0 to 100K Subscribers
A detailed analysis of a software tutorial channel's growth journey from launch to 100,000 subscribers over 24 months.
Content Strategy
Format Breakdown
- Primary: In-depth software tutorials (10-20 minutes)
- Secondary: Quick tips (3-5 minutes)
- Shorts: Tutorial teasers and quick hacks (60 seconds)
- Frequency: 3 long-form + 3 Shorts per week
Key Success Factor
Solve specific problems viewers search for
Growth Timeline
Focus: Finding niche, establishing content style, building initial library
Action: Published 30 videos, tested 5 different formats
Focus: Doubling down on best-performing format
Action: Tutorials became clear winner—shifted 80% to tutorials
Focus: SEO optimization, consistent upload schedule
Action: Started 3x/week schedule, added timestamps to all videos
Focus: Collaborations, Shorts for discovery
Action: 10 collaborations, launched Shorts to drive traffic to main content
Focus: Community building, evergreen content library
Action: Launched membership, created content calendar for 6 months ahead
Key Lessons Learned
Niche Focus Was Critical
The channel started with broad tech content but found success specifically with software tutorials. Focusing exclusively on this sub-niche accelerated growth dramatically.
Consistency Over Intensity
3 videos per week every week for 2 years. Never missed a scheduled upload. This built audience trust and algorithm familiarity.
Shorts Drove Discovery
YouTube Shorts brought in 40% of new subscribers. The strategy was simple: create 2-3 Shorts weekly teasing long-form content, driving viewers back to the main channel.
Evergreen Content Compounds
Tutorials published 2 years ago still get daily views. The channel focused on "how to" content that remains valuable long after publication.
Community Before Monetization
Started Discord server at 1K subscribers, engaged daily. By 10K subs, had a community that watched every video regardless of topic.
Traffic Sources Breakdown
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