Some YouTube creators are finding success by rejecting the algorithm-driven strategies of MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson), which focus on sensational titles, heavy editing, and clickbait thumbnails. Creators like Zackary Smigel, Sam Sulek, Eddy Burback, and SungWon Cho emphasize authenticity and audience connection instead.
Zackary Smigel criticizes the dominance of MrBeast-style content and emphasizes the importance of understanding and trusting the audience. Sam Sulek's fitness videos follow a simple, consistent format without flashy edits or clickbait, yet he has amassed over three million subscribers. Eddy Burback shifted from regular commentary videos to infrequent, in-depth essays and unique travelogues, resonating deeply with his nearly two million subscribers. SungWon Cho, known as ProZD, creates content that he enjoys without chasing trends or optimizing for algorithms, which maintains his large following and led to a successful voice acting career.
These creators demonstrate that success on YouTube can be achieved through genuine content and a loyal audience, challenging the notion that algorithmic optimization is the only path to popularity.
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Discussion (2)
I actually LOVE this.
I find that extremely click baity stuff overtly annoying and out of touch. I'm not seeking sensational content all the time, and I find a lot more human approach to youtube video making to be very refreshing.
Like anything creative, the copy cats will be effective, but there will always be a counter-culture that will be equally as effective.