Launch Faster on YouTube if Your Company Has This👇
Do you have an existing fanbase, audience, or customer base that you can leverage to launch your channel? ❑ YES / ❑ NO​
Starting on YouTube from absolute zero is kind of like budging a giant boulder. At first, Every. Single. View. is going to feel like it's from you and your colleagues (or mom?) refreshing their browsers.
"OK when will our first video blow up?" you'll wonder.
"When will we go viral?"
"When do we get all those views that other channels in our category get?"
You won't.
Not in the beginning.
And the reason for this is, YouTube doesn't yet know what your channel is about. Your channel has no reputation in the eyes of the system.
Basically, YouTube is lacking DATA.
So, it slowly starts to send a few guinea pigs viewers your way, seeing how they enjoy this new content. If those folks hit "like", subscribe, comment, and/or watch more of your videos, the algorithm starts to show them to a few more people – and sees how they respond to it, and on and on.
It's all in an attempt to not just test your content's worth, but also understand who the ideal audience is.
The hard part?
This can take many months and many videos.
It is extremely rare for new (long-form) videos on a new channel to take off out of the gate. It can be a long road, which is why, when we work directly with companies, we set realistic expectations.
You need to be committed to this at least for one year.
“What about Shorts though?
Don’t they take off fast?”
Yes, Shorts can bring in views faster, but there are serious drawbacks, including viewers who are in a "TikTok mindset", and don't care about you one bit. I'll save that topic for another time.
As for starting a channel with long-form videos, YouTube king Mr. Beast has said many times that it takes over 100 videos to gain traction (and also get really good at making content).
I agree it takes time, but I don't agree with the 100 figure... especially if you have a crowd of people you can tap to act as a rocket-booster for your new channel.
How to leverage an existing group
Many companies already have an existing customer list, and/or a following on another platform such as TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook. If that's you, you can let them know about the new YouTube channel.
What I wouldn't do though is just send out the link and say something like, "Check out our new YouTube channel!"
This could easily backfire, as you might be reaching out to a bunch of barely-interested people who will watch your video for 10 seconds and then click away.
This might get you initial views, but it will also generate negative and confusing signals to the algorithm about who the ideal audience is for your content.
What we recommend instead…
Get some videos up first
Establish clear branding with a value proposition
Then make sure you target the people on your list who are most likely to tune-in and watch.
Part of what we do at Creator Dynamics is partner with companies on their entire launch strategy and execution down to the last detail. If you're interested, book a free exploratory call starting with this page.
If you haven't downloaded it yet, be sure to grab our free Channel Launch Checklist, which was designed with the goal of assessing your company's readiness to start on YouTube.
(And yes, you're welcome to share it directly with your coworkers.)
