How I Started a YouTube Channel and Got 100K Subscribers in 6 Months
During the COVID-19 lockdown, people had differing views: some felt it could be the end, while others saw it as an opportunity to start something new. One common thread was that everyone was glued to their smartphones. YouTube trends during the pandemic showed skyrocketing watch times since everyone was either watching videos or sleeping.
YouTube Shorts started gaining more traction over time, particularly those related to motivation. Everyone needed motivation because those were the tough times.
Seizing the Moment ⏱️
I was late to join the motivation genre. In June 2022, I realized the potential of starting a motivational channel. Compared to the other channels, like ‘Day in the Life’, educational, or travel channels, it’s relatively simple. You just cut clips from long-form videos of other channels into shorts of less than 30 or 60 seconds with copyright-free music.
I started multiple motivational channels like learnwithniel and musetales. Some garnered a few views in the first month due to the infamous YouTube algorithm push. After that, the views dwindled.
I’ve long been a fan of Jay Shetty and a regular viewer of his Jay Shetty Podcast channel. In December 2022, I noticed there were no fan channels for Jay Shetty, so I started one called Jay Shetty Shorts 😉.
Since Jay Shetty is a popular motivational speaker, the channel was a hit. It attracted a lot of attention from both haters and supporters, which helped increase views and comments 😊.
The Grind of Consistency 💪🏻
Before starting the YouTube channel, I thought it was easy money — people post videos and earn millions, like a money-printing machine.
Then I realized that being a YouTuber is not easy! It’s a commitment to subscribers. If you’re consistent, the YouTube Algorithm will promote your videos, leading to more views. I committed to posting 2 clips + 2 shorts daily.
It was difficult because I was not naturally consistent. After starting this channel, I committed myself to editing videos daily. There were many sleepless nights, as I had to balance this with my day job. But let me tell you, it was worth it, and I experienced the power of consistency in my life.
“Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come.” — Dwayne Johnson
Beyond Subscribers and Likes 👍🏻
On YouTube, having a large number of subscribers doesn’t necessarily mean higher earnings; it’s all about the views. If you have more views, you’ll earn more and gain subscribers as a by-product.
The comments from Jay Shetty’s fans were one of my motivations for this channel. It was inspiring to see how supporters took the content to heart and how it inspired them to express love and inspire others.
But remember, if you’re solely focused on subscriber count, comments, and likes, you won’t be able to continue the journey of being a YouTuber. Do good work and commit to the cause.
Earning for your hard work is also important since you’re investing a lot of effort and precious time.
“Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.” — William Penn
Monetization and Google AdSense 💰
YouTube isn’t the money printing machine I once thought it was. Your channel only starts earning after reaching certain thresholds: 1000 Subscribers (now 500), 4000 watch hours (now 3000), and for Shorts, 3 million valid public shorts views in 90 days. These thresholds are there to ensure you’re consistent and to see if it’s worth betting on you for Google AdSense revenue.
By the grace of God, I started earning within 1.5 months. The revenue isn’t the same for every channel; it depends on the content and the ads.
One Shorts video featuring Jay Shetty and Drew Barrymore helped me surpass the YouTube revenue threshold.
Sometimes all you need is a single shot to turn your hard work into a dream ✨; keep digging ⛏️.
The Milestone: 100K Subscribers & The Silver Play Button 🏆
After six months of sleepless nights and consistent hard work, the channel reached 100K subscribers ✨.
Does this number of subscribers mean something? Yes, in terms of hard work and consistency it’s a reward, but it doesn’t mean you’re superior to anyone else; it humbles you to thank every subscriber, hater, and supporter for engaging with the content.
It took about three weeks to receive the YouTube Silver Play Button after reaching 100K subscribers.
Holding that award for the first time felt good. I thanked Almighty God for it and, like a typical human being, shared the news on social media.
Most of my colleagues and friends were surprised because only a few knew that I owned a YouTube channel.
After posting on social media, I put the award back in its box and stored it away. I haven’t had the time to frame it and hang it on the wall.
Copyright Strike ⚡️
By the time I had posted over 1000 videos and amassed 100K+ subscribers, I began receiving copyright strikes from SuperBam.
I had anticipated this for a long time. 😊 Although it was a fan channel, the content was still from the Jay Shetty Podcast Channel. The copyright strike was legitimate.
The nature of the strike was such that I could continue posting videos but was prohibited from earning any revenue from them.
The End
Now, I have stopped posting videos as we are receiving copyright strikes ⚡️. I’ve learned so many things over these months and am thankful to Jay Shetty for pushing me to exceed my own limits regarding consistency. Editing his 1000+ videos has taught me about his commitment to his purpose and his consistency in posting weekly without fail.
If you are planning to start a YouTube channel, I hope this will serve as motivation for you. Consistency is the key in every trade.
“The best time to start a YouTube channel was yesterday.” — Unknown
