Whether it be vlogging, pranks, comedy sketches, media commentary, politics, short films, animation, or Coronavirus diss tracks, there’s a space for pretty much everyone on YouTube. Anyone can make anything - which is great. But in a space so densely populated by such a diverse range of content, how do you stand out? What exactly helps a creator explode?

Here at Replayed we take on a whole range of clients from all sorts of different creative backgrounds. We’ve seen a channel triple its average view count in a matter of months, and Adi Fishman, a Replayed OG, skyrocketed from 170,000 subscribers to over 2  million within a year. But how does this happen?

The first, and most obvious element is the editing. YouTubers are defined by their brand, and the editing plays a large part in developing that brand. Short, snappy, and funny cuts always help to increase a YouTuber’s engagement. In contrast to more traditional media, the edit of a YouTube video often has to have its own personality, and almost stand out as an extra ‘character’ within the video  - whilst still maintaining and adjusting itself to the creator’s style.

A YouTuber handing off their footage to an editor also gives them a more objective view of their channel: What’s working? What isn’t? What do I need to change? These are the sorts of questions our creators are able to give a clearer answer to when they aren’t spending hours cutting away at a video that they’re already tired of; The Sidemen, Cold Ones, and Pewdiepie are all examples of how being able to focus on the actual content without worrying about the edit have allowed their channels to grow.

Often, YouTube is a one person business. However, as the content matures, so does the production and the workload. As a channel grows, their team must also grow to meet the demand of their improving quality. Steve Jobs didn’t insist on working from his garage forever, and neither should a creator. If one person is expected to plan, write, produce, shoot, and edit their own videos on a regular basis they either risk a loss of quality, or a complete creative burnout.

Our job is YouTube. We know the trends, and we understand the algorithm. As editors we also see the video through the eyes of the audience, we have to. These two elements allow us to advise creators on where they should take their content; what will be successful;  and how they can continue to organically expand upon what they have already created. Having editors that work closely with these creators on a more personal level also means that these decisions can be made in confidence that it will work for the individual.

The most important thing to remember when considering how to go about growing a creator’s channel is to keep pushing - videos can always be bigger and better, whether it be within the edit or the creative decisions in pre-production. Compare the first year of a YouTuber’s career with their current videos and you will see a huge difference. This is a difference we continue to push for with all of our creators; if you’re bored of creating the videos, then the likelihood is your audience will be bored of watching them.