Why you should start a YouTube channel (even if nobody watches)

I want to cover five reasons why starting a YouTube channel is actually a great idea even if nobody watches your videos you know there's a lot of emotions that I felt and that most creators feel when thinking about starting a YouTube channel what if nobody watches what if I don't have the right equipment yet have I missed the opportunity is it too late to start it's really not about perfection or being polished it's about authenticity especially this year and it's really not about fancy gear it's about adding valuable content and really just kind of putting yourself out there and so in this video I kind of want to talk about five stats you need to know as far as the status of YouTube right now what's the state of the union so let's dive [Music] in first why 2025 is the perfect time to start YouTube from a statistics perspective here's number one YouTube is evolving into the allinone platform for creators so if you're thinking about starting a YouTube Channel and we'll get to why even if nobody watches that's a great idea the cool thing about YouTube is it's like your One-Stop shop right now for all the different types of content YouTube started with long form videos what we think of as traditional videos but these days you can upload vertical videos now up to three minutes YouTube Shorts YouTube is now a major major podcasting platform this technically is a video podcast so as I record this there's the video version but it goes out on all the audio platforms as well and on YouTube YouTube music YouTube's Community tab continues to evolve which is the evolution of YouTube as a social network kind of like a Facebook feed the community tab is a major thing that's happening the CEO of YouTube actually put it like this we're building YouTube to be the most comprehensive platform where creators can build sustainable businesses across multiple revenue streams from short form to long form to live streaming and to podcasting and he also said creators are truly entrepreneurs we're helping them diversify ways to make money on YouTube and so the first big idea is again even if you never experienced massive growth the cool thing about investing in YouTube is you have so much flexibility for your future you might start with something simple like YouTube shorts but you could evolve into live streaming long form all these other types of content as you learn new skills and get comfortable with the platform number two the Creator economy is booming with more opportunities for monetization than ever before one of the things that might come down the road for you after starting is the idea that eventually I could earn money from this and if you look at what's happening right now Goldman Sachs research posted an article basically saying that the crater economy is going to double in the next two years between now and 2027 from about a $250 billion industry to a half a trillion dollar industry and so there's a wave of growth so if you're thinking about starting right now now is a great time and as far as the financial potential Yahoo finance said that the Creator economy is the fastest growing small business type and over two million creators are already earning six figures and so there is a growth wave so now is a good time to get in number three video content is dominating online consumption now this has been true for a while but video remains King now think about how much online video do you consume a day if you watch the YouTube version of the podcast I would love to know in the comments if it's a lot like me I certainly watch a lot of YouTube You're Not Alone the average person is glued to online videos for almost two hours a day it's gotten so big that video now makes up over 80% of everything that happens on the internet and YouTube is the second most visited website right behind Google and the writing's on the wall video isn't just part of the future video is the future number four viewers are seeking authentic voices and relatable content there was a study done and a staggering 90% of viewers say authenticity is what makes them want to connect to somebody online so the days of perfect polished overproduced videos are kind of coming to an end now there's always going to be a place on YouTube for that there's a massive wave right now to show up with raw and authentic content and then number five YouTube's algorithm is increasingly supporting new creators let me ask you a question have you noticed more small channels new channels videos that have 20 views 44 views channels if you click through that have 20 subscribers 200 subscribers being recommended to you you know most creators like myself are reporting that they are seeing a mix of not just the big channels and not even just the stuff that they're clicking on of course the algorithm is personalized to you but that small creators are actively being promoted on YouTube again if you watch the YouTube version of the podcast let me know in the comments if you've noticed this here's the thing YouTube has a dedicated team to helping new upcoming and small creators win and this isn't just because they're such incredible loving people that just really want altruistically to help creators it's also because YouTube's a business and the way they make money is by good content getting promoted across the platform that is watched by people so they can sell ads and the way they also make money is by not just the previous generation of creators or the middle generation of creators but by constantly giving an opportunity for new creators to come up on the platform and I'm talking creators of all ages just new people to upstart one of the biggest waves right now is people in their 40s 50s 60s 70s starting Channels with wisdom with life experience and they are getting recommended which with what's called kind of YouTube easy mode which is this ability to film simple videos with your phone in your car but to do them strategically and to understand titles and the algorithm bottom line is there's a big opportunity and this is a GameChanger because ultimately YouTube understands that every successful Creator starts somewhere and they need to keep the future of the YouTube economy going so starting a brand new Channel right now has a lot of opportunities tied to it so now that we understand why it's prime time to start a YouTube channel this year let's dive into something that's even cooler and that is the benefits of starting a channel even if you don't get a lot of views or you go viral especially at the start I mean it's important to Know YouTube is a marathon and not a Sprint so having realistic expectations is a topic I don't think enough people talk about but what's Wild is there's actually so many benefits to how YouTube can improve your life even if you don't go viral every day you want to start your YouTube channel is another day of missed opportunities and untap potential here's the truth YouTube reaches more 18 to 49 year olds than all the cable networks combined the opportunity is massive and the think media team and I want to help you seize it I'm excited to announce our YouTube 1K challenge a free 5day event that will give you the exact blueprint to start and grow your YouTube channel in 2025 whether you're an entrepreneur business owner or somebody ready to grow their personal brand this challenge is your road map to success to register just go to tube 1K challenge. com we're going to be doing one training session a day for 5 days and you're going to learn how to get your first 1,000 subscribers and start earning real income Insider strategies that make viewers want to click on your videos and keep watching multiple different ways to earn money from your YouTube channel even if you have a small audience and how to build an authentic personal brand that truly connects with people but it gets even better we are giving away prizes every single day of the challenge you could win professional microphones lighting kits and premium content creation software and during this challenge you're getting access to the exact training that we offer in our $4,000 coaching program but you're getting it completely for free and you can start with just your smartphone so if you're ready to turn 2025 into your YouTube breakthrough year go to tube 1K challenge. com to register that's tube 1K challenge.

com or click the link in the show notes or YouTube description to register for our upcoming challenge [Music] so let's talk about the five life-changing benefits of starting a YouTube channel number one transform from a consumer to a Creator take the Bold leap from passive consumption to active creation and unlock a world of Greater fulfillment personal growth and meaning are you tired of just passively scrolling watching other people post videos on YouTube are you feeling stuck on the sidelines you know the truth is social media algorithms are architected to keep you in a scrolling Loop just consuming and listen consuming is great I love YouTube I watch it all the time to learn to get better to be entertained to get educated but something radically shifts in your life when you shift from not just being a consumer but becoming a Creator even if nobody watches your videos it's an identity shift it actually shifts your mindset it shifts the neural Pathways it Taps into another level of really personal power and transformation so let's consider the downside of only being a consumer of YouTube and social media one study in the journal of clinical psychological science found that increased social media use was correlated with increased depression and loneliness truth is if you consume only it isn't necessarily the best thing for your mental health but now watch the Power of creating content on YouTube Just pressing record starting to make videos challenging yourself getting out of your comfort zone it leads to improved mental health one study found that 45 minutes of creative activity significantly lowered cortisol levels a key stress hormone a 2024 study in the news medical found that people who engaged in arts and crafts reported higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction so if you go into creating content on YouTube with the intent to just Express yourself challenge yourself be artistic learn some new skills compile a video put some things together it can lead to higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction especially if you don't tie your Worth to views but you see it as an opportunity to not just be a consumer but to be a Creator but it goes deeper enhanced cognitive function creating content is actually a workout for your brain engaging in creative activities can improve cognitive skills like problem solving memory and attention and research suggests that creativity can stimulate neuroplasticity the brain's ability to change and adapt leading to improved cognitive function and so you can't score a goal if you're just sitting on the bench and there's something about getting off the bench starting to create content and not just moving from being a consumer only but being a Creator but what if this year you created more than you consumed what a radical shift you you're like completely going the opposite of the majority and of what most people in the world do again I love consuming content and I love YouTube but I want to challenge you even if nobody watches your videos especially at first it's life-changing to step into the identity of being a Creator number two building your digital Legacy documenting your memories and stories on YouTube allows you to create a time capsule that shares life lessons with future Generations so imagine if you could go back and watch a video of your grandparents or your great great grandparents sharing their stories sharing their wisdom maybe Great Grandpa and Great Grandma interacting talking about their marriage talking about the challenges and the things they survived the trauma they went through the things they overcame what could you learn how valuable would that be to you how much would you pay to get access to that footage or those videos if they existed one of the reasons to start a YouTube channel I believe is to document your digital Legacy to think about this could turn into a lot of cool things and we'll talk about that more in a future episode but what if I'm able to just look back at how I've grown how I've changed kind of like a video Journal a catalog of my thought leadership professionally Vlog wise the different types of content I'm putting out there where this one really hit me hard was ever since I became a father now of a four-year-old and 2-year-old boy I really started to think about Legacy and I started to think about God forbid if I was to pass away this year if I was to you know tragically it's not my desire kind of morbid but possible there's a level of peace that I have when I think about the opportunity I have to continue fing my kids of course nothing substitute being present but how many videos could they watch about my values my vision Who I Am What I've shared what I stand for and what could they glean from that material well if I never pressed record and started posting content I wouldn't have that digital Legacy for the now generation for the next generation and so there's something about just putting yourself out there starting to create content preserving memories and stories it allows you to capture not just photos but voice your personality and sometimes I think you know you have a bunch of videos on your phone what are you going to do with those you going to you know are you going to go look back are you say I hope you're keeping your Digital Life organized I know that I'm not and maybe you're doing a good job at that but something about putting it on YouTube it's easy to search and find I look back at old videos I posted and I'm like this is cool they're easily sharable it's creating a time capsule right you're capturing your experiences and your perspectives there's even a creative idea that MrBeast did early on where he was also upload a video and schedule upload it so you start a YouTube channel do you know you could schedule upload a video right now for 3 years from now and talk to yourself like hey this is Sea from the past I just want to say here's where I'm at this is what I was going through this is what I was thinking and then he he he staggered those it's kind of a cool story that you could start a YouTube channel and document a moment in time to give yourself perspective in the future you could share life lessons offer guidance it's just a cool way to build your digital Legacy number three accelerate your personal growth deciding to post content on YouTube is like taking the fast track to learning new skills building your confidence and becoming the best version of yourself so Warren Buffett considered one of the greatest investors of all time said this the one easy way to become worth 50% more than you are now at least so what are you worth now how much you get paid at your job how much are you earning at your last job how much do you think you could earn per hour or what would your salary be this is what Warren Buffett said the one easy way to become worth 50% more than you are now at least is to hone your communication skills both written and verbal I promise you this if you start a YouTube channel and you commit to posting content and you commit to writing the best titles you can and learning the best practices about Youtube Learning how the internet works search engine optimization you're going to be learning writing scripts you're going to be learning written and verbal communication skills just because of putting yourself out there on YouTube just the challenge of doing it even if you feel awkward you don't like how you sound and you're self-critical every video you upload is a opportunity to get better at critical skills Warren Buffett also said if you can't communicate and talk to other people and get your ideas across you're giving up your potential and and there's a lot of people who could get a lot better at this your ability to express yourself in relationships your ability to communicate in meetings as Stakes grow higher if you get elevated and go to the next level in your career the ability to communicate communicate your ideas structure how you communicate creating YouTube content forces you to learn that stuff it pushes you to articulate your thoughts and your ideas effectively both in writing and in camera and even if like you start like we all did with your first videos or your worst videos and you don't you're not good at the start like it's just about getting 1% better and where could you be if you started YouTube today if you started posting content this year where could you be in a couple years in regards to critical skills where could you be in in the future in regards to your abilities you know I started video for my local church um and this was an hour north of Seattle in a town called Maryville Washington and I started volunteering at a youth ministry that had like under 10 kids in it and the youth pastor actually handed me a video camera in Adobe Premiere and that's when I started video even before YouTube started in 2007 I started a YouTube channel for the church and started to upload some of the videos and Recaps of mission strips and stuff on YouTube and I could share from my own experience that I was transformed as a result it just forced me to learn so many diverse skills by being immersed in creating video and structuring it and editing it and posting it and I learned a lot as a result well what happened was a few years later I ended up having an opportunity to move to Las Vegas to get a better salary in fact I was paid like quarter time and waiting tables while I was working at that church barely working as far as paid I I needed multiple streams of income to survive eventually I got a proper job with a proper salary and Healthcare and got basically promoted to a very influential church with a TV show that was doing all kinds of stuff on social media with a pretty well-known Pastor all this different stuff all because I started a YouTube channel honestly all because I started doing video and it forced me to skill up and my preparation for that next season of my life was because of accelerating my personal growth by committing to learn new skills and I wrote down 10 skills you develop by doing YouTube remember if you start a YouTube channel even if you don't get views these are all things that will make you more valuable Warren Buffett says at least 50% more valuable than you are now if you learn these things so here you are 10 skills you develop by committing to YouTube number one video Production Framing composition lighting sound camera operation basic editing storytelling narrative structures pacing engagement visual storytelling script writing communication how to speak clearly vocal delivery tone andage body language expressions number four teaching instruction if applicable if you have a educational Channel where you're sharing some information how do you explain Concepts clearly what about visual demonstrations what about creating engaging tutorials simplifying complex information number five writing script writing video descriptions social media posts to promote your content number six technical skills video editing software YouTube channel optimization all the back end of YouTube graphics and thumbnail creation live streaming soft software number seven marketing and promotion social media marketing SEO Community Building content strategy number eight organization and time management planning and scheduling meeting deadlines managing multiple tasks staying consistent number nine self-discipline and resilience overcoming procrastination dealing with criticism bouncing back from setbacks number 10 personal growth increase confidence improve communication enhanced creativity and greater self-awareness now I might have just talked you out of starting a YouTube channnel you might be like that list that seems like a lot and uh I was already overwhelmed now I'm super overwhelmed but let me encourage you commit to the journey commit commit to growth commit to just learning and take the pressure off like why not start a YouTube channel even if nobody watches to just learn grow Express Yourself learn new things one thing at a time because again especially if you want more of this kind of information you could subscribe to our think media channel and podcast Channel it will help you on the journey it will help you monetize and we'll help you do all that kind of stuff but like what are the other paths your life might take what if you end up not doing YouTube even a few years later what you learned is not lost what if you start a YouTube channel and nobody really watches but you get some views and you have some breakout videos and you grow a little bit here's the greater opportunity you grow you change you become someone who learns new things challeng yourself and as a result who knows what kind of future opportunities will come on the other side of you learning valuable skills number four build valuable relationships committing to creating content on YouTube helps you turn viewers into friends friends into collaborators and helps you unlock opportunities through unexpected connections so YouTube is kind of like your virtual campfire you know and we're in the wild west everyone's separated you know wandering through the very valleys of Red Dead Redemption 2 and you decide to start a YouTube channel and to start posting videos it's like scraping two sticks together and starting a fire and the fire is small at the start but you're sitting down and you're saying this is where I'm at you know there's my thoughts my ideas my creativity this is the YouTube channel topic I want to talk about this passion I want to talk about this thing and every time you post a video you're like putting Another Log on the Fire and the fire get gets a little bit bigger and the Fire gets a little bit bigger now maybe you don't go viral but another wandering traveler looks over and sees man it's kind of cold out it's getting dark that person's got a fire going let me go sit down and check out what they're doing right and so now you made a friend you start to talk around the fire oh you're into Settlers of Katon too oh you're into the wuang clan oh you're a Bible nerd oh you're and you start Gathering people around your campfire what's so cool about YouTube is it's a chance to connect with likeminded people it'll help you find your tribe if you will even if they're scattered around the globe you can build a community with those who have shared interests like-minded people it all it helps people get to know who you are too and they might be like man I watched a couple of your videos and I highly dislike you which by the way you're like well that sucks I want to be liked by everybody well that's just not life or reality but what's cool is it's like people can kind of self filter they could be like Ah that's not your Channel's not for me your Vibe is not for me I don't like your style I don't really connect with you cool but it gives you the opportunity for someone who's like I've seen some of your stuff I like your man I like how you think I like I'm in the same kind of thing oh you collect Funko pops and you're into you know comic and pop culture let's connect like I love your stuff and then maybe follow on social media again you might not grow a massive following but you can make some real friendships I have it's been WI how many inperson friendships and significant relationships in my life have happened just because I punched fear in the face and press record and started a YouTube channel it's led to a lot of business opportunities but it's also led to these tangible real life relationships to connect with people who who get you right because when you put yourself out there your Vibe you just being yourself express yourself authentically you start to find your people and friends can also then turn into collaborators like there's something about you planting a seed today for the Harvest that you want to reap in 5 to 10 years meaning you starting a YouTube channel today might lead to a friendship that becomes a a collaborator that becomes a business partner partner that becomes a podcast co-host that becomes some like you don't know what's going to happen in four or five years but if you do nothing nothing will happen but if you do something something could happen you start a channel you don't know you're just like man maybe I'll just connect with I'm just G to start a campfire you know and that's how Rome was built before Rome had all the roads and all the cities and all the areas of town and all the different that's how every city is every city was built by a campfire at first a couple people were like hey right now I'm filming near Seattle at one point there was no Seattle but some people some settlors came in some people ared what do they do built a campfire built a few Huts around that built a few more started to gather and build a town and then a city and and then a mega City and a mega and so who knows what it's going to turn into but it all starts with just posting your first video and then posting one video at a time to start connecting with other people number five make a meaningful impact even if it's only on one person starting a YouTube channel gives you the power to make a difference in someone's life even if it's only one person who watches your videos so what if you could change one person's life what if you posting a video gave someone the courage to not give up and to fight another day what if you sharing your story could give somebody the courage to leave a toxic relationship or make a meaningful move in their life that changes their future forever sounds kind of deep but that's literally the power that we have with this incredible platform called YouTube and why everybody's chasing viral I think we sometimes underestimate the opportunity to make a difference in just one person's life like if if you starting YouTube by the way with all the benefits we've already covered but then as a result some of your videos started to reach a few people and videos Reach people at different levels like some people click on it they don't finish watching and some people might like be like that was you know gave me some things to think about but you never know how your story your experience the hardships you've been through the difficulties you've been through the problems you've solved the things you've overcame the god-given gifts you have for being funny or sarcastic or bringing some comedic relief in a world where people need encouragement and to be able to relax a little bit every day which is how much craziness there is in the world so whether it's education or entertainment YouTube gives you the opportunity to impact someone's life and would it be worth it to you to just change one life what if you could change 10 lives like who could be waiting for you to show up and take your dream seriously and to start posting videos and would it be worth it even if you didn't go viral or you never got monetized but you were able to start a ripple effect of courage or change in the world this ripple effect of Courage is real you know brne Brown has done a lot of research on vulnerability and she says that vulnerability is the birthplace of Courage connection and creativity it just shows how we need each other in this world like there needs to be a ripple effect where like what you do and what I do and what we all do it it influences each other there's an effect and so if we want connection and we want more courage and we want more creativity you have a contribution to make to that sometimes you can fall into the myth that your life is meaningless or that you don't have a purpose or a chance to make a difference I think some people might overhype like we're all going to be viral star stars on the internet but I think people underestimate the chance of starting a ripple effect of Courage you never know what posting a YouTube video could do because courage is contagious and sometimes you might be the inspiration for somebody else it's like man if they could do it and they could step out there like what would happen like it only takes one person in a family to make a bold move and to start living different than maybe previous generations did and to change things for your kids for your spouse for future Generations like when one person steps up and makes a bold move to say I'm going to be courageous I'm going to bring some change I'm going to fight that negative pattern or that toxic pattern maybe it's your family's always struggled finan and there wasn't really any entrepreneurs or business Builders or people that stepped out in your family why can't you be the first it all starts with just starting a YouTube channel putting the first Log on the Fire and that courageousness maybe you don't build an Empire but maybe your son does maybe their son does because Granddad took a step of Courage so number five is make a meaningful impact and I think one of the most powerful concepts of this is the power of one people underestimate the power of one like you're one subscriber away from meeting that strategic connection that's a friendship or a collaborator for the future business owner like you're one lead away one Prospect away one client away which could be your key client for Revenue in a year but also the key client that introduces you to 10 or 100 other clients the one lead Domino relationship you're one video away from the video actually breaking out maybe you post 33 videos but video 34 is the power of one you've been being consistent growing your skills but all of a sudden one video breaks out this is happening all the time on the internet right the power of one viral video The Power of one is a real thing and so I think when we stop chasing viral the big idea of this episode is the internal change that happens when we start a YouTube channel but one video might be something you kind of process and you write down and you script it out you post it on YouTube but it turns into a book idea for the future because you didn't know how it it's was going to resonate and it was like I didn't think it was that big deal but then that was the one video people started commenting on and it was then the one video that led to a future business you start a future book you write and so I have one more thought on that in just a second but I do want to give you a heads up that if you actually are on the fence and wanting to start a YouTube channel and would like some help we have an upcoming YouTube challenge it's at tube 1K challenge. com or I'll link to it in the show notes it's a 5-day event every day we learn something and every day you'll be challenged to do something and it's all about getting your first or next 1,000 subscribers so how do you start how do you get your mind right what are the practical things what are some of the new strategies for getting views this is something we only do a couple times a year and so if you'd like some help for free plus we also give away gear and software it's a pretty cool event that the entire think media team rallies around it's online it's free and so check out the show notes or go to tube 1K challenge.