Week 2 YouTube Growth Update: Learning from the Data
Building a new YouTube channel is a game of patience, testing, and learning. This week, I’m sharing the behind-the-scenes analytics of my second week, what’s working, what’s not, and what I’m adjusting moving forward.
A Look at the Numbers
Last week, the channel had around 400 views. This week, we hit just shy of 400 again—so no major change there. However, watch hours dropped from 20 to 12, and subscriber growth slowed down, with only 12 new subscribers.
Why the drop in watch time? I posted a few YouTube Shorts. While Shorts can help get exposure, they don’t contribute to watch time for monetization and don’t necessarily bring in loyal viewers. They can be useful for awareness, but they shouldn’t be a core strategy for long-term growth.
Understanding YouTube’s Algorithm: It’s All About the Right Viewers
One of the most interesting things I’ve noticed is how YouTube tests videos. YouTube isn’t just one algorithm—it’s a massive system figuring out who wants to see your videos.
For example, I had a video with a 1.9% click-through rate (CTR), which tells me it wasn’t getting shown to the right people—or maybe the topic wasn’t interesting enough. On the flip side, a 4% CTR is decent, but ideally, I want to hit 5-7% CTR to signal to YouTube that my content is highly engaging.
YouTube starts by testing your video with different groups. If they don’t engage, it stops pushing the video. You’ll see this in analytics—impressions spike, then drop off quickly. This means it was shown to the wrong audience, or the thumbnail/title didn’t grab attention.
What I’m Adjusting
Testing Thumbnails & Titles
Some of my videos aren't getting high CTRs, so I may test new thumbnails and titles to improve the first impression.
If a video underperforms in the first few days, it might not be worth changing since YouTube has already decided on its reach.
Focusing on Long-Form Content
Shorts got some quick views, but they didn’t drive watch time or subscribers.
I’ll use them sparingly while keeping my main focus on valuable long-form content.
Not Overreacting to Analytics
Some videos won’t take off immediately, and that’s okay.
YouTube takes months to really understand your content and audience. The key is consistency—keep posting, learning, and improving.
Final Thoughts: The Key to Growth
Growth is rarely instant. Most YouTube success stories come from consistent content creation, refining strategy, and giving YouTube time to find the right audience.
If you’re in the early stages of growing your channel, don’t let slow growth discourage you. Stick to your schedule, focus on making high-quality, engaging content, and trust the process.
I’ll be sharing more updates like this each week, breaking down what’s working and what’s not. If you’re on this journey with me, let’s keep pushing forward!
