Two Months Ago I Had 9 Subscribers — My Quick Ascend to YouTube Partner Program
The infamous 1000 subscribers and 4000 watch hours milestone.
Are you wondering how I got here?
This is my story.
I’ve been using YouTube since 2006.
This is the second channel that I created in 2014 and one that has been for consumption mostly.
I didn’t start creating videos until 2023.
Truth be told, I consume more than I create.
I watched videos on YouTube for years and years before I started.
One day, on May 20th, 2023, I took a leap of faith.
I am naturally fond of the horror niche and figured this was a chance to make dreams come true by making horror videos. It all started with a thought: “What if…?”
My first videos were in the form of the Mr. Incredible Becoming Uncanny memes because I naturally liked them, and I thought others would like them as well.
This is my first video:
It is very simple and after editing it for two hours, I upload it on YouTube and hit “publish”.
It did not get attention at all.
0 views.
Four days later? 10 views.
Well, that’s it.
This is just a fun experiment… right?
Hahaha…
Wrong.
After three weeks, the video was at 16k views.
Ultimately it kept increasing and increasing until it hit a point of stillness at 50k.
While there are people who get that amount of leverage in a day or two, for me, getting 16,054 people to watch my content was bewildering.
Something I thought wasn’t possible.
But the results don’t lie.
You might be wondering: how did this happen?
Was it the thumbnail?
Was it the editing of the video?
Was it because the idea was innovative?
Perhaps it was all of them…
…or none of them.
Those are just forms. The real reason:
“Create what you’d like to see,” I said to myself.
That struck a cord.
This applies to everything: for the content that resonates, I curate and develop my own version that you can see in the form of videos on my channel.
Rinse and repeat. Experiment.
Personally, I have my own vision of horror. “How can I materialize this vision?”
We all have a unique lens of viewing the world.
The way you see reality is different from the way I see reality.
Whatever your vision is, find a way to externalize it.
And with every good thing, there are also… not-so-good things.
The process of making videos isn’t all linear. There are the highs and lows of the journey.
Some people are focused, and some are more scattered.
In my case, I get distracted easily.
Days hitting the refresh button to see if there are new subscribers.
Those moments are temporary. Your body and emotions also tell you something, so I decided to pause for a day and fully listen.
One day out in nature, with friends, with family.
And when I return to the laptop, my mind is clear and refreshed.
Work hard, but take one day off.
Start small, one thing at a time, work your way up.
And be patient.
That’s what I did.
2 months and 18 days later, on August 7th, 2023, I got accepted into the YouTube Partner Program.
Some people get monetized on YouTube much faster.
Perhaps they strike very particular niches.
Or maybe they just keep randomly pressing buttons until one lucky press sends them to a huge following.
On the other hand, there are people who spend years and years pouring all they’ve got into making the greatest videos.
Everybody is going through their own journey. At their own pace.
I am very grateful to be where I am.
The same for everyone, this is a process.
You can’t judge your dreams, because you haven’t learned what you have to learn while on your way toward those dreams.
Right now the channel provides a side income, and the potential for full-time income always exists.
And to tell you the truth…
I did not get here by accident.
It was all planned ever since I hit “publish” on the first video.
Before embarking on the journey of YouTube, I watched all the free content I could get my hands on. You name it, YouTube, Marketing, SEO, niche selection, thumbnail design, and so on.
So how did I really get here?
The answer: hand-to-hand combat.
Unfortunately, I cannot tell you what to do, or what niche to focus on.
Truth be told, whether you’d like to create your gaming channel or your makeup review channel, there are three main principles I’d like to share with you that helped me on my journey:
1. Create Out of Pure Love
2. Find A Way To Exploit An Unfair Advantage (That Only You Have)
3. Immerse Yourself in the World of SEO, Keywords, Trends, the Algorithm, and Psychology (Know your Audience)
4. Rinse and repeat.
I had envisioned achieving monetization on YouTube before it became a reality.
But when it actually happened, it all felt like a dream.
We all have 24 hours in a day.
If there is something you’re taking from this article, I want you to know:
If you want something, just start. That’s it.
As with YouTube and as with all dreams and aspirations, it’s a marathon.
There’s no instant get-rich-quick thing.
Just start.
And enjoy the journey.
At this point, I have a whole different beast to tame: consistency and keeping momentum.
Since I’m currently learning, that’d be a topic for another day.
Feel free to check out my channel:
Now, what is your experience with YouTube?
I’d love to hear from you.
If you found this content valuable, dropping an applause would be very helpful. You can also donate at my PayPal if you prefer. Thank you for reading.
