how to blow up your youtube channel in 2025

over the last year countless YouTube channels have exploded and growth creators went from barely a few thousand subscribers to hundreds of thousands seemingly overnight but what makes this even more interesting is that it all happened during a time where YouTube was supposed to be more competitive than ever so I did some digging and after closely analyzing dozens of these breakout creators I discovered something whether they realized it or not each of these creators followed a new system for growing on YouTube a three-part formula that was hiding in plain sight and it all starts with part

one establishing a sticky channel strategy you see most of us know that in order for a video to get recommended on YouTube people need to click on it and watch it so naturally we focus on making videos we think people will click on and watch we'll come up with an idea we think might have potential spend countless hours scripting and filming and editing your videos to Perfection agonize over creating the right title and thumbnail and then press publish but while we may think that we're doing everything right we're actually neglecting the single biggest driver of

YouTube growth momentum let me show you what I mean this is breakout Creator tus H over the last year T generated over 10 million views and scaled his channel to over 130,000 subscribers but that wasn't the case only 11 months prior he was clearly putting in the work his videos had clear titles intriguing thumbnails and comment sections full of viewers appreciating his storytelling and production quality but despite all that effort his channel wasn't growing consistently he had a few one-off hits but the views didn't carry over to his other videos and if we take a

look at three of his videos from this time period we can discover why each of these videos on their own were quite solid checking all the boxes for what's supposed to work on YouTube but put together they completely divided his audience and the segmentation was holding his channel back back you see when someone clicks on and enjoys one of your videos they're far more likely to watch the next video you upload and when that video delivers they're even more likely to watch the one after that over time this creates a snowball effect with each new

upload getting pushed out to an increasingly larger and larger base of people at least that's how it's supposed to work because of the audience targeted by each video is inconsistent the views of one video get blocked from carrying over to others or worse can even hurt the performance of your other videos and that's what was happening to Tes looking at these three videos we can see a video targeting young people interested in self-improvement another for gaming enthusiasts and a third aimed at Young professionals now you might argue well surely those audiences overlap right young people

interested in self-improvement might also play Grand Theft Auto or care about early career challenges but that's the tricky thing about audience and that's the reason why general advice like just find your Niche isn't really all that helpful because realistically you could talk yourself into making nearly any connection so to clear things up follow the 80% rule ask yourself would 80% of the audience of my last video be interested in my next video applying this rule to tagis the problem becomes quite clear are 80% of young people interested in self-improvement also interested in Grand Theft Auto

and are 80% of Gamers going to care about a young guy cold emailing a bunch of CEOs probably not just because topics are adjacent doesn't mean they apply to the same core audience but the lack of a defined audience wasn't tas's only problem because serving a consistent audience only makes up one half of a strong channel strategy that promotes momentum the other half comes from delivering a consistent format your format is the container you use to present your content I dive deeper into form in another video of mine but the same topic presented through different

formats will result in wildly different videos each with its own unique viewing experience and if we take a deeper look at tas's videos we can see that there isn't just an audience inconsistency there's a format in consistency here we have a storytime Vlog investigative explainer in a relatable Challenge and while each of these videos on their own were quite well made put together they created an inconsist consistent viewer experience without a predictable title and format viewers didn't know what to expect and when they don't know what to expect they're less likely to stick around long

enough to generate Channel momentum so T just made some changes instead of bouncing between different audiences and formats he focused on a strong well-defined channel strategy making investigative documentaries for young adults interested in Modern Life and culture this change allowed for momentum once a viewer enjoyed one video they were more likely to watch the next because they knew what to expect and the content consistently delivered on that same promise and the results speak for themselves consistent six figer views that give creators with 10 times the subscriber count or run for their money so before you

make your next video ask yourself is your channel set up in a way that supports momentum or is each upload hindering the growth of the next to ensure that your next killer video has enough power to carry over enough views to blow up your channel you must have the proper foundational channel strategy in place first but a strong channel strategy alone can only get you so far because in order to build the momentum that drove their explosive growth last year's breakout creators needed that initial big hit to set the ball rolling in the first place

which brings us to part two in their formula to blow up on YouTube designing your video recipe in today's YouTube landscape it's harder than ever before to make a video that stands out because it's not enough to just make good videos anymore with AI lowering the barrier to entry and Mak easier than ever to create truly quality content good is the new Baseline and with hundreds of creators targeting your same target audience anything that isn't remarkable gets ignored which is where your video recipe comes in a video recipe is a unique combination of ingredients that

makes your videos feel fresh and memorable it's a core set of elements that not only defines your style but helps you stand out in the first place and the key to designing a great video recipe is differentiation providing something remarkable in at least two out of three core areas personality production or editing quality or content value starting with personality you don't need to be the most charismatic person alive in order to be differentiated through personality rather the hard you lean in to your authentic self the more you stand out from those who don't share your

unique personality traits consider what elements of your personality aren't often shared by others who Target your same channel strategy maybe it's your dry humor your analytical mindset your relatability your thoughtfulness or any other of the Myriad personality traits out there however that shapes up for you leaning into to what makes you you makes your content harder to replicate it makes it easier to build a loyal base take Martina From Nerd Forge for example her quirky chaotic energy makes her videos feel fun and playful drawing viewers back for more than just her DIY projects compare that

to Lana Blakeley who creates a soothing and thoughtful atmosphere with her deeply calm reflective approach differentiating through personality isn't about forcing yourself to give off typical YouTuber energy it's about identifying the traits that make you different embracing them fully and leaning into them consistently across your videos the second way to differentiate yourself is through your production or editing quality using cinematography Motion Graphics sound design or pacing in a way that uniquely shapes the viewer experience and differentiation through production or editing quality doesn't necessarily mean High budget production sure big budget creators like Mr Beast are

known for their showstopping visuals but there are plenty of other creators out there who've stood out by going in the opposite direction deliberately leaning in to Raw minimalistic production to create a more personal downto Earth viewer experience the goal isn't to have the best production value on the platform it's to create a style that's memorable and aligned with a feeling you want to evoke when a viewer watches your videos and finally you can differentiate yourself through content value offering something that's more insightful more in depth or more novel than what's already out there take Cleo

Abram for example her videos stand out because of her ability to not only conduct deep levels of research but also make complex topics and answers accessible to all compare that content value with that of Michelle Kare who differentiates by leaning into emotional storytelling taking viewers on high stakes real life adventures with compelling personal narrative at the core but whether it's through well- researched insites thoughtful storytelling or simply a unique point of view differentiation through content value is all about offering something that makes people think laugh or see the world differently pick at least two out

of three of those ways to differentiate yourself and you'll end up with a video recipe that makes your videos feel like a breath of fresh air to those who watch them take mcari espe for instance a breakout Creator who carved out a unique Lane in the self-improvement space mari's channel strategy isn't anything inherently unique she targets self-improvement Seekers through action-driven 30-day challenges but what's sets her apart what initialize her Channel blow up is her video recipe her personality is uniquely down to earth funny and relatable she leaves in awkward moments and adds humor which makes

her content feel authentic and refreshing she also differentiates herself through her editing style it's raw and imperfect in a way that feels intentional it doesn't have the overly polished Vibe of many other self-improvement creators which makes it stand out and that's the key even though her audience in format aren't new M's unique combination of personality and editing style makes her content feel different and that difference has helped her build a loyal fan base but here's the catch if your video recipe is too easy to copy others will copy it that's why great creators build video

recipes that include something called an entry barrier something that makes their content harder for others to replicate and this entry barrier can take a few different forms access to something others don't have whether that's a specific place a resource or life experience skill in a particular area whether it's Proficiency in something related to the video making process or expertise in a specific topic or personality which is inherently unique to you the more you lean into to your authentic self the harder it is for others to copy you for example one of mcc's Entry barriers is

the relationship she shares with her parents she incorporates them as recurring characters in her videos adding a wholesome real life element that makes viewers connect with their family as if they were their own the result is a unique viewing experience that feels personal and hard to replicate it's something only she can offer and if you're thinking well I don't have any special entry barriers think again everyone has something unique they can lean into whether it's a skill a life experience or just your unfiltered personality you already have ingredients that no one else can copy so

as as you design your video recipe ask yourself What Makes You Different what's something only you can offer and how can you create a viewing experience that feels unmistakably yours your goal is to create a set of core ingredients elements that show up in every video you make because when your recipe is consistent your content becomes sticky viewers will know exactly what they're getting and they'll come back not just for the video topic but for the experience that only you can offer and when you achieve that you stop competing with other videos you create a

supply of one with your unique video recipe locked in you're ready to create differentiated videos within your channel strategy that feel like a breath of fresh air and now we have two parts of the formula for blowing up on Youtube channel strategy and video recipe but unfortunately neither one of those matter if you don't have the third part of the formula your click system because if no one clicks on your video in the first place no one will ever watch it and all that effort put into your unique video recipe and channel strategy will go

to waste so to ensure their videos got seen last year's breakout creators developed a repeatable system for getting clicks they realize that as long as they ensure that at least one click element the idea the title or the thumbnail had proof of Prior success their videos were de-risked because if you try something completely completely untested there is a high likelihood that it won't perform well but if you ground your video in a click element that is already worked well before you dramatically increase its chances of success which brings us to the simple three-part system for

getting repeatable clicks find what works identify why it works and apply it to your video in a way that doesn't interfere with your Unique Style the first step all comes down to the ability to recognize something called outliers outliers are those rare videos that blow up and far perform most of the other videos on a channel and outliers are absolute gold Minds because they reveal what resonates most with viewers so how do we find these outliers one way is to simply spend more time on YouTube both within your Niche and outside of it spend 1

hour a day actively studying YouTube look at channels pay attention to videos that get significantly more views than the channels average and screenshot and store those EX examples over time you'll build up a swipe file of ideas title structures and thumbnail Concepts you can use as the validated anchor for your own content this approach works but it can take a lot of time which is why instead many of the top YouTubers use a tool specifically designed to find outliers for you called spotter Studio I've been using spotter studio for many months now it's my absolute

pleasure to introduce them as the sponsor of this video here's how it works spot Studio makes it easy to track outliers both within your Niche and outside of it allowing you to quickly identify outliers without spending hours manually searching all you have to do is click this tab over here you can search for the topic of your video directly in the search bar and spotter studio will immediately give you outliers for that topic but the real power comes from this button right here because spotter Studio links directly to your channel it can instantly give you

high signal action outliers that are directly relevant to you your target audience and the content you make from there you can get as granular as you want with the filters for chrysty glance I like to set the outlier index at a minimum of three with the video views at a minimum of 100,000 views but if you want to find outliers from specifically upand cominging creators put a cap on the subscriber count and if you want to find specifically recent outliers set the upload date a year back if you find an outlier that inspires you SPID

student Studio not only makes it incredibly easy to save them to be viewed all in one place effectively building your inspiration bank for you but also allows you to immediately start brainstorming videos based off of the outliers you find spotter Studio has seriously saved me so much time and it's an incredibly powerful tool for anything pre-production related Beyond outliers as well I'm talking idea generation title structures the best AI generated thumbnail inspiration I have ever seen and so much more the team is Con constantly adding new features to give creators all the tools they need

to plan killer content and if you want to check it out which I highly recommend that you do you can use my link in the video description to try it out for 60 days free thank you so so much to spotter studio for sponsoring this video but it's not enough to just find outliers the second step is identifying why those outliers worked and to do that you need to break it down was it the idea that stood out by presenting a unique concept that grabbed attention was it the title that stood out by opening a

strong curiosity Gap the viewers couldn't resist or was it the thumbnail that stood out visually in a way that made people stop scrolling and click the goal is to pinpoint what exact click element made that video so special so you can then take that element and apply it to your own style which brings us to the third step in the three-part system for getting repeatable clicks applying what works without losing your originality and this is where a lot of creators mess up they see a viral video instead of just taking inspiration from the part that

matters they copy the whole thing the idea the title the thumbnail everything and they hope for the same result but this rarely works because cloning content makes you forgettable you blend in instead of standing out the trick is to only take one click element the idea the title structure or the thumbnail concept and adapt it to fit your own video recipe a great example of this is breakout Creator DEA who brought in over 3 million views and scaled to over 100,000 subscribers last year by injecting a friendly cozy best friend who's been there and consistently

delivers high value gold nuggets video recipe within the notoriously competitive business Niche and I want to direct you to this video which brought in over 100,000 views was a huge outlier of her Channel at the time if you watch the video it feels like classic DEA but what might surprise you was that the thumbnail concept wasn't entirely original it was inspired by this video from Ali abdall but DEA didn't just copy alli's video she came across the outlier and she identified its strong thumbnail concept with that proven thumbnail concept as the validated anchor for her

click system she adapted the idea and title to fit her style and audience she changed the scope tweaked the title Framing and added her own personality and aesthetic editing making it feel fresh and unique to her viewers that's how you benefit from what's proven to work while still making it your own instead of just blindly following someone else's recipe think like a chef who understands flavors and experiments with ingredients ask yourself why was this satisfying to watch what emotional reaction did this trigger in me and how could I recreate that in my own way which

element should I keep and what can I change to make this uniquely Mine by focusing on these questions you ensure that you're keeping the essence of what makes that inspiration video great whilst also adding your own twist and over time as you repeat this process you'll naturally develop your own click system you'll get better at generating ideas that are grounded and proven patterns crafting titles that spark curiosity and creating thumbnails that stand out while staying true to your brand and that's how you create content that not only has a high likelihood of success but that

also feels unmistakably yours when you combine a solid click system with your unique video recipe and a well-defined channel strategy you've got everything you need to not just grow but blow up your channel in a way that's scalable sustainable and built to last but here's the real secret while it might feel like all these breakout creators blew up overnight they absolutely didn't Tes has been making videos for over 4 years de has been at it for three and Mari she sted creating content on an entirely different Channel when she was just 13 it takes time

and it's not a race there's still plenty of time to blow up your channel the best thing you can do is keep learning you're going to post a lot of videos that don't take off and that's okay every video is a lesson every flop helps you refine your recipe your process and your approach the creators who blew up didn't get it right on their first try but they kept going they kept posting and they learned from every failure and they improved from every small success they kept building until they found their loyal audience so keep

going keep creating and who knows maybe one year from now I'll be breaking down your channel and as you refine your video recipe if you're considering differentiating yourself through your editing style I would highly recommend checking out this video where it break down exactly how to edit a killer video to blow up your channel otherwise thank you so much for watching like subscribe if you can keep creating and I'll see you in the next video