You’re in the middle of starting a YouTube channel. Or you’ve got one and want to make it big.

Got you. Been there. (Started and deleted 5 YouTube channels until one became successful).

You may have already watched countless “how to YouTube” videos telling you to buy gear or use flashy transitions.

But after some years of creating content (and making plenty of mistakes), I’ve learned what seems to move the needle a lot more.

Let me share the stuff that works – no fluff, just practical tips you can use today.

It All Starts Before You Hit Record

Here’s something most people don’t talk about: your video’s success is mostly determined before you even touch your camera.

The first thing I learned was about hooks.

You know that thing TikTok creators do where they grab your attention in the first second?

YouTube isn’t much different.

But here’s the trick: don’t just throw in a clickbait opener. Instead, create what I call a “curiosity loop” – start telling an interesting story, but don’t finish it right away. Humans are weird – we hate not knowing how things end.

And I mean, HATE.

For example, instead of “Today I’m going to show you how to make pasta,” try “I thought I knew how to cook pasta until an Italian chef showed me what I was doing wrong.

The mistake?

It’s probably in your kitchen right now.”

See what I did there?

Keep People Watching

Remember how your English teacher talked about story structure?

(Me neither…)

Turns out that is super relevant for YouTube. But forget what you learned about three-act structures.

On YouTube, you need to think in 15-second chunks.

I learned this the hard way: people’s attention spans are like goldfish on caffeine.

Every 15-20 seconds, you need what pros call a “pattern interrupt.” It’s fancy talk for “change something up.”

Switch camera angles, throw in some B-roll, change your tone, add a funny sound effect – anything to keep viewers on their toes.

We don’t like boring (apparently).

But even more crazy. Something nobody tells you: silence is golden.

Well, strategic silence.

Right before you make an important point, pause for just a beat. It’s like the YouTube equivalent of a drumroll.

Your viewers’ brains will automatically perk up, wondering what’s coming next.

The Technical Stuff That Actually Matters

Let’s talk tech, but I promise to keep it simple. You don’t need a $4,000 camera.

What you do need is: Good audio. Full stop.

People will watch a slightly blurry video, but they’ll click off instantly if your audio sounds like you’re talking through a drive-thru speaker.

Here’s a cheap but effective trick many successful YouTubers have used: record in your closet (seriously – clothes are great sound dampeners), use any decent USB mic, and get close to it.

Record 30 seconds of silence in your room too – this “room tone” is golden for editing out mistakes later.

For video, here’s a mind-blowing trick: film in 60fps even if you’re uploading in 30fps.

Why?

Because if you need to zoom in on something in editing, or slow something down, your footage will still look smooth.

Always anticipate mistakes.

Where the Magic Really Happens

Now, this is where most people overcomplicate things.

Editing.

You don’t need fancy transitions or effects.

Instead, focus on these things:

The Wave Theory: Structure your video like a wave – alternate between high-energy and chill moments. If you’re high energy all the time, people get exhausted. Too chill, and they fall asleep. Think of it like a conversation with a friend – natural ups and downs.

Here’s a weird trick that works: slightly increase the volume just before and after important points. Your viewers won’t consciously notice, but their brains will pay more attention.

Sneaky? Maybe. Effective? Absolutely.

And please, for the love of all things YouTube, use “J-cuts” and “L-cuts.” That’s just fancy editor talk for letting the audio of your next clip start playing before the video cuts to it (J-cut) or letting the audio from your previous clip continue playing into the next scene (L-cut).

It makes your videos feel more professional, and viewers can’t even tell why.

The Most Underrated Skill

Hot take: your thumbnail is more important than your actual video.

It hurts to hear that. But it’s true. It’s sort of the equivalent of a great headline in writing. Nobody will read further if the headline sucks. Same for the video thumbnail (more so than the video title!).

Here’s what I’ve learned works consistently:

• Use colors that pop against YouTube’s white background (bright blues and oranges work great)
• Put any text on the right side of the thumbnail (the timestamp won’t cover it up)
• Make your thumbnails at 4K resolution, then scale them down (they look sharper than making them at regular size)

But here’s the real secret: test your thumbnails at phone size.

That’s how most people will see them. If it’s not clear on your phone, it’s not going to work.

The Psychology Stuff That Sounds Fake But Works

Let’s get a bit weird for a minute.

There’s this thing called the Zeigarnik Effect – basically, people remember unfinished tasks better than finished ones.

You can use this by starting stories or explanations in one video and finishing them in another. Your viewers’ brains will literally bug them to come back and finish watching.

Also, ever notice how you remember the peak moment of an experience and how it ended more than anything else?

That’s called the Peak-End Rule.

Use it by putting your best content about 70% of the way through the video and ending with something memorable.

Could be a joke, a plot twist, or even a cliffhanger for your next video.

The Stuff Nobody Talks About

Analytics are boring.

But they’re like a cheat code for YouTube.

Important: Don’t just look at views and likes. Pay attention to “relative audience retention” – how your video performs compared to similar videos on YouTube. That’s the real measure of whether your content is working.

Also, “returning viewers” percentage is gold.

If people come back to watch more of your videos, you’re doing something right. Focus on that number more than subscriber count.

The Bottom Line

Making great YouTube videos isn’t about having the best camera or the fanciest effects (or about being good-looking… although that might actually help. Can’t test that one with my face, though).

It’s about understanding how people watch videos and giving them a reason to stick around.

YouTube is basically just storytelling with a fancy wrapper.

Focus on telling good stories, keep people curious, and don’t overthink the technical stuff. The platform rewards authenticity more than perfection. Most platforms will.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go film in my closet. For the audio quality, of course.