For just a moment, let's forget about the growth tips we normally discuss, like using the right keywords, designing thumbnails, and finding the perfect video title. These days, it's more important to know the message behind your content.

In other words, what perspective will you bring to YouTube? Turning your small channel into a big one happens much faster when you have something to say and when you target the right viewers.

3 Mistakes to Avoid if You Have a Small YouTube Channel

But by now, you probably know that any old perspective won't cut it on YouTube. It must be 

. Your viewpoint should draw people in and bind them to your channel. It should connect people to you and not just your content.

How to Find Your Unique Perspective on YouTube

Male YouTuber filming a low angle shot in an alleyway

This will sound a bit cliché, but we have to say it: Unique channels are run by creators who know how to be themselves.

You've probably heard that before, but it's 100% true. We don't think of someone as "unique" until they dare to be themselves, and that takes a lot of authenticity — 

So, how do you build a unique perspective? We've seen it happen in multiple ways:

Combine two interests to create an uncommon YouTube niche.

Share your personal story or your life's mission.

Let's play a game real quick. Grab a pen and paper, and then write down all the hobbies and interests you could talk about on YouTube. When you're done, combine any two interests and see how they fare as a YouTube channel topic.

What's the point of doing this? Well, you'll notice that the most interesting channels are pretty unconventional. 

, a channel that reviews the most basic stuff, is the perfect example. Their latest video is a review of cats and their existence, and before that, they reviewed air, water, and anxiety.

Mikasacus has a unique perspective, which is

 — to dull things, common things, hidden things, or, frankly, everything. To illustrate that point, they combine the idea of "video reviews" with the practice of extreme observation. And a new YouTube niche was born: uncommon reviews.

A common misconception is that small creators shouldn't share their personal stories on YouTube — just search-based content. And sure, maybe you don't have thousands of viewers just yet. But if a story connects with 

, it doesn't matter if you're virtually unknown. You can still hook people with relatable content.

. He makes vulnerability a habit by opening up to his audience about his past, explaining his life choices, and encouraging others to hang on through tough times. His latest upload is about choosing a plant-based lifestyle, and it has all the ingredients of a soon-to-be viral video. There's 

 no matter what happens. And his subscribers (180,000) seem to agree.

You're bound to stand out if you do things nobody one else can do. That's why 

, a creator who does elaborate challenges, is so famous today. His main channel has 169 million subscribers, but that wasn't always the case! MrBeast was once a small creator who stood out by doing the impossible on YouTube.

In fact, he first went viral for counting to 100,000 in one sitting!

It was hard. (Seriously, who has the patience to count to 100,000?)

Nobody expected it, so the video caught people by surprise.

You could argue that MrBeast has a unique perspective, but it's not about wild challenges and stunts. He's telling us that 

You've probably heard this a million times:

"The number one way to stand on YouTube is by making content people are searching for."

And while that's correct, it's also true that thousands of people are doing the same thing.

On YouTube, 10,000 videos can share the same keywords. They're in the video title, description, hashtags, or all three. But the 

 video — the one YouTube recommends to viewers — stands out because it's satisfying.

. Use the best keywords, hashtags, and thumbnails in your arsenal. But also, make sure your video has an original, authentic message. That's going to bring 

Female YouTuber vlogging in public on a smartphone

Young woman recording vlog with smartphone and microphone in urban outdoor setting

Getting people to notice you on YouTube is simple in theory but difficult in practice. Let’s explore why (and how) small channels become big ones.

The Secret to Standing Out as a Small YouTube Creator

If you're reading this, you've probably heard that YouTube automation is the best thing since the internet itself. There are stories of creators making $10,000 

 by outsourcing the creative work for their channel, including video scripts, thumbnails, editing, or sometimes the actual videos!

And best of all? The creator doesn't have to do anything. They don't appear in the videos or lift a finger in the process.

This is nothing new, of course. YouTubers have outsourced their work for years and will continue to do so in the future. The only thing that's changing is 

and there are two types of people in the AI world:

Is there any danger in using AI? It all depends! If you want to 

 (YPP) and make money, you could hit a few roadblocks.

 Looking for the latest AI monetization rules? 

Is Your Content 100% AI? Getting Monetized Will Be Tough

A popular question floating around the internet today is, "Can AI videos get monetized on YouTube?" The short answer is yes, they can! However, YouTube has clear rules about using AI responsibly in your content. And one of the biggest rules is actually a warning, in which YouTube says channels with redundant, machine-generated content won't get monetized.

(AdSense is the program that pays creators), and it states that:

"Channels consisting of similar content, where videos are only slightly different from one another, are not eligible for monetization."

Screen shot of YouTube's policy, showing that videos should be unique to one another

So if you're going full speed ahead with YouTube automation, remember to 

. Let AI be your helper, not the star of the show.

'Rain Sound' Videos: An Example of Automation Gone Too Far

Have you seen those rain sound videos on YouTube? That's a good example of repetitive, mass-produced content. Many of those videos have the same thumbnail, the same thunderstorm audio on repeat, and, most of the time, the same title.

In the AdSense policy, YouTube describes videos like these as "mindless" and "low educational." It also says that "templated, mass-produced, or programmatically-generated content" cannot make money.

 YouTube won't monetize videos that are all "machine" and have no human spark. 

If your content is 100% AI (and redundant!), it may fall into that category.

How YouTube Reviews Your Channel for Monetization

If you plan to join the YPP with an automated channel, you should know how the review process works.

One surprising detail is that real humans review your channel. They'll check some key areas, including:

Video titles, thumbnails, and descriptions

A screenshot of YouTube's policy about what they review on creators' channels

But what is YouTube looking for? Reviewers mostly check for 

 violations — hate speech, spam, graphic content, etc. But regarding AI and YouTube automation, they may check your most popular videos for signs of mass production or overly-templated content.

How to Use AI and Still Get Monetized on YouTube

 After all, we're not saying you can't use it in any part of the process; we encourage it! Here at vidIQ, we make a bunch of AI tools to help streamline your workflow:

: Get a content plan for your next video, including a title and description, keywords, video script, thumbnail backgrounds, and voice-over.

 Talk to our AI-powered chatbot to analyze your channel's performance, suggest your next video, and more.

Get a catchy YouTube title to make your video stand out.

Receive up to 50 daily video ideas for your channel.

AI should make creating easier, not replace it altogether. You don't want to generate a bunch of videos with no warmth, depth, or transformative information. Humans will watch your videos, so create videos for the 

Please record that awesome YouTube challenge. Just remember that an AI video editor can help you 

Go ahead and make that long-form video. If you want, plenty of AI tools will 

And if nothing else, let this quote from our senior executive producer guide you:

"The moral of the story is that creators who use AI to aid in content creation instead of fully automating it are going to win," says Dan Carson.

Watch the video below to learn more about AI, YouTube automation, and how to navigate the two, according to Dan.

Here's how to build a success mindset for YouTube, whether your channel is automated or not.

Hand pressing play button on futuristic transparent video player interface on screen

YouTube automation is hot right now, but does it pose any risks to your channel? Spoiler: It depends!

The Truth About AI: Can YouTube Automation Ruin Your Channel?

Which type of YouTuber are you: the one who embraces every content type or the one who prefers a single video format? If you silently answered, 

, we're guessing your channel is pretty diverse! You probably make all of the following:

. You boldly go where most creators haven't gone (shameless

 plug) and are always up for a challenge. It's a great quality to have because the more you experiment on YouTube, the more likely you are to find what works for you.

But with all that content-making, you now have 

 and track performance for. After all, it's normal to wonder how everything competes with each other!

For example, how many people watch your livestreams versus your regular videos (sometimes we call these "longs" since they're compared side-by-side to Shorts)? Or, curiously, what percentage of viewers watch your Shorts compared with your lives?

YouTube's Viewership Panel for Shorts, Longs, and Lives

To help you out, YouTube has released a new panel called 

. It compares your viewership across all video types, including YouTube Shorts, long-form videos, and livestreams. Notably, this panel only tracks data for returning viewers, not those who never came back to your channel.

Viewers across formats panel in the youtube studio

If you click through the uppermost tabs, you're able to compare viewership on:

The breakdown is in percentages, so you get a bird's-eye view of what's happening on your channel. And for each comparison, you can see the percentage of people who watch 

Finding the 'Viewers Across Formats' Panel

Analytics menu option in the YouTube Studio

Content menu option in the youtube studio

 on the right side of the screen. You'll notice that it only shows data from the last 28 days.

viewers across formats panel in the youtube studio

Knowing the percentage of people who watch your Shorts, longs, and lives reveals what you do best on YouTube. It also shines a light on the following:

For example, here's what our viewership looks like on the vidIQ channel:

viewership on long-form videos versus Shorts

viewership on long-form videos versus livestreams

 is regular videos first, then Shorts, and finally, livestreams.

 of viewers watch both content types. Since many people are interested in both, we have an opportunity to cross-promote each type and boost their collective views.

Promote Your YouTube Channel - 17 Tips for Small Creators

So, how does it work? If you want to cross-promote on your own channel, build a bridge between your short and long-form content. 

One strategy is to recommend a long-form video in the description or comment section of every YouTube Short. If you're using the comment section to do this, 

 to the top so everyone sees your recommended video link. If you want to use the description area, use a call to action 

Recommended video link in description section

Want another strategy that works? Make Shorts and longs that complement each other!

For example, imagine that you've just filmed a video about traveling on a budget. In either the comment section or description area, you could recommend a Short that offers a "checklist" for budget travelers. Remember, you'll get more views if both videos are related yet contain new information!

Content That's Not Relevant (Or Needs Work)

If one content type is struggling on your channel, it doesn't 

 mean you should stop creating it. In our case, people don't watch our livestreams nearly as much as the Shorts and longs on our channel. But our livestreams are valuable in their own way! We give free channel audits to small creators, so 

the overall impact is greater than the views we receive

On your channel, you might decide that your low-performing content just isn't worth the effort. In that case, dropping those videos could help you focus on the ones that 

What would your viewership look like if you had 

No such thing exists, but if it did, it would look something like this:

the perfect viewership scenario on youtube

For any content comparison, 100% of viewers would happily watch both video types. Sounds amazing, right?

One way to come close to this scenario is by speaking to the same target audience in your videos. Whether you create longs, Shorts, or lives, have a core message that appeals to one group of people!

With this new panel, YouTube reveals what your viewers gravitate toward the most: your Shorts, your longs, or your lives. With that information, you can narrow your focus quite a bit. After all, maybe you don't need to go after every type of content on YouTube; perhaps one or two will do the trick.

No matter what you decide, we'll help you get views on 

. Check out the links below for more guidance!

How to Get More YouTube Shorts Views on Your Channel

A Simple Trick to Make Viewers Watch Multiple YouTube Videos

6 Things to Do Before Your First YouTube Livestream

Man wearing headphones celebrating success while working on laptop at home desk

Are you a multi-format creator? Now you can compare views across all content types, including YouTube Shorts, livestreams, and regular videos. Here's how!

Shorts, Longs, and Lives: How to Compare YouTube Views from All 3

Have you ever checked your analytics and realized that most of your views don't come from subscribers? If so, you probably saw what YouTube calls the 

The percentage of subscribers versus non-subscribers on a youtube channel

This image is from the vidIQ channel, so even large creators face this question. In our case, only 33% of viewers are subscribed. But why?

Subscribing Isn't a Viewer's Number One Priority

The short answer is that no one needs to hit "subscribe" to have fun on YouTube. The platform has a recommendation system, and it's 

at serving up videos to the right viewers. So even if you aren't subscribed to your favorite creator, YouTube will place their videos on your homepage like a personal assistant. 

If nothing else, this proves that subscribers aren't the most important metric on YouTube.

And yet, you still need subs to crack the biggest benefits of being a creator: 

 subscribers to access fan-funding tools and 

, turning silent viewers into subscribers is worthwhile. Here's how to do it!

On YouTube, a call to action (or CTA) is any request a creator makes to their viewers. Some people ask for more video likes, and others ask for various forms of engagement, such as leaving a comment.

But the trickiest of all? Getting people to subscribe! And viewers will only do it if they have a good reason to.

So the first step is understanding their journey on YouTube. You should know why they open the app, 

 they take that step. But you don't have to reinvent the wheel here; most viewers follow the same path on YouTube:

Problem > solution > satisfaction > subscription

Start by identifying the main problem your audience faces. After that, spend some time finding a valuable solution, then share that knowledge in a series of compelling, irresistible YouTube videos. If that goes well, viewers will subscribe as they become satisfied with your content.

If you're still figuring out what your audience wants, 

use this guide to build a persona representing their habits and desires

Imagine that you've just watched a video about monetizing a YouTube channel, and the creator wants you to hit subscribe. If they're careful, they won't ask you to do that without saying 

Instead, they'll say something like this:

"Want to monetize your channel in six months or less? Subscribe for more YouTube tips and tricks, and I'll show you how to shorten the journey!"

Promises more value, which builds upon the value they just received (monetization tips)

As you can see, it doesn't take much to drive the point home. Stay on topic, and everything will be fine. Promise more value, and everything will be more than fine!

While CTAs are simple to write, they can be challenging to execute. It's not just 

 you say in those moments but how you say it, when you say it, and why you say it!

So if you want people to subscribe to your channel (when you ask them), here are some best practices:

. Create a good video title and thumbnail to tease the video. Then get straight to the point in your video's introduction. Hook the viewer's attention!

Instead, keep giving viewers what they want. Make good points, bring the entertainment, and answer important questions about your topic.

Put your CTA near the end of the video. 

By now, viewers got what they came for. Remind them that they can get even more value by subscribing.

Be clear and specific. What unique value does your channel offer? Spell it out so viewers know what to expect!

 viewers to build an audience, anything beyond 1,000 subscribers is a vanity count. By then, you have everything you need to monetize your content, from advertising revenue to fan-funding tools.

So if you're wondering how your channel is 

The number of viewers returning to your channel

The average number of views each visitor gives you

These are better indicators of overall growth. They represent how well you can bring viewers back to your channel and make them watch multiple videos — not just one or two.

Want to learn more about these metrics? Click the links above to expand your knowledge and grow your views!

Young woman recording video holding a sign that says Like and Subscribe for channel growth

Getting viewers to hit subscribe doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes, you just have to ask them nicely. Here are a few pointers!

How to Turn Silent Viewers into YouTube Subscribers

Getting monetized on YouTube is a joyous occasion — truly. You get to upload videos and monetize them in the YouTube Studio, making as much money as possible with video ads. What could be better than that?

As wonderful as it sounds, you might be thinking of how long it takes to reach that goal. After all, you have to join the 

 to collect advertising revenue, and that requires 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours. 

Technically, you can make money a bit earlier using fan-funding tools like 

. In that case, you'd need 500 subscribers, three public videos, and 3,000 public watch hours. But you can't have it all — fan funding plus advertising revenue — without achieving 

In 2023, there’s more than one way to fund your YouTube channel. Keep reading to learn the best tips and strategies!

An affiliate marketer makes money by persuading others to buy products online. That includes physical items like furniture, clothing, books, video games, or even gardening tools. It could also be something digital, like a web browser extension or an online course.

The custom URLs where these products can be found are called 

. On YouTube, creators paste these links into the description of relevant videos.

When someone makes a purchase using those links, the creator earns a commission.

The commission on an affiliate sale could be 1%, 5%, or even 50% of the original purchase. It all depends on type of program you decide to join.

 affiliate programs, but here are some of the best worldwide:

When you find the right program for you, start adding affiliate links to your YouTube videos. Remind viewers that they can scroll to the description and purchase any featured or discussed products in the video.

Getting sponsored on YouTube means a brand or company pays you to advertise products within your videos.

Maybe it’s an in-video advertisement, where you spend a minute or two “selling” a product to viewers before returning to the video’s main topic. Or perhaps the entire video is an “ad,” but it’s creative and entertaining to watch.

Here’s an example of a sponsored video. In it, lifestyle creator 

 prepares a dish from HelloFresh, the delivery meal-kit service.

As you can see, a sponsored video introduces a product, explains its benefits, and offers an incentive for viewers to buy it.

Depending on your channel's size and engagement, you could earn 

 in the first place? Here are a few ideas:

. Explain what you do on YouTube, share your channel stats, and pitch valuable ideas for the brand and your audience.

 You never know when you’ll bump into a public relations manager who oversees brand campaigns.

. Do you have an unpaid product review that performed well on YouTube? Let brands know you’ve already done the hard part.

YouTube has a channel Memberships feature, but only creators in the YouTube Partner Program can access it. That means you’d need at least 500 subscribers to make money with exclusive video content.

Can’t wait that long? Try your hand at launching a membership site instead. 

 is a popular membership site that summarizes the benefits pretty well:

, have everything you need to get started, from video hosting to monetization tools to the very website viewers will visit. So luckily, you don’t have to start from scratch.

Here are more websites that are great for building online memberships:

Do you post tutorials and how-to videos on YouTube? If your audience loves them, why not build a video course around 

? Walk your viewers through the finer points of starting an online business, investing in stocks, fixing cars – anything at all.

But before you start building a course, make sure your audience wants one. They should care about the topic while also believing your lessons will solve a problem in their lives.

Monetizing your channel outside of YouTube doesn’t have to be complicated. In this guide, we’ll share five methods that don’t require 1,000 subscribers or 4,000 watch hours.

Lydia Sweatt

Posts Written By Lydia Sweatt

The Secret to Standing Out as a Small YouTube Creator

The Truth About AI: Can YouTube Automation Ruin Your Channel?

Shorts, Longs, and Lives: How to Compare YouTube Views from All 3

How to Turn Silent Viewers into YouTube Subscribers

How to Monetize on YouTube Without the Partner Program

6 Emotional Triggers That Unlock Massive YouTube Views

ChatGPT for YouTubers Is Here: How to Use vidIQ’s AI Coach

YouTube Shorts Not Paying the Bills? 4 Solutions to Boost Your Revenue

7 Types of YouTube Video Titles That Get Massive Clicks

YouTube Monetization: Which Videos Count Toward 4,000 Hours of Watch Time?

The Secret Formula for Gaining and Retaining YouTube Subscribers

Ask an AI Coach: 4 Ways to Spice Up Your YouTube Video Titles