🧵 Following your passion on YouTube is a huge mistake. YouTube...
Abu (YouTube Strategist)@NotNotAbu2
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Sep 18, 2025
~3 min read
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🧵 Following your passion on YouTube is a huge mistake.
YouTube doesn't care about what you want, you must do what YouTube wants, or else you'll fail.
Here's why: (thread)
YouTube doesn't care about what you want, you must do what YouTube wants, or else you'll fail.
Here's why: (thread)
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You've probably been told “just follow your passion, and success will follow”. But on YouTube, that's a terrible advice to follow.
YouTube isn’t looking for what excites you, it’s looking for what it can reliably recommend to viewers to keep them on the platform the longest.
If your passion project doesn't match that criteria, your video will flop no matter how much time or love you put into it.
YouTube isn’t looking for what excites you, it’s looking for what it can reliably recommend to viewers to keep them on the platform the longest.
If your passion project doesn't match that criteria, your video will flop no matter how much time or love you put into it.
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Think about YouTube’s business model. It makes money by keeping viewers on the platform as long as possible, serving as many ads as possible. That means it favors channels and videos that can do that.
A channel that is consistently able to hold a large group of people on YouTube for a long time will always be favored by YouTube over your passion project that no one cares about except you.
A channel that is consistently able to hold a large group of people on YouTube for a long time will always be favored by YouTube over your passion project that no one cares about except you.
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Passion projects often equal random experiments and videos. You might suddenly post a deeply personal story, or dive into a niche you’ve always loved but never posted before. It feels freeing for you, but confusing for viewers.
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Instead of making videos on what you're passionate about, focus on what is already working and replicate it.
Of course you can start with picking a general niche that interests you, like politics, but don't make videos covering only the topics you're interested in but are not relevant right now, that's not going to get you anywhere.
Of course you can start with picking a general niche that interests you, like politics, but don't make videos covering only the topics you're interested in but are not relevant right now, that's not going to get you anywhere.
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So here's how you can run a successful YouTube channel without compromising on your passion too much:
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Method 1: Define Your Channel Promise
A channel promise is the single, repeatable reason viewers subscribe. Here's how to do it:
Sit down and write: “When someone watches my channel, they always get ______”. Fill in the blank with something specific, don't be vague. For example: “They always get no-fluff breakdowns of money-making strategies”, or “They always get extreme science experiments that escalate in ridiculous ways". Be as specific as possible.
The common mistake here is creators think their promise is “value” or “entertainment”. That’s too broad, your promise should describe the exact experience your channel delivers. A viewer should know what they’ll get before they click.
A channel promise is the single, repeatable reason viewers subscribe. Here's how to do it:
Sit down and write: “When someone watches my channel, they always get ______”. Fill in the blank with something specific, don't be vague. For example: “They always get no-fluff breakdowns of money-making strategies”, or “They always get extreme science experiments that escalate in ridiculous ways". Be as specific as possible.
The common mistake here is creators think their promise is “value” or “entertainment”. That’s too broad, your promise should describe the exact experience your channel delivers. A viewer should know what they’ll get before they click.
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Method 2: Identify 3–5 Content Pillars
Content Pillars is what all your videos revolve around, they're basically the identity of your channel.
If you are running a channel already, content pillars are extremely easy to identify, here's how:
1. Create a list of all your videos
2. Sort them from best performing
3. Identify the 3-5 common patterns between all top performing videos
Those common patterns become your content pillars and channel's identity.
Content Pillars is what all your videos revolve around, they're basically the identity of your channel.
If you are running a channel already, content pillars are extremely easy to identify, here's how:
1. Create a list of all your videos
2. Sort them from best performing
3. Identify the 3-5 common patterns between all top performing videos
Those common patterns become your content pillars and channel's identity.
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Method 3: Audit Audience Alignment
Your audience decides your success and whether your grow or not, so you must satisfy them.
Once again, super easy to do if you're already running a channel.
Open Analytics → Audience → “Other videos your audience watches”. This list tells you exactly how YouTube perceives your channel. If you’re a finance creator but your viewers overlap with prank videos, you’re most likely attracting the wrong people. To fix this, re-align packaging and topics until you sit alongside the right videos.
Your audience decides your success and whether your grow or not, so you must satisfy them.
Once again, super easy to do if you're already running a channel.
Open Analytics → Audience → “Other videos your audience watches”. This list tells you exactly how YouTube perceives your channel. If you’re a finance creator but your viewers overlap with prank videos, you’re most likely attracting the wrong people. To fix this, re-align packaging and topics until you sit alongside the right videos.
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Method 4: Create an Identity Style Guide
Having an identity style will basically make sure all your videos are branded as yours.
Create a document that includes:
> Title formulas you’ll stick to
> Tone of voice (serious, playful, educational)
> Thumbnail design rules (fonts, layouts, colors)
> Audience reminder (your one-sentence viewer description)
Review this before every upload to stay consistent.
Having an identity style will basically make sure all your videos are branded as yours.
Create a document that includes:
> Title formulas you’ll stick to
> Tone of voice (serious, playful, educational)
> Thumbnail design rules (fonts, layouts, colors)
> Audience reminder (your one-sentence viewer description)
Review this before every upload to stay consistent.
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TL;DR: Passion uploads flop because YouTube doesn’t care how much you love your work, it only cares whether or not it can recommend you with confidence, and predictability builds that confidence. Define your channel promise, stick to 3–5 content pillars, package consistently and align your videos to your audience.
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PS: I regularly give YouTube sauce exclusively to my newsletter. If you want more secret sauce, click here:
advancedyoutube.com
advancedyoutube.com
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If you found this helpful:
1. Follow @NotNotAbu2
2. Like/retweet the 1st post
1. Follow @NotNotAbu2
2. Like/retweet the 1st post