You launched your YouTube channel with so much excitement, and suddenly, you see your views and subscribers stagnate over time. Every creator, sooner or later, asks themselves, “Why is my YouTube channel not growing?”. In this article, we’ll walk you through the possible reasons why your YT channel is not growing.
Why Is My YouTube Channel Not Growing?
Here are the top 7 common reasons that could lead to your YouTube channel not growing.
- Your channel doesn’t have a niche
- Your Video Thumbnails are not captivating enough
- Not generating enough value
- Less Experimentation With Your Content
- Weak YouTube SEO and Superficial Research Around A Topic
- Blatantly Copying Other Creators’ Style
- Not Creating a Strong Hook in the First 30 Seconds
Let’s take a deep dive into each of the above factors.
1. Your Channel Doesn’t Have A Particular Niche
If you observe the most successful YouTube channels, you will observe that they are built around a single focus on a particular industry category. Not having a specific niche is among creators’ top YouTube mistakes when trying to grow their channel. Having a single niche helps you build a loyal audience base because your viewers know they will see content about something they are interested in. Here’s what you can do if you don’t have a particular niche;
- Research online and do a self-assessment to discover a niche that has high demand and you’re passionate about
- Analyze your competitors’ video content in that niche to develop better content ideas
- Have a well-structured content calendar that includes timely research and publishing of content
2. Your Video Thumbnails Are Not Captivating Enough
Thumbnails are the first thing your viewer glances at before watching any video. Right beside the title, if the thumbnail looks cluttered or is challenging to understand, there are significant chances that it will be scrolled up rather than getting clicks, resulting in your YouTube channel not growing. YouTube audience wants to skim through the thumbnails and look for a video to watch quickly. Thumbnails won’t work if it takes more than a second for the viewer to understand its contents or if the image doesn’t ignite the viewer’s curiosity. To make better, captivating thumbnails, you can;
- Keep minimal textual content for faster reading
- Keep a clutter-free design that eases the viewer’s eye
- Optimize it to catch viewers’ attention
3. Your Content Is Not Generating Enough Value
YouTube algorithm favors consistent content production. Posting low-quality content occasionally is the most repeated YouTube mistakes that YouTubers commit early in their journey. Remember that recycling information that has already been covered without adding significant value won’t help you grow your channel faster. Delivering valuable information while entertaining your audience to grow your subscriber base consistently is crucial. To get more value out of your content,
- Create a proper timeline for researching, shooting, editing, and publishing your videos.
- Post at least twice a week
- Outsource if needed to create high-quality content footage
- Research well to identify the missing points and add value wherever necessary
4. Lack Of Experimentation In Your Content
Many content creators avoid experimenting, especially in the initial phases. They are so obsessed with increasing their views, growing their subscriber base, and rising to fame that it keeps them away from experimentation. The more you experiment, the more you learn about your niche and the ideas that will or won’t work. Besides, you can also come across something unique that may give you the much-needed breakout to get viral on YouTube. What can you do to fix the factor that leads to your YouTube channel not growing? Here are a couple of ideas.
- Look closely at your content and your competitors’ content and see what new perspective you can add.
- Look for what’s trending in your niche. Then, consider what you can do to make it more creative and entertaining.
5. Weak YouTube SEO and Superficial Research
Considering that you make engaging content and post it regularly, why do you still fail to attract the desired number of views on your videos? The problem may be a weak SEO implementation. YouTube SEO isn’t always fun, but ranking your videos higher and attracting more views from your target audience is crucial.
YouTube is also often known as the world’s second-largest search engine. Optimizing your videos for SEO helps your content get discovered and appear in front of your target audience when they search for it. A lack of in-depth research about your content could also be one of the prime reasons for your YouTube channel not growing.
Here’s what you should do to fix it.
- Optimize your videos for SEO using YouTube SEO tools
- Research and brainstorm about how you can improve upon your competitors’ content.
- Monitor your competitors’ channels constantly and see what they are uploading to improve the quality of your content.
6. Blatantly Copying Other Creators’ Style
Creators must have unique styles and voices to create a brand identity on YouTube. It is fine to be inspired by successful YouTubers, but it is not okay to blindly follow their content creation style. Copying some other creators’ format and style of creating videos can backfire for your channel, which can be one of the reasons why your YouTube channel is not growing as expected. Your channel can lose originality and credibility if you copy someone else. Here’s what you should do:
- Instead, focus on what makes you different. Create content that resonates with your niche, style, personality, and especially what the audience likes to watch on your channel.
- Identify your strength. It can be storytelling, comedy, skits, vlogs, etc.
- Develop your personal brand with consistent use of video structure, colors, fonts, etc.
- Viewers demand fresh perspectives and authenticity, and do not appreciate carbon copies.
7. Not Creating a Strong Hook in the First 30 Seconds
The initial 30 seconds or the introduction are crucial as they determine the video’s performance. It is one of YouTube’s ranking factors, as a strong hook increases the chances of the average view duration of the video. It is crucial to grab the viewer’s attention in the first 30 seconds. To do so, you can try the following:
- Start with a bold question, an intriguing statement, or a quick preview of what’s coming.
- The point is to make people stick around for the whole video, so start strong and make it clear why someone should keep watching.
- Avoid slow starts and long intros; get to the point fast.
- Plan exactly what you will say. So, a script would be helpful.
- Add captions and engaging texts for people who watch on mute.
Conclusion
Still wondering why my YouTube channel is not growing? Analyze your channel and see if you are committing any of the top 7 YouTube mistakes stopping your channel from growing. Many mistakes are easy to rectify, but ensure you never create content that violates YouTube’s policies and terms, especially if you have a small YouTube channel still finding its ground on YouTube. It may lead to the demonetization of your channel and even permanent suspension. Consistently make the necessary changes and course corrections in your YouTube journey, and soon, you will see your channel hitting its monetization goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What to do if my YouTube channel is not growing?
You can execute the following steps if your YouTube channel is not growing;
- Choose a specific niche for your channel
- Research well about your competitors
- Follow a consistent calendar plan for publishing high-quality content
- Experiment often initially
- Implement stringent YouTube SEO
Q2. Why do I need a niche on YouTube?
Having a niche makes you be perceived as a domain authority on YouTube. It indicates that your content is valuable and serves the needs of a particular audience very well. Therefore, the platform ranks your videos on top when viewers search for solutions to their problems in your category.
Q3. How to grow the subscriber base on my YouTube channel?
Keep producing engaging, high-quality content that adds value to your audience’s life. Your target audience prefers to read more of what they already like to see, so creating content around those topics will help you engage more with them and compel viewers to turn into subscribers.
Q4. Do I need high-quality equipment to shoot my YouTube videos?
No. It is absolutely not necessary to buy expensive equipment to shoot your YouTube videos initially. We recommend sharpening your skills in areas like keyword research, creating better content, crafting captivating thumbnails, and refining YouTube SEO. You can cover a lot with natural light and a smartphone.