My First Week on YouTube: The REAL Numbers (Monetization Journey)
Starting a new YouTube channel is exciting, but it also comes with uncertainty. How quickly can you gain traction? What do the early numbers really look like? In this post, I’m breaking down my first five days on a brand-new channel—views, watch time, subscriber growth, and what I’ve learned so far.
The Numbers After Five Days
Let’s get straight into it. Here’s what my analytics look like so far:
Views: 445
Watch Time: 20.7 hours
Subscribers: 28
Average Click-Through Rate (CTR): 4.5% – 4.8%
At first glance, these numbers may not seem groundbreaking, but let’s add some perspective.
Comparing Expectations vs. Reality
I went into this launch without huge expectations. My goal isn’t just to chase views—I want to build a high-quality, engaged audience that values authenticity and video excellence. Unlike my past YouTube channels (which have gained thousands of views but weren’t brand-focused), this one is built around long-term sustainability.
Still, I had a rough goal of averaging at least 100 views per day. Right now, I’m a little under that. But it’s early—brand-new channels take time to gain momentum.
What’s Working & What Needs Improvement
What’s Working
Just Posting & Staying Consistent: Getting the first videos out there was a big win. Instead of overthinking and endlessly tweaking, I focused on execution.
Gradual View Growth: After the first day, my videos started getting more traction, proving that YouTube slowly tests and pushes new content.
Steady Subscriber Growth: 28 subs in five days is a strong starting point, considering I haven’t heavily promoted the channel.
What Needs Improvement
Watch Time is Too Low: My average view duration is around 2:40 on one video and 4:16 on another. For 20-minute videos, that’s not great. I need to improve retention.
Click-Through Rate (CTR) is Under 5%: While not terrible, I’d like my thumbnails and titles to push above 5% CTR, which is where videos tend to get more traction.
Finding the Right Audience: YouTube is still figuring out who to push my content to. This means some viewers may click but not stick around, impacting retention rates.
What Would This Growth Look Like Over a Year?
If I kept this exact pace (without increasing momentum), here’s what the one-year projection would look like:
Views: 32,485
Watch Hours: 1,511 (far from the 4,000 required for monetization)
Subscribers: 2,044 (solid, but growth should accelerate)
This highlights the biggest challenge: watch hours. At this rate, it would take me over six years to hit monetization! Of course, that won’t happen because growth compounds over time—but it’s a good reminder that watch time needs to improve fast.
My Monetization Goal: 12 Weeks
Instead of waiting years, I’m setting an aggressive 12-week monetization goal (1,000 subs & 4,000 hours). To achieve this, I need:
83 new subscribers per week
333 watch hours per week
Right now, I’m nowhere near that. But I have a plan:
Next Steps to Grow Faster
Improve Video Retention – I need to hook viewers early and keep them watching longer.
Optimize Titles & Thumbnails – Pushing CTR past 5% will bring more traffic.
Post consistently (3x per Week) – More content = more chances for growth.
Leverage My Free Facebook Community – Engaging with my audience outside of YouTube will create a stronger following.
The Takeaway for You
Growing a brand-focused YouTube channel takes time. But if you’re consistent, strategic, and willing to adjust, you’ll see progress. I’ll be tracking my journey every Saturday to show the real behind-the-scenes numbers.
If you’re also on this journey and want to grow your channel without trend-chasing, join my free Facebook group: Authentic Creator Community. Let’s build something real together.
Until next time, keep creating. 🚀
