%% date:: [[2022-08-14]] %% # [[YouTuber stages of growth]] Here are the different stages of growth when [[Producing videos]] specifically for [[YouTube]]. ## Getting consistent When you're just starting, focus on *just getting one video out a week*. Don't worry about anything else. [^ptya] The reality is that your first ~50 videos aren't going to be very good. You need to get better, and the only way you're going to be able to do that is by doing it for a while without expecting results. In this stage you should: - Work on your craft. Get better at editing videos. - Pay attention to feedback you get and improve based on them. - Find your niche (by trying out different ones in your videos). - Start on [[Personal branding]]. At minimum, have a website. - Set up systems that allow you to create a video a week. This could include finding a way to schedule video creation, but also extends to repeatable processes for video production, including [[Batching]]. ## Getting good You're in this stage when you have no problem making a video a week. If you're here, you would probably have processes in place to get videos done... or you're really good at finding the flexibility in your schedule to create consistently. You know how to edit videos, and you are beginning to get an intuition for what will work and what won't. In this stage you should: - Consider hiring a video editor so you can focus even more on the content rather than how to present it. [[Ali Abdaal]] even recommends you do this earlier - as soon as you can afford it. [^ptya] - Get serious about [[Monetization|getting monetized]], if you're not already. Consider building up other forms of monetization and focusing on one or two. - Pick and choose platforms other than YouTube that you would like to leverage, and come up with a strategy for how to engage in those networks. [^davella] - Improve your [[Personal branding]]. Create a cohesive look for your social platforms or hire someone to do it. - Seek out collaborations with others that you respect. Grow together. - Start looking at your metrics and doubling down on what works. ## Expanding At this stage, YouTube is well and truly a business for you, and a lucrative one. You're probably making a living off of your YouTube income. You already have several consistent income streams, but you are still a one- or two-person team. When you're here, you should: - Hire more people strategically to resolve bottlecks you notice in the process. [^davella] - Assistant: find collaborators and podcast guests, plan and organize shoots. - Accountant: taxes and bookkeeping. - Video editor: editing and repurposing - Manager: coordinate brand deals and negotiation (like [Spacestation](https://spacestationintegrations.com)) - Copywriter: write newsletters and social content - Researcher: build digital products - Think about [[Repurposing content]]. - Building up more [[Monetization|income sources]]. Consider digital and/or physical products. - Consider expanding your content buckets outside your niche. - Hire a manager to more aggressively negotiate brand deals. ## You can stop at any time! Don't get caught up in an endless growth strategy. Ask yourself: *How much is enough?* [^davella] [^davella]: D'Avella, M. (2020). *Master YouTube*. Retrieved from https://slowgrowth.com [^ptya]: Abdaal, A. (2021). _Part-time YouTuber academy_. [[Part-time YouTuber Academy|My notes on this course]].