How Long Does it Take to Get From 0- 500 Subscribers on YouTube?

It actually took me just over 7 months.

With huge trepidation, I launched my Hey Spring Chicken channel on 27th March.

I was petrified and genuinely thought who in Gods Green earth is going to watch me. Will I just look like an idiot, what if no one watches it?

My first video was Q&A with me, I managed to achieve 20 views and 3 subscribers, they were all friends and family. Ha ha

I know by any standards 500 subscribers is low, and the likes/"Thumbs Up' on my videos are even lower, but I really do enjoy doing it so I thought I would blog my journey.

So why have I joined the YT Platform? I had been inspired by various YouTubers and watched hour upon hour of their journey. I loved the process and even more watching how they grew and continue to grow. I especially loved the Monthly analytic reports and what they were earning each month from Google Adsense and their other income streams on YT .

There were two in particular who had me dinging the bell and waiting each week for their uploads. "Catherine Manning" a young woman who has just grown and thrived over the last 18 months who had niched down with really helpful and useful information on starting your YouTube channel going from zero subscribers to 400,000 subscribers and she has blogged and filmed her YT journey. it didn't happen overnight, in fact, it took her 18 months to monetise. She is now absolutely storming the platform and is whom I aspire to.

In addition to Catherine is the wonderful Ali Abdaal, who was still a junior Doctor when I started watching him, he had me hooked from the beginning of each and every one of his videos, right up until the end. So incredibly relatable (and yet wasn't) he to me was such a brilliant man, his channel also gave many and various tips. (he now has 2m subscribers on YT and a staff of 16) Catherine on the other hand was genuinely relatable and every video was getting better and better

What Did I Do? I thought at one point I was going to monetise within 4 months, ( that equates to 1000 subscribers and 4000 hours watch time) Ali said the average monetise time is 52 videos and 18 months to 2 years filming. Yet here was I storming ahead. with just 16 videos.

Google and the youtube algorithm is a fickle beast, September the 6th the algorithm went mad and started recommending and suggesting two of my videos within everyone's home page 1 & for over 2 weeks this happened and the two videos achieved views of 10k and 4k respectively (my average watch is 120 views so imagine my pleasure at watching more than two thousand people per day watching them ) and between them they achieved 250 subscribers. in just under 3 weeks

Then the algorithm reverted to normal behaviour and I was back to one or two subscribers a day and losing one or two every 4 days. My views were (and are) averaging 202 in 48 hours.

I have learnt that spikes happen and are not real so don't trust the spikes

Here is what works for me and although growth is slow (really really slow) its never the less happening and yesterday Vid Q sent me my 500 Subscribers certificate. I am so ridiculously pleased with this email.

1. Content and narrow down, I noticed the product reviews get the most reach. Letting my personality shine through, I am not perfect, I am not Elizabeth Arden, so I have learnt to keep in the bloopers, (they seem to be liked)

2. I was told Thumbnails were important, actually, I have quickly learnt they are key, and we take some considerable time (now, and when we remember) to film the thumbnails.

3. Key Words, Tags and Titles. You have so much more freedom on YT than you do on your blog posts, whilst I am not sure about the Tags, I am super sure of the use of Key Words and titles. The jury is still out about SEO related keywords or most searched. "Think Media: and "Film Booth" say you can afford to be a little creative and don't follow the pack.

I use Tube Buddy for the title and tag suggestions. It is a chrome extension.

4. Follow your winning videos the ones that take off (watch like a hawk, notice the differences and analytics and then create more of the same. "Follow the Algorithm" when you see it spike, get off your bum and create more content just like it. It may not necessarily follow the path but for sure it won't hurt and may one day be another spike.

5. No matter how much you don't want to film today, be consistent. We upload once a week on Thursday and have only missed two upload days, which were out of my control. Once Google trusts you perhaps then you can afford to miss an upload. But until then don't miss an upload day, Once a week is better than an unreliable twice a week She watches and makes you pay.....

My next milestone will be 750 subs and of course following that will be1000 subscribers. But for now, just for today. 502 subscribers is something I am quite chuffed with and wanted to share with my WAmily because some of you regularly view my uploads.

So huge thank you and good luck on your YT journey. You can do it (if I can)

:)

Cordelia x