How Long Does It Take for Your YouTube Channel to Grow?

Oct 6, 2020

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So, you've started a YouTube channel and you've begun to publish videos. That's great! But, you're probably wondering how long it will take for your YouTube channel to grow. After all, creating videos and performing the required tasks is a lot of work. You don't want your efforts to go to waste!

Growing a YouTube channel and gaining popularity often takes a long time. On average, many YouTube content creators struggle to break the 1000 subscriber milestone within their first year. However, there are a lot of factors that contribute to the speed at which a channel grows. Often, the channels who put in the most work grow the fastest.

If you're wondering how much longer it will take for you to achieve YouTube success, you should get some helpful insights in this article. As you will learn, growing a channel on YouTube is simple while also being difficult. Some channels grow quickly, while others grow slowly. The type of content creator you are will determine which camp you are a part of.

How Long Does It Take to Gain Popularity on YouTube

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Have you ever wondered, how long does it take to gain popularity on YouTube? If so, you aren't alone. Many content creators have often wondered how long it can take to grow an audience. The thing is, this question can be difficult to answer, as there is no specific answer to this question that can be given.

You see, every YouTube channel grows at a different rate. Due to this, giving an exact time that a channel will grow is impossible. There are, however, indicators of success that exist. Meaning, channels that grow fast often share similar characteristics, and channels that grow slow share similar characteristics.

For example, every YouTube channel that grows quickly:

  • Follows best practices
  • Uploads new videos on a frequent and consistent basis
  • Is patient and has a long-term approach

Whereas every YouTube channel that grows slowly:

  • Doesn't follow best practices
  • Barely uploads new videos and does so inconsistently
  • Is impatient and wants to be an overnight success

As you can see, a fast-growing channel and a slow-growing channel have contrasting characteristics. Funnily enough, the channel that grows quickly is often prepared to grow slowly. The channel that grows slowly, however, typically wants to achieve success without putting in much time and effort.

If you share characteristics with the channels that typically grow quickly, you're in a good position to achieve success. However, if you share a lot of characteristics with the channels that grow slowly, you'll want to make adjustments. How you go about your YouTube efforts will determine the speed at which you grow an audience and gain popularity.

Average YouTube Channel Growth Rate

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The average YouTube channel growth rate of a new content creator is lower than most expect. Many people start a YouTube channel and expect that after 3-6 months, they'll have a couple of thousand subscribers. The reality of the situation is, most channels don't cross the 1,000 subscriber threshold after their first year or even longer.

There's a reason why in my articles I always advise you to have a long-term approach to YouTube. Many people start a YouTube channel and quit within a few months when they don't grow as fast as they thought they would. I don't want you to quit. If you quit, you'll never achieve success. So, having a long-term view will help you not quit.

If you are not prepared to spend the next year following best practices and creating videos consistently, then you might want to temper your growth expectations. Of course, some channels do grow extremely quickly. However, it's often better not to look at outliers. Again, most channels don't reach the 1,000 subscriber milestone after their first year.

The average YouTube channel grows slower than one might expect. However, the growth of a channel can be increased by doing the right things. Channels that do the right things grow quicker than those that don't. So, if you want your channel growth rate to be high, do the right things, such as following best practices, uploading consistently, and being patient.

Is It Hard to Grow a YouTube Channel

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Growing a YouTube channel can take a long time and the average growth rate of a channel is quite slow. Knowing these things, we arrive at this question: Is it hard to grow a YouTube channel? Well, it certainly can be hard to grow a channel on YouTube. For some people, however, growing a YouTube channel is a relatively easy process.

As I mentioned earlier, most successful channels share the same characteristics. These channels tend to have an easier time achieving success. However, many channels that grow slowly have a difficult time achieving success. These channels often put themselves in the position to grow slowly through their actions (or lack of actions).

It is important to recognize that success is not guaranteed. You could do everything the right way and still struggle to grow your channel. So, before starting a channel, you should always ask yourself: "Why do I want to create videos?" Having a good answer to this question will help you get through the periods of slow growth and burnout.

Of course, you can approach YouTube as a hobby. If you wish to approach YouTube with the goal of success, however, you must create videos with a purpose. You cannot casually approach the creation of videos, as creating high-quality videos takes practice and effort. Casually creating videos will make it more difficult for you to improve your skills.

Conclusion

You now know the answer to the question: How long does it take for your YouTube channel to grow? Depending on the steps you take, you can grow a channel either quickly or slowly. Ideally, you should position yourself and your channel for success by approaching YouTube the right way. Follow best practices, upload consistently, and be patient, and you will grow.

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