YouTube Changed Their Algorithm... (❌Subs Don’t Matter Anymore)

Updates to the YouTube Algorithm

YouTube is making updates to its algorithm.
Business Insider wrote an article arguing that the YouTube subscriber count has become an outdated relic.
There is debate surrounding whether subscriber counts still matter.
Growing a channel is more about content than the number of subscribers.
Channels can die if content gets stale or the channel reaches a death spiral.
YouTube employees, Google employees, creators, and brand representatives discuss the matter.

Growth Through YouTube Shorts

Creators are experiencing rapid growth through YouTube Shorts.
In some cases, creators who make long-form content are growing exponentially through shorts.
Many of the fastest growing U.S-based channels on YouTube between 2022 and early 2023 were actively posting shorts.
Getting massive views through shorts shows that you do not need subscribers to gain traction.

"We just have too many examples and case studies of our students, our Video Rank Academy students, that are creating brand new channels and that are growing from scratch."

Vanity Metrics

Many creators consider subscriber counts to be a vanity metric.
The quality of subscribers matters; it does not matter if they do not care about you as a person.
A rapidly growing subscriber count does not necessarily translate into success or longevity.
Creators, managers, and influencer marketing executives agree that growing subscribers does not necessarily equal success.

"Just because you get a subscriber, it doesn't mean you've actually made a significant connection with an individual."

The Importance of Subscribers for Monetization

Subscribers and The Importance of Play Buttons

YouTube play buttons don't necessarily translate into money or views, but they do give creators clout or influence.
There are still good reasons to want to achieve the silver or gold play button. It's an aspiration for many content creators, but it won't guarantee a successful business.
Although subscribers are still important, the algorithm does not tag them as the most crucial factor in getting seen by viewers.

"Subscribers don't matter in 2023, consumption matters."

The End of Subscribers?

Are subscribers dead? No. Do they matter anymore? Yes, but not as crucially as before.
Creators still need subscribers to get monetized, achieve play buttons, and receive some recognition from the algorithm.
However, getting views and watch time is now the top priority in the algorithm's recommendations for viewers.

"Consumption is more important than subscribers."

Q&A Session

The host provides upcoming information about a three-day YouTube challenge with guest speakers that promises to teach viewers the fundamentals and latest best practices of YouTube.

Consumption is King

In 2010, subscribers were king on YouTube.
However, in 2023, consumption is king and not just views.
YouTube wants to serve content that will hold viewers' attention for longer, not just content that will get a view.
YouTube's algorithms focus on consumption and watch time when recommending a video.
If a viewer spends a lot of time on YouTube watching a particular creator, they will recommend those videos whether the viewer is subscribed or not.

"Whether you're subscribed or not, they're going to recommend you those videos, and then if you really like them because you continue to vote with your time, they'll keep recommending those videos."

Focus on Viewership instead of Subscribers

In 2022, YouTube told creators that they should focus more on viewership than on subscribers when trying to analyze what succeeds on the platform.
Subscriptions are just one of many feedback signals that YouTube's system uses to understand what viewers are interested in watching.
Subscriptions do matter, but they are one of many feedback signals that YouTube cares about.
More subscribers and more views do not necessarily equal more money.

The Rise of Shorts

YouTube shorts have thrown some long-form creators for a loop and made them feel like they can't survive on the platform without posting them.
According to Jay Dharma wansa, who built her Channel up to 367,000 subscribers over a decade of posting videos, it's kind of necessary to do shorts to boost your channel right now.
Posting one or two shorts can do a lot for the overall growth of your channel.
Data from hype auditor suggests that shorts accumulate three times the number of views a regular video receives on YouTube.

"Videos are posted as shorts accumulate three times the number of views a regular video receives."

Shorts' Impact on Income

Shorts are making a lot of people excited, with people getting many views and subscribers.
However, the quality of subscribers and views in financial terms may be more important.
Ad Revenue in February for shorts was less profitable compared to long-form content.
YouTubers who spoke with Insider last year reported earning a dollar sixty to $29 per thousand views on YouTube, while short creators earned between 0.04 cents to 0.07 cents per thousand views on shorts.

Shorts vs Long-form Content

Shorts adoption isn't there yet but it's growing.
Shorts don't pay super well yet - the average RPM revenue is 0.08 cents per 1000 views.
Think Media got 7 million views on shorts in the last 90 days, earning an average RPM of 0.08 cents.
In contrast, Think Media earned $110,107.59 from long-form content in the last 90 days, with an average RPM of 8.15 cents.
According to Business Insider, YouTubers earn between 4 to 6 cents per 1000 views on shorts.
James SEO, with 650,000 subscribers, earned $1,455 from 32.4 million views on shorts.
Sawyer, with 3.3 million subscribers, earned $4,207 from 115.9 million views on shorts.

"Shorts are a little sketch in terms of how much they pay."

Worldwide Short-Form Video Ad Spending

Short-form video ad spending is estimated to increase from $98 million in 2022 to $225 million by 2028.
The growth of short-form video ad spending is positive for creators, despite the low pay for shorts.

"I think the good news is still to be leaning in in general."

YouTube's Goal for Creators

YouTube is the only platform where creators can produce all forms of content across multiple platforms, formats, screens, and ways to make a living.
Alphabet's goal is to make YouTube the best place for shorts and creators.

"YouTube is the game but, in the short term, shorts are a little sketch in terms of how much they pay."

Shorts and Community

YouTube expects to grow the shorts ecosystem and increase earnings.
Community is the key to building lasting success on YouTube.
Subscribers don't always represent a community.
Shorts creators struggle to build loyal fan bases because shorts don't always translate to community.
At last year's annual Creator economy conference VidCon, some famous short form creators with millions of followers walked around unnoticed or hosted meet and greets where no fans came to see them.
Community is the key to building lasting success on YouTube.
Brands still look at subscribers as a predictor of success despite the changes.
Subscriber count allows creators to inflate prices with brands.
Four metrics that brands care about deeper than subscribers.

"Community is the key to building lasting success on YouTube."

What Brands Look for in Creators

Brands look for four things when hiring content creators.
The first and most important is the average view count, which is a much bigger predictor of effectiveness than subscriber count.
The second is the average sponsored content view count, but it's difficult to show this data if you've never had a brand deal before.
The third is overall engagement, which includes likes, comments, watch time, and audience retention curve.
The fourth is qualitative metrics, such as the quality of the content produced.

"What matters most for influencers, marketer people, agencies that are hiring content creators like you...not as much as views."

Metrics that brands consider when working with content creators

Brands want their product to be highlighted in a positive light when working with content creators.
Content creators need to produce great content that is worth watching to attract brands.
Quality matters to brands because they want their products to be seen in a professional light.
Brands consider four metrics when working with content creators: engagement, reach, conversion, and sentiment.

"Quality matters, in fact, I think brands are probably way more passionate about quality than even what the market demands, because a lot of times they want their product to be seen in a professional light."

Why YouTube subscriber count is an unreliable vanity metric

YouTube subscriber count has become an unreliable vanity metric.
Brands still look at subscribers as a predictor of success, but it is not an effective way to measure the success of a channel.
Four metrics that matter more to brands than subscribers are: engagement, reach, conversion, and sentiment.

"Subscribers are not the metric that matters most when working with brands."

Can old shorts be clipped to improve stats?

Once a video has been uploaded, it cannot be changed.
Remixing one's own shorts is possible, and Nolan has made a video on that subject.

"Once you've uploaded, you can't change it. You can remix your own shorts. Nolan did a video on that, I highly recommend looking that up."

Do live streams help in growing a YouTube channel?

Live streams do not help in growing a YouTube channel, but they can be valuable to the community for connecting and adding value.
Good titles and thumbnails can help with replay views, which can lead to new subscribers.
Live streams may cause a drop in subscribers, but they allow for deeper community engagement.

"I do not think lives help your YouTube channel grow. I think they're about going deeper... This is hopefully that we're trying to go deeper in our community and add really dynamic, um, content value."

Growing and Pivoting Content

To trigger the next version of your YouTube channel, consider growing and pivoting your content.
If you're not growing, broaden your topics and explore nuances of the types of topics you cover.
If you're stuck, consider pivoting your content, but don't deviate too far from your niche.
If you have people watching, engaging, and liking your content, they are doing it for a particular reason.
Be thoughtful about pivoting and changing your content.
Sean's advice: "If something's not working, you should change something."

"Be thoughtful about it, but I wouldn't stay in a rut. If something's not working, you should change something."

Lead Generation

YouTube is an accelerator of know, like, and trust that can make business and sales easier.
Business owners often underestimate the power of YouTube in building relationships, adding value, and building connections.
If you're doing a service, such as being a real estate agent or loan officer, YouTube videos can multiply yourself by allowing you to build relationships, add value, and build connections.

"YouTube is an accelerator of know, like, and trust that honestly makes business and sales easier because you've multiplied yourself by allowing YouTube videos to build relationships, add value, build connections."

Shorts vs. Long-Form Content

If your long-form content is not doing well, but your shorts are doing okay, should you concentrate on shorts?
Keep refining your long-form content and keep leaning into shorts.
Don't abandon long-form content.
It is predicted that there will be a big opportunity as YouTube builds bridges of communication between short-form and long-form content.
Shorts are still young and the algorithm's understanding of viewers and taking a short-form audience to long-form is still in the Wild West.
Experiment with different content format links.
Even if your long-form content is not doing well, stay focused and make your long-form content better.

"I would say you are powerfully positioned to keep doing what you're doing, to stay focused, to make your lungs better, to maybe do some clips, to experiment with different content format links."

Analyzing Channel Stats and Encouragement

Jay's Channel is being analyzed for its content and statistics
Shorts typically get four times more views than long-form content
Jay has 16,000 views on popular shorts and 120 views on long-form content
Vid IQ stats page is used to analyze Jay's content and performance
Jay has grown 155 new subscribers in the last 28 days
Jay has received 59,457 views across all of his content in the last 28 days
Jay's oldest video is three months old, which is understandable since he started the channel three months ago
Comparing oneself to others is the killer of confidence and creativity and the thief of joy
Jay's growth and progress are encouraged

"Comparison is the killer of confidence, the killer of creativity, and the thief of joy."

Working on Long-Form and Short-Form Content

Jay is encouraged to continue his current efforts and to double down on creating both long-form and short-form content
The Google Chief Business Officer states that YouTube is the only destination where creators can produce all forms of content across multiple platforms, screens, and ways of making a living
Community and long-form are important, but shorts are also important
Jay is advised to work harder, double down, and get focused to improve everything
Embracing all forms of content is recommended to grow

"Do both. Work harder. Double down. Get focused. Improve everything. Embrace it all. It's time to grow, my friend."

Growing Your Channel

Progress is progress, even if it's not as fast as you want it to be.
Double down and speed up your progress.
Black Star anime makes video essays and listicles based on anime.
Tips on how to get sales are requested.
No concrete answer is given, but making great content is emphasized.

"Progress is progress, keep it up. Double down speed it up, let's rock."

"You can't make anybody do anything. It's about making great content in different formats and really understanding your audience."

Accountant Contact Information

White Lion Sean asks for accountant contact information.
Think Prime LLC is recommended for taxes, IRS filing, and Secretary of State filing.
A new partner, Prime Strategy Sessions, is also recommended for businesses.
Entitiy setup is discussed to determine which option is relevant.

"I think Prime LLC is the URL. I'm going to drop it in the live chat area."

YouTube as a Multi-Platform

YouTube is a multi-platform, where creators can produce all forms of content across multiple formats and screens with multiple ways of making a living.
Recommendations on the same account varies based on the device used.
The focus is on making great content in different formats and understanding the audience.
Building community is also important.

"YouTube is the only destination where creators can produce all forms of content across multiple formats across multiple screens with multiple ways of making a living."

Improving Content to Get More Views

If you are not getting enough views on your content, but you are getting subscribers, start by improving your content.
Go back and look at your last video uploads and study the audience retention curve.
- Check if the retention curve is hockey stick-like, where viewers click but then immediately drop off.
- If this is the case, something is wrong with the opening, topic or beginning of the video.
Audience retention curve is like the vital sign of a video, so keep studying it and working on improving it.
Quote: "Improve your content"

Channel Views Decreased Suddenly

One question from the audience is about their channel having a sudden decrease in views from hundreds of thousands to just 10,000 views per video.
It is suggested that this could be due to algorithm changes favoring short-form content over long-form content.
Quote: "Like a switch flipped"

Encouragement to Relax and Keep Going

Sometimes, it's important to relax and not worry too much about the numbers.
The audience is encouraged to keep going and to challenge themselves to get better.
It's suggested to do surveys on the community tab to ask about the biggest challenges and struggles.
Also, study the top-performing videos and make part twos.
Remember, success leaves clues, so double down on the topics that are already working.
Quote: "Relax"

Embracing Shorts and Long-Form Content

It is advised to create YouTube shorts in addition to long-form content.
The most solid legacy creators have built their success on community.
Leaning into high-quality long-form content should be prioritized.
Shorts should still be considered, and creators should aim to embrace both formats.
At Think Media, both long-form content and shorts are being made.

"It's both"

Building Community and Lasting Success on YouTube

Community is the key to building lasting success on YouTube.
Content creators should triple down on community.
The audience should be involved by asking for their input.
Personalized questions from the audience can be incorporated into videos.

"Community is the key to building lasting success on YouTube"

Practicing What Is Preached

At Think Media, both long-form content and shorts are being made.
The team uploads around 12 long-form videos and 15 shorts per month.
The focus is on creating both high-quality long-form content and shorts.

"We're doing both" (3391)

Growing and Launching a Business

The speaker is launching an e-bike brand.
A factory representative from China is flying to NYC to meet with them.
The speaker intends to sponsor channels shortly before launch.
The audience is encouraged to reach out if they are interested in being sponsored.

"I'm launching my e-bike brand this summer"

Taking a Year Off from Annual Event

The company has a yearly event that they're taking a break from this year.
Their company theme is "built to last."
The event will come back in the future.

Tips from Business Insider Article

Sean Cannell, the video creator, shares nine tips from a Business Insider article.
He encourages viewers to watch the replay of the video to learn the tips.

Changes in YouTube Algorithm

Despite the importance of subscribers and shorts, there are changes happening on YouTube.
The video creator discusses new developments in podcasting on the platform.
He made a video breaking down the recent news and encourages viewers to watch it.

"Despite subscribers and shorts and all the above, if you haven't seen what's happening on YouTube in regards to podcasting, this is one of the things I'm most excited about."

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