If I Started a YouTube Channel in 2024, I'd Do This

If I Started a YouTube Channel in 2024, I'd Do This

Author

Arnulfur Hakonarson
September 26, 2024

đź‘‹ Hey everyone,

It’s been a minute! I’ve been busy up here in northern Sweden—building a studio and living that dad life :).

BUT, what (epic) things are we talking about today?

Well, it’s how I’d get my first 10k subscribers on YouTube if I were starting all over again from scratch.

Ready? Let’s dive in. 👇

🚀 Getting Started

In my 8 years on YouTube, I’ve grown my channel to over 200k subs, and I’m more than happy to share how I did it.

I run an info-based channel where I teach stuff, so if that’s your thing (or you want it to be), you’re in luck.

First and foremost, when you’re starting fresh, no one—and I mean no one—knows who you are or gives a flying fuuk about you.

So, vlogs or content about your life won’t work because no one cares. :(

🔍 Create What People Are Searching For

But here’s the good news: we can use that to our advantage.

How, you ask?

Simple—create content people are searching for. That’s exactly what I did and what I’d do again if I were starting from scratch today.

When I started, I made short tutorials on everything I could think of—small, simple topics like how to save presets in Lightroom or how to set up my Sony A6300 for timelapse.

I reviewed every piece of gear I had. People love gear reviews. Even if you don’t own a ton of gear, talk about what you’ve got.

I can’t even count how many videos I made on the Sony A6400—setting it up for photography, filmmaking, timelapse, street photography...you get the idea.

🔄 Why This Matters More Than Viral Hits

This isn’t sexy flashy content, but it’s what people are searching for. Create a lot of it, and you’ll gain momentum.

The foundation of my channel is simple, straightforward tutorials.

This summer, I took my first real break since I started. I uploaded only two videos, and yet I was still pulling in over 500k views/month.

Not because those two videos did well—they flopped.

It’s because I’ve got hundreds of tutorials and gear reviews that people are still searching for and watching every day.

In a world where everyone is chasing viral, MrBeast-type content, doing the opposite might actually be a better strategy.

đź“– The Ultimate Tool

Breaking out on YouTube with viral hits is nearly impossible.

But building a library of content that people are actively looking for will eventually grow an audience that’s into you and your message.

Once you’ve got that, you can start creating content that’s less SEO-focused and more about you—and maybe even aim for those viral hits.

That’s the short version of what I did. Of course, there’s a lot more to it, but this is the foundation.

Consistency is key, and the biggest weapon of them all—storytelling.

If you can master storytelling on social media, then my friend, you’re basically unstoppable, in my opinion ofc.

But let’s save that for a future issue :).

Hope this helped! Feel free to reach out, and I’ll catch you all in the next email.

Best,
ArnĂşlfur

🤝 Let me help you create better content!