Have you ever wondered what the secret is behind explosive YouTube channel growth?

This week, I sat down with Jake Brian, the mastermind producer behind "The Deep End with Taylor Welch" - a podcast YouTube channel that exploded from just a few thousand subscribers to over 250,000 subscribers in only 9 months, now generating $30,000-$50,000 monthly in ad revenue alone!

The Secret Behind Rapid YouTube Growth

Most YouTube creators struggle for years to gain traction. Jake and Taylor had been posting consistently for two years with their channel averaging just 300-400 views per video.

In fact, before their breakthrough, they had earned a grand total of $120 from two years of YouTube work.

Let that sink in for a moment.

That's two years of consistently creating content every week, only to earn less than what most people make in a single day at a minimum wage job.

But everything changed with one breakthrough video that hit 200,000 views in just a couple weeks. What did they change?

The Title and Thumbnail Formula That Changed Everything

The single biggest factor that transformed their channel was rethinking how they approached titles and thumbnails.

Jake shared the story of how a mentor helped him realize their titles were completely missing what their audience actually cared about. In the full episode they share exactly what they changed & why it worked so well! (Watch it Now!)

The Retroactive Power of YouTube (Why Your Old Videos Still Matter)

Here's something that should give hope to anyone who has been grinding away on YouTube without much success:

After their breakthrough video, Jake went back and updated the titles and thumbnails of their entire back catalog using the new formula they'd discovered. The results were stunning:

• Their first-ever video went from 2,000 views to 43,000 views

• Other older videos jumped to 60,000 and 80,000 views

• Some older videos now have nearly 700,000 views

This is the power of YouTube's evergreen nature - your content catalog has latent potential that can be unlocked when you finally crack the code.

The Perfect Thumbnail Strategy

Jake shared his exact process for creating high-performing thumbnails:

1. Tell a story that extends your title - Don't just repeat the title text in your thumbnail

2. Create visual curiosity - If something in your title is hard to visualize, make that the focus of your thumbnail

3. Leave questions unanswered - Your thumbnail should raise questions that can only be answered by watching the video

4. Use novel imagery - Create visuals people haven't seen before

5. Test multiple iterations - Jake creates 8-9 versions of thumbnails before deciding

The result? A highly novel visual that stands out completely from traditional content on prayer.

The "First 10 Seconds" Rule

One of the biggest shifts in their content approach was addressing the concepts from the title and thumbnail in the first 10 seconds of the video.

No lengthy intros. No "Hey, welcome to the channel." No personal updates.

Just straight to the promised content.

Jake explains: "That first minute is you're literally trying to purchase people's attention. And especially for a 2-hour long podcast, you really have to... it's got to be interesting."

For their podcast format, they create a "trailer" in the first 30-60 seconds featuring:

• Captions in the middle of the screen

• Strategic music

• The most interesting clips from the episode

• Open loops that make viewers want to know more

The Analytics That Matter Most

Jake monitors several key metrics, but focuses most intensely on these two:

1. Click-Through Rate (CTR): A good CTR in the first hour is 9-12%. If it falls below 9%, he typically changes the thumbnail.

2. Average View Duration (AVD): For their long-form podcast content, they aim for 22-32 minutes of average watch time. If it falls below that, they make adjustments.

If a video has both good CTR and good AVD but still isn't performing, Jake looks at comments - a powerful signal to the algorithm that people are engaging deeply with the content.

The Producer's Secret Role: "Find Gold and Bring It to the Internet"

As the producer behind The Deep End, Jake sees his role as finding and extracting the most valuable content that will resonate with viewers.

During recording, he:

1. Asks questions the audience would have

2. Creates contrast when the host gets too comfortable

3. Helps guide the conversation to topics that will make compelling shorts

4. Writes down timestamps of moments that could go viral

5. Stops recording if the content isn't interesting enough

"My job is to find gold and bring it to the internet," Jake explains. "Find the thing that's different and help more people see it."

The Power of "Authority Through Vulnerability"

Perhaps the most profound insight Jake shared was how to establish real authority with an audience:

"You can pay for authority with vulnerability."

Channels that truly break through don't just deliver information - they create emotional connection through authentic vulnerability.

Jake notes that most creators in any niche avoid certain topics or personal revelations. By being willing to go there - to share the struggles, the doubts, the failures - you build trust that can't be manufactured.

"If your content does not cause people to change their life, why are you making your content?" Jake challenges. "Because if you want your content to blow up, it should change people's lives."

Applying These Lessons to Your YouTube Channel

Whether you're just starting or have been grinding away without results, here are the key takeaways:

1. Ruthlessly focus on what your audience actually cares about, not what you think they should care about

2. Create titles and thumbnails that create curiosity through contrast and novel framing

3. Get to the point in the first 10 seconds - earn attention before expecting it

4. Pay for authority with vulnerability - be willing to share struggles alongside expertise

5. Monitor your analytics religiously - if CTR is below 9% or watch time is low, make changes immediately

6. Don't give up too early - Jake and Taylor were ready to quit after 2 years of minimal results before their breakthrough

7. Update your old content once you discover what works - your back catalog has enormous potential value\

Watch the Full Episode Now!

Remember: It's Your Time to Break Through!

Jake and Taylor spent two years struggling before their breakthrough moment. They were literally on the verge of quitting when everything changed.

As Jake told me: "We were at the end of our rope. And then it felt like being in a hospital and looking at somebody who was on life support and then all of a sudden for the first time in four years since they've been in a coma, you see a heartbeat."

That heartbeat became a channel with 250,000 subscribers generating up to $50,000 monthly in ad revenue (not counting their business revenue from clients who discover them through YouTube).

Your breakthrough could be one title and thumbnail away.

So…

Book Your YouTube Marketing Strategy Call!

Are you looking to Scale your Business with YouTube?

I want to invite you to a 1-1 Strategy call with my Team to map out a YouTube Ads & Video Marketing Strategy specifically for your Business!

This is a 45-minute call where we’ll dive into your Business, your Goals & map out a Custom Strategy to help you Achieve them through YouTube!

Fill out the Quick Booking form to Schedule your Strategy Call.

More Value Coming Soon!

Stay Tuned for More Great Value & Content Coming your Way!

Here’s a Sneak Peak at What’s Coming Next:

• More Free Trainings & Resources — In your Inbox!

• Real Case Studies & Examples of the Marketing Funnels that Scaled Coaching Businesses past 7 & 8 Figures

• The REAL on-the-ground insights into what’s going on in the Online Marketing & Coaching/Consulting/High-Ticket Industry (Based on our Insights working with Thousands of Clients)

• The Latest YouTube Ad & Marketing Strategies as we Discover Them - So that you’re Always on the Cutting Edge

• Guest Articles, Videos & Podcasts from the Top Marketing Minds of Today — Stay tuned for some exciting announcements around this ;-)

• And a LOT More…

I’m serious when I say I want this to be The Most Valuable Newsletter You’re Subscribed to — Look out for us in your Inbox Every Friday!

I’ll see you in the next one!

To Your Success,

- Aleric Heck | Founder & CEO of AdOutreach