"Overnight Success" Via Viral Video?!
Patience + Persistence = Like + Subscribe
A couple of days ago, I got an email from someone who liked one of our videos and had subscribed to our YouTube channel. Our first “fan” email from YouTube!
It took me a minute to realize our little channel which had ~20 subscribers the last time I had checked suddenly had well over 300. WTF?!? Compared to well-known YouTube channels, that doesn’t sound like much. But to us it’s HUGE.
Turns out YouTube’s algorithm had suddenly started recommending a slideshow I made of vintage photos of gay men in love.
When I first realized this (48 hours ago), the video had ~58K views. As of this morning, it has over 80K. And the channel currently has over 450 subscribers.
Stories of videos going “viral” pre-date YouTube. The earliest viral video I remember is the “Dancing Baby” (set to “Hooked On A Feeling”). The video was so popular it made a guest appearance on Ally McBeal at the time.
Me and the Collide Press Crew had visions of viral video success (and the resulting boost to our shops) when we posted our first promos and videos.
After months of posting regularly, we had a lot of videos and very few views. So we deprioritized the channel, paired down the videos, and only posted what we wanted, when we wanted.
This laissez-faire strategy seems to be working…for us. At the moment anyway.
As we’ve seen on many a platform: Al/Algorithm giveth and Al/Algorithm taketh away.
Behind every "overnight" sensation is a tale of patience and perseverance. And luck.
Lady Luck in our case came in the form of Al, the YouTube algorithm. Results will vary.
Often a fickle beast, a month after the video was posted, Al started recommending this video like some benevolent god. Within days, views begin to climb. Along with comments (after I turned them on) and subscribers too.
As the curator and editor of this particular video, I’ve been in awe as my love letter to gay romance reaches an audience that I had frankly given up hope of ever reaching.
But let's not overlook the backstory—the hours spent collecting photos, choosing music, and experimenting with different editing techniques and tools. Not to mention learning how to use YouTube Studio and everything that goes into making a channel on the platform.
It's easy to label such moments as "overnight success," but the truth is far from it. It's the culmination of hard work, resilience, and a stubborn belief in one's craft.
So, what are my takeaways from this short example of sudden triumph?
First and foremost, never underestimate the power of persistence. Success rarely happens overnight. It's a journey paved with setbacks and challenges.
Secondly, patience is key. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither is a successful YouTube channel.
Lastly, never give up. The next breakthrough might be just around the corner.
Remember: Patience + Persistence = Likes + Subscribes. With a little luck.
So, keep creating, keep believing, and who knows?
Maybe your next video will be the one to light up the internet.
Until then, cya on YouTube…and thanks for reading!
Clint
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