- [Judah] Let's talk about a deadly mistake
that creators make that almost always
kills any chance of their channel going anywhere.
And if you're a new YouTuber, pay close attention.
Because you might not even know
that you're making this mistake.
Pop quiz. What's your YouTube channel about?
Did you have a clear, confident answer?
Or did your answer sound like,
"My channel? What, what do I make videos about? I...
Next question."
Not having a focus is like driving a bus
without having the destination.
You'll end up going in circles
and eventually run out of gas.
Plus what subscribers going to hop on a bus
that they don't even know where it's going?
I mean, early on, it's okay to mingle.
Bounce around from topic to topic
until you find the content that you're attracted to.
But at some point you need to settle down
and start a family.
Don't make the deadly mistake of thinking your channel
can be about anything and everything.
Those are the hardest channels to grow.
Because who is YouTube going to recommend a channel
that is sometimes about fitness and sometimes about family
and sometimes about gaming and unboxing
and the last vacation you took?
You see where I'm going with this.
If you wanna start seeing growth
and pull in a community of subscribers
who jam with every single video you make,
you need focus.
And while this could be a super in-depth video
about finding your passion and niching down
and all that good stuff,
I want to focus on two main steps
that you can take right now
to bring focus and consistency to your channel
and make it much easier to grow.
Step one, decide what type of network you want to build.
As a YouTube creator,
you're like the producer of your own network.
Every great TV network has a focus
and that focus gives its channel its identity.
So think big picture. What kind of network are you?
Do you wanna build a network like ESPN
where sports is the primary focus?
Or maybe you wanna build something like Discovery Channel
where science and nature is the focus.
There are plenty of examples.
YouTube even gives you handpicked categories to choose from
when you're setting up your channel.
For us at TubeBuddy, that's YouTube education.
My friend Glen's network is around faith and fatherhood.
Haley Pham's network is around navigating your twenties
and personal growth.
This even works if you want to build your network
around vlogging or lifestyle.
Take Kelly Wakasa, for example.
While his videos might seem all over the place, they're not.
They all fall under the motto for his network.
- Do what excites. Do what excites.
Do what excites. Do what excites.
- Do what excites.
- Do what excites. Do what excites.
Do what excites. Do what excites.
Do what excites.
Do what excites. Do what excites. Do what excites.
Do what exits?
- What? (laughs)
- [Judah] While all these creators
might have lots of different content on their channels,
everything ladders up to the broad topics that they chose.
Whatever you choose should be specific enough
that it gives you clear direction,
but broad enough where you have plenty of flexibility
and content to work with.
Having this focus gives your channel structure
and makes it much easier to do step number two.
Step two, you gotta plan your shows and your series.
Okay, Mr. Big TV Producer, you've got your network.
Now it's time to start programming it with content.
A lot of creators start to bury their channels here
by posting all sorts of random content
that doesn't relate or fit with the theme of their channel.
I mean, here are some screenshots
from the early days of a channel I love watching.
Can you tell what his channel's about?
Not at all.
These videos are all over the place
and attract competing audiences.
This type of approach creates a cycle
where one video might pull a subscriber in,
but then the next one pushes them back out.
And this has nothing to do with you.
It's just not the kind of content
that they're interested in.
Just like if Mr. Beast followed one of his crazy challenges
with a tech review.
Huh?
While some viewers might enjoy both types of content
and stick around, I'm out. (dog barks)
As the producer of your own YouTube channel,
you need to choose complimentary topics.
These are topics that are related to your main focus,
but approach it from different angles
that give the channel variety.
The key is for them to work together.
MKBHD. Core topic: tech reviews.
Complimentary topics: smartphones, laptops,
high tech vehicles.
Browney. Core topic: fitness.
Complimentary topics: fitness challenges, transformations,
and public fitness competitions.
Yes, occasionally you can go off in other directions.
But this is your core
and these subtopics bring consistency
to your channel without sacrificing variety.
It also makes it easier to come up with new ideas
since you always have a point to start from.
And over time, you can experiment with new buckets
to see how they perform.
What's your YouTube channel about?
And this time, leave your answer in a comment
so we all can check it out and support you.
(dog barks)
- We can't, we can't hide with you...
Dude, you got the toy.
Oh my goodness. They just wanna play.