The 3 Biggest YouTube Mistakes I Made—And How You Can Avoid Them

I thought I was doing everything right on YouTube. I followed the advice, stayed consistent, and put in the work. But guess what? It still wasn’t working.

If you’re trying to grow your audience, you might be making these same mistakes—and they can cost you views, engagement, and real growth on your channel.

Let me save you some frustration. Here are the three biggest YouTube mistakes I made so you don’t have to.

🎥 Want the full breakdown? Watch my video here: 👇👇👇

Mistake #1: Relying Too Much on YouTube Shorts

Shorts are fun. They’re quick. And let’s be real—they get views.

Some of my shorts even hit a few thousand views. But here’s the problem:

🚨 Views don’t equal subscribers.🚨 Subscribers don’t equal engagement.🚨 Engagement is what actually grows your channel.

I was posting random shorts that got attention but weren’t converting into loyal viewers for my long-form content. And without long-form engagement, my channel wasn’t growing.

The Fix? Shorts With a Strategy

Instead of treating Shorts as my whole strategy, I’m now using them as a funnel to my long-form content.

✅ Shorts pose the problem.✅ Long-form videos deliver the solution.✅ Shorts link directly to the full video.

This way, Shorts become a tool to guide viewers to my deeper, more valuable content—not just a collection of viral clips that lead nowhere.

Mistake #2: Thinking Subscribers = Viewers

For some reason, I assumed that having 7,000 subscribers meant YouTube would push my videos to them automatically.

📉 Wrong.

When I checked my analytics, I found out 90% of my views come from people who AREN’T subscribed. That means:

❌ YouTube isn’t recommending my videos to my subscribers.❌ Subscribers don’t automatically translate into engagement.❌ Without engagement, my videos weren’t being pushed to new audiences.

The Fix? Resetting the Algorithm

I need real engagement to tell YouTube who my actual audience is. So, I’m doing something simple but powerful:

🛑 I’m asking for comments—right now.

Drop a comment below. Even a simple 🔥 emoji helps.

This tells the algorithm:✔ People are engaging with this content.✔ This video is worth recommending.✔ The channel is active, and the audience is real.

If you’re reading this, help me test it—comment below and let’s reset the algorithm together.

Mistake #3: Ignoring Long-Form Content

Shorts are easy. Shorts are fun. Shorts are not enough.

While I was cranking out Shorts, I wasn’t posting long, in-depth videos—and my watch time was suffering. Since watch time is one of the biggest ranking factors on YouTube, I was hurting my own growth by not prioritizing full-length content.

The Fix? Weekly Deep-Dive Videos

Starting now, I’m committing to one high-quality, long-form video per week.

If you want real, actionable tips on:

✔ Interpersonal communication

✔ Empathy & influence

✔ Leadership development

…then this is the place for you.

So, What’s Next?

I’m in full reset mode. Over the next 90 days, I’m restructuring my content strategy and doubling down on real engagement and long-form growth.

Now, I need YOUR help.

💬 Comment below—have YOU made any of these mistakes?👍 Like this post to help boost visibility.📢 Watch the full video here: 

Let’s rebuild this channel—together.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced while trying to grow on YouTube? Drop a comment below—I’d love to hear your experience!

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Disclaimer

The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author and do not represent any other individual, organization, or company. This content is intended for general knowledge and to highlight tools, techniques, and ideas that inspire positive change. Readers are encouraged to explore the topics further and form their own conclusions.