not for everybody.
I am not recommending that to everybody.
If you are comfortable having multiple channels,
maybe you have success on one already.
It is an option, but you don't have to.
It's just important to remember
that taking a break from posting
does not mean that you need to take a break
from growing your channel.
It could be the perfect time to focus
on the less sexy parts of YouTube
that will really help you in the long run.
For example, Ed from Film Booth
spent his time away from posting
making new thumbnails from some of his old videos
that weren't performing so well.
These small tweaks were able to put life back
into his old content
and actually cause his channel to grow faster
than it was when he was posting.
Y'all, this is the exact reason why we built
the Click Magnet tool, so you can find all the videos
on your channel that have a lot of potential
but are being held back by a weak title or thumbnail.
Even though you're not posting to your YouTube channel,
it doesn't mean you have to stop growing
and cultivating your YouTube channel.
There are things you can do on the time off
to just make life better when you time in.
I know that was terrible, Kobe.
I'm sorry you had to live through that.
But remember this is a break.
So all those things can wait until you return.
If you wanna just kick back and relax
and chillax and all, cool.
♪ To some people outside of school ♪
♪ With a couple of guys who were up to no good ♪
♪ Starting making trouble in my neighborhood ♪
Guys, I might be burning out.
It's okay to just chill around the house in your underwear,
do nothing and just be lazy, eat pizza and ice cream.
This is your time.
Do not feel the pressure to be productive.
Enjoy yourself because you put in the work.
You deserve it.
Personally, I like running, playing Ultimate Frisbee
and cooking.
MKBHD, one of the biggest tech YouTubers,
also spends his time playing professional Ultimate.
- [Commentator] What a grab by Marques Brownlee.
- [Judah Lee] And says it's one of the tools
that keep him balanced.
- If you ask me to quit either Ultimate or making videos,
I could not pick between the two, I need both,
they definitely are the yin and yang.
(classical music)
- Coming back from a break can be just scary as taking one.
Will your video flop?
Do your subscribers forget about you?
Have you lost your touch?
You need to chill.
You will be fine.
The key to coming back from a break is to come back strong.
You want to remind your audience
why they subscribe to you in the first place.
So bring the heat
♪ Welcome back ♪
Be a little strategic here.
I recommend you following up with the series
that you're already known for
or that's popular with your subscribers.
That's going to increase the clickability of it
because you're gonna get a lot of returning viewers
and also increase the chance that the YouTube algo
will promote it to them because it's something
that they've engaged with in the past.
Plus, it's like a little present to your viewers
for waiting around for you.
Liza Koshy, legit, took a eight month break from YouTube
and came back with a music video tribute
to one of her most popular series, Dollar Store with Liza.
- Oh my God, this is a dollar?
A dollar, a baller, a dollar!
- Which is actually my favorite series of all time.
Ryan Trehan took a break, then came back
and shocked the entire YouTube space
with a new edition of his popular penny series.
This time with a new twist,
that skyrocketed him past Mr. Beast in subscriber growth.
Then there's creators like Wengie,
who returned with a completely new style
that quickly became a hit.
Her pivot completely changed the trajectory of her channel.
So if you follow step number one
and you take your break properly,
follow step number two, and you know, either relaxed
and recharged or did some things to help,
you know, strengthen your channel
and prepare it for the next stage.
And then in number three,
you came back hot and ready and strong.
Does that sound, hot and ready and strong?
That sounds kind of weird.
Okay. Number three.
If you come back strong,
you'll set yourself up for success.
(classical music)
All right, one, you decide what's manageable.
If posting once a week is too much,
try biweekly or once a month.
Do not be a victim of an arbitrary posting schedule.
Two. Get some freaking rest.
You're more creative, productive and happy
when you're well rested.
Three. Connect with other creators.
Doing this alone is tough.
Make some friends in the YouTube space
that you can rely on for advice and support.
We have a Discord channel that's pretty chill.
Just click the link in our description
and you can find other creators to connect with.
And four. Have fun, have fun.
This is why we're here.
To make videos and do what we love.
Then watch this video next because it's a banger
and I love you guys.
Hang out with you in comments below, peace out, bye.