Having a YouTube channel is a must for any artist, but there’s little point to it if no one’s watching. Here troubadour and live-streamer Nate Maingard shares with readers how he managed to grow his channel from zero to 5,000 subscribers.
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Guest post by Nate Maingard on the TuneCore Blog
[Editors Note: This article is written by Nate Maingard. Nate is a modern troubadour and live-streamer. He’s been on the music scene since 1998 and right now he is in the top 50 musicians on Patreon. He is a guest lecturer at SAE, Ovation Award Winner and Gold VIP live-streamer on Periscope. This article is part of our collaboration with MusicpreneurHub.com – a platform providing answers to questions from music industry professionals.]
This may not be what you expect. I’m no YouTube superstar, with millions of views and professionally produced content. I’m just a simple human sharing the things I love…and I’ve been blessed to come to know a wonderful online community of people who enjoy what I share. And so, here’s how I grew my YouTube subscribers from 0 to 5,000!
Be Consistent
It took me a long time to learn this simple lesson, but the truth is that every single successful person I’ve heard talk about success says the same thing: BE CONSISTENT!
Just. Keep. Creating.
One of the ways I do this is to release a new video on the same day every week. I’ll be the first to admit I still don’t get this right a lot of the time, but when I get in the flow of it, this brings me so much stability, and is great for my subscribers too!
Consistency also helps me with ‘imposter syndrome,’ or, the feeling that I’m a fake and should just give up because I don’t really matter and my art sucks anyway, (not sure if you ever feel that, many artists do).
Anyway, creating on a regular timeline means I’m generally too focused on what I’m doing next to worry about whether or not people are going to love what I’ve already done! It keeps me passionate, forward-looking and motivated – which are great alternatives to ‘depressed in bed binge watching Netflix while I think about how much more I should be doing with my life’.
Every Person Matters
Social media has a tendency to get us so focused on the big numbers: how many million subs, watches, likes, comments, etc. – but you’ve got to remember that each interaction is coming from a real, unique, beautiful human being! Someone has taken time out of their own busy, complex existence to connect with your creations. This is HUGE!
I do my best to respond to every single comment with thoughtfulness and gratitude. I thank people for sharing my creations on Twitter when they tag me. I respond to emails from people who have been positively impacted by my art. I message every new patron to give a personal ‘Welcome’. Yes, these things take a lot of time and YES IT IS WORTH IT!
We are all individuals, we all want to be seen and heard. Be grateful to those who take the time to connect with your work, and they will reward you by sharing more of their precious presence with you.
Make Beautiful Things
I don’t know what beauty is to you, and I’m not here to tell you what it should be.
All I know is that the world needs more people sharing their perceptions of beauty with the world. The most important thing is that you create what you believe in, what you are passionate about, what makes your heart race and your eyes light up. THAT is what I want to know about from you!
If you are authentic about what you share, that will resonate with other people like you out there in the world. These are the people who will become your tribe, your foundation, your support.
Be prepared to suck when you begin, everyone does. There’s an amazing talk by Ira Glass about this, I highly recommend you watch it.
Ask For Support
How do people know how to help you if you don’t tell them?
Be sure to ask your audience to subscribe, to comment, to share!
Ask for their opinions, and listen to their responses. Make them a part of your journey from the beginning and you won’t have to do it alone, you’ll have a whole community of collaborators excited to be a part of your journey!
These are the people who will celebrate your successes, and support you in your failures. All it requires is for you to be open, honest and authentic with them.
In Closing
Be consistent, treat people with care, make beautiful things and ask for support!
These are the approaches and attitudes I have found to serve me in my own journey, and I’d love to hear if they help you on yours in the comment section.
Wishing you well on the road, and I look forward to seeing what your heart brings into this world.