Building a successful YouTube channel is no easy feat, but for Tayo, a Nigerian YouTuber with over 760k subscribers, it’s been a journey filled with valuable lessons and insights. Here are twelve key insights he shared from his experience of building a thriving YouTube channel:

1. Fall in Love with Making Videos: Tayo emphasizes the importance of passion for creating content. You have to fall in love with making videos (Filming, editing, scripting, research, etc.). This is the most crucial tip; everything falls in line after this. Loving the process is crucial for long-term success.
2. Watch and Learn: Don’t stop watching YouTube videos of other YouTubers within your niche. Watch many YouTube videos in the categories you try to get into. By watching and learning from others, you can gain valuable insights and refine your own content creation skills. 
3. Don’t Rely Solely on Friends and Family: Your friends and family won’t support you. (Don’t take it too personally). Focus on creating content that resonates with a broader audience. Your litmus test is when strangers start to love your work.
4. Focus on Value Creation: Instead of chasing money, prioritize creating value for your audience. When you provide genuine value, monetization opportunities will naturally follow.
5. The First 10,000 Subscribers Are the Hardest: Building momentum can be challenging, but persistence is key. The initial phase of growth requires patience and perseverance.
6. Patience is Essential: Building anything on the internet takes time, and Building a successful YouTube channel takes time. If you’re not willing to be patient, this may not be the right path for you. Patience is vital.
7. Quantity First, Quality Later: In the early stages, focus on producing content consistently. As you gain experience and grow your audience, you can shift your focus to improving the quality of your videos.
   Quantity helps you build skill and find your audience; quality enables you to build a brand and get more views per video.
8. Nail Your Thumbnail and Title: A great thumbnail/title can be the difference between 50K views and 5 Million views; how you package your video is super important.
   Packaging your content effectively is crucial for attracting viewers. Invest time in creating eye-catching thumbnails and compelling titles.
9. Find Your Niche: Identify the intersection between your passions and audience interests. If you need help with what to make, find an intersection between what you love doing and what an audience wants. A great way to do this is by making content about 3-5 different areas you are interested in and focusing on the ones that pop off. Experiment with different content until you discover what resonates best with your viewers. For Tayo, it was real estate, travel, and business stories.
10. Start from Your Surroundings: If you want to make travel content, start from your surroundings. Showcase unique aspects of your area before expanding to broader destinations.
    Tayo began with Lagos and scaled to Nigeria, Africa, and now the world.
11. Understand Your Why: We all want to make money, but having that as the only reason behind why you do what you do might lead to quitting before you even begin. Determine your motivation for creating videos beyond just making money. Having a clear purpose will sustain you through the challenges of content creation.
    Tayo recommends a book for this purpose “Start with Why” by Simon Sinek.
12. Embrace Your Uniqueness: Differentiate yourself from other creators by leaning into what makes you unique. Authenticity and originality will help your content stand out in a crowded space.

In conclusion, building a successful YouTube channel requires dedication, creativity, and a willingness to learn from both successes and failures. By following these twelve lessons from Tayo, aspiring YouTubers can navigate their journey toward success with greater clarity and confidence.

About Tayo Aina

Tayo is a Nigerian YouTuber who has been creating content for several years.

He boasts over 760k subscribers on his YouTube channel, making him one of the most popular Nigerian YouTubers.

He’s actively involved in sharing tips and advice for aspiring YouTubers, His content mainly revolves around travel, tourism, and exploring beautiful places around the world. He also shares stories about the Nigerian experience as an immigrant in the UK and his interactions with border patrol in different countries.

Want to learn more about Tayo? There’s no better way than surfing his YouTube channel

• YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TayoAinaFilms
• News Article: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G-3TKq2JysM