How to Grow a YouTube Channel From Nothing in 2024

Ali Abdaal・2 minutes read

Successful YouTuber Izzy Cely grew her channel with minimal effort, sharing advice for new creators on personal development and language learning. Overcoming initial fears and imposter syndrome, Izzy's journey highlights the importance of enjoying the creative process and providing value to the audience.

Insights

  • Izzy Cely achieved rapid YouTube success by focusing on personal development, language learning, and health topics, showcasing that niche content can attract a dedicated audience, leading to substantial growth.
  • Transitioning from hobby to business on YouTube involves overcoming emotional hurdles, imposter syndrome, and metric obsession, emphasizing the importance of enjoying the creative process, serving the audience authentically, and maintaining a mindset focused on value delivery rather than mere numbers.

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Recent questions

  • How did Izzy Cely grow her YouTube channel?

    Izzy Cely grew her YouTube channel to over 500,000 subscribers with minimal videos and effort. She focused on personal development, language learning, and health topics. Starting as an experiment, her life changed drastically in two years with a large subscriber base. Izzy's success stemmed from providing value to others and treating her channel like a business, experimenting with different content types, and leveraging her personal expertise in Mandarin learning.

  • What advice did Izzy Cely give to new YouTubers?

    Izzy Cely advised new YouTubers to overcome fears like impostor syndrome and struggles despite success. She emphasized reframing thoughts, realizing the lack of initial viewership, and enjoying the video-making process for sustained consistency. Joining the Part-Time YouTuber Academy can provide clarity amidst conflicting advice, and starting a Business Journal can help challenge limiting beliefs around money and imposter syndrome.

  • How did Izzy Cely monetize her YouTube channel?

    Izzy Cely monetized her YouTube channel through AdSense revenue that surpassed her doctor's salary. She treated her channel like a long-term investment rather than a hobby, investing in tutoring to fund video editing services. By focusing on providing value to her audience, experimenting with different content types, and outsourcing editing early on, Izzy achieved unexpected success on YouTube.

  • What strategies did Izzy Cely use to overcome fear of starting her channel?

    To overcome the fear of starting her YouTube channel, Izzy Cely reframed her thoughts and realized the lack of initial viewership. She joined the Part-Time YouTuber Academy to gain traction within the community, and imagined speaking to one person, like a younger sister, to feel more relaxed and authentic on camera. Creating a Target Avatar, like "Bella," helped her speak directly and share personal experiences effectively.

  • How did Izzy Cely approach handling positive and negative comments on YouTube?

    Izzy Cely trained herself to handle both positive and negative comments on YouTube with equanimity and appreciation. She emphasized the importance of enjoying the video-making process for sustained consistency and staying connected to the purpose and audience through affirmations before filming videos. By focusing on serving the audience and sharing valuable content, rather than getting caught up in views and metrics, Izzy maintained a fulfilling YouTube journey.

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Summary

00:00

Izzy Cely: YouTube Success Story

  • Izzy Cely, a successful YouTuber with over 500,000 subscribers, grew her channel with minimal videos and effort.
  • The interview with Izzy covered advice for new YouTubers, addressing fears like impostor syndrome and struggles despite success.
  • Izzy's channel focuses on personal development, language learning, and health topics.
  • Starting her YouTube channel as an experiment, Izzy's life changed drastically with 500,000 subscribers in two years.
  • AdSense revenue from her channel surpassed her doctor's salary, prompting her to consider YouTube as a full-time income source.
  • Overcoming fear of starting her channel involved reframing thoughts and realizing the lack of initial viewership.
  • Joining the Part-Time YouTuber Academy, Izzy's videos initially gained traction within the Academy community.
  • A Mandarin learning video became a hit due to its searchability, unique topic, and Izzy's personal expertise.
  • Success on YouTube often hinges on personal expertise or extensive research, as seen in Izzy's Mandarin video.
  • Experimenting with different content types and treating a YouTube channel like a business can lead to unexpected success.

12:32

"Monetizing YouTube: Outsourcing, Consistency, and Growth"

  • Early focus on providing value to others and monetizing that value on YouTube
  • Initial struggle to balance personal involvement in video editing with outsourcing
  • Decision to outsource editing early on to save time and increase efficiency
  • Investment in tutoring to fund video editing services
  • Approach to YouTube as a long-term investment rather than a mere hobby
  • Varied perspectives on consistency and motivation between different YouTubers
  • Importance of enjoying the video-making process for sustained consistency
  • Shift from output-focused scheduling to input-focused dedication for video creation
  • Overcoming emotional hurdles and fear of judgment in maintaining consistency
  • Training oneself to handle both positive and negative comments on YouTube with equanimity and appreciation

26:03

"Overcoming camera tension and imposter syndrome"

  • Many struggle with feeling tense in front of the camera, trying to negotiate the sense of performing and presenting.
  • Imagining speaking to one person, like a younger sister or someone similar, helps in feeling more relaxed and authentic on camera.
  • Creating a Target Avatar, like "Bella," who represents the audience, aids in speaking directly and sharing personal experiences effectively.
  • Overcoming imposter syndrome is crucial in transitioning to seeing oneself as a YouTuber or business owner.
  • Joining the Part-Time YouTuber Academy can provide a roadmap and clarity amidst conflicting advice for beginners in the YouTube journey.
  • Starting a Business Journal to address limiting beliefs around money and imposter syndrome can help in challenging and soothing these beliefs over time.
  • Getting into a positive state, like through Tony Robbins' techniques, can help in feeling capable and open to taking action for the business.
  • Affirmations before filming videos, focusing on sharing a valuable message authentically, can help in staying connected to the purpose and audience.
  • Struggling with metrics and the obsession over numbers as a YouTuber is a common challenge, even for successful creators.
  • Maintaining a focus on serving the audience and sharing valuable content, rather than getting caught up in views and metrics, is essential for a fulfilling YouTube journey.

38:29

"Balancing Creativity and Metrics on YouTube"

  • YouTube Studio dashboard shows performance with up or down arrows; gray arrows indicate poor performance, affecting creators' mindset.
  • Metrics-focused mindset on YouTube Studio can detract from video creation purpose and connection, leading to unhealthy fixation on views and sponsor satisfaction.
  • Creative process involves defining the video's purpose and audience before metrics, emphasizing joy and connection to content over numerical success.
  • Recommendations include focusing on creative joy, using metrics for specific analytics like clickthrough rates, and exploring a book on finding joy in productivity by Ali.
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