When Should You Give up on YouTube?

We often talk about achieving success on YouTube, but we rarely talk about what happens when success isn't achieved. The fact of the matter is, 99% of the people who decide to create a YouTube channel will end up giving up. This leads us to the question- when should you give up on YouTube?

YouTube should give up on YouTube when you no longer enjoy creating videos and operating a channel. You cannot achieve success on YouTube if you do not enjoy the process of being a YouTube content creator. No amount of views or subscribers will ever save you from creating videos and operating a channel you do not enjoy anymore.

The decision to give up on YouTube should not be taken lightly. Many people have given up on YouTube too soon and have missed out on the success they always wanted. Before any content creator gives up on YouTube, they must determine whether or not giving up is truly the best option.

When to Give up on YouTube

Knowing when to give up on YouTube is an important skill to possess. The last thing you want to do is give up when you're 1 video away from achieving success. But when should you give up? Should you give up if you have certain view and subscriber counts? Or, are there more important factors to take into account?

There are 2 situations when you should give up on YouTube. These 2 situations are:

• When you don't enjoy it anymore
• When you're suffering from extreme stress

Let's discuss each of these situations in more detail.

When You Don't Enjoy It Anymore

It is nearly impossible to achieve success on YouTube when you don't enjoy creating videos and operating a channel. Achieving YouTube success is a long and difficult process. You will never be able to convince yourself to put in the effort needed and to keep pushing forward if you do not enjoy what you are doing.

There is no shame in losing interest in YouTube. As I mentioned above, 99% of the people who decide to create a YouTube channel end up giving up. There is no point in forcing yourself to do something you don't like. Also, who knows, maybe you'll regain the fire you had for creating videos in the future and you'll return to YouTube.

When You're Suffering From Extreme Stress

Over the years, many content creators on YouTube have commented on the "grind" of operating a channel. This grind leads many content creators to a place of stress. Creating high-quality videos is difficult to do when you're in a stressed mental state, and you must create high-quality videos to grow.

If you try to push through the stress, there is a high likelihood that you will end up suffering from burnout. Burnout plagues creators of all sizes and makes it very difficult to operate a YouTube channel. Since this is the case, it can be beneficial to take a break when you feel stressed to avoid burnout. Then again, quitting also can solve this issue.

Before You Give Up on YouTube

Before you give up on YouTube, ask yourself: Is this a short-term problem? Meaning, is your lack of interest or enjoyment on YouTube because of the content you are currently creating or something else? Sometimes, people give up on YouTube, and shortly after find out that the problem that caused them to quit was an easy fix.

One of the most beneficial things that creators can do is take a break. Even just a weekend off can help. When you're taking part in the day-to-day grind of being a content creator, you can struggle to see things for what they are. You might think that you don't enjoy creating videos, but you might just not enjoy creating the types of videos you're currently making.

If your issue does come down to the videos you are creating, the solution is simple- create different videos. Funnily enough, many small channels stop themselves from creating different types of videos. The thing is, the best time to experiment with different types of videos is when your channel has fewer than 500 subscribers!

Try taking a step back and evaluating your situation before choosing to give up on YouTube. There have been countless creators who have given up right before their hard work was about to pay off. Remember, YouTube is a long-term game. Giving up without giving things time to work can be a recipe for disappointment.

The Reality of Growing a YouTube Channel

Unfortunately, many people have unrealistic expectations when it comes to growing a YouTube channel. The reality of the situation is, YouTube is a long-term game. Many successful content creators on YouTube upload videos for multiple years before ever getting noticed.

Expecting to grow an audience fast on YouTube is like expecting to lose 90 pounds in a week- odds are, it isn't going to happen. Much like with the body of a human, there are limitations to how fast a channel can grow. For example, a content creator cannot upload 10 videos a day without burning out.

Since these limitations exist, you must temper your expectations. Do not expect to become an overnight success or blow up on YouTube. Be prepared to have to put in consistent effort for a long time. Some channels grow faster than others, and your channel could be one of them. Or, your channel could grow slowly- there are no guarantees.

Approaching YouTube with the expectations of growing fast is a recipe for disaster and will make it more difficult for you to grow your channel. Learn to enjoy the process of creating and marketing videos. Let your expectations relate to things that you can directly control- not things algorithms control.

Conclusion

It is not unusual for the majority of people who start a YouTube channel to give up. After all, it can be difficult to put time and effort into something you are not benefitting from. But when should you give up on YouTube? You should give up when you don't like creating videos or operating a channel- plain and simple.