The (Potentially) Unethical Way of Growing on YouTube

Let’s face it, one of the metrics of YouTube success is channel growth

For some, this growth comes easy

For others, it’s as hard as resisting a dessert bar at an all you can eat buffet

Sadly, most people end up in the second camp

Continuously struggling to grow their channel no matter how hard they try

Well, there’s a way you can overcome this

But you may (or may not) think it’s unethical

Wondering where I’m going with this?

Let’s dive in

The other day I was recommended the following video:

This is a moderate outlier on a still rather small channel

And you know me, whenever I see an outlier, I have to dive a little deeper

So after reviewing the mechanics of this video it refreshed my memory of one of the most powerful attraction elements you can use to garner attention

FEAR

This video right here is a prime example of fear being employed (whether he realized it or not) in order to generate an outsized amount of views on this video

But Adam, where is the fear element in this video?

Let’s go over that now…

A major fear of most adults is the loss of their income

Losing your income can translate into:

• Not being able to afford rent

• Not being able to support your family

• Not being able to continue to build wealth

And a host of other consequences that are unfavorable to say the least

For the majority of people, losing their income means losing their job

In this video, the creator shares his story of getting laid off (i.e. losing his job) and how his loyalty to a company could not save him

His story alone plays on many adults greatest fear

Which instantly attracts those who are constantly worried about their job security

And how they will put food on the table

But it goes deeper

Because the video also alludes to the mistakes that you can avoid to not end up like him

This is the value proposition that really gets people to click

So that they can mitigate the risk of financial uncertainty that plagues them every day

But Adam, what’s so unethical about this channel sharing their story?

Inherently, there is nothing unethical about it

But it opens up the door for people to abuse people’s fears in order to generate views

This is why fear-inducing content (e.g. news headlines) are so intriguing

Because they identify a fear and exploit it using the copy and stories that they tell

This is to say that you now have a very powerful tool in your toolbelt

But like Batman, you need to use your tools responsibly

And when you do, you should be getting more views than ever before!

Until tomorrow,

Adam