3 Things I’ve Learned Growing a YouTube Shorts Channel
Growing a YouTube Shorts channel is less about luck and more about consistency, pattern recognition, and discipline. Shorts reward creators who experiment fast, learn faster, and double down on what works.
After posting hundreds of Shorts and watching what actually moves the needle, three lessons stand above everything else. If you’re just starting—or trying to break through a plateau—these principles will save you time and frustration.
1. Find (and Commit to) Your Niche
The fastest way to stall a Shorts channel is to post everything.
YouTube Shorts thrives on clarity. The algorithm wants to know exactly who your content is for—and viewers do too. When someone watches one of your Shorts, YouTube immediately decides what to show them next. If your content jumps between unrelated topics, that chain breaks.
Instead of asking:
“What do I want to post today?”
Ask:
“What kind of viewer do I want YouTube to find for me?”
Once you land on a niche:
Stick to it long enough for patterns to emerge
Don’t panic after a few low views
Let repetition work in your favor
Most viral Shorts channels look repetitive from the inside. From the outside, they look focused.
Clarity beats creativity—at least at first.
2. Post 1–3 Times a Day (At Roughly the Same Times)
Consistency matters more on Shorts than almost any other format.
Posting 1–3 times a day:
Increases your chances of hitting a breakout video
Feeds the algorithm steady data
Trains your audience to expect content
Timing doesn’t need to be perfect—but it should be predictable. Posting close to the same times each day helps YouTube learn when your audience is most active.
This isn’t about gaming the algorithm. It’s about reducing variables. When your timing is consistent, you can clearly see what’s working because fewer things are changing.
If you can only post once a day, that’s fine. Just do it every day.
Momentum compounds quietly.
3. Study What Works—and Build on It Relentlessly
This is the step most creators skip.
When a Short performs well, don’t celebrate and move on. Treat it like data.
Ask:
Was it the hook?
The visual?
The timing?
The format?
The length?
Then do something simple but powerful: make another version.
Not a copy—but a variation:
Same concept, different angle
Same hook, new visuals
Same structure, slightly tighter edit
Shorts growth often comes from clusters, not one-off viral hits. One good idea can turn into ten strong videos if you study it instead of abandoning it.
Growth doesn’t come from endless new ideas.
It comes from refinement.
Final Thoughts
YouTube Shorts rewards creators who:
Stay focused
Show up daily
Pay attention
You don’t need perfect production.
You don’t need to go viral overnight.
You need a niche, a schedule, and the humility to learn from your own data.
Keep posting. Keep adjusting. Keep building.
That’s how Shorts channels actually grow.
*Also found it helpful to post Sora 2 videos of very large soccer Goalies 😅