After four years of creating consistent content I managed to increase my YouTube subscribers by thousands overnight, and you can, too. I’ll show you how.
In May, my YouTube channel was sitting comfortably at 6,300 subscribers. That’s right, 6,300 subscribers. My goal at the time was to make it to 10,000 subscribers, but honestly, it was a slow crawl.
At the time, I was putting all of my effort and energy into creating videos about The Bahamas and Washington DC. Those two focuses were responsible for the majority of my views and subscribers.
I started getting bored with my content
If I’m being honest, I started getting bored creating content. I loved the recording and editing process, and I know that I gave my all to my videos, but I wasn’t in love with some of the content I was creating.
I knew that I was a valuable resource to many people who came across my channel seeking information about relocating to The Bahamas and DC, but once they got their information, they had no reason to return to my channel.
I also realised that after creating and publishing my content, I found myself sitting in front of my TV screen and watching other YouTube content creators whose work I admired, like Aba & Preach.
I would sit on my sofa and weigh in on their conversations, even though they couldn’t hear me.
It all changed when I decided to pivot
So, in April I made the tough decision to pivot. It was a scary thought, but one that I felt very compelled to act on. I knew that I wanted to create a commentary/reaction channel.
I found that those channels – if done properly – got terrific views and often got better feedback from the audience.
I love discussing social issues and hot button topics that people are typically afraid to tackle. I have a great deal of experience presenting on air due to my journalism background, and I enjoy researching topics. I also feel like I have a more measured approach to topics – something that I find is sorely missing in the YouTube landscape. So, that’s exactly what I did.
I took a big risk, and it paid off. Big time!
In May, I decided to talk about a controversial topic that most people are afraid of talking about – the LGBTQIA+ community.
Some YouTubers, afraid of getting canceled, try to avoid this topic altogether. Some who do, often go off the deep end and are very vitriolic in their pronouncements. But, I didn’t want to do that because it’s never helpful.
Instead, I opened up letting viewers know that I wanted to have an honest and civil conversation about why so many people are fed-up with the community.
The feedback was astounding. I was surprised at the amount of people who overwhelmingly thanked me for that video and supported my message.
The majority of the support came from people in the community. That video went viral, and at the time of writing this article, is sitting at more than 800,000 views. That is major considering that at the time I only had 6,300 subscribers.
Going viral sent my subscriber numbers skyrocketing
I never set out to go viral, because there’s really no way of predicting what will and won’t go viral. But, that video sent my subscriber count skyrocketing.
I remember publishing the video and it slowly started to climb. The first few hours were good – and by good, I meant I had maybe 300 views and a few added subscribers. I figured that video would perform just ok. So, I logged off my computer and didn’t look at the numbers.
The next day, a good friend of mine called me while I was at work to ask me if I had looked at my channel lately. I hadn’t.
While on the phone she said, “I think you need to go and look at your channel now.” Her tone was stern, so I thought she was going to tell me that folks online were dragging me for my video. But, when I logged in to my YouTube studio, my mouth dropped.
That video had several thousand views in a matter of hours and my subscriber count was well over 10,000. Did you hear me? I said IN A MATTER OF HOURS!
The response was insane.
With each passing hour, the numbers were jumping higher and higher. It was absolutely unbelievable.
The more people watched the video, the more YouTube recommended it and the more people found it. They shared the video like crazy.
I didn’t even have time to celebrate gaining 10,000 subscribers, a major milestone I had waited and prayed for, for so many years. Everything happened so fast.
My channel now sits at more than 35,000 subscribers and counting.
So, how do you increase your YouTube subscribers overnight?
So, I know what you’re going to say. Rogan, no one can guarantee that they will go viral, so how do I increase my YouTube subscribers overnight?
It’s simple. You have to create content that people want to watch.
When I was creating content on The Bahamas and Washington, DC, there was an audience for it, but it wasn’t the huge audience I have now.
Not everyone wants to know about visiting The Bahamas or Washington, DC. But, they do want to weigh in on a social issue that impacts them or their family.
You have to include topics that people are searching for and marry that with content they should be searching for.
I literally came up with the idea for my video, LGBTQIA+ I Want A Divorce because I was listening to some of my gay friends complain about the direction the community was going in and the fact that they didn’t feel connected to the community anymore.
That made me wonder who else had similar thoughts. I got my answer with the response to my video.
Do the things that make you happy and keep you interested
What sense does it make to create content that doesn’t get you excited?
Ever since I pivoted, I have been in love with my content. Every piece I create makes me happy and gets me excited to see the response from the audience.
Since my LGBTQIA+ I Want A Divorce video, I have had many great successes that have netted me hundreds of thousands of views as well as subscribers.
It took me four years to become an overnight success. I need you to understand that.
I was very disciplined in putting out weekly content. I only missed my deadline one time due to a horrible illness. But, I disciplined myself and ensured I was consistent. Now, that I have a larger audience, I know how to handle it because I had already developed the muscle to be consistent.
I wish you the absolute best and I know that if you develop the content people want to see, you can absolutely see overnight growth. You can’t be scared. Just do it.
XOXO,
This Bahamian Gyal
