518: If Your Videos Aren't Getting Views, Check These 4 Things

Summary

Podcast Summary:

The Think Media Podcast — Episode 518: If Your Videos Aren't Getting Views, Check These 4 Things
Hosts: Sean Cannell & Nathan Eswine
Date: May 26, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Sean Cannell and Nathan Eswine dive deeply into a persistent problem for YouTube creators: low or stagnating views on videos. Building on direct audience feedback, they unpack the four main reasons channels struggle to gain traction and lay out a step-by-step plan to achieve channel clarity, direction, and ultimately, growth. The tone is practical, supportive, and no-nonsense, aimed at both new and experienced creators.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Problem: Why Channels Stagnate (00:37–23:25)

A. No Defined Viewer (02:53)

• Many creators do not clearly define who their channel is for or what value they deliver.
• “If you try and reach everybody, you end up reaching nobody.” — Nathan Eswine [03:30]
• The importance of defining an audience avatar and focusing messaging and content around that persona.
• Sean emphasizes obsessing over the viewer’s problems and ambitions, citing Rory Vaden’s advice: Start with who, not what or why.

B. Pivot Shock (07:55)

• “Pivot shock” occurs when a creator makes abrupt changes in channel topics or format, confusing old subscribers and the YouTube algorithm.
• “You can run into this problem where old subscribers don’t click…you’re essentially starting at zero.” — Nathan Eswine [08:37]
• Sean's 2026 advice: If your new direction is significantly different, it’s better to start a new channel for a clean slate and targeted growth.

C. Content Without Positioning (13:06)

• Posting random videos without a cohesive brand promise or throughline undermines channel growth.
• "Posting videos is not the same as building a channel." — Nathan Eswine [13:08]
• Every video should reflect a reason to subscribe and deliver predictable value.

D. Identity Confusion (17:48)

• A deeper issue: creators who haven’t clarified the kind of content they want to make or the identity they want to embody.
• “If your identity is unclear, your content will be too 100%.” — Sean Cannell [20:28]
• Story: Nathan describes a talented coaching client with “ridiculous editing” skills held back by lack of identity clarity.

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2. Solutions: The Five-Step Framework (24:31–32:51)

Step 1: Define Your Channel in One Sentence (24:31)

• Fill in the formula: I help [who] get [what result] through [type of content].

  Example: “I help new creators grow on YouTube with simple tutorials.” — Nathan Eswine [24:31]

Step 2: Choose 2–3 Content Pillars (25:18)

• Establish recurring, focused topic areas to avoid randomness and build predictability.
• “Less is more. We’re saying two to three, but pick one and start simple.” — Sean Cannell [27:51]

Step 3: Commit to One Direction (28:30)

• Don’t radically shift topics every few videos; experiment in batches and stick with a direction long enough to get real feedback.
• “The most important thing you could do is commit to one direction…one video is not an experiment.” — Nathan Eswine [28:43]

Step 4: Give It Time to Compound (29:05)

• Growth and clarity require consistency and patience, with 10–20 videos minimum per direction before analyzing performance.

  “Clarity takes time. Confusion costs time.” — Nathan Eswine [29:19]

Step 5: Let Data Build & Resist Frequent Switching (31:53)

• Using a vivid analogy, Sean compares driving across the country and constantly changing destinations—every switch sets you back.

  “Clarity takes time, but confusion costs you even more time. So get clear, choose a direction, lock into it.” — Sean Cannell [32:51]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You could replace the word algorithm with audience. The algorithm is deciding if it’s going to serve up your content to people, based on the viewing patterns of those people.” — Nathan Eswine [03:35]
• “When you define your niche correctly, planning videos actually gets easier. It should be easier because when you know your who, you then just ask, what are their problems and ambitions?” — Sean Cannell [04:47]
• “Every pivot resets your channel, whether you realize it or not.” — Sean Cannell [11:56]
• “Posting videos is not the same as building a channel.” — Nathan Eswine [13:08]
• “If your identity is unclear, your content will be too 100%.” — Sean Cannell [20:28]
• “The only way to find that clarity is to persist…stay in momentum and keep posting.” — Nathan Eswine [23:06]
• “Switching is too expensive. Too many creators are switching things up too much. Clarity takes time, but confusion costs you even more time.” — Sean Cannell [32:51]

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Important Timestamps

• 00:37 — Introduction to the challenges of “identity confusion” and audience feedback.
• 02:53 — The necessity of defining your target viewer.
• 07:55 — The phenomenon of “pivot shock” and channel resets.
• 13:06 — What is content without positioning, and why it harms growth?
• 17:48 — Discussing creator identity confusion and the deeper root of stagnation.
• 24:31 — Five-Step Framework begins: defining your channel in one sentence.
• 25:18 — Choosing content pillars for focus and predictability.
• 28:30 — The value of committing to one direction and volume for feedback.
• 29:05 — How time and consistency compound into clarity.
• 31:53 — The high cost of frequent pivots, illustrated with a cross-country analogy.

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Podcast Tone & Language

• Highly conversational, relatable, featuring real-world analogies and student stories.
• Candid about the struggles of creators, yet direct and pragmatic with advice.
• Repeats core messages for emphasis: clarity, commitment, and staying aligned with your identity and audience.

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Actionable Takeaways

• Don’t skip defining your audience and value proposition—it’s foundational.
• Avoid radical, frequent pivots; if a new direction is vastly different, start a new channel.
• Craft every video to strengthen the throughline of your channel—don’t be “all over the place.”
• Allow yourself time to find clarity and momentum; patience pays off more than hurry-and-switch.
• Use the one-sentence formula to clarify your channel for both you and your audience.

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Further Resources

• Free YouTube strategy class: Thinkmasterclass.com
• Coaching program: ViralVideoCoach.com
• Think Media Mastermind: For high-level strategy and exclusive community.

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Summary prepared for listeners seeking actionable YouTube growth strategies and a step-by-step plan to overcome stagnant view counts and channel confusion.

Transcript

[Sean Cannell]

Hey, before we jump into the show, I wanted to give you a heads up that my free YouTube strategy class is available right now on [e-mail] on the class, I reveal the one YouTube strategy we use at Think Media to generate over 330,000 views every single day. So if you're new to YouTube, this will help you start right and avoid mistakes. And if you're a YouTube pro, this training will help you multiply your your growth. This class is 100% free and you can watch it now on [e-mail] now let's jump into today's show.

[Nathan Eswine]

If your YouTube channel feels all over the place right now, you're not alone. We actually asked our audience why they're stuck. And one of the biggest patterns wasn't just slow views, it was confusion. I've been working with someone in our one on one coaching program. His editing's ridiculous. His thumbnails are sharp. His setup is dialed in. His Achilles heel is identity confusion.

[Sean Cannell]

This.

[Nathan Eswine]

This young guy, he. He doesn't know where his lane is yet.

[Sean Cannell]

I want to update my 2026 advice when people say, should I start a new channel or keep posting on my same one? If I'm going to pivot, my advice

[Nathan Eswine]

now is Nevec HD said, I've been transitioning from a random post anything channel to something with an actual niche. It's a lot harder than trying to figure out a video. Todd the big Dog said, I pivoted from an AI channel to a real content channel a couple weeks ago, waiting for the algorithm to catch up. Alamil Zono said, I make pranks, challenges and vlogs. The biggest challenge, people unsubscribing and not growing. And Shamisholm said, the direction is really confusing me this year. So if that's you, whether you're starting a channel or you're stuck and you want some clarity to go forward, we're gonna break down what's actually happening here in five steps so that you can get fierce clarity on your channel's. Sean, this is a serious topic. What's your initial take here?

[Sean Cannell]

Yeah, I love that we are doing these community tab posts on the Think Media channel. So if you listen on audio, you know, stay engaged with us over there because we do want to answer your specific questions. We're doing polls over there and so to get feedback that people are really struggling with this. And there's a couple things that are happening. You're ultimately sending mixed signals to both YouTube and you're sending mix signals to the audience. Like, if YouTube doesn't know what you're doing, the audience definitely doesn't know what you're doing. And so the problem is, if you got different topics, you're attracting different audiences, there's different expectations. And when your channel is confusing, YouTube doesn't know how to. Who to show it to. So before we get into the five steps to fix this, and anybody listening can either improve their ex, improve their existing strategy, or start with fierce clarity. If you're just starting from scratch, this will be powerful. And if you feel stuck right now or confused, this will help you give clarity. But before we get to the steps, let's talk about problems. And the first one is no defined viewer.

[Nathan Eswine]

This is the biggest one.

[Sean Cannell]

This one's hard. And it's, you know, one of the famous phrases is, is okay. If you're going to start a YouTube channel, who is your target audience?

[Nathan Eswine]

Yep.

[Sean Cannell]

And what is your value proposition?

[Nathan Eswine]

Yes.

[Sean Cannell]

So who is your channel for and what is your value proposition? I think when people want, you know, generally though, people don't know where to start with this. Like, I don't. Is it Tom? Is it Karen? Like, what do you mean? Who's my, you know, is it. In business, it's called an avatar. Like, do you have a custom avatar or target audience? But if you're making content and you don't really know who it's for, if you try and reach everybody, you end up reaching nobody. But break this down because you deal with this in coaching all the time with our clients, 100%.

[Nathan Eswine]

I gotta be honest, this is actually the thing that most people don't start with or want to skip over because it's boring. It can be. Some people get pumped up about this and jacked up. I'm a little nerdy. I enjoy this kind of stuff. But a lot of people just want to jump to creating videos. And here's what might be helpful to know. You could replace the word algorithm with audience. You really can. Because the algorithm is deciding if it's going to serve up your content to people based on the viewing patterns of those people. So this is why it's actually the ultimate hack to figure out your audience because you're actually aligning yourself with YouTube. Because YouTube takes into account these things called viewer signals. These are literally things like watch history, search queries, the time they spent on platform with a specific video from a specific creator. There's a ridiculous amount of things that YouTube's measuring. And so to the degree that you actually understand your viewer, you've defined who you're trying to reach. You're aware of their interests around your niche and why you would be special to them to watch. Now you actually make YouTube's job easier because that's what YouTube is trying to figure out. So actually you're a much better. You're better off to define it for yourself in your videos so that you make YouTube's job easier in a sense.

[Sean Cannell]

You know what? I also think the mistake that can happen here when we say who is your channel for? I think if people were honest, they could say it's for me. And that's the problem because you're posting whatever you want and you're posting random videos and you're posting. It's actually not for the audience, by the way. That's your choice. It's your tube. You can do whatever you want. But at the end of the day, are you obsessed with the viewer? By defining a viewer and knowing problems and ambitions, there's the, that's the, that's the goal to know. First of all, you've identified the person. This is, this channel is for kids. It's cartoons, it's entertainment, it's animation, it's blippi. Whatever you want to do. This channel is for entrepreneurs. This channel is for. And then you might get more specific. So is it for, you know, women, men, demographics, psychographics. But what do they struggle with and what do they want? What are their problems? What are their ambitions? And recently Rory Vaden was interesting. He was talking about personal branding, but he actually said you shouldn't start with what and you shouldn't even start with why. Even though there's a famous book on like start with why, Start with your mission. Mission. He actually said, when building a personal brand, who should be the first question? Start with who. And so I actually think if we dig into, you know, thanks so much for people commenting on these posts. And what Navec HD said is he said he had transitioned from a post anything channel to something with an actual niche. And he said it's a lot harder trying to figure out a video. I'm just wondering if he's saying it's harder to figure out a video now that he's defined his niche. I actually want to say you did it wrong. When you define your niche correctly, planning videos actually gets easier. It should be easier because when you know your who, you then just ask, what are their problems and ambitions? Who's going to be watching this? What do they want to click in? What are they into? If it was an entertainment channel, what artists are they listening to? What trends are they following? What are they watching online? You know, the right thing to talk about at the right time. If you know demographics and psychographics, then you know that, you know, Kanye recently dropped an album. And if you include Kanye in your thumbnail or you mention that, it's going to resonate with your audience. If you also know your audience, they still might have no clue what that is. They wouldn't understand any references. That's starting with who. So there's a lot here that takes you very far down the road. And if you've defined well, my channel is my own hobby channel where I just want to post whatever I want my own video and maybe people will benefit from it and enjoy it and maybe it'll blow up. Maybe people would love to just hear me talk about whatever. Yeah, maybe. I'd say probably not. So starting with who, defining your viewer. If you're an entrepreneur or a creator that wants to scale their online business, that's why we created the Think Media Mastermind.

[Nathan Eswine]

I have so much more clarity as to my ideal target audience now, which means my content is about to be so much better and more targeted towards the exact person I'm trying to reach.

[Sean Cannell]

Super intimate, high level strategy.

[Nathan Eswine]

I had the skills that I already knew sharpened. I feel like I went to my next level.

[Sean Cannell]

For entrepreneurs and creators that want to scale with YouTube, this was the first time that I was able to get in a room with a lot of other serious youtubers and talk with other people who love creating content and love YouTube. Usually I don't get to do that. So this is really special. You can check it [e-mail] Number two, pivot shock. And pivot shock is coming out of the fact that somebody recently said they pivoted from AI to real. That's actually quite a big pivot. It's actually massive. And then some channels pivot. They were in one niche and in another niche, so maybe they feel directionless. The algorithm's confused. Break this down. You're very experienced. You've coached so many people. What is pivot shock?

[Nathan Eswine]

Yeah, Pivot shock is this one actually for me. You know, it hits the audience for sure, but it also has a lot to do with the creator themselves because a lot of creators don't even know how to handle a pivot. And it's because maybe we just don't quite understand YouTube or we're getting started and we're still trying to figure out what we're trying to do. And so I understand the shock from the creator perspective as well. Because if you go from something like an AI based channel to it's you now, and you're the main creator, you have to understand a couple of things, like when you go through a pivot like this. And by the way, something we can touch on is I think that people are making multiple pivots way too soon in their journey and they're wondering why we can't keep anybody around. But assuming you do go through a serious pivot, you can run to this problem where old subscribers don't click. You totally new viewers actually don't recognize you because you changed up your content so much that even sometimes, you know in the title and thumbnail, the entire topics that you're talking about are different than the topics that brought people to you in the first place. And so this can result in lower click through rates. You can actually have like slower growth. You're like all of a sudden people aren't tuning in as much. And if you did go through a pivot like this, maybe you didn't even realize it. You're just going through and creating videos and you're changing and you're adapting and you're growing and the audience that you had, even if it's just a couple hundred subscribers. Right. If you're all of a sudden not making the same content that they subscribed for, you're essentially starting at zero. Right? Because those people who have already subscribed aren't there for the same reason that you are creating.

[Sean Cannell]

For now, I want to update my 2026 advice.

[Nathan Eswine]

Let's hear it.

[Sean Cannell]

When people say, should I start a new channel or keep posting on my same one? If I'm going to pivot, my, my advice now is you, I think you should start a new channel. I agree wholeheartedly because I sometimes would say, well, if you aren't super established or you only have maybe a few hundred subscribers, because the problem is if you have like 10,000 subs or 50,000 subs and you were talking all about BTS, the band, and you were talking all about like, let's say pop culture, and then you decided, well, I've aged up and I'm going to talk about something different. So you built a fan base, you know, and subscribers that wanted to hear stories and fan lore about bts.

[Nathan Eswine]

Yeah.

[Sean Cannell]

And then you're like, you know what? Now I'm going to do minimalism for women in their 40s. Obviously that would be insane. The pivot shock of a subscriber base that Wants, you know, K Pop or whatever BTS is. Did I just say, is that true?

[Nathan Eswine]

Yeah, I think it's K pop.

[Sean Cannell]

Yeah. Okay. Yeah. And so I just know. I know they're like all over the Spotify charts. They're gigantic, you know, that is so massive. Now, sometimes the pivots are more subtle, but let me just define why my 2026 advice is start a second channel is because that's a whole separate strategy that a lot of people are doing. A lot of creators you could look at are starting channels from scratch because they want a fresh algorithm and because YouTube is actually doing a good job. If you start a new channel with the right videos, I'm even going to hit metadata. I know people, you know, we already proved it in a previous episode. But like, SEO is still alive. The content matters most. But like the metadata that hits it, if you, like, drop Those bombs on YouTube, new channel, fierce clarity on your audience, fierce clarity on your media metadata, fierce clarity on the SEO. And then great engagement. And you know what you're doing right out of the gate. A brand new channel can build so much momentum because you have a fresh algorithm.

[Nathan Eswine]

Yes.

[Sean Cannell]

Every pivot resets your channel, whether you realize it or not. So if you make a drastic pivot, you're causing confusion to your audience, you're causing confusion to the algorithm. You might be confusing yourself. And that's why some people are saying they feel directionless. So, and if you are going to pivot gently, you got to be ready for the dip and commitment to a channel long enough. I think micro pivots, not from K pop to minimalist women's advice in 40s. That's too extreme. But if, like, you know, if you zoomed out, like a lot of people have built loyalty with me, obviously here on the Thick media podcast, they're getting to know you. If we made a pivot, there's some level, you know, whatever, and. And we went from YouTube advice to social media. That would be a pivot. Yeah, like really just social zooming out. If we then zoomed out a little bit more. Yeah, like it's. You would make a strategic decision, maybe expecting a dip. There's been a change, but, you know, just sidequest side point. There's something about starting a fresh algorithm in 2026 that you can lean into. Which brings us to number three, content without positioning. What's that mean?

[Nathan Eswine]

So content without positioning is. Is this idea that posting videos is not the same, is building a channel. So when you're posting content without positioning, that means like without the through line, without consistency even. And not just in uploads, but like consistency in your presence and your brand and the value that you're giving. And if you're posting a video without any reason to subscribe, this is the reason that you can feel all over the place and that you can't be hitting the mark, because a video might work, but a channel needs direction. So you can ask yourself these couple questions for every, you know, every video and on your channel, why should someone subscribe? What will they get consistent consistently? And we often say here at Think Media, Sean. Right. Like, we don't want to ever upload a video that someone didn't subscribe for. Back to the whole idea of starting a second channel. Why? So that under the umbrella of this channel, it's uniform, Right. There's. There's these buckets of content or pillars of content that you can expect here. And. And you. So you have to be able to answer this. And some people may not even have stopped to think about this. Huh? Why would someone subscribe to my channel? And what are they getting consistent consistently right now? And for most of us, if you're feeling these symptoms of being all over the place, you probably haven't defined these.

[Sean Cannell]

Yeah. And let's go back to Todd the big dog. Now, I know I'm lacking some information, but I'm just going to use what information we have. From his comment, he said, I pivoted from AI to real content a couple weeks ago. I'm waiting for the algorithm. Algorithm to catch up. Here's what I would say from the information we do know AI or real. The interesting question is, what is actually your channel? About that.

[Nathan Eswine]

That's. Yeah.

[Sean Cannell]

So what is the through line? Because that's really what we're talking about here. With content without positioning, what's the through line? What's the reason to subscribe to the entire channel, not just watch an individual video? Because while I would actually agree with him that AI to real is a massive pivot in expectation.

[Nathan Eswine]

Yeah.

[Sean Cannell]

However, if your channel makes a promise. Let me put it this way. If I uploaded a video podcast on this channel using 11 labs to clone my voice, and the script was good, and it didn't really feel like AI, maybe it even did feel like AI, but you're like, yeah, that's Sean talking, and people do know me here. And if the entire video was kind of like B roll, like, so you just didn't see me. And then it went out on video, and then it was uploaded on audio, there'd Be nothing to see. I guess my point would be. But yet we stayed on mission, on task, and the promise of the title was really great. And then the content of my AI voice reading it was, you know, really great. And the viewers were like, whoa. And the listeners were like, there's some epiphanies in here. There's some great stories. Okay. Whether you knew it was AI or not, did it deliver on the promise of the channel?

[Nathan Eswine]

Yes.

[Sean Cannell]

So formats is important, but what's interesting about Formats is again, maybe somebody like might say, I only want to listen to Sean. But what we're doing at Think Media is also like, no, we want it. We want to build a brand where people realize the people on our platform, whether that's Nathan, you, whether that's Nathan on the Think Media channel, whether that's Craig, whether that's our coaches, it's like you're just getting a consistent value and a consistent promise when you experienced our brand. So what do I mean by that is? I mean that we sometimes are focusing on the wrong things.

[Nathan Eswine]

Yeah.

[Sean Cannell]

You know, if you pivot from AI and you're real, but you deliver the same value. What's the value of the channel? What's the promise of the channel? What's the through line of the channel? What's the consistent. You've defined a who, but also it is what. What would they keep coming back on and watching? And I mean, I think last thing to ask would be and what can they expect? Like, why would they subscribe and keep watch if you haven't defined that, you know who it's for and what problem it solves and what that clear focus is. And let's, let's talk about niche or not. Do I niche down or not? Do I focus my topic or not? Yeah, I think the focus is the key word. Let's. I'm happy to throw the word niche out. What's the focus of your channel, though? And if it's about too many things or it's not clear, if it takes too long to describe, if it could be in one sentence as opposed to four paragraphs. The moment you're like, well, listen, do you have 30 minutes? I can really explain to you the vision. No, I don't have 30 minutes. I have 30 characters. What is your channel? And 30 characters. Send me it in text. Don't Send me a 30 minute audio recording.

[Nathan Eswine]

Yes.

[Sean Cannell]

The most offensive thing anyone can send. Even though I send a lot of them, you know, especially to like 30 minutes of my drive this morning. Sean, could you type that out that actually be a lot more kind and thoughtful so we don't have to listen. Yeah. Consolidate the message down. If you haven't taken it. Taking the time to write it down. Okay, we're gonna get to these five steps in a second. But there's one more last thing. Is identity confusion.

[Nathan Eswine]

Identity confusion. Yeah. And this is the deeper issue. This is where you haven't decided what kind of creator you are. And hang with me, this matters. Everything. This is the invisible glue underneath all the stuff. I'm gonna share a quick story. I've been working with someone in our one on one coaching program, VRA accelerator. He's a young guy. He has all the chops it takes to do this YouTube thing. Every single one. His editing is ridiculous. His thumbnails are sharp. His setup is dialed in. It's like I've actually been working with him and I've been waiting for the day that he pops off because it's going to come. But here's the thing. The big. His Achilles, his Achilles heel is identity confusion.

[Sean Cannell]

This.

[Nathan Eswine]

This young guy, he. He doesn't know where his lane is yet. And when you know where your lane is and it's at the intersection of what you're passionate about, what you can speak to, and what you can see yourself doing years from now, we haven't found that yet. And so you can have. He's just living proof. And if he were sitting right here, he'd be totally okay with me sharing this because the big unlock has been. No, no, no, actually set aside the camera. Don't go film another. Don't do what you already are crushing. He's crushing with all that stuff. It's not the issue. You need to figure out who you are, man. So are we entertainment? Are we education? Do you have a business idea that you want to connect things to? Or is this more like lifestyle content? And up until this point, he's had fire videos, banger videos. And here's the thing, we've done too, Sean. We even started a new channel. Because I was like, you know, just trying to diagnose everything. And I'm like, that's our last solution. But it just wasn't working. I was like, let's try the fresh algorithm play. I just don't get it. Don't get it. Same results. And it's because up until this point, he can have the flashiest, best content, but because this piece is missing, people are clicking in. And my hunch is we don't believe who we're interacting with. That even the Views we are getting for some reason there's something missing there.

[Sean Cannell]

So the word that's coming to mind is alignment.

[Nathan Eswine]

Yes.

[Sean Cannell]

By the way this is super deep. But when you get in alignment and if somebody's disaligned, that's not even what we're fully diagnosing here. But we are at least address. We are diagnosing the problem. I don't know that we have a solution to fully get into alignment other than the fact that it can be an ongoing process of coaching and feedback and practice and then time. Time to test a version. You know like things that really helped me. Nathan is I daily vlogged? Well actually I had some friends send me a camera. Benji and Judy Travis. And they sent me this Canon Elf, a huge blessing. But this like little point and shoot camera. And as soon as I got it I pressed record that day and uploaded my first daily vlog. Cause I'd watched them do it and I actually committed to daily vlogging for 30 days which was insane because I had nowhere near the time at a full time job. Like I wasn't daily vlogging and I went zero to daily vlogging. 30 days immediately and just. And like brute force.

[Nathan Eswine]

Yeah.

[Sean Cannell]

Film whatever I could during the day and then edit at night or the next morning to do it daily. And now I had the blessing of having a video background and an editing background. So I edited fast. But here's actually what's interesting is that you could, you could call those some of the 30 day best days of my life. And it did not lead to a successful vlogging career. Yeah, it did not lead. And to your point, do I have the chops for that? Maybe, maybe not. Do I even. I know I also personally whether I do or I don't, it's not something I want to do. Not in that format. If it was whatever. Identity confusion. So. So if. Yeah you're. If you're disaligned, if you're in the wrong niche, you don't want to get into a box someone else made for you by. By figuring that out. Because if your identity is unclear, your content will be too 100 and that. And this is all about clarity and alignment versus confusion and chaos. Yes. And the algorithm not really knowing. And so yeah I think you could pick an identity. Are you there on YouTube to teach and then step into it. Because sometimes we haven't like embraced that. Yes. Taking the day to say oh I'm a teacher on YouTube.

[Nathan Eswine]

Yeah.

[Sean Cannell]

I don't have a PhD. I don't even have a degree. But I'm one or two steps ahead of the person I want to help. I'm one or two steps ahead of the person I was yesterday. That's your who, by the way. You're most powerfully positioned to help the person you were yesterday. So you've identified your who. I'm going to teach them this or am I going to entertain? Am I going to inspire? Am I going to create a place for conversations and debates? But picking that, picking a lane or at least embracing the journey to not feel the pressure, but to be like, listen. The low views are practice and experimentation because I am figuring out my identity. I'm practicing my voice. I've heard a lot of podcasters and, and while they say on the stats it takes about two years to even start making money from your podcast. Get, get going. But I've had my friends like Carrie new off say he's got a big faith based podcast. Huge now in church leadership. He's like, bro, this thing. Like he's like 10 years in. He's like, I don't think I figured out my voice until year four. I didn't even find. That's like saying I didn't like get an alignment with my identity until four years in of doing it consistently.

[Nathan Eswine]

Yeah.

[Sean Cannell]

Of actually like showing up doing it. Some things just come over time where layers of clarity while you stay in learning, stay in practicing. And so we're going to talk about how to fix this, but do you have any final parts for that part? We've been diagnosing the problems. We give you the five steps to fix this, but transition us.

[Nathan Eswine]

Yeah, no, 100%. And I think that the key point there is the only way to find that clarity is to persist.

[Sean Cannell]

Right.

[Nathan Eswine]

Is to like continue moving through. And so to the degree that you can stay in momentum and keep posting. Just like this young guy we're working with, we haven't stopped uploading until just recently where it's like, okay, let's really pause and do this. He's been uploading all through this and he's even said, yeah, I mean this has been completely worth it because of the clarity I'm getting. Like we're accelerating how fast I'm moving through this alignment process.

[Sean Cannell]

Good feedback loops, all of that. Okay, we got five steps. What are they? Are you a business owner or serious content creator that is struggling to crack the YouTube code? Are you feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or just plain frustrated with slow growth? If so, then our new one on one coaching program@viral video coach.com is your premier ticket to YouTube success, becoming the authority in your niche, attracting engaged leads and loyal customers. We offer one to one coaching with our YouTube experts that'll help you get results fast and a supportive community that's cheering you on. So if you're ready to stop wasting time with trial and error and to stop leaving money on the table, then head to viral video coach.com to apply to see if you qualify for our coaching program. But heads up, this offer is not for everybody. It's only for serious content creators and entrepreneurs that are ready to take action. So if that's you, head to viral video coach.com to apply or click the link in the show notes. All right, let's jump back into the episode.

[Nathan Eswine]

Step one to fix this is define your channel in one sentence. You could do this right here. I help who get what result through fill in the blank type of content. Here's an example. I help new creators grow on YouTube with simple tutorials. If you do this and you find that clarity, you just defined your channel. I actually think a lot of this feeling of being all over the place goes away.

[Sean Cannell]

Yeah, I agree. And that would be like, that's what we do at Think Media. We help creators grow on YouTube. A simple tutorial. So you could fill in the blank for you. What I would take it about a little bit deeper is that's the teaching side. And so some individuals still might be like, okay, but I'm more entertainment. But you, you still need a formula like I. And even if you don't post this publicly, you need to get clear on this for yourself.

[Nathan Eswine]

Yes.

[Sean Cannell]

So it's like, I'm seeking to entertain. What is the point of your vlog? I am seeking to entertain, entertain and help people relax in a world that's stressful. Our aim is to bring more light heartedness into the world. We want to be a model family that values kids and faith and whatever and share the lessons we're learning in life and raising kids with the world. That might be a vlog thing, you know, I want to enter like, define your channel in one sentence. Define your channel in one sentence. Okay. Number two, choose two to three content pillars. Two to three content pillars. The feedback we got in the beginning and lots of people in our community are again struggling with this is like each week you're looking at a blank slate and what do I make this week? Or I tried this concept. I've tried. Somebody said, I tried pranks and I tried challenges and I tried this, but I'm struggling. And so if you're doing too many different things on your channel. What is a repeatable topic that could keep serving the same audience and helping them towards the same outcome? By the way, you could start with one content pillar. Maybe you want a little variety. But it's like, you know, one of our students actually has a really big channel that's helping people that have been through specifically, like, narcissistic relationships. And yeah, she's been a part of our video Rake it, Academy, Crushing it. She has what you'd call a video podcast, but she doesn't interview anybody. They're simple solo rounds. So they're essentially talking head videos. There's some editing in there. It's not where she started, but she's continued to upgrade her channel. She's over a hundred thousand subs now. And so she's like, dialed in, though. So each video that is distributed on YouTube, but also video, podcast and whatever. I mean, from my perspective, I see she only has one content pillar. But it's these different topics. The problems people face when being these relationships or recovering or trauma bonding or, you know, emotional abuse or the stuff they've been through, how to deal with it. And by the way, it's endless. How do you deal with maybe a parent that was a, you know, a narcissist? What are the different types of. So she can you think about the people you're serving. You then also realize what's cool about the flag she planted on what her channel is all about. She might say, I help individuals who've suffered, you know, narcissistic abuse or have dealt with those types of relationships heal and find ways to cope or deal with the relate. I made it really complex, but it's clear what her channel's about. And it's like one pillar. So it's like kind of one format, clear for the audience, clear who the outcome is. Because this can expand over time. But the challenge for the listener would be like, yeah, what. What are your content pillars here on this podcast? I guess we have solo rounds. We have. I mean, in a way, we have, like, teaching and interviews. That'd be another way to put it. Yeah, it's me solo, it's you solo, it's us. But, like, we're going through an actual framework. We're teaching here. Interviews are a little bit different. What are your pillars? What are your content pillars? Are they particular type of skit? Are they news? Are they live streams? Less is more. We're saying two to three, but I want to. I mean, pick one. Start simple. So you have predictability, faster creation, stronger, stronger signals. But it brings us to number three. Commit to One Direction. Break this down 100%.

[Nathan Eswine]

Actually, step three, commit to One Direction. But step four is give it time to compound. I actually think these are siblings. They go right, right with each other. So after you've done all of this stuff, commit to One Direction.

[Sean Cannell]

Yes.

[Nathan Eswine]

Oh, my goodness. Most creators are failing and feeling all these symptoms because you're changing everything. Every daggum. Two videos. And so the most important thing you could do is commit to One Direction. Because one video is not an experiment, in my opinion. Like, if I'm working with someone and we're like, hey, we're going to try this new direction. We have clarity on our channel. We know our pillars. You can't, like, you can't do one video. I need, like, 10 to 10.

[Sean Cannell]

It's not a big enough test.

[Nathan Eswine]

Yes. I need way more videos to actually get information about this strategy in this direction. So step four, give it time to compound. 10 to 20 videos minimum. And you might be like, nathan, what the. I'm dead serious.

[Sean Cannell]

Totally.

[Nathan Eswine]

This is why, okay, if I'm saying I want 10 to 20 videos from you, take it seriously. Slow down. Figure out these things so you can commit to that level of volume and let the data build over time. And then you can interpret all that data to let you know, how's our audience responding? How are we feeling about this? Because the reality is, I wish it could happen faster, but clarity takes time. Clarity takes time. And confusion costs time.

[Sean Cannell]

Yeah, 100%. And actually, I want to recommend a resource that we have for individuals because I don't know what we promised earlier, but those are the four steps of how to fix it. You definitely got to commit to One Direction. Give it time to compound. But we actually have a free training [e-mail] and I also just updated this, so we have what's called our Seven Step YouTube growth system. And what's so powerful is that Seven Steps isn't just about, like, tactical things about how to get views. It'll help you on the whole strategic side and help you. If you've already been getting clarity in this episode, it is gonna, like, lock it in for you to give you clarity on exactly what to do, in what order, so that you're also posting videos that get views to make money. And that's what the whole point of it as well. If you don't want to do that, well, then don't check out the class. But if you're interested of how to actually grow a YouTube channel that is also going to earn money. This class breaks it all down. It goes deeper than we've been talking here. And you get to watch over my shoulder on [e-mail] we'll link that up in the show notes as well. But you got to define your channel in one sentence. You got to choose two to three pillars. You got to commit to one direction, and then you got to give it time to compound. You need to let the data build. You need to let your audience adjust. And switching is too expensive. I'll end with a story and then let you close. I think that too many people misunderstand how expensive switching is. What this would. When I think of switching, it'd be like, if you're in Texas now for our global audience, that's sort of center America, huge state. And I'm right now in Seattle, and Nathan is normally living in Nashville. So basically, think about, like, the center of America and then think about the left coast and then think about the east coast on the right. And so what's interesting is, like, when you pick a direction, right? If we were going to do a road trip, and we're like, all right, family, we're packing up, kids, goldfish tablets, Nintendo Switch games, eye mask, pillow, whatever. You pick a direction, and we start. We want to go to your house. Yeah. So we start driving from middle America to Nashville.

[Nathan Eswine]

Yeah.

[Sean Cannell]

Okay, so we leave and. But if we change our mind and we maybe get a couple states over, drive for a few days, break a couple times, you know, we're almost there. We're almost there. You're like, I'm waiting. I got some food cooked. We're going to hang out. But then you're like, you know what? I actually changed my mind. I want to go to Sean's house in Seattle. What do you. Not only like, you're turning around, but now you're. You're hours in a different direction. You're starting from scratch. And so for some individuals, you might think, well, I already have some subscribers. I have some. You do have the lessons. But how the algorithm might be conditioned. Shoot, you're turning around, and you're in a way starting from a deficit. But there's just a cost to change. There's a cost to switch. So now you're making up time. You're driving the other direction. Pick a direction and stick with it long enough. Too many creators are switching things up too much time. Clarity takes time, but confusion costs you even more time. So get clear, choose a direction, lock into it podcast.

[Nathan Eswine]

We asked you where you're stuck. This whole episode exists because of your feedback. Would you please let us know? Continue the conversation. What stuck out to you from today's episode? Where did you feel challenged? Where do you're like, man, Yep, I really need to crack that. What have you already tried and it's not working? We'd love to hear about where you're at on your YouTube journey, because that's what we're here for. We're here to support you, we're here to challenge you, and we're here to help you get closer to your goals on YouTube this year. This is the Think Media Podcast. I'm Nathan Eswine, and I can't wait to connect with you in a future episode.