This Unknown YouTuber Gained 1 Million Subscribers in 6 Months

Summary

Matthew Beam's meteoric rise to YouTube fame is chronicled in this video, detailing his innovative three-step strategy that catapulted him to over a million subscribers in just six months. The strategy includes 'Train Jacking 2.0' for leveraging trends, captivating new viewers with engaging content and pacing, and mastering thumbnail design to boost click-through rates. The video also touches on Beam's collaborations with major YouTubers and his knack for creating viral content that keeps viewers hooked.

Takeaways

• 🚀 Matthew Beam's channel experienced explosive growth from virtually no subscribers to over one million in just six months.
• 🔍 His success is attributed to a self-devised three-step strategy that he claimed would change YouTube forever.
• 🎯 The first step, 'The Attention Hack', involves a refined form of train jacking, leveraging trends and other YouTubers' content to attract viewers.
• 📺 He targets the right viewer demographic by ensuring his videos appeal to a common young male audience, similar to the YouTubers he interacts with.
• 🤝 Matthew turns train jacking into collaborations, offering mutual benefits and leveraging the timing of his videos to capitalize on current trends.
• 🕒 The importance of upload timing is emphasized, with videos released around significant events or peak trends to maximize visibility.
• 🔄 His video series is designed to be repeatable, allowing him to maintain momentum and continue the trend-jacking strategy effectively.
• 🧠 The视频中即便去掉趋势元素，内容本身也具有吸引力，显示了他将趋势与病毒式创意结合的能力。
• 📈 'Capturing the New Viewer' is the second step, focusing on retaining viewers through tactics like creating tension, using audience proxies, and maintaining a fast pace.
• ⏰ Matthew's intro strategy is crucial, with a formula that includes a one-liner, explanation of the video concept, a personal motivation, and the establishment of an enemy or challenge.
• 🖼️ The third step, 'Becoming a Thumbnail Genius', highlights the significance of thumbnail design in capturing clicks and conveying the video's story.
• 🎨 Matthew's thumbnails are vibrant, uncluttered, and often feature action to make stationary objects appear dynamic, emphasizing scale and impressing viewers.

Q & A

What strategy did Matthew Beam use to grow his YouTube channel rapidly?

Matthew Beam used a three-step strategy, starting with the 'attention hack,' which involved trend jacking or leveraging trends and popular YouTubers as topics for his videos. He then focused on capturing the new viewer by maintaining high engagement, and finally, he mastered the art of thumbnail creation to make his content more clickable.

What is 'trend jacking' and how did Matthew Beam improve it?

Trend jacking is the technique of making videos based on trending topics or popular creators to attract their audience. Matthew Beam improved this concept by turning trend jacking into collaborations with larger creators, thus making it more valuable and strategic for both parties involved.

How does Matthew Beam ensure that his videos attract the right audience?

Matthew Beam focuses on trends that appeal to his target audience of young males. He ensures the topics he covers, even though diverse, are aligned with the interests of this demographic to keep the content relevant and engaging.

What are the key elements of Matthew Beam's video intros?

Matthew's intros follow a three-piece formula: 1) a one-liner that explains the concept of the video, 2) a personal story that gives motivation and context, and 3) the creation of an enemy or challenge that he must overcome, such as a snowstorm or tight deadline.

What is an 'audience proxy,' and how does Matthew use it in his videos?

An audience proxy is when Matthew's friends and family express concerns or doubts that the audience might also be thinking. This adds tension to the video and keeps the audience engaged by voicing their thoughts through relatable characters.

What editing techniques does Matthew Beam use to maintain engagement in his videos?

Matthew uses fast-paced editing, with an average of 1 cut every 1.1 seconds, frequent aerial b-rolls, and voice-overs to keep the video dynamic. He also includes moments of failure or setbacks every two minutes to create tension and uncertainty.

How important are thumbnails to Matthew Beam's success, and what makes them effective?

Thumbnails are critical to Matthew's success, and he focuses on both concept and editing. He uses bright colors, simple designs that emphasize the most clickable elements, and dynamic visuals that portray action or tension to draw in viewers.

How does Matthew Beam create 'action' in his thumbnails?

Matthew creates a sense of action in his thumbnails by positioning objects and characters in ways that suggest movement or tension, such as showing something about to fall or being held up precariously.

How did Matthew Beam adapt his strategy over time to improve his growth?

Initially, Matthew focused on copying the style of his favorite creators without much success. Eventually, he shifted to a more strategic approach by using trends, optimizing thumbnails, and improving his intros and engagement tactics, which led to his rapid growth.

What role does collaboration play in Matthew Beam's strategy?

Collaboration is a key part of Matthew's strategy. He approaches larger creators by offering value through his videos, such as free promotion for their brands. This not only helps his videos gain traction but also strengthens his connections within the YouTube community.