Do you ever wish you could get inside a viewer’s mind and read their thoughts? If so, what secrets would you unravel about your YouTube subscribers?

We’re willing to bet most creators want to know one thing: 

Which videos will you, the viewer, watch without question on my channel?

It’s impossible to read minds, but maybe you can do something else. Perhaps you can take a slight detour from guessing what viewers want, and instead, 

How to Get More Views from YouTube’s Audience Data Tool

, a real estate creator, about understanding your YouTube audience. Kristina has 144,000 subscribers and enough channel research to gain thousands more. Her not-so-secret advice is to determine which videos people will (or won’t) watch on your channel.

It sounds simple, but getting to know your audience isn’t easy. Here’s a guide for discovering your viewers’ interests and making videos they love.

Want to get inside your viewers’ heads? You’ll need a few basic details first. It helps to know three things at the beginning of your research: 

your viewers’ age, gender, and location

. That tells you what stage of life they are in, plus the types of videos they might enjoy.

Here’s how to find those demographics on YouTube:

Log in to YouTube and go to the YouTube Studio.

Near the top-right of the screen, select a period of data to analyze.

Scroll down to see your channel’s audience demographics.

You can also check out two more panels on this screen: “

Here is what one of the panels looks like:

Kristina used this same audience data to make irresistible videos on her channel.

“I found a pattern.... they really like watching people have an alternative life,” she says of her audience. “They have a dream of living off the grid. They may not necessarily do that, but they definitely like watching that stuff.”

Identify Viewers’ Problems, and Deliver Solutions

Most people come to YouTube for a reason, and that’s to answer a specific question. How do you kill a computer virus? What’s the best recipe for cajun chicken wings? There are plenty of videos to watch, but only one will be clicked.

Winning that battle is possible if you know your viewers’ interests and hobbies. But winning the war? That victory goes to creators who can identify problems and offer a solution.

“My specific [audience] is very concerned with a housing crash,” Kristina says, referencing the pandemic housing shortages. “I wanted to tie that in specifically to affordable housing options. So, for example, in my most recent video, I said, ‘A housing crash will not make housing more affordable, and then I explained the reasons why.’ That, I know, will appeal to my audience.”

What does your audience struggle with daily? If you can make videos about those things (and offer solutions), your channel will grow exponentially.

Test Different Videos to See What Subscribers Like

When Kristina wanted to increase her YouTube subscribers, she went into learning mode.

She tested different videos to see what viewers:

Kristina stuck to her niche but took detours to the other side of real estate – topics like house flipping and expensive home renovations.

“I started doing these ‘real estate agent reacts’ type of videos, and they did OK,” she says. “But not anything to write home about. It was a test. I tried it, it was a failure, and I learned from it. And then I moved forward.”

Testing content that fails until you find the perfect match can seem daunting. But then again, that’s how Kristina gained enough insight to grow her audience. Without those learnings, it may have taken her years to reach even 10,000 subscribers.

5 Amazing Tips to Get 10,000 YouTube Subscribers – Fast

Create a Persona for Your YouTube Viewers

Have you ever given your subscribers a name or a fake personality? Have you ever penned a list of their unique traits?

 for your audience, or in other words, a short story about who they are.

Kristina named her audience “Frank” because to her, that describes them perfectly. Her viewers tend to be:

Over the years, Kristina has learned that “Frank” doesn’t watch videos about:

 That’s it. Those are the types of videos he’s willing to watch, and nothing else will retain his attention.

YouTube Audience Retention - 3 Channel Boosting Secrets You Need to Know

Before you create your next video, think about your audience’s persona. Then ask yourself if you’re prioritizing what 

Got Multiple Personas? Identify What Connects Them All

Knowing your main persona is a step in the right direction. But what if your audience has multiple personas across thousands of viewers? Is there a way to make all of them watch the same video?

send the right signals in your video titles and thumbnails.

For Kristina, that meant writing titles for two personas that love the same thing: affordable housing. That way, no viewer feels alienated, and Kristina gets the maximum number of clicks. Check out the thumbnail for the video below, which sticks to the "cheap house" theme.

But what if one video is all about an affordable, eco-friendly home? Kristina knows most of her audience doesn't care about sustainability. The solution is to mention that detail briefly while emphasizing the main topic: affordable housing.

“If I’m showing a house, I can literally say in the video, ‘These are eco-friendly materials, and it actually costs you less,’ Kristina says. “That’s not me forcing the fact that it’s an eco-friendly house and shoving it in their face....and then it’s not [them saying], ‘Don’t force me to do something.’ It’s like, ‘Oh, that’s cool that it’s eco-friendly too, but I really just wanted a cheap house.’”

 that connects different viewers, you can convince all of them to watch the same thing.

Want to take your subscriber knowledge to the next level? Here are three things YouTube channels with over 1,000 subscribers have in common.

Smiling woman with long hair promoting Tube Talk podcast with dark and pink background.

Which videos do subscribers actually like watching? It's a mystery to most YouTube creators, but this guide will reveal those hidden secrets.

How to Make the EXACT Videos YouTube Subscribers Want to See

Did you know that technically, you’re a creative entrepreneur once you make 

 with your craft? YouTube creators can make this happen, especially if they’re monetizing on major platforms, like TikTok and Instagram.

Want to Make YouTube Your Full-Time Job? Master These 5 Skills

 does it. He has more than 15 income streams, in which he makes money from his creative talents and intellectual property. He teaches creators on YouTube to do the same thing, and they 

 his advice. You can tell by the 34 million views and 500,000-plus subscribers on Blake’s channel.

, Blake shares some of that money-making wisdom. He talks about all the ways you can monetize content outside of YouTube to create a sustainable career.

Ready to dive in? Here’s your guide – as a digital entrepreneur – for making a full-time income.

1. Don’t Rely on YouTube AdSense to Fund Your Lifestyle

The first revenue stream for most YouTube creators is advertising dollars. 

It’s not easy making money through ads, though. Creators must 

, 4,000 hours of Watch Time, and abide by all of YouTube’s rules. If everything goes well, they can apply for the YouTube Partner Program and place ads on their videos.

YouTube Partner Program - How to Monetize Your Channel

But does reaching that milestone mean you’ve “made it” as a creative entrepreneur? Hardly.

“Ad revenue is unreliable,” Blake says. “There’s just too many things outside of your control.”

On YouTube, you can’t predict or influence:

, a devastating event where advertisers boycott YouTube.

 For example, business and finance channels command higher CPMs (the ad cost per 1,000 views) than entertainment channels.

YouTube CPM - 7 Factors Affecting Your Channel's Revenue

But don’t let any of this deter you. Creators who want to go full-time have 

“Before YouTube even allowed AdSense, creators had to make money from their content – if they wanted to make money from it at all – somehow,” he says. “A lot of people did that with early merch designs. There was early fan funding, with, ‘Oh, donate to me on PayPal.’ That was a regular thing before Patreon came along.”

2. Create a Business Plan for Your YouTube Channel

Do you see your YouTube channel as a business and not just a hobby? If so, you have 

 when it comes to digital entrepreneurship. But even the savviest creators can take their dreams to the next level by 

simple act is what separates digital entrepreneurs from everyone else. Because let’s be honest: It takes planning and research to build a profitable niche on YouTube.

How to Choose the Best Niche for Your YouTube Channel

What potential viewers want to see on your channel.

The salary you need to be full-time on YouTube.

“Why don’t you write an actual business plan for your YouTube channel and treat it like an actual startup, and say, ‘Here’s my audience, here’s my avatar, here’s my consumer, here’s my viewer, here’s my person that I wake up every day and make content for,’” Blake says. “Here is what that person is already buying. Here are the people they already spend their money with, whether it’s Addison Rae, iJustine, Logan Paul, Marques Brownlee, or Vyyyper. 

What am I willing to do to fight for that dollar?”

Perfecting this part of the YouTube journey is crucial. With a solid plan, you won’t have to rely on viral videos to make money.

3. Supplement YouTube Revenue with Freelance or Gig Work

 creators make when they decide to go full-time on YouTube? We’ll give you a hint: It has nothing to do with views or subscribers.

“Too many people quit their full-time job and go all-in on YouTube too early instead of transitioning into freelance or gig work plus YouTube,” Blake says. “The other thing is, they’re used to getting two checks a month and having cash flow. YouTube pays once a month.”

Just think of all the rules around taxes and self-employment. Depending on where you live, you may be taxed four times: Once by the city, once by the state, once by the federal government, and one last time as a self-employed worker. Miscalculating any of these bills can shatter your dreams of becoming your own boss.

6 Signs It's Time to Make YouTube Your Full-Time Job

Want our advice? Go slowly. Instead of jumping into YouTube full-time, get some side hustles first. Keep them going as you make the transition from employee to entrepreneur. The extra cash will cover unexpected tax bills and keep you from going into debt.

4. Get Serious About Building New Income Streams

By now, you’ve probably realized how important it is to 

. It’s a handy lifeline when AdSense isn’t paying the bills.

But how many streams of income do you need? That depends on how much money you want to make. Regardless, Blake recommends 

adding a new income stream to your salary each year.

“I have 17 income streams,” Blake says.

Awesome Creator Academy, Blake’s one-on-one coaching business.

How to Get Brand Deals Using Any Social Media Platform

Brand deals are an excellent way to monetize your content. If you execute them well, they become an income stream that reaches beyond YouTube to expand your salary.

“The first thing I think any creator should do is write down the list of the brands they would absolutely love to work with the most – the automatic ‘yes’ brands they would be willing to work with even for free,” Blake says.

Next, identify which creators those brands are working with. That gives you an idea of who or what those companies tie their reputation to.

After you’ve done some solid research, 

Following the brands you want to work with on social media (to observe their content style).

Liking, commenting, and retweeting those brands (so they know who you are).

Finding a contact for those brands using LinkedIn, Twitter, or the press page on their website.

Keep in mind that you don’t need millions of subscribers to get a brand deal. Blake says companies are interested in 

. If your followers (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, etc.) are between the ages of 25 and 55, you (and the brand) have a better chance of selling a product. To do that, you need a high level of engagement across social media. That proves your ability to inspire, motivate, and 

The Truth About Getting a Brand Deal on YouTube

All of these things matter if you want to become a digital entrepreneur. The very thought should inspire you to monetize beyond YouTube and create a business plan that spells out your income.

But before you do, make sure you’ve unlocked all of the free YouTube tools (including the money-making ones) available to creators.

Logo of Tube Talk with man in blue hoodie and black cap on yellow background

Most people need more than a YouTube channel to become creative entrepreneurs. Here are 4 tips to expand and diversify your income.

4 Tips to Make Money Outside of YouTube Like Roberto Blake

Imagine starting a YouTube channel that eventually becomes 

The perks of such a lifestyle, especially in a world where the 9-to-5 work structure is king, are endless. You no longer have bosses telling you what to do. You get to make videos that entertain thousands of subscribers. Even the ability to create your work schedule is wildly freeing.

All of this sounds like a far-fetched dream, but it doesn’t have to be. YouTube 

 be a full-time job. In fact, thousands of creators are living the fantasy as I type.

According to researchers at Oxford Economics, 

YouTube supported 394,000 full-time jobs in 2020

 These jobs belong to creators, in some percentage, who used their channels to launch careers.

, a tech creator, about how to make YouTube your full-time job. He shares all the tips and tricks he learned to grow a channel, network, and as of now, join vidIQ as executive producer.

Want to build a career on YouTube? Here are five skills to master along the way.

Burnout is a real thing on YouTube. Have you ever seen channels doing daily upload challenges, such as "vlogmas?" While you can get tons of views uploading every day in December (or any month), that’s a recipe for disaster. You might have to take a lengthy vacation from YouTube just to recover.

. Once you know your objectives on YouTube – gaining subscribers, increasing views, building a community – you can devise a plan to achieve those goals.

“Me, I knew I wanted to grow my main YouTube channel,” Vyyyper says. “So I know I need to put out content consistently on the channel, but I don’t want to burn myself out putting out that content, either…. It’s all about putting things into perspective and making sure you lay out a strategy you can actually execute.”

2. Create Consistent Branding on YouTube and Beyond

Most creators know they need to brand their YouTube channels. But what about the rest of your social media? Does every profile have to be YouTube-centric, or can you separate parts of your identity?

If you want to collect a full-time income from YouTube, you might have to make some sacrifices.

“I always tell people that if you’re trying to build a personal brand, you want it to be consistent everywhere,” Vyyyper says. “So I’m Vyyyper literally everywhere: Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram.”

When your branding is consistent, people can easily find you across social media. Most creators struggle with getting their channels discovered, so this is an excellent way to overcome that challenge.

3. Network with Creators and Brands In Your YouTube Niche

Recruiters, bosses, and even co-workers in a traditional job will tell you networking is the key to success. It’s no different on YouTube. It truly helps to find a community of creators you have things in common with. That makes it easier to share 

, collaborate, and learn the latest news in your niche.

So how do you expand your network on YouTube? There are plenty of options, but Vyyyper says 

, the social audio app, is one of the best.

“Clubhouse gives you access to people you would not normally have access to,” he says. “One night, I was on a Clubhouse stage with MrBeast – someone I would never have access to talk to on another platform.”

How to Network on Clubhouse as a YouTube Creator

Here’s why you should choose Clubhouse over other platforms:

, whereas comments and direct messages can be a delayed (and sometimes fractured) way of communicating.

 because Clubhouse is 100% audio. That benefits YouTube creators who appear on camera.

, where the topics range from European travel to English literature. You will find your community.

 Networking with any one of them could lead to a sponsorship deal.

We’ll let you in on a secret. You don’t need hundreds of thousands of subscribers to build a YouTube career. After all, Vyyyper has just over 6,000 subscribers on his tech channel and landed a job at vidIQ. So what do creators 

 But not just any kind. To attract everything that comes with a full-time income, you should be genuine and generous, giving more to your network than you take. That’s how Vyyyper became Clubhouse-famous. He gave YouTube advice away without asking for anything in return, effectively growing his network.

“I have put in the work," he says. "I have a body of work to show for it. So I think it’s because of that as well, that [creators] are willing to give me their time because they know I’m a serious content creator.”

Never ask creators you don’t know for a shout-out.

Do the work it takes for people to respect your name – organically.

And while you’re at it, here’s a fun video from Vyyyper about Clubhouse networking etiquette, which conveniently mirrors in-person etiquette.

As our co-host Dan mentioned, some creators focus on YouTube metrics instead of the people behind those numbers. Don’t make that mistake!

Do you know how many skills it takes to run a YouTube channel?

 these skills before starting a channel. They learn them incrementally. But it takes courage to try something new on YouTube over and over again. You will have to 

7 Beliefs You Need to Have to Grow a YouTube Channel

“You have to be willing to adapt to the changes to stay relevant on YouTube as a content creator,” Vyyyper says. “You have to be willing to experiment and do things that you have not done before. It’s hard. It’s not easy. But the more you do it, the easier it becomes. Repetition is a big thing. Just take baby steps.”

And once you’ve mastered them all, here are seven more tips to turn your YouTube channel into a business.

Man wearing sunglasses speaking beside "Tube Talk" logo on black background.

Earning a full-time income on YouTube is tricky. Most creators think it's about having lots of views and subscribers. But sometimes, learning how to stay in the game of content creation is more important.

Quick! What’s the most important part of a YouTube video? Is it the beginning, middle, or end?

If you know the answer, that means you understand the power of audience retention on YouTube. If you’re unsure or don’t know much about this channel-boosting metric, that’s OK. We’re seconds away from sharing the answer.

, our co-hosts Dan and Rob reveal lesser-known secrets about audience retention. Listen to the episode above to soak up all the wisdom, or keep reading to discover those gems 

1. Got High Audience Retention? That Means Your Videos Are Entertaining

Why does audience retention matter so much on YouTube? Aren’t video views the supreme metric for growing a channel?

Audience retention measures how entertaining a video is. 

More than anything, that’s the key to unlocking more views.

How to Increase Audience Retention on Every YouTube Video

The YouTube Studio has a detailed audience retention report. It shows a video's average view duration, which is how many minutes viewers watched on average. In a hypothetical scenario, you might have a 10-minute video that people watch for four minutes.

And then there’s the average percentage viewed, which is also known as 

. Here's how YouTube calculates it: Average view duration / length of video x 100 = audience retention rate.

“A good example would be, let’s say your video is five minutes and the average view duration is two and a half minutes,” Rob says. “That would be exactly 50% audience retention.”

And guess what? The higher your audience retention rate climbs, the easier it is to succeed on YouTube.

 Getting people to watch for longer means they might view/click more ads. And who 

 Videos with higher retention send a positive signal to YouTube’s recommendation system. The video has a higher chance of being recommended to viewers, especially if there are other positive signals (high 

, lots of likes, positive survey responses, etc.)

YouTube Algorithm Guide - How Your Videos Are Recommended to Viewers

2. The Best Audience Retention Rate Is One That Beats Your Previous Rate

When creators discover audience retention, they usually have the same question about it: 

But coming up with a general number is difficult for two reasons:

Depending on the video, audience retention varies.

 One example is that educational videos don't hold viewers' attention like vlogs or comedic sketches. Once people get the information they're looking for, they bounce!

Comparing your audience retention rate to another creator’s isn’t helpful. 

It doesn’t explain what you’re doing right or wrong on your channel.

But if you need a ballpark rate to strive for, we 

“My general answer is, ‘Well, what is your audience retention now?’ Rob asks. "If you say it’s currently 30%, I say, ‘OK, that is your benchmark.’ What you need to aim for is an audience retention of, let’s say, 35%. If you increase it from 30% to 35%, that’s like a 20% increase. And then you move on to the next step: Forty percent.”

3. The Most Crucial Part of a Video Is the First 30 Seconds

What happens in the first 30 seconds of your video is critical. Many creators focus on the meat of their content – the sections where they give the most value to viewers. But if people aren’t satisfied at the beginning of the video, they will click away to watch something else. And if they click away, your audience retention rate takes a massive hit.

Growing a YouTube Channel - 4 Things Creators Overlook

“When you look at your retention graph, it starts at 100% and rapidly drops down until it stabilizes a little bit,” Dan says. “On a lot of graphs I’ve seen, it’s this steady trickling down as the video goes on. We know if people are leaving in less than one second of a video, there’s a good chance we’re never getting them back.”

So what’s happening in the first 30 seconds? More than anything, viewers are deciding if they’re in the right corner of YouTube. 

They’re determining whether the video matches what they saw in the title and thumbnail.

Viewer drop-off is unavoidable, but there are plenty of ways to decrease it. You can practice getting to the point of your video faster or using pattern interrupters, like images, audio, and different camera angles.

Want more tips to keep viewers engaged? Here are six ways to increase audience retention on every video.

Tube Talk podcast logo with cartoon faces of two hosts on red and black background

Knowing your audience retention rate is one of the first steps to making better videos. Here are three secrets to unlock the full power of this YouTube metric.

YouTube Audience Retention: 3 Channel Boosting Secrets You Need to Know

Do you need a reliable camera to start a YouTube channel? Absolutely. But that doesn’t mean you have to go to the store and purchase one. Most of us already have a camera worth using, and we can use it to record, edit, and upload to YouTube.

5 Cheap Ways to Film YouTube Videos on Your Phone

 about why smartphones can be the best cameras for YouTube. And he knows better than anyone. Josh built his entire channel using a phone and 

 in the process. He has more than 40,000 subscribers now, proving creators don’t need the fanciest YouTube equipment.

Need more convincing? Here are five reasons to pick up your phone and record awesome YouTube videos.

1. The Best Cheap Camera for YouTube Is Your Smartphone

You don’t have to splurge on a YouTube setup that costs hundreds of dollars. There are plenty of smartphones that shoot quality footage using high megapixel cameras. Two examples are the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and recent iPhone models.

Best of all, you probably have a smartphone in your pocket or purse right now. It’s either paid in full or about to become 

 phone and not your cell phone carrier’s (when you finish the payments). That makes it the most cost-effective camera you’ll ever use.

“In the comment section of my videos, I do get certain people saying, ‘I want to start a channel, but I don’t have this or that,’” Josh says. “They feel they need all this expensive equipment, and really, you don’t.”

 using a smartphone. He shares that journey in the video below, which is pretty inspirational!

When you start a YouTube channel using your phone, creating becomes amazingly simple. You’ll use one device to shoot video, edit your footage, make thumbnails, and upload to YouTube.

“I work a full-time job during the day,” Josh says. “Ten hours of my day are already shot from my job. So if I record a video at night while I’m taking my lunch break at work, I can just pull my phone out and start editing my video.”

Recording videos with your smartphone is a cost-effective way to start a YouTube channel. Here are five undeniable reasons why.

Lydia Sweatt

Posts Written By Lydia Sweatt

How to Make the EXACT Videos YouTube Subscribers Want to See

4 Tips to Make Money Outside of YouTube Like Roberto Blake

Want to Make YouTube Your Full-Time Job? Master These 5 Skills

YouTube Audience Retention: 3 Channel Boosting Secrets You Need to Know

Need a YouTube Camera? 5 Reasons to Use Your Smartphone

YouTube End Screens: How to Make Cool Video Outros

Gaining 40,000 YouTube Subscribers: 6 Tips to Get There In 12 Months

7 Tips to Craft Irresistible Video Ideas on YouTube

4 Honest Reasons Why You're Running Out of YouTube Video Ideas

Daily Ideas from vidIQ: More Video Ideas to Spark Your YouTube Success

5 Amazing Tips to Get 10,000 YouTube Subscribers – Fast

Podcasting on YouTube: 7 Tips to Get Subscribers on a Paid Membership