What I Learned From My First Month Growing a YouTube Channel

Something a little different today, I’ve expanded my content empire 😀 to YouTube!

A month ago, I set out on a little experiment, grow a YouTube channel from scratch and get it monetised.

I wasn’t starting completely from zero, the channel had been sitting around since 2020 with a handful of random videos and 109 subscribers. But in terms of making it an active, focused channel? Fresh start.

So, how did it go?

What worked? What didn’t? And what are the biggest lessons from month one?

Let’s dive in.

The Numbers So Far

I kicked things off at the end of January. By the end of February, here’s what had happened.

• 31,000 views
• 1,500 hours of watch time
• 392 new subscribers (bringing the total to 526)

Not bad for month one.

I’m halfway to the 1,000 subscribers needed for monetisation and making solid progress toward the 4,000 watch hours required.

Want to see all the stats?

What Worked (and What I’ll Double Down On)

1. Testing Thumbnails Is Essential

I ran A/B tests on thumbnails, and the results were interesting.

Some styles outperformed others. One test showed a 57% vs. 42% click-through rate split—small difference, but over time, that compounds.

Now, I create a couple of versions, test them, and select and repurpose the winner.

2. Timing  The Upload Matters 

Early on, I was uploading videos whenever they were ready.

There might be a better way!

YouTube tells you when your audience is online, so I started scheduling uploads to go live when most of my viewers were active.

There was a huge difference. (it might have been luck, but it’s worth testing )

One video posted during peak hours got 4x more views than another similar one that went live at a dead time.

3. Double Down on What Works

One of my best-performing videos was about underrated weapons in Fallout 76. Instead of guessing what to make next, I leaned into it and recorded a follow-up video with a similar topic and format. If something works, don’t overthink it.

Do it again.

What Didn’t Work (and What I’m Changing)

1. Uploading Too Many Videos Kills Momentum

This was my biggest mistake.

I saw an uptick in views, got excited, and started pumping out content daily.

Instead of growth, my views dropped.

It seems that YouTube isn’t about quantity ,it’s about consistency.

Posting every 2-3 days seems to be the sweet spot.

More than that, and the algorithm doesn’t seem to give each video enough time to get traction.

2. Ignoring Watch Time in Favor of Views

At first, I focused on getting more views. But watch time is the real game.

One high-retention video is worth way more than three that people click on and bounce from.

Now, I’m optimising for engagement—keeping intros tight, cutting fluff, and making sure every second of the video matters.

The Plan for Month Two

• Keep testing thumbnails. The right one can be the difference between a hit and a dud.
• Stick to 2-3 uploads per week. No more content dumps.
• Focus on watch time. Higher engagement = better ranking = more organic growth.
• Double down on winning topics. Find what’s working and make more of it.

So that’s where things stand.

The goal is still clear,  get monetised as soon as possible.

Based on the numbers, I think I can hit that milestone by April or May. We’ll see.

Check back in next month with another update.

Until then, if you’re building your own YouTube channel, here’s my advice:

Test everything, follow the data, and don’t burn yourself out.