Why I Quit My YouTube Channel with Over 4K Subscribers

I officially breathe life into my Blog today, June 15, 2023. If you are reading this post, thank you!

I stopped uploading videos to my YouTube channel, which has over four thousand subscribers (4,370). You probably think I am crazy for quitting, but after you read this post, you will understand why I called it quits.

Sidenote: I did not make an official announcement video, but in the YouTube channel description, I share that I no longer upload videos to the channel, effective April 28, 2023.

A YouTube Channel is Born

In May 2018, I created a new YouTube channel to share healthy living tips and to motivate others to make lifestyle changes.

Armed with the knowledge I obtained from the Institute for the Psychology of Eating, I believed I could make a significant contribution, but that was short-lived.

I learned that most people were not interested in the type of content I was sharing. So, I pivoted to creating beauty and lifestyle content.

The beauty (hair in particular) and lifestyle content helped my YouTube channel grow, and the experts recommend doubling down on the content people want to see, which is what I did – somewhat.

Niching Down is Key to Growth on YouTube

In 2022, I started noticing new YouTubers in my niche and others growing fast, and I did not understand how they were surpassing me, leaving me in the dust.

While I was making hair, skincare, makeup, and lifestyle content, the new YouTubers were pumping out one thing, hair content, something I was not doing because I did not enjoy it.

I learned that to grow my YouTube channel, I had to stop uploading skincare, makeup, and lifestyle content and focus solely on hair videos.

Sidenote: Being an older woman in the beauty and lifestyle niche is tough too.

The Hair Niche Audience is Small & Oversaturated with Creators

I did not realize this, but the audience for naturally textured hair is small. At the same time, the creative space is ample (oversaturated), meaning that growing a YouTube channel in that niche might not be worth the energy, effort, and time.

I looked at the larger YouTube channels and noticed that most gained subscribers by creating solely hair content. But over time, they too noticed that the hair niche audience is not a lucrative/sustainable audience.

Sidenote: When I use the word lucrative, I am not referring to money, per se, but the growth potential.

The bigger YouTubers who grew a large following from doing hair content realized that to stay relevant and grow their platforms, they needed to change their content.

They started doing lifestyle content – A Day in My Life videos, Vlogs, etc., videos I am not particularly interested in creating or watching.

I always wondered why the larger YouTubers, with well over 100K in the hair niche, had low views on the non-hair videos. It is because a more significant percentage of the audience prefers hair content.

Sidenote: Even the views on the hair videos are much lower than other creators with similar amounts of subscribers but different niches.

Should they continue making the hair content? Who knows? But I realize that a hair video will only reach a certain number of people because, again, the audience is small and not broad enough to sustain the long-term growth of a YouTube channel.

That is why bigger YouTubers change the type of content they make; many are tired of doing hair. There are only so many hair videos one can make.

Know When to Walk Away

The lyrics from the late Kenny Roger’s song, “The Gambler,” apply to gambling and is excellent life advice.

You gotta know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em, know when to walk away, know when to run….”

Kenny Rogers, The Gambler

For over a year, I contemplated quitting my YouTube channel, but I kept hoping, wishing, and praying – that things would improve.

Although my subscribers increased, the views did not reflect a thriving YouTube channel. So, I tried different ways of doing my videos to differentiate myself from others, but to no avail.

One day, it dawned on me that no matter how much work I did, my best was not good enough. I was also tired of wasting my time on something so futile and something I grew to dislike intensely.

Before I quit uploading YouTube videos, I talked to a close friend, and she said, “If you are over it, then stop uploading videos – don’t look back.” And that is what I did.

I cut my losses and chalked it up as a valuable learning experience. I deleted some of my videos (not all), disabled comments, and called it quits by walking away from that, which became unbearable. If something no longer serves me, I let it go – and my YouTube channel had to go.

A Happier Mind and Spirit

I spoke to another close friend, who happens to be a long-time follower of my Blog, about my decision to quit uploading YouTube videos – and she was supportive and understanding.

She told me that she could tell that I put a lot of time, energy, and effort into my videos – they are high quality. – Thank you, my friend!

I told my friend I did not enjoy uploading hair videos or watching that content. She was surprised because I came across in my videos as someone who liked what she was doing.

Few people know this, but I was depressed; I had checked out of life. Each day was a chore, but I made it out of that dark time.

When I finally got the courage to quit what I had grown to hate, I slowly emerged from the depressive state and felt alive – reawakened. I mentally checked out of life, but thank God I checked back in.

I am happier in my mind and spirit – and I am not afraid to do that which makes my soul leap for joy.

New YouTube Channels

Be courageous to do what sets your heart on fire.

I created two new YouTube channels. The new channels are not beauty and lifestyle related. I could make content on both topics without ever receiving a dime, so you know I must enjoy these topics immensely.

Before creating the accounts, I researched the niches to see if they would be worth my time investment, and the results were a resounding yes!

The niches have broad audiences, which means many people are interested in the topics. There is room enough for me to stand out, and since I enjoy both, I decided to do both.

One of the channels is a hobby channel, and the other is not a hobby but something I have done for many years (on this Blog).

If you do what you love, it will not feel like work at all. Your work will be fun, something you look forward to doing, not something you grow to hate.

The Future of This Blog

Is blogging dead? Some might say it is, but I say it is alive and well. I am back to revive my first love, blogging.

Expect an article on this Blog every week. Evelyn’s Blog is my online real estate, where I write about various topics, hence the magazine layout.

Today, I blow off the dust, hook up the lifeline, move my happy little fingers on the black keys of my keyboard, and breathe life back into this Blog. Evelyn’s Blog is now resurrected, alive, and kicking!

Until next time,

Take care!