Everyday, countless new YouTubers spend dozens of hours writing, filming, and editing their videos, only to receive a paltry few views. Forums and Discords frequented by new creators are full of questions like “What am I doing wrong?” and “Why can’t I grow?” 

To figure it out, I watched a bunch of their videos and scoured various Slack channels and Discords where new creators were soliciting feedback. Here are what I think are their six most critical errors.

Unoriginal hooks

A common piece of advice (one that I’ve shared) is to look for topics that have performed well for other large creators. If history creators are seeing larger-than-average views covering a specific historical figure, it’s a good sign you should too. 

But here’s the trap: without something unique and novel — in both the content itself and the marketing — it can easily fall flat. One video on Nikola Tesla featured a well-designed thumbnail and a title similar to other videos. The others were done well and had amassed over a million views. But they all had similar value propositions: the forgotten history, or “real” history, of Tesla’s incredible accomplishments. 

The newer creator leaned in, alluding to overlooked historical details about Tesla. But it had already been done. Was it really forgotten? In such well-tread territory, creators need to stretch for new information or a new perspective.

To improve: Research your competition on any given topic. Take note of what they cover, what they omit. Are there particular perspectives missing from the conversation? Then ask: What would make your video stand out? What can you offer to a viewer who has already watched all the similar content?

Busy thumbnails 

Many new creators created thumbnails bursting with images, text, and icons. Thumbnails that are too busy can confuse viewers: what exact element should they be drawn to, and what is the overall message they should be getting from the image? Of course, most viewers won’t want to deal with this cognitive burden, and keep scrolling.

Some creators may have a limited amount of visual elements, but create a similar problem by failing to create a visual hierarchy. They may not use size to differentiate between more and less important text, for instance. Or a central image may blend in with the background, due to lack of contrast. 

To improve: Good thumbnails usually have just a few elements. Strategist Paddy Galloway says no more than three. Importantly, a thumbnail should convey a visual idea at a glance. 

Good color contrast not only helps key elements stand out, but it’s also important for ensuring your content is accessible to viewers with visual impairments. Blue text on a slightly different blue background will be incredibly hard to read. But for less clear-cut examples, there are great resources to see if your color contrast hits accessibility standards. 

A loosely defined audience

Some newer creators will experiment with different niches to see what resonates: say, a mix of product reviews, travel content, and daily vlogs. While this might be helpful for creators just starting out, it’s not sustainable. Unfortunately, YouTube’s algorithm doesn’t reward creators who post a diversity of content. The ultimate key to success is building a defined audience in a specific niche. 

Some newer creators might try to cheat and define their audience as people interested in all of these things. But drawing in viewers with one kind of content and serving them another will create a drag on your video performance. 

To improve: Find a niche. You may be able to find a niche with a large potential audience that other creators aren’t already serving. Or you might do well entering well-served niches if you land on a strong plan to set your videos apart. 

Lengthy intros

In one video exploring philosophy and video games, a creator spent nearly 40 seconds posing a question and providing a roadmap for the video. Most videos see huge drops in audience in the first minute, and delaying the substance of the video won’t help. 

Other creators might have lengthy title sequences, featuring the branding of the channel or show. Most established creators eschew these for a reason, unless they only take a few seconds. In general, they provide an easy signal to viewers to disengage.

To improve: Videos should deliver value to viewers as soon as possible. A good intro on YouTube should be brief: it should establish some goal, thesis, or raise an important question. It should echo the title and thumbnail. And that can all be done, generally, in just a few seconds.

Bad audio

It may seem counterintuitive, but on video platforms like YouTube, viewers actually have the highest expectations for audio. Some common audio mistakes from beginner creators: excessive background noise and/or static, echo-y audio, peaking, or audio that sounds tinny (too much middle and higher frequencies with no bass). 

To improve: Creators don’t need to drop $500-plus on a microphone for good audio. Finding the right microphone for the right situation (and at the right price point) can do wonders. 

Some of these issues can be fixed in editing, and Descript’s Studio Sound can work miracles, but it’s always best to capture good audio in the first place.

Assuming knowledge

Especially for educational creators, it’s common to throw out terms and jargon that confuse and alienate viewers. I saw creators refer to academic papers assuming the audience should have already read them. I saw creators use college-level terminology for a topic that would most likely appeal to students in middle and high school. 

Another issue: some creators talk to their audience as if they’ve watched every video in the channel. In reality, many viewers will only watch a handful of your videos, or be new to your channel, or may not have paid close attention to your last video.

Creating a series of videos can work well on places like TikTok (I’m currently following a TikToker trying all 100 of New York’s best restaurants), but each video in the series should stand alone, so it doesn’t create a barrier to entry for new viewers. 

To improve: Especially for educational channels, it’s important not to assume specialized knowledge or that viewers understand technical jargon. If jargon needs to be introduced, take the time to explain it, and don’t introduce too many terms.

Assuming some knowledge is inevitable, otherwise you’ll also be trying to make a video about astrophysics accessible to a five year old. But unless there’s a specific reason to create a laser-focused audience (say, graduate students in physics), you’ll be better served making your information accessible at many educational levels.