Trying to Make $100 on YouTube: Analytics, Lessons, and Challenges | Week 3
Welcome back to another update on my journey to making $100 on YouTube! This is week three, and while I have some progress to report, I also have a few struggles to share. But first, let’s quickly talk about my decluttering progress (or lack thereof) before we dive into my YouTube analytics and lessons learned.
I also feel like I’m finally enjoying the process instead of stressing over perfection. When I first started YouTube, I felt a lot of pressure to have everything figured out—my niche, my strategy, my audience. But now, I’m embracing the journey. I know things will fall into place over time, and for now, I just want to experiment and learn.
If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading! If you’re on a similar YouTube journey, let me know in the comments what’s working for you and what struggles you’re facing. Let’s grow together!
See you next week for another update!
If you'd prefer to watch the video you can watch the full Making Money on YouTune Playlist here or this weeks video below:
Decluttering Update (Or Lack of It)
If you’ve been following along, you know that I film in the absolute worst part of my house. Why? Because this is where I have everything that needs to be decluttered. And if I’m being honest, I don’t think I made any real progress this week. But hey, we’re not here to judge!
One thing I’ve noticed is that wanting to film my decluttering process has made me procrastinate. I keep thinking about how I should structure it, and I don’t want to declutter everything off-camera and miss valuable footage. So, instead of making progress, I’ve been putting it off. Plus, life with Bubba has been extra busy this week. But anyway, let’s move on to what you’re really here for—my YouTube analytics.
Before we get into the numbers, I need to clarify something. When I shared my revenue last week, that was actually the total for the first two weeks combined. Also, YouTube’s estimated revenue isn’t always accurate—it takes a few days to fully update. So, while I’ll give you my estimated earnings each week, the real total will be more accurate at the end of the month.
Now, let’s check out the stats:
Estimated Revenue: $1.98 for the week. Not life-changing yet, but progress is progress!
The next best-performing video was last week’s update, which I think did better because of my improved thumbnail and a catchy title: My YouTube Journey from 0 to 100 While Decluttering My Life. It really sums up what these videos are about, and it’s great to see that kind of engagement.
This week, I posted two long-form videos and two Shorts—which is less than I originally planned, but I’ll explain why in a bit.
One thing I’ve noticed is that wanting to film my decluttering process has made me procrastinate. I keep thinking about how I should structure it, and I don’t want to declutter everything off-camera and miss valuable footage. So, instead of making progress, I’ve been putting it off. Plus, life with Bubba has been extra busy this week. But anyway, let’s move on to what you’re really here for—my YouTube analytics.
YouTube Analytics: Week 3 Breakdown
So, I actually filmed this whole analytics section before and then realized I wasn’t screen recording. Yep, had to do it all over again. Classic.Before we get into the numbers, I need to clarify something. When I shared my revenue last week, that was actually the total for the first two weeks combined. Also, YouTube’s estimated revenue isn’t always accurate—it takes a few days to fully update. So, while I’ll give you my estimated earnings each week, the real total will be more accurate at the end of the month.
Now, let’s check out the stats:
- Week 1: 1.2K views
- Week 2: 1.8K views
- Week 3: 1.2K views (back to week one numbers)
Estimated Revenue: $1.98 for the week. Not life-changing yet, but progress is progress!
Video Performance Breakdown
My best-performing video this week was a YouTube Short, which isn’t surprising since Shorts typically get way more views. It was a snippet from my house tour video.The next best-performing video was last week’s update, which I think did better because of my improved thumbnail and a catchy title: My YouTube Journey from 0 to 100 While Decluttering My Life. It really sums up what these videos are about, and it’s great to see that kind of engagement.
This week, I posted two long-form videos and two Shorts—which is less than I originally planned, but I’ll explain why in a bit.
What I Did to Grow My Channel This Week
1. Posted Consistently
I made sure to upload at least two videos. One was this analytics update, and the other was my home tour video. Since my decluttering process is ongoing, I decided to split the tour into a two-part series. That way, I can show the “before” now and the “after” later.
2. Learned More About YouTube SEO
I did some research on search engine optimization (SEO) for YouTube. This includes optimizing titles, descriptions, and tags to help boost my videos. I even went back to old videos and updated their SEO to see if it helps them gain more traction.
3. Started Tracking My Analytics
I downloaded a spreadsheet from Rob the Maritimer on YouTube and started logging my metrics. I even went back to the beginning of my channel and realized that I had two viral videos—and I had no idea at the time!
If I had known, I could have capitalized on those topics. Lesson learned: I’ll be tracking my analytics much more closely from now on.
4. Improved My Filming Settings
I tweaked my phone settings to get better video quality. This week’s video might look a little different because of that, but I’ll keep experimenting to find the best settings for my content.
Challenges I Faced This Week
1. Equipment Struggles
Last week, I bought a gimbal and a selfie mirror for my phone. This week, I ended up returning both. The gimbal didn’t work out, and I don’t think I need to invest in one just yet. Instead, I’d rather put that money toward a microphone, which I’m currently researching.
2. Storage Issues
My phone and computer keeps running out of storage, which has made filming more frustrating than it should be. I need to figure out a better system for managing my files.
3. Editing Problems with Filmora
I ran into issues while trying to create Shorts from my longer videos. Because of this, I wasn’t able to post as many Shorts as I wanted this week. Filmora support is looking into the issue, so fingers crossed it gets fixed soon.
4. Multiple Takes for One Video:
This was the biggest headache. I filmed one of my videos three times because:
- The first take had audio sync issues with the app I was using.
- The second take didn’t sync my voice and the screen recording.
- The third take finally worked.
Final Thoughts: Enjoying the Process
Despite the challenges, I’m really happy with how my channel is progressing. I’ve had people subscribe just to support me, and I’ve gotten some really kind comments. That kind of encouragement means the world.I also feel like I’m finally enjoying the process instead of stressing over perfection. When I first started YouTube, I felt a lot of pressure to have everything figured out—my niche, my strategy, my audience. But now, I’m embracing the journey. I know things will fall into place over time, and for now, I just want to experiment and learn.
If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading! If you’re on a similar YouTube journey, let me know in the comments what’s working for you and what struggles you’re facing. Let’s grow together!
See you next week for another update!
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