Week 7: YouTube Monetization Journey | Growing with Gen X: Tips, Updates, and Viewer Q&A

Welcome back to my channel where I help Gen Xers and beyond grow a KZbin channel. This week, I'm sharing an update on my KZbin monetization journey, now in week seven. Despite not being monetized yet, I'm getting closer and learning so much along the way. In this video, I discuss my new summer routine with the kids at home, respond to your valuable feedback, and share some exciting updates on the content I've been creating, including tutorials and trend-hopping videos. I also dive into common questions about video editing tools, optimizing your channel for growth, and the importance of community engagement. Watch till the end for some practical tips on using end cards and cards to boost your channel's visibility and viewer retention. Don't forget to leave your questions and feedback in the comments or on the community tab. Let's grow together!
Join the Content Creator Boost Tribe - Great for individuals trying to grow a channel on youtube. Click here to join: mailchi.mp/6895a2633c7f/youtube-email-collection
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1k Subs Free Challenge (with my teacher Sean Cannell)
thinkmedia.samcart.com/referral/Zr60vU6q/6KITZUF0cCJJXQ0i
Video Chapters
0:00 Introduction
0:37 Feedback
2:04 Questions from the Week
5:00 How I will be uploading tutorials for you ASAP
6:30 Tips for channel growth - stuck channel with no growth
8:25 The importance of end cards and cards in videos
12:13 How to rescheduled videos
12:30 Weekly Stats
18:00 Tips on endcards
Thank you for watching! Don't forget to subscribe if you enjoy the content. xoxo

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

How is your journey going? Share your wins and more below! xoxo

[@Rightwave2]

is good, Teacher

[@leahdisher]

Hey!! Going good, this is my 3rd week. Biggest thing I’m trying to implement is improving each time I upload whether lighting, sound, quality of content etc. The expectation for myself is a short a day and 2 videos a week so my job is to show up and eventually the algorithm will find my people ❤

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

@@Rightwave2 great to hear! Keep going!

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

@@leahdisher That's awesome. I've heard in many places that a short a day will create rapid growth, so go for it. That's incredible that you can get that much done - dive in strong. Awesome and best of luck to you!!! xoxo Thank you for watching.

[@Mothercluckerschickenfarm]

I am going into my 6 month over 600 subscribers, my niche is small so I am happy with the slow steady climb. What type of microphone do you use? I am looking for one also.❤

[@IlNarratores]

If y'all are reading this, I hope your channel grows in 2024! DONT GIVE UP!

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

Love it! Let's go, go, grow!

[@simplegodlylivinghomestead]

Such A Beautiful, Encouraging, Inspiring and Motivating Comment ❤🙏🏼💯 Love It! 🥰

[@Teacher_Tangents]

I really like your tip about using cards!! I never thought about how important they can be. I also love your idea about the private videos to answer quick questions rather that waiting to make a high quality KZbin video weeks later.

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

Thanks! The only thing with private or unlisted is they won't add to your watch time hours, but they will like you said help people faster and can be uploaded quicker. xoxo Thank you for watching!

[@vmaeallday]

You are so generous! Thank you. I’ve been watching tutorials for over a month now and no one has mentioned these cards to drive traffic.

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

oh wow! I am really surprised! Well fantastic that you finally learned about them here (woohoo!!!)...they are uber important in my mind! xoxo

[@nailsbykirsttt]

end cards are great! I saw in my analytics that someone found me through a super relevant video from a similar creator and they stayed and watched 80% of the video, proof that they work!

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

wooohoo that's awesome!!! So exciting! Yes, I'm a huge fan of end cards! Thank you for watching and commenting! xoxo

[@AzeemDesigners]

I hope someone reading this become a successful KZbinr.❤

[@trailertrish]

🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 3.5 weeks in and ive got 41 subs and 1.1k views! im feelin good!

[@AzeemDesigners]

@@trailertrish keep it up.

[@BoonieDocks]

Just started my channel! Your one of the smaller channels that showed up in my feed and I love your work, keep going, I think you’ll blow up not a matter of “if” but “when”

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

Owah thank you for the kind words and positive energy! I'm doing my best to make this a full time gig! Let's see what happens. Thank you for watching and commenting. xoxo

[@vectrocomputers]

I like how this channel is presented as"we're in this together" as KZbin creators and we're learning and growing together. It's different than the "guru" channels. Each has value, but in a different way. I like this, though. I'm at 1.3K subs and feel like I'm in the same boat as you.

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

THank you for saying that! I agree we all have something different to offer and we are all in it together! xoxo

[@judeemclaughlin]

I started my channel three weeks ago. I decided to start before I knew what I was doing and learn as I go. One of the decisions I made was to do minimal editing and not invest money until I decide I have the time and actually enjoy it. Natural light and I borrowed a mic while recording on my phone.

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

Excellent, excellent, excellent! That is the way to go just jump in and figure it out as you go. I think that is a great way to do it. Awesome and congrats for jumping into the youtube pool. Best of luck with it! xoxo

[@lifebehindthereels]

Hey thank you so much for this shout out 🙏🏻!! That is so kind of you! I sincerely appreciate the comments and feedback. As I continue to dabble and find my niche, it’s coming to the forefront that stretching as well as combining it with strength training is probably my ticket 🎟️ for this space in helping Gen X’rs. This was inspiring to watch as well as very motivating as you have once again HELPED ME really dial down on my niche. Super grateful and thank you again for posting me on your channel!

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

Yes, I believe in you! You are knowledgeable on the topic and I think you could really help a lot of people AND you seem motivated to do so. So I just wanted to do my part, since you were so kind to answer all my questions about back pain and such. By the way, I chilled out on the pull ups, and even though I can't do as many now not training them so often, my back doesn't hurt anymore...so there is something with pullups that is hurting me. So a break from them it is! Wouldn't have done that without your comment. So you helped ME - thank you! Wishing you the best with your channel! xoxo

[@lifebehindthereels]

@@AlexaSaarenoja appreciate it.. and I think your comment alone on those vids really turned a corner for me in realizing that. Now I just need to prepare better on how to script and record etc. Although it's not that complicated as I could be in a park once again for all I know lol. So pull ups! Yes, I actually overdid it myself one of my training days and that soreness lasted about 4 days. I am now dialing down to twice a week when it comes to pull ups as that is a very compound exercise. I am glad to hear you are doing better! Also congrats on signing with Sean Cannell/Think Media. I almost did too.. but I ended up with Devon Canup (Canup Files). I will be watching our journey closely and supporting. I am going the faceless channel route separate to the LifeBehindTheReels account. But you are absolutely killing it with your growth!

[@HomeAwayTravel]

Keep grinding. It not easy starting and maintaining a KZbin channel.

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

No it's definitely not easy, but is the most fun work I have had in years!!! Wishing you the best with your channel. xoxo

[@ZGamerHQ]

Watching you grow from 500 subs to 2k subs only in a couple of weeks time is mind blowing. Congrats!

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

Yes, I agree. It's insane...I'm trying to keep up with it. Thank you for watching and supporting my channel! I appreciate it deeply! xoxo

[@GetBizzyLLC]

Good tips! I'm also learning a lot more about KZbin and started the end cards a couple months ago.

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

That’s great! Woohoo! 🎉

[@sing-alongmagic]

I love how you're transferring your corporate knowledge and experience to KZbin (GREAT tips). I've been on a break from work for a while, so you've helped to jog my memory on what skills/tips I can share.

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

Fantastic! So nice to hear. Thank you for saying. I appreciate it. :) And best of luck with it!

[@randomstuffwithjoe]

I started a channel a couple of years ago to document the process as I built my log home. I never intended to grow it.. it was more or less to keep a video journal as I built my home. Then I started making random product review videos and some motorcycle videos. Again.. I never intended to get monetized.. it was just videos I thought would be helpful to others. Last summer I realized my subs were nearing 1000 and I had already met the 4000 watch hours.. so i made a push to hit the 1000 subs and get monetized (I found doing "shorts" helped grow subs quickly). That finally happened in mid-December 2023 and I was only making about $40-50 per month for the past 5 months. Then suddenly, a few weeks ago I posted a video that blew up.. and I made over $600 in 3 weeks. Now I'm eager to come up with more content.. as this is definitely a passive income stream with some effort. Anyway.. thx for sharing your experiences. :)

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

Fantastic. What a pleasant bonus for your videos documenting your process! Love it! Thank you for sharing your numbers as well. I have no idea what to really expect with the monetization part once I get there, but I will surely share it. It must be great to have fun and then get a bonus check! Thank you for watching and commenting. Really great to hear your story! Wishing you many more viral videos! xoxo

[@evenrhoden9078]

❤❤🎉🎉🎉

[@howkel]

I'm starting a personal channel and a short film channel with an old friend who is also in the film biz (I'm a commercial storyboard artist). Your videos are helping me with things I didn't know I needed to know. Thanks for sharing what you've learned. -New sub here

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

THank you for watching and for the new sub! I appreciate it. What a cool channel idea, wish you and your friend the best with it! xoxo

[@medusasub]

❤

[@Heathershodgepodge2]

Thanks for all your input as someone who is also trying to increase my subs!!!!! Keep up the good work!

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

Thank you and wishing you lots of subs in the near future!!! xoxo Go go grow!

[@freedompodcast1]

Good luck with the journey Alexa - and I’m sure these videos will help many others out there What I would add from my own recent journey, is that there is no magic formula and no perfect protocols to follow Each channel is unique and different approaches will work on different channels

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

I 100% agree. I think the only thing that does matter is showing up consistently, something is bound to happen after that! Thank you for watching and commenting! xoxo

[@freedompodcast1]

@@AlexaSaarenoja Consistency defo a big factor I’ve been meaning to post a video on my first month on KZbin (June) that I hope will help others starting out I broke a few of the ‘rules’ around Niche and scatter gunned a fair bit - jumping from political health into sport (shorts) and it certainly didn’t slow down growth One thing I would say - my initial thumbnails were AWFUL!! Actually embarrassing! Best of luck!

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

@@freedompodcast1 Great to hear and yes I think it can work many ways on youtube. Niche breaking or niche making...it's all part of the game and glad to hear it is working for you! Woop woop! The thumbnails - those are a bit tricky in my mind...but yep, we keep moving forward! It's really nice to hear your thoughts and experience so thank you again for sharing it! :)

[@LarissaElle]

Keep going!

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

Thank you! :)

[@cordialgreetingsart]

When you finally make some videos public you could make a playlist on certain subjects. Keeps the watch time going, etc.

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

Yes, exactly! I will do that. Great idea! x0x0

[@Natalia_Belen]

im a gen z and im at 22 subs i love your videos

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

Woohoo 22 subs! That's fantastic. Grow, grow, grow! Oh I'm flatter that a gen z would pay attention to me. haha my daughters gen z and well I'm not so cool in her world. haha. You give me hope! xoxo Thank you for watching and it really warms my heart that you enjoyed this video.

[@PaulRansonArt]

Hi Alexa - lights and audio are so much better - Loving to see the progress your making. I have a few more ideas too. Can l drop you a DM as I have a question - Paul 😃😃😎😎

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

Howdy Paul! Oh that's great to hear that it was better. I didn't think the sound was much better, probably too far from the mic, but if you could tell a difference than that's fabulous. Yes of course feel free to connect whenever at [e-mail] Thanks for the advice - I appreciate it! :)

[@annoholics]

You did mention that you wanted constructive criticism so here I go. Of course, it is up to you if you want to do that or not. Get you camera on eye level and place the light(s) somewhat higher so they don't reflect in your glasses. I don't use iMovie but I would be surprised if there is not an option to color grade your video. What you should look for is white balance. If your white balance is on automatic, then it will guess what is actually white in your frame. That is why your skin tone is a bit to yellow. I found the solution within a minute, so I am sure you can do that as well. Great channel and looking forward to your next video.

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

Thank you! I appreciate all this advice and I will try to implement it ASAP! I truly appreciate you taking the time to share your knowledge. Xoxo

[@Australialifevlogs]

good job mate keep going

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

Thank you. Australia...it's on my bucket list of places to live! I bet it's lovely there. Everyone I have ever met from there is so friendly and laid back. But anyway, thank you for watching and commenting. Your channel is all about living in Australia too, how convenient. xoxo

[@robbiejterry7082]

Oh.. this is great... Im gen x.... And have been wanting to start.. omg... I looked at my stuff and its been 3 years.. ugh . I need to upload...

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

Go for it! Revive your channel and have a blast doing it! I was in the same boat, hadn't really uploaded anything in 4 years consistently. Just random stuff here and there....now I'm focused and it's be so fun and invigorating! I wish the same for you! Go, go, grow! Thank you for watching and commenting. I appreciate it! xoxo

[@sharonpearson]

I'm about to film a quick video today and get it up by tonight. Tomorrow I have a vlog to film for next week's video, and a tutorial i need to edit and post.

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

Sounds like you are busy Sharon! Awesome work! xoxo You've definitely got this!

[@_mariochristopher]

Great video! I'll make myself subscriber 767 : )

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

OMG! I didn't even realize you were talking about my channel. haha I was traveling all day yesterday and didn't look at my channel and I just jumped on this morning to comment...I just broke 800 OMG!!! How cool thank you so much for the sub and the kind words about the video. xoxo

[@DanielSmith-lo2rp]

Do you script your videos or go impromptu? I’m so glad YT showed me your channel!

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

I do a bit of both. For the walking videos I have done...those are just I have an idea and talk about it, then edit out any moments where I am rambling too much. The rest I have a script, but I don't read it directly, I use it to remind myself of certain phrases and things I want to say. So I definitely make sure I have clear points I want to make/say befoe I start and then check back with my outline or script to make sure I said everything before I stop recording. Hope this helps! Thank you for the question and watching! xoxo

[@DanielSmith-lo2rp]

@@AlexaSaarenoja thank you very much!

[@richardhyatt-beekeeping]

You left out the cards you were pointing at. Also, I learned recently if your end card is a playlist all that play list shows up on the right side creating an opportunity for viewers to benge watch and get you even more hours.

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

Yes, exactly! Big fan of playlists. :) The cards are in there , but they don't seem to show up on all browsers for some reason. I have noticed this before, I need to look into it. Thank you for letting me know!! xoxo

[@richardhyatt-beekeeping]

@@AlexaSaarenoja My comments were not accepted at first. Now, they are showing up. I'm pretty excited about the progress of my second channel without shorts! Same videos, fewer viewers are getting longer watch time. Guess there are some viewers don't want a mix of shorts. I have another channel I started and stopped again. May focus on KZbin startups and post more often, too. I'd really like to figure out how to monetize a channel fast. Mostly for the fun of it. But also, to reduce production time at some point by, cracking the code.

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

@@richardhyatt-beekeeping Yes, I think that's many people's desire! haha Cracking the code. Some people achieve it quite quickly and others it takes longer. I was reading the other day it takes on average 15.5 months to get monetized. I started another channel as well, but haven't done much with it and it has 5 subs from one video and little to no effort. If I had the time I would do both, but just focusing on the one to master the skills and then test those skills on a second channel. Many people seem to manage multiple channels. I'm just trying to survive parenthood and youtube. haha Best of luck with your new channel and busint the code! Let us know when you figure it out. Oh and glad your comments are working again! Because I love to hear your thoughts and ideas! :)

[@MarketingHasnat]

If your every KZbin video is very demanding and deserves lots of organic results. You need proper on-page and off-page SEO and optimization.I can explain or show you where to update it and how to solve it professionally. Do you know about SEO and how to work it for top search results?

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

Yes, I have been studying SEO quite a bit the past two months. Seems to be working for me and organic growth is happening. Thanks for asking. xoxo

[@Rightwave2]

that is hard work to calculate monetization like you. So i was stay for long youtube in more channel, but i don't have any idea about where i start for my journey to youtuber, So what can you help me Teacher 👨‍💻 🍺

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

Yes, I am working on a free starter kit at the moment...I will definitely let you know when it is done, but basically I would recommend choosing a niche, something you are good at or could teach or something you have overcome in your life or something you love to share that other people have taught, once you find that niche. Look at other channels doing that topic to see if there is a market for it. If you find lots of channels succeeding at that niche with lots of views and subs, then it has potential. Then start brainstorming video ideas, with something you are passionate you will probably have a lot of ideas, if not you could think about that person you were 5 years ago and what they would have needed to make them feel better or get over whatever thing you have overcome. You could also do research on other channels and see what videos they have posted that are working well and make your own version of that video. Then just get out of your phone or camera, record a video and edit it. Load it up to youtube and see how it does. The other thing I have learned is that the first 20--30 videos you post, unless you already know some things about editing and recording are probably going to be "not the best" it's just what starting something new entails. So just get them out there and learn, learn, learn. Then start adding in more things that matter like keywords/tags, better thumbnails, titles that have a hook, improve your sound quality, editing, use scripts, etc. as you evolve. You can't do it all in the beginning, so just start, get something out there. hope this helps! xoxo Thank you for watching and commenting. Plus check out my channel playlist entitled growing a youtube channel. There are a lot of ideas in there as well. kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3XcZJKwerObhcU Best of luck to you!

[@misformellymel]

what courses are you taking?

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

Well I have taken a lot in the past, but currently I am in Sean Cannells Video Ranking Academy. I started through his 1k challenge which here is a link to it if you want. By going in through one of his workshops his courses are offered at a discount and with the one course you get like 5 others included. So much information!! thinkmedia.samcart.com/referral/Zr60vU6q/6KITZUF0cCJJXQ0i Hope it helps! I have also taken Sunny Lenarduzi's course in the past and Marie Forleo's entrepreneur B-school and Amy Porterfield course on how to grow an email list...been taking courses forever. They all feed into my knowledge but Sean Cannell of think media is incredible in my opinion and his techniques work! xoxo Best of luck to you.

[@richardhyatt-beekeeping]

You left out a couple cards.

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

They are added in there actually, but I think it seems to depend on which browser you are watching the videos on, because they show up on my safari browser on my phone but not if I use chrome...so it's really strange. They are in there but I've noticed they don't always show up...something to google and learn more about. I've noticed it on larger channels as well. Maybe it's some glitch. Thank you for saying though. I appreciate it!!!! :)

[@david-fp8uo]

how you got so many subscribers did you share your videos

[@AlexaSaarenoja]

I haven't shared or posted my videos anywhere actually, been quite quiet about it to my friends and family. I've been posting 3 videos per week plus shorts sprinkled in. I try to do one trending video a week to hopefully hop on and ride a trending wave to grow my subs. Thank you for your question! xoxo

[@david-fp8uo]

@@AlexaSaarenoja could you help me