Starting YouTube Channels

YouTube has been an incredible platform for creators, giving people the chance to share their passions, knowledge, and unique viewpoints with the world. For me, it’s been a way to connect with people who share my love for beverages, energy drinks, and gardening. However, like many creators, I’ve discovered that building an audience isn’t as easy as hitting "upload" and hoping for the best. Each of my three YouTube channels has had its own journey, filled with challenges and small victories.

The Beverage Connoisseur (@TheBeverageConnoisseur)

Let’s start with my main channel, The Beverage Connoisseur. With 181 followers, this channel is where I dive deep into my love for beverages—wine, spirits, cocktails, and more. This is the space where I get to share my knowledge as a sommelier, educate people on pairings, review new products, and discuss trends in the beverage industry.

It’s definitely been a labor of love, and while 181 followers might seem small compared to massive YouTubers, every single follower represents someone who’s genuinely interested in learning about beverages. This channel has seen steady growth over time, and I’ve found that people are especially drawn to the educational content, whether it’s wine pairings or tips for tasting different spirits.

The biggest challenge with The Beverage Connoisseur has been consistency. Like many creators, I’ve struggled to find the right balance between creating content and managing my other projects. YouTube rewards frequent uploads, and I’ve learned that growth tends to stagnate when I’m not posting regularly. Still, seeing the audience slowly grow, even when I’m not pushing out videos as fast as I’d like, has been encouraging.

Energy Drink Ratings Channel (@EnergyDrinkRatings)

Now, the Energy Drink Ratings channel—this one has been a much tougher nut to crack. With just 29 followers, it’s been difficult to gain traction in a niche that seems oversaturated with content about energy drinks. Given the success of our website, EnergyDrinkRatings.com, I assumed the channel would naturally follow the same trajectory, but YouTube has proven to be a different beast entirely.

One of the biggest challenges with this channel has been finding ways to stand out. There are so many creators reviewing energy drinks, and capturing people’s attention in such a crowded space has been an uphill battle. I’ve experimented with different types of content—side-by-side comparisons, deep dives into the ingredients, and even fun, lighthearted taste tests—but getting people to engage with the videos has been tough.

Another challenge has been translating the SEO success of our website into video form. While our blog posts attract steady traffic, YouTube is a more visual and dynamic platform, and the strategies that work for written content don’t always translate to video. I’ve been working on finding ways to improve our thumbnails, video tags, and content structure to see if that helps boost visibility. It’s slow going, but I’m determined to keep pushing forward.

We’ve been working more on fitness videos with Zak, which seem to perform better overall. Seeing as he is now 241 pounds and lifting well over 400 pounds, people seem to enjoy watching his workout routine. Still not sure how to crack this particular nut, but working on it!

Gardening from Groceries Channel (@GardeningFromGroceries)

Finally, there’s Gardening from Groceries, which currently sits at 50 followers. This channel is a bit of a passion project for me, combining my love for gardening with the idea of sustainability. On this channel, I teach viewers how to grow plants from everyday groceries—things like regrowing scallions, using seeds from fruits, or repurposing food scraps into new life.

This channel has been the most rewarding in terms of personal satisfaction. There’s something so calming about teaching people how to garden, and seeing the feedback from people who’ve tried my methods has been heartwarming. However, like the others, it’s also faced its share of challenges.

Gardening is a seasonal activity, and I’ve noticed a natural ebb and flow in engagement depending on the time of year. When spring hits, people are eager to learn how to grow their own food, but during the colder months, views and engagement tend to drop. It’s a cycle I’ve had to learn to accept, and I’m focusing on creating evergreen content that can be relevant year-round.

The Challenges of Building an Audience

Across all three channels, the biggest challenge I’ve faced has been building a steady, engaged audience. In today’s fast-paced world, attention spans are short, and YouTube’s algorithm can be unpredictable. What works for one channel might not work for another, and figuring out how to tailor content for each unique audience has been a learning curve.

For example, on The Beverage Connoisseur, people expect informative, polished content that educates as much as it entertains. On the Energy Drink Ratings channel, viewers are looking for quick, digestible reviews that get straight to the point. Meanwhile, the Gardening from Groceries channel is all about hands-on tutorials, where people want clear instructions on how to grow their own food.

I’ve had to learn how to cater to these different audiences while staying true to myself and my passions. It hasn’t been easy, but it’s taught me a lot about content creation, patience, and perseverance.

What’s Next?

The road to growing these YouTube channels is far from over, and I’m excited to continue pushing forward. I know that with time, effort, and a bit of luck, the channels will grow and attract the audiences they’re meant to. I’m committed to staying consistent, experimenting with new ideas, and improving the quality of the content on each channel.

Collaboration is a huge part of YouTube culture, and I would be open to this in the future.

For anyone reading this who’s struggling to grow their own YouTube channel, my biggest piece of advice is to keep going. It’s easy to get discouraged, especially when growth feels slow, but every follower counts. Every comment, like, and share represents a connection, and over time, those small victories add up.