If starting a YouTube Channel is a goal you have for this year, then you NEED to watch this video pronto.
Because I’m sharing the 10 biggest mistakes new YouTubers make…
And what you should do instead if you want to start and scale a successful channel (without wasting a ton of time).
Hey Posse, what’s up? It’s Alex.
And today we are talking about YouTube!
“Alex, how do I get started on YouTube?”
It’s a question I get a LOT – from freelancers and business owners at ALL levels.
It seems like everyone wants to start a YouTube Channel.
And I am HERE for it.
I honestly think YouTube is a VERY wise marketing move for those who are committed to getting started and doing it right…
But I’m not talking about starting a channel to become “YouTube famous” with the hopes of turning it into a full-time career…
I mean, sure, Mr Beast did it but that’s not the only way to use YouTube to make serious money…
I think the smartest strategy is to use YouTube as a traffic channel and credibility booster in your business.
In other words, leverage YouTube’s massive (and predictable) reach to build your brand awareness, your authority and your sales.
I started my channel back in 2019 as a way to build my authority as a freelance copywriter…
My goal was to use YouTube to showcase my copywriting and marketing knowledge to find and land higher-paying clients and build my copywriting agency…
(at the time, I had JUST hired my first copywriter to support me in my freelance business).
Great idea, right?!
It wasn’t until I started getting regular viewers and subscribers asking me to teach them how I started copywriting that I actually pivoted the direction of my channel to teach freelance copywriters…
And it was only AFTER after that pivot that I launched the Copy Posse.
Now, I have come back full circle and I’m creating content to help copywriters, marketers, AND business owners master the world of digital marketing, branding and copywriting.
Today, I have hundreds of THOUSANDS of subscribers, but my YouTube growth was definitely not strategic or linear in the beginning.
I had to fumble my way around the platform, and get familiar with the YouTube audience before I really “got it”…
So this blog is going to help you get started on the right foot by breaking down the 10 biggest mistakes to avoid when starting a YouTube Channel…
And what to do instead.
If you want more marketing tutorials to start and grow your business, like this one, then make sure you join my newsletter to catch my next one.
Now, let’s get started counting down the 10 biggest YouTube mistakes…
Here’s where NOT to do, starting with…
Mistake #10: Starting Too Broad
Oooooof. This is a big mistake that a lot of new YouTubers make…
They don’t want to pick a specific niche or topic because they have “multiple interests, skills or services” and don’t want to “box themselves in”.
Look. I hear you. I get it. Now STOP IT.
Welcome to the world of entrepreneurship. We all have multiple interests and squirrels we want to chase…
But LISTEN TO ME… when you’re a brand new YouTuber with no subscribers yet it is in your best interest to start niche and solve a SPECIFIC challenge for your viewers.
Remember, YouTube is a Search Engine. Period. People search YouTube when they are looking for an answer for something SPECIFIC.
So let’s say you’re a musician and you’re starting your channel…
If you create one video about how to play the guitar as a beginner…
And then your next video is some random video of you playing the piano…
And your next is about your favorite old record player…
And your next is about how to play an expert-level song…
Your channel is going to struggle to gain traction as fast as it could because YouTube has no freakin’ idea what your channel is about and what problem it solves…
Which means they aren’t going to show your content to potential subscribers.
Which means potential subscribers won’t find you.
If, on the other hand: your first video is about a specific topic… like “learning the guitar for beginners”
And so is your second…
And your third…
And your fourth…
And you get the picture – YouTube will very quickly learn who you are and what you’re about and show your videos to the right people…
WHO will be way more likely to subscribe. Because guess what? People subscribe to learn MORE of the same. If your channel is a hodge podge of random stuff, people are less likely to say “I want more of this”!
Now… the good news is…
YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO THIS FOREVER.
You can eventually broaden your niche and talk about other RELATED things.
When I first started my channel all I talked about was copywriting and how to start copywriting…
Now, years later, I talk about branding, marketing, social media, YouTube and other topics my subscribers might be interested in now.
My content evolved as my subscribers evolved…
But you better believe I still go back to the basics for new subscribers who just found me and want to learn more.
So, when getting started, get crystal clear on what your channel will be about…
What is THE MAIN CHALLENGE you want to solve and for WHO?
Post videos about that – and only that – for the first few months or until you start to gain some momentum…
First go deep, then go broad.
Mistake #9: Copying Someone Else
Okay this one isn’t exactly black and white…
I do think that looking at other channels for inspiration is great…
Because it gives you a good place to research what topics your potential audience would be interested in and see what’s working…
But THE BIG MISTAKE is when you try to blatantly copy what someone else is doing or awkwardly mimic their personality or style.
People watch a YouTube video to be entertained, inspired or educated on a problem they need solved…
But people STAY and SUBSCRIBE to channels because they jive with the person IN the videos.
Content is content and a lot of it is the same at first glance, I get that…
But your subscribers aren’t searching YouTube for more of the same. If they are still searching it means they haven’t found exactly what they want yet…
Which means, they want something DIFFERENT. A new voice, a different approach, a fresh perspective.
When I started my YouTube channel there were tons of other channels teaching copywriting on YouTube…
On the surface – my topics and titles probably looked pretty damn similar to others out there…
But my VIBE was completely different.
I’m loud and high energy. I like to have fun and use gifs and I talk with my hands. LOL.
I’m EXPRESSIVE. What I’m Italian, deal with it.
Some people don’t like it and I get a few troll comments every now and then – sure.
But it’s cool because I don’t like you either and you can SUCK IT because I was just voted as the most popular copywriter of 2023 by Copywriting.org…
Haha and that proves that while you won’t CAN’T be for everyone.
When you’re YOURSELF, you attract the right people…
And THAT is how I built the Posse.
Many of my subscribers who later become students tell me they feel like they knew me after watching my videos…
And that’s because I’m ME. Now – that doesn’t mean I wasn’t AWKWARD AF in the beginning. Just go back and watch my first video… but as I got more confident in front of the camera, I was able to really BE ME.
I don’t play down my personality or try to mimic someone else.
And that will be YOUR secret weapon too.
So be you – weird, quirky, funny, charismatic, nerdy, LOUD, quiet. Whatever!
Alright…
Mistake #8: Not Starting Because “Someone Else is Already Doing It”
This ties into the last mistake…
But this time, instead of copying another channel – the mistake here is seeing that other channels already exist on your topic…
And using that as an excuse to NOT start because you think it’s “oversaturated” or that you’ll “never get noticed” or “I can’t do it better than so and so”…
Or, you start a channel on a topic you aren’t really that interested in JUST to be “different”…
Which means you’ll lose motivation pretty quickly and give up before it has the time it needs to take off.
I can’t even count the number of people I know who have made this mistake.
But listen, if there are successful channels in your niche, GREAT! Because they are proof that what you want to do is possible…
And there is a market hungry for that education!!
But LISTEN.
No matter what, growing a channel on YouTube is not an overnight thing.
It could take you months before you start to see any real traction.
I was posting a video every single week for SIX MONTHS before I hit 1000 subscribers. I don’t say that to scare you.
I say it because the Channel you start is very important.
It HAS to be something you genuinely love and enjoy talking about…
You have to be okay with “talking to an empty room” for awhile…
Hello?
Otherwise, when you are 3 months, 6 months, 9 months in and not seeing HUGE results – you’ll quit.
So please don’t sidestep the channel you ACTUALLY WANT to create just because you see other channels already doing it.
Remember…
Being YOU is your superpower.
Mistake #7: Not Planning Content In Advance
Listen…
INCONSISTENCY IS NOT YOUR FRIEND in social land.
Remember, you want YouTube to know what your channel is about so they know who to show your stuff to…
Well, you also want YouTube to know that you are a SERIOUS content creator.
Not just another person who started a channel on a whim and then neglected it.
In the beginning days of your channel, it is very important to post consistently.
Whether it’s every day, every week, or every month – the frequency is up to you but stick with it.
Because it teaches YouTube that you’re legit.
Now, what does inconsistency have to do with not planning out your content in advance?
SIMPLE.
There is going to come a time when you will hit a creative roadblock…
Or you won’t “feel inspired”…
Or the LAST thing you’ll want to do is record a YouTube video…
And when that happens, if you haven’t preemptively mapped out your content in advance…
It will make pushing through that obstacle WAYYYYY harder…
And so you won’t end up posting a video.
Then one week leads to two, which leads to three, and on and on.
So you can become very inconsistent very quickly if you aren’t actively mapping out your content ahead of time.
I like to plan out all my content at least 4-8 weeks in advance – at a minimum.
I’ll sit down, do my research, and map out a whole list of video topics, keywords, and hooks for each video…
This doesn’t mean that I don’t occasionally switch up my plan. Or throw in a video that’s highly relevant from time to time to capitalize on emerging trends and keywords…
But the plan isn’t meant to be rigid.
It’s meant to give you structure – something to fall back on.
So when it comes time to record a new video, you’re not relying on “creative inspiration” to magically strike.
This isn’t just important for the YouTube algorithm. It’s also important for your subscribers.
If you want them to be loyal, you have to be loyal to them.
So decide how often you want to post videos…
Then start mapping out your content.
I have an entire blog where I give a lot more information on how you can start to map out your YoutTube Content.
Mistake #6: Ignoring SEO
Now, I’ll admit, as a conversion copywriter, the word SEO would make me breakout in hives because it was just not something I knew (or cared) anything about…
Until I started my YouTube Channel. Now, SEO is my best friend.
Remember, YouTube isn’t just another social media algorithm. It’s a SEARCH ENGINE.
And it’s the second largest search engine in the world – right behind Google.
And remember…
When you’re first starting your channel – with no audience and no subscribers…
The best way for people to find you is by utilizing that search function.
This means you need to research and really understand what your ideal audience is searching for.
What are the keywords they use and when? What are the variations they might use? There are tons of tools available to help you with this research phase…
And the list goes on and on…
Find a tool you like and then USE IT RELIGIOUSLY for every single video you create.
Yes, every single video.
Especially in the beginning, you should optimize your video titles, descriptions, and tags with relevant keywords.
This will help your chances of having a video that ranks higher when someone searches one of your keywords on YouTube.
And no, this doesn’t mean you “keyword stuff” or use irrelevant keywords because it’ll help you get ranked…
That’s a quick way to alert the YouTube police and lose reach.
BUT, look, I KNOW SEO-rich titles and topics can be SUPER boring. So the good news is, you don’t need to do this forever.
Once you have a subscriber base, you can start playing around with your hooks and use catchier headlines to pique the curiosity of your subscribers, which will help boost your video CTR…
And this will then help you show up more frequently on the browse page and suggested videos.
BUT you still want to make sure you’re keeping SEO in mind with your keywords, descriptions and tags.
Mistake #5: Underestimating Your Thumbnails
This is a huge mistake, HUGE!
Your video might get ranked on the first page of a YouTube search…
But what’s going to make a person want to click on YOUR video as opposed to the other 10 or 15 in front of them?
Yes, your title is important…
Yes, but it’s really your THUMBNAIL that is going to capture someone’s attention and make you stand out.
Mr. Beast, the highest-paid YouTuber on the PLANET, talks about the importance of thumbnails all of the time…
This is why I A/B test all of my thumbnails.
It’s actually kind of wild to me how much a SUBTLE difference can affect the performance of your video.
I mean these thumbnails are identical but the words “make more $$$” outperformed “raise your rates” by 25%.
Creating a good thumbnail is a bit of a learning curve, but anyone with Canva can do it.
And it’s not just what the THUMBNAIL TEXT says that’s important…
Here are some tips to keep in mind based on my testing…
Faces Do Well
- The larger the better and the MORE the better. So if you’re interviewing someone or referencing someone, put their face on the thumbnail too.
- This is mostly for personality channels. If you have a cooking channel then showing a picture of a delicious meal instead of your face is probably better. But test it!
Use Less Text
- Most people are on YouTube on their mobile devices… so a whole bunch of text crammed into an itty bitty thumbnail is not going to look great.
- Less text means BIGGER words, which means HIGHER readability and great CTR.
A Great Hook
- Whether the hook is through imagery – like Mr.Beast is famous for…
- Or through words, like how I do it…
- Having a strong hook that captures attention is KEY.
Mistake #4: Neglecting Your Viewer Experience
People come to YouTube to be inspired, entertained and/or educated.
This is a video platform.
People expect videos to be of a certain quality.
And if you have a shaky camera, terrible echo, and the lighting is bad…
Then people aren’t going to watch your video.
They just won’t.
They will choose someone else with better quality video.
And the trolls, OH THE TROLLS will come out. Heaven forbid you add in a sound effect someone doesn’t like.
I’m not saying you need to drop thousands of dollars in professional equipment…
You don’t even need to buy a real camera in the beginning if it’s not in your budget…
But get a solid tripod, a mic, and a nice bright light – or face a window.
You’ll be surprised how professional the video quality is and you need to spend next to nothing to get started.
I have a free YouTube Equipment guide with links to all of my favorite YouTube equipment – along with my tips & tricks for getting the best quality videos.
You can download your copy in the description box below.
But the viewer experience doesn’t stop with video quality…
Learn some basic editing techniques – or hire a professional if you can afford it.
Pay attention to things like transitions and cuts…
Edit out any unnecessary gaps or pauses…
And even adding some visual & sound elements where appropriate – makes a huge difference in how long a person will watch your video.
AND whether they’ll keep coming back to watch more…
You’ll notice in my videos SOMETHING changes every few seconds – whether it’s a jump cut, a graphic, GIF or sound effect.
Mistake #3: Not Promoting Your Videos
If you publish a new video to YouTube and then think your job is done… think again!
You need to promote your channel and every single new video you post.
When you first start your channel, you’re not going to get very many views – you just won’t.
Especially if you are truly starting from scratch – with no current brand or audience.
Like we’ve talked about a lot in this blog, it’s going to take some time for people to find you through the search function AND for YouTube to trust you enough to push your content to a wider audience…
So that means you need to put in some work to get your videos some attention.
The easiest way to do this is to promote your channel!
And no, I’m not talking about running ads – though if you have the budget for it, more power to you…
I’m talking about just organically sharing with your community – whatever community you do have – that you just posted a new video.
This means if you have an email list – send an email to them. If you don’t have an email list… START ONE NOW.
If you have Instagram, make a post there and post it to your stories.
If you have Facebook, post about it there…
LinkedIn, TikTok, X.
ANYWHERE you are active online, you should be promoting your new channel.
When I started my channel I had ZERO email list, NO brand and NO audience. But I had friends on Facebook and Instagram and you better believe I promoted my videos there and asked them to share.
I know it can feel awkward at first, but you’ll be surprised how many people are happy to show you their support.
Oh and make sure you promote your video AS SOON as you post it.
The more views you get in the first 10 mins can really impact the algorithm and show YouTube that people are watching this new video – and makes it more likely that your channel will grow quicker.
Mistake #2: You Post & Ghost
Again, if you think growing a successful YouTube Channel ends with posting great videos then think again!
Yes, YouTube is a search engine…
But it’s also a social media platform!
People might primarily go to YouTube for content…
But they CRAVE connection.
If you aren’t engaging with your viewers – by replying to, or liking, comments at a MINIMUM…
Then you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to build a really loyal fan base of viewers.
Remember – your viewers have hundreds of thousands of options for where they could be spending their time and attention…
Taking the time to reply to a comment shows them that you CARE about them.
It makes them feel good.
It makes them like you.
And it makes them want to KEEP COMING BACK.
It’s honestly such a small thing that takes no time at all – especially in the beginning – and it can go a LONG WAY for making your channel stick out and making it a place that people like to be.
And now, for the #1 reason why YouTubers give up…
Mistake #1: Focusing Only On Numbers
UGH. Yes, I know. You’re starting a channel because you want people to watch your videos.
And it’s frustrating when you don’t get the views, subscribers or growth that you want…
YES – paying attention to analytics is important… because it can tell you a lot about what type of content performs well and what doesn’t…
But focusing on the number alone is a huge mistake.
And it’s one that can really destroy your mojo if you’re not careful.
Don’t let the numbers rule you.
And don’t measure your success by metrics alone.
Do you want to know the REAL secret to be successful on YouTube?
Enjoy the process, regardless of the results.
That’s it.
Fall in love with the process.
Learn as you go…
Stay consistent, regardless of views…
And I can almost promise you that your Channel will find its groove.
It might not happen on the exact timeline you want.
But it will happen.
If you want some real inspiration to stick with it, Mr. Beast uploaded his first YouTube in 2012, and his channel didn’t have its breakthrough until 2017.
THAT’S FIVE YEARS.
Imagine if he was just in it for the money or fame… he never would have lasted 5 years.
But he was on YouTube because he loved it.
So he kept showing up, trying harder, and experimenting – even when no one was watching.
And now he’s the highest-paid YouTuber in the world.
If you learned anything from this, I hope it’s that.
Don’t forget to grab your free copy of my YouTube Equipment & Studio Guide now.
Until next time, I’m Alex. Ciao for now!
