I got my very first payout from YouTube yesterday!!!! It’s so exciting. I want to encourage you all to keep posting. I made a lot of bad videos before I finally got one to push me forward and help me find my niche. You only fail if you quit. I gave up with 533 subscribers and could not believe I did that but I came back a year later and smack I got monetized.

I'm pleased to report that I've achieved one of my target for my first 6 months on You Tube which was to make 25 videos. It's also a reminder to myself to set some new targets for the next 6 months. 🎯 It's been a humongous learning curve, plus domestic dramas and confidence issues. But receiving the emails from VidIQ to tell me I've reached these milestones really helps. 🙅‍♀️ I'm narrowing down my focus now having looked at the stats, which will help with the next 90 days of content so I can find my tribe! 12 months ago I didn't know how to use CapCut, how to use an external microphone, how YouTube worked, or what a thumbnail was, written a script, talked on camera .... the list goes on. My friends think I'm really brave and wouldn't have a clue. A BIG thank you for all the great support and encouragement from the Skool community!! 💕🙏👍

Hello everyone. I am new to this group. I have been doing YouTube since 2021. I finally got serious in January and started to listen to everyone about finding my niche. When I did it paid off. I am growing quickly but need to work on other forms of income other than just ad revenue. I feel very fortunate for the love and support that I have gotten but need to work on expanding my business.

Which thumbnail do you prefer and why? It is a for a series I am doing. So I will be using it as a template. I appreciate any pointers.

This is the most successful video on my channel. Not just from a views perspective, but also from a monetary one. It’s also the video that encouraged me to pivot and change how my channel operates, including its perspective, goals, topics, and overall philosophy. Why did this video do so well? It used a provocative title, fast-paced editing, and covered a topic that was hot news at the time. If I had uploaded this video six hours earlier or even eight hours later, it might not have gained the traction it did. I’m extremely proud of it, and it will go down as one of my many achievements with my channel. So, why pivot? Why change a winning formula? I believe in skating to where the puck is going to be, rather than resting on my laurels and patting myself on the back by looking at the past. With the rise of numerous AI channels proliferating on YouTube and an avalanche of new channels on the horizon, I think authenticity will win in the long run for YouTubers. Offering even a sliver of genuine content will set us apart. This video did well because it fit a format that’s currently popular, but for me, that success feels short-lived and not a viable long-term strategy. So, what am I doing with the channel now? I’m taking some risks. By that, I mean I’ve done a complete 180 and started making content that 95% of my current subscribers likely aren’t interested in and probably never will be. I’m moving my channel from a commodity-driven model to a business-focused one. This will be a platform where my opinions matter, people tune in to hear my views, and the content shifts from purely entertaining to educational. More importantly, it will be a channel that advertisers will want to sponsor or run ads on. To be honest, I don’t know how long this transition will take, but I feel in my gut that this is the right move for both me and the channel. From the outside looking in, this might seem like the dumbest move ever. Honestly, even I sometimes think it’s the wrong decision.