When I started on YouTube back in 2019, I nearly quit a few months in.

I had good lighting. A decent vlog camera. Posted every week. Yet barely got views.

Then one video got something like 50,000 views in a week.

It was a spoof off a Gary Vee video on TikTok marketing - which was a new idea then 👇

What changed? Not my camera. Not my editing style.

It was my IDEA.

MrBeast says: "90% of a video's success comes from the idea."

Now with over 130K subscribers, I totally agree.

Here's what I got wrong at first on my YouTube journey:

❌ I focused on everything except ideas.

I spent AGES on research. Scripting. Making revisions.

But ignored what really matters: having an idea people actually care about.

Now I know better. I can hire editors. Buy the gear. Get help with scripts.

But the IDEAS? Those must come from me. Nobody else thinks exactly like me. And they need to be good.

❌ I wasted time on perfect scripts.

I'd spend forever making sure my script had:

• A catchy intro
• A reason to keep watching
• Proof I knew my stuff
• Clear teaching steps
• A strong ending

But all that didn't matter if no one ever clicked on the video.

Today, my focus is on what matters: the topic, the title, and the thumbnail.

❌ I sounded like a robot news anchor.

I have TV training from my university days, but I had to un-learn it all.

I had to learn to talk to a metal device (my camera) like I was chatting with a friend.

When I finally sounded like a normal human, viewers stuck around longer – and they got to appreciate my jokes, just a little.

❌ I put all my CTAs at the end.

I used to say "subscribe" and "check out my course" at the very end of videos.

But viewer retention is at its lowest by the end of a video.

Now I sprinkle in CTAs at the 1/3 and 2/3 marks of my videos – or wherever they naturally fit.

And, I get way more clicks and product sales from my videos.

❌ I only cared about search, not recommendations.

In 2019, search was king. Find keywords. Make videos around those search terms. Done. BOOM. Get found in search.

Now it's a tad different.

My biggest hit recently (280K+ views) blew up because YouTube recommended it on homepages.

So as much as the topic, the title, and the thumbnail are important – so is viewer retention, and keeping people hooked so that the algorithm recommends it to more.

Btw, my course, YouTube Vault, is getting a total makeover with all these lessons built in (and what to do – and HOW to do it – instead).

For 10 more days, get it for just $97 before it jumps up to $497 when the new course launches in June.

​Grab YouTube Vault now →​

You'll get the new version totally for free when it launches next month.

~ Elise

P.S. Oops, did I just save my CTA for the end? 🙃