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I recently hit 100k subscribers on YouTube which was a HUGE milestone for me and it really got me looking back at how I got to this point! So, this blog is going to tell you all about how I grew my YouTube channel to 100,000 subscribers and my tips so you can grow yours too!
I started YouTube in 2015
I started my YouTube channel in 2015 when I started traveling full-time. My friends were asking me to write a blog but writing isn't my favorite (even this one was written by my intern Colee *thank you* and I'm just in here editing it 🙂
But even though I don't like to write, I do love to talk and I wanted to share my adventures with people to encourage them that I was no one special and they could do the same thing.
Seth said by the time we met in April 2017, I had 1,200 subscribers.
July of 2018, I had 7,000.
Now, 2021, I'm SUPER proud, and excited, and grateful to have over 100,000 subscribers! But this channel has changed and evolved SO much since then.
Why I started YouTubing
Like I said, I'm not much of a writer, but I AM a talker so I started to vlog or do “video blogs”.
I'm also someone who gets bored easily and I'm constantly moving from one thing to the next. SO, I HAD to commit.
Right off the bat, I committed to EVERY. SINGLE. WEDNESDAY.
No. matter. what.
I've changed my brand name 3x
When I first started I was Yoga Shay, teaching yoga and leading Yoga retreats. I was absolutely that person who was doing yoga poses in the weirdest places. If you're curious, those gems still live on my Instagram.
Then when I was traveling more than doing yoga, I switched to Living on a One Way. This was where I really got into my travel vlogging. I was truly living on a one way and documenting it the whole way.
Eventually I met a partner, was in one spot for the foreseeable future, and we got pregnant! “Living on a One Way” didn't seem applicable any more and I wanted something that could grow with ME. HeyShayla was born.
Now, I talk about all things motherhood and pregnancy.
You can't grow on YouTube if you don't start.
When I first started, friends would tell me “so and so thinks it's funny what you're doing” or “so and so was asking what your plan is?”. NO PLAN. I had no plan. I was just doing and documenting.
As I grew, people kept commenting on how things keep “falling in my lap”. Things were not falling in my lap. I was out there, meeting people, doing things, and sharing it. The awesome experiences I found wouldn't have happened if I had just been sitting on the couch. JUST START.
And, here's my other piece of advice: do it because you love it. The people who have a following DO something. They entertain, they teach, they connect. Viewers really don't respond to the whole “look at me thing”. So, do something (something you love).
Best advice (from experience) to grow on YouTube.
- I don’t watch much YouTube (don't tell). In some ways I think this helped. I had to come up with original content, not content that was based on the videos I was watching. Plus, I didn’t compare myself to other YouTubers. I think both of these things were and still are really key for me.
However, when I did occasionally watch other people's content, I would think “DANG I SHOULD TELL PEOPLE TO SUBSCRIBE or include bonus footage at the end!” haha - I was (and am) constantly learning. When a video didn’t do well, I studied it and tried to figure out WHY.
When a video did do well, I tried to figure out WHY.
I would dive into analytics, take courses, listen to podcasts, go to conferences, read books, and connect with other YouTubers to compare notes and find out what's working for them. A few years ago I actually created a YouTube course that I will be re-releasing this Fall with a breakdown of what I wish I knew when I started. If you're on this email list I'll let you know when it launches. Plus, I'll include a discount for those on the list. Leading up to it I'll be sending out emails with tips for YouTube! - I didn’t really care about the numbers. On Instagram, I wanted to hit 10k for the swipe up so I could help people more easily get access to the information I was sharing. Above that, I just enjoy connecting with people and sharing things that I've learned!
What's next?!
- Podcast!!! Moving forward, I’m exploding with happiness (!!!) to announce I'm starting a podcast this fall!! I know and have access to such interesting people and constantly have professionals in my DMs. I want to share all of those conversations publicly! Hop on this email list if you want to be notified when the podcast goes live! I've started interviewing people and this is what you can expect.
– What you need to know about the first 6 weeks breastfeeding
– Exclusive pumping secrets to make it easier
– Everything you need to know about starting baby sign language
– Understand what to expect hormonally from conception to postpartum
– Family travel tips from a former full time travel couple
- YouTube Course: Like I said above, I'll be launching a course Fall 2021! I genuinely LOOOVE talking about this stuff and can't wait for the launch.
- YouTube: Obviously I'll be continuing to create YouTube videos and share with you all that I learn and update you on how it's going!
- Instagram: You can find me most days on Instagram in stories and sharing my thoughts in posts.
Hopefully this answers some of your questions about how to grow on YouTube. Just start, keep your head down, and be consistent!
xo Shay