Catching The Wave: A YouTube Growth Strategy for Small Channels to Get More Subscribers and Views
Over 60 days, I posted only 2 videos to YouTube and gained 473 subscribers, plus over 47,000 views.
I still haven’t posted any new content to that channel, but I’m growing my YouTube subscribers and views every day.
The above are my YTD stats.
Almost 65,000 views.
Just short of 4,000 hours of watch time.
And 652 new subscribers, giving me a total of 803 subscribers.
All from 2 videos.
In this article I’m going to show you exactly how I did that using what I call the Catching the Wave Strategy.
This is how to grow a small YouTube channel in 2024 - and what I did. I had tried creating videos every day. I had tried creating high quality videos, high production and lots of editing.
But this was the YouTube growth strategy without constant creation that finally worked for me.
So if you want to increase YouTube subscribers without daily uploads keep reading.
Does Publishing More Videos Equal More YouTube Subscribers?
Growing a small YouTube channel can feel like an uphill battle, especially when you’re competing against well-established creators with millions of subscribers.
You’re wanting to get your first 1000 subscribers so you can monetize your channel… or it’s just a solid milestone.
Publishing videos can feel like throwing a pebble into the ocean—your videos barely register a ripple, let alone create the kind of waves you need to grow.
That’s why I started doing what I call “Catching The Wave.”
This strategy revolves around leveraging big creators on YouTube by aligning your content with theirs—essentially riding the waves they create through trending topics, popular titles, and engaging thumbnails.
More videos on YouTube does not guarantee or equal growth. When you don’t have any subscribers you have no reach. Every new video is a tiny little pebble into the giant ocean of YouTube. It has no impact and no reach.
More videos doesn’t increase the size of your pebble. You’re just making more and more tiny ripples that don’t help you grow your YouTube channel, increase video views or gain new subscribers.
There are 3.7 million new videos uploaded everyday to YouTube.
Once I understood that I needed to find a wave to ride instead of trying to make my own wave, things clicked.
Why Creating Your Own Wave Isn’t Enough (Yet)?
If you’re just starting out, you may be trying to grow a small YouTube channel by creating original content. However, the reality is that without a large audience or the YouTube algorithm in your favor, your content likely won’t gain traction.
The YouTube algorithm rewards relevance, watch time, and engagement, and without those, your videos won’t get recommended.
Instead of starting from scratch, catch trending YouTube topics that big creators are already pushing. This gives you the chance to ride the momentum they generate, helping your content reach viewers who are already engaging with that topic.
Big Creators = Big Waves
When a large creator posts a new video, it’s like they’re throwing a boulder into YouTube’s ocean of content. The wave they create spreads far and wide, capturing millions of views, comments, and shares. These big waves can be a YouTube growth strategy for you—if you know how to position yourself to ride them.
Your goal is to leverage popular creators for YouTube growth. These bigger YouTubers have already captured attention, and you can use that to your advantage by aligning your videos with their hottest topics.
How to Catch the Wave on YouTube?
1. Topic Selection: Follow The Trends
The key to YouTube growth for small channels is finding the right topics to cover. You should be tracking the trending YouTube topics from creators in your niche. Are they reacting to a viral event? Discussing breaking news? Sharing their take on a current trend?
By choosing topics that are already generating buzz, you give yourself the best chance to grow a small YouTube channel. Your content becomes relevant and can appear in recommended videos alongside the larger creator’s work.
Catching trending YouTube topics is like paddling into a fast-moving wave—you don’t need to build momentum, you just need to pick the right wave and catch it at the right time.
2. Title Optimization: Mirror Success
Titles play a huge role in increasing YouTube views quickly. Big creators use specific titles that are designed to grab attention and rank in search results. Study the titles of the most popular videos in your niche and mirror their structure without copying them outright.
For instance, if a popular creator posts a video titled “Why [Celebrity] Is Cancelled,” consider doing something like “The REAL Reason [Celebrity] Is Cancelled and What You Don’t Know.” By doing this, you tap into the YouTube tips for new creators—ride on the back of an already successful title to capture the same audience's attention.
3. Thumbnails: Match The Energy
Your video thumbnail is your first impression on potential viewers. YouTube video thumbnail tips from larger creators often include bold text, bright colors, and dramatic expressions. When a big creator posts a viral video, take note of their thumbnail style. Match the energy and visual appeal, but add your unique twist. If they use a close-up with bold fonts, do the same but introduce an element that’s uniquely yours, so it still feels fresh.
A great thumbnail helps ensure that your video pops up in the viewer's feed when they finish watching the bigger creator’s content. This is a critical part of using popular creators for YouTube growth, as you want your video to be visually appealing and in line with what’s already grabbing attention.
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Tools For Catching The Wave To Get More YouTube Subscribers
Two tools that work really well for this are:
1 of 10 was the service I used to help me find the Big Waves to target. But VidIQ has a similar service that is called Outliers. I’m now currently using that.
How to use these tools: Identify a video that got a higher than normal views for their channel and is currently still getting a Views Per Hour.
Ask yourself:
Is this a topic I know well enough to add value?
Does this topic align with my channel’s main focus?
Is this trend relevant to my target audience?
Can I offer a unique perspective on this topic?
Does this video have high engagement that I can capitalize on?
Is the title of this popular video something I can mirror effectively?
Can I create a similar thumbnail that fits my channel's style?
Does this topic fit with my long-term content strategy?
Why This Works for Small YouTube Channels?
By aligning your YouTube topic ideas with what’s already trending, you’re not trying to create waves from scratch.
Instead, you’re riding YouTube waves for growth by leveraging the algorithm’s tendency to push relevant and popular content. Your video could show up in the “recommended” section after someone watches a trending video from a larger creator.
This helps your video get in front of a much larger audience than you would typically reach on your own, and over time, it’s a YouTube growth strategy that can significantly boost your channel’s visibility.
How Long Should You Ride The Wave?
The goal is to ride waves until you can generate your own. This strategy allows you to grow until your channel becomes large enough to create waves of its own. Eventually, as you build a loyal audience and become a trusted source of content, you’ll be able to create and capitalize on your own trends.
Until that point, though, keep leveraging this strategy. By catching trending YouTube topics and using popular creators for YouTube growth, you’re fast-tracking your success without wasting time trying to go against the current.
TLDR Conclusion
Growing a small YouTube channel doesn’t have to feel like throwing pebbles into an ocean. By focusing on catching the wave of larger creators through aligned topics, optimized titles, and energy-matching thumbnails, you can increase YouTube views quickly and build an audience that will eventually let you create waves of your own.
Instead of struggling to stand out on your own, position yourself to ride the waves that are already being made. The Catch A Wave Strategy allows you to grow your small YouTube channel by tapping into the same interests and attention that the algorithm is already rewarding.
Remember, it’s not about copying big creators, it’s about leveraging their momentum to build your own success.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. How can I grow my small YouTube channel without posting every day?
You can grow your small YouTube channel by leveraging trending topics and aligning your content with popular creators. Instead of trying to create new videos constantly, focus on riding the momentum of big creators using strategies like "Catching The Wave."
2. What’s the best way to gain YouTube subscribers fast in 2024?
The best way to gain YouTube subscribers fast is to create content around trending topics in your niche, optimize your titles, and design compelling thumbnails that capture viewers’ attention. Use tools like VidIQ to find videos that are getting high views per hour.
3. Can I succeed on YouTube without a big audience?
Yes, you can succeed on YouTube without a big audience by using strategic content creation. Focus on topics that are already trending and align with larger creators. This allows you to ride their wave of success until you grow your own following.
4. How do I find trending YouTube topics?
Use tools like VidIQ’s Outliers feature or services like 1of10 to identify videos that are receiving a high number of views per hour. These tools help you track which topics are currently popular and gaining traction in your niche.
5. Do more videos mean more subscribers?
Not necessarily. Posting more videos without a strategy can feel like throwing pebbles into the ocean. It’s more effective to focus on creating a few high-quality videos that are aligned with trending topics than to churn out content that doesn’t gain traction.
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