If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice before launching your channel, what would it be? Let’s make this a thread of hard-earned lessons and honest tips. Drop your answer below—your story might be the thing someone else needs to hear right now.

They treat it like social media—random posts, hoping for magic. YouTube rewards systems, not luck. Build a strategy, measure what matters, and watch real results compound.

Most people treat thumbnails as an afterthought—just a pretty picture to go with the video. But your thumbnail is your book cover. It sells the click, the intro sells the watch, and every second after sells the next. Here’s the #1 principle: Your title, thumbnail, and intro MUST align. If your thumbnail promises X, but your video delivers Y, viewers feel tricked and bounce. YouTube is a game of expectations—overpromise AND overdeliver but never mislead. Curiosity = Clicks. Great thumbnails spark an “open loop”—a question your audience NEEDS answered. Use hints, bold claims, or “new way” language. Examples: -The New Way to Find Cash Buyers (with $0) -How much do TikTok Shop Affiliates REALLY Make? Don’t try to please everyone. A thumbnail for everyone resonates with no one. Call out your ideal audience directly—but not so specific you disqualify the rest. Example: Free Copywriting Course for Beginners—casts a wide net, but targets action-takers. Numbers & Proof Build Trust. Use real results, figures, or unique mechanisms ($720,000 Trading the ‘Tet’ Strategy). Specifics beat generalities. Made-up terms spark intrigue (what’s “Tet”?). Don’t Copy—Innovate. If everyone’s thumbnail looks the same, format fatigue sets in. Take what works but fill an unserved gap or remix a trend. Originality = instant authority. Simplicity Wins. Cluttered thumbnails get skipped. Bold text, clear faces, obvious focal point. If your message isn’t clear at a glance, it’s lost. BAD Example: Generic: Top 10 business philosophies for startups. Too niche: Why your agency isn’t hitting $100K. Misaligned: Thumbnail shows “crypto” but videos about marketing. Quick Audit: – Does your thumbnail and title make the same promise? – Are you targeting your real audience, not just “everyone”? – Can someone tell what’s in it for them—without reading a word? The bottom line: YouTube thumbnails aren’t art—they’re copywriting. Design them to sell the next step, not just the view.

Harsh truth: You can keep posting videos and hoping for growth… or you can finally learn what actually turns views into leads. Most creators spin their wheels and never see real results. Don’t be one of them. What’s one thing you feel might be missing from your channel—but aren’t sure how to fix? Share your gut feeling below (no judgment)—let’s break it down together.

A lot of business owners think uploading more content means more leads. But one strategic, well-crafted video can outperform 20 random uploads—every single time. Who here has posted a ton and still feels stuck? Drop a 🙋‍♂️ if you relate, and let’s talk about what really moves the needle.