Growing on YouTube in 2025: Advice from

the Greatest YouTubers

Strategies, Mistakes to Avoid, and Psychological Hacks for

Success

Prepared by Grok 3, xAI

June 12, 2025

Learn from top creators like MrBeast, Emma Chamberlain, and PewDiePie to master
growth, engagement, and audience psychology.
Contents
1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

2 Advice from the Greatest YouTubers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

2.1 MrBeast: Reinvest and Obsess Over Retention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.2 Emma Chamberlain: Authenticity and Cross-Promotion . . . . . . . . . 3
2.3 PewDiePie: Community and Consistency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.4 Mark Rober: Value-Driven Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.5 Kurzgesagt: Visual Storytelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

3 Mistakes to Avoid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3.1 Quitting Too Early . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3.2 Over-Focusing on Subscribers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3.3 Lack of Niche Clarity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3.4 Poor Production Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3.5 Ignoring Engagement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3.6 Over-Reliance on Perfection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3.7 Inconsistent Posting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

4 Hooking Viewers with Psychology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

4.1 Curiosity Gap (Information Gap Theory) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
4.2 Emotional Triggers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
4.3 Pattern Interrupts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
4.4 Visual Metaphors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
4.5 Halo Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

5 Engaging Viewers for Retention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

5.1 Strong Hooks (First 10 Seconds) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
5.2 Storytelling and Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
5.3 Interactive Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
5.4 Pattern Interrupts in Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
5.5 Community Engagement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

6 Gaming Niche: Growth Strategies from Top Creators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

6.1 PewDiePie: Personality-Driven Lets Plays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
6.2 Dream: Creative Challenges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
6.3 Jacksepticeye: Community Interaction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
6.4 Emerging Trends in Gaming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

7 Monetization and Scaling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

7.1 Ad Revenue and Sponsorships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
7.2 Channel Memberships and Crowdfunding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
7.3 Cross-Platform Growth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

8 Sustainability and Mental Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

8.1 Avoiding Burnout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
8.2 Handling Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
8.3 Balancing Passion and Profit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

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Growing on YouTube in 2025: Advice from the Greatest YouTubers 2

9 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

10 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

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Growing on YouTube in 2025: Advice from the Greatest YouTubers 3

1 Introduction
YouTube in 2025 is a battleground for creators, with over 2.5 billion monthly active users
and millions of channels vying for attention. To stand out, aspiring YouTubers must
learn from the greatest creators who have mastered the platforms algorithm, audience
engagement, and growth strategies. This guide compiles advice from top YouTubers like
MrBeast, Emma Chamberlain, PewDiePie, and others, focusing on their proven tactics,
common mistakes to avoid, and psychological principles to hook and engage viewers.
With a special emphasis on the gaming niche, this document provides actionable insights
to help you grow your channel, build a loyal audience, and achieve sustainable success.

2 Advice from the Greatest YouTubers

2.1 MrBeast: Reinvest and Obsess Over Retention
• Key Strategy: Reinvest earnings into higher production value to create viral con-
tent. MrBeast spends millions on videos like Squid Game recreations to maximize
watch time [23].
• Advice: Every video should be better than the last. Obsess over audience retention
graphs to see where viewers drop off [6].
• Application: Analyze YouTube Analytics to identify drop-off points and refine pac-
ing, intros, and cliffhangers to keep viewers hooked [7].

2.2 Emma Chamberlain: Authenticity and Cross-Promotion

• Key Strategy: Build a relatable persona through unpolished vlogs and leverage
Instagram for cross-promotion [14].
• Advice: Be yourself, because people connect with real emotions, not perfection [16].
• Application: Share behind-the-scenes content on social platforms and let your per-
sonality shine to foster trust [18].

2.3 PewDiePie: Community and Consistency

• Key Strategy: Engage fans through humor and consistent uploads, especially in
gaming [3].
• Advice: Talk to your audience like theyre friends. Make them feel part of the
journey [3].
• Application: Respond to comments and host live streams to build a loyal commu-
nity [12].

2.4 Mark Rober: Value-Driven Content

• Key Strategy: Combine education and entertainment, like engineering experiments,
to deliver high value [8].

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Growing on YouTube in 2025: Advice from the Greatest YouTubers 4

• Advice: Make every video worth watching by solving a problem or sparking curiosity
[10].
• Application: Create content that educates, entertains, or inspires, ensuring viewers
leave with something valuable [10].

2.5 Kurzgesagt: Visual Storytelling

• Key Strategy: Use high-quality animations to simplify complex topics, boosting
engagement [13].
• Advice: Invest in visuals that make abstract ideas tangible [19].
• Application: Use tools like Adobe After Effects for compelling visuals, especially in
gaming montages [12].

3 Mistakes to Avoid
3.1 Quitting Too Early
• Mistake: Giving up due to slow initial growth. Many YouTubers abandon channels
within the first year [16].
• Advice from MrBeast: It took me years to hit 1,000 subscribers. Keep going, and
the snowball effect will kick in [16].
• Solution: Set small milestones (e.g., 100 views per video) and focus on consistent
improvement [5].

3.2 Over-Focusing on Subscribers

• Mistake: Prioritizing subscriber count over views and engagement, which drives
algorithm recommendations [16].
• Advice from Casey Neistat: Subscribers are vanity metrics. Focus on making videos
people want to watch [14].
• Solution: Optimize for watch time and engagement through compelling content [8].

3.3 Lack of Niche Clarity

• Mistake: Creating broad content that confuses viewers about your channels purpose
[13].
• Advice from YCImaging: Know your audience and solve their specific problems [3].
• Solution: Choose a micro-niche (e.g., Minecraft redstone tutorials) to attract a
dedicated audience [8].

3.4 Poor Production Quality

• Mistake: Neglecting audio, visuals, or editing, leading to viewer drop-off [2].

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Growing on YouTube in 2025: Advice from the Greatest YouTubers 5

• Advice from MKBHD: Clear audio is non-negotiable. Invest in a good microphone

before a fancy camera [14].
• Solution: Use affordable tools like Blue Yeti mics and DaVinci Resolve for profes-
sional quality [12].

3.5 Ignoring Engagement

• Mistake: Failing to interact with viewers, missing opportunities to build loyalty [1].
• Advice from Amy Porterfield: Engaging with comments creates trust and commu-
nity [18].
• Solution: Reply to comments within 24 hours and use polls or community posts
[7].

3.6 Over-Reliance on Perfection

• Mistake: Spending too much time perfecting videos, delaying uploads [16].
• Advice from Emma Chamberlain: Imperfect content is relatable. Just hit publish
[14].
• Solution: Adopt the seven video challenge to create and upload without overthink-
ing [5].

3.7 Inconsistent Posting

• Mistake: Uploading sporadically, causing audience disengagement [13].
• Advice from Jacksepticeye: Consistency builds habits. Even one video a week is
enough [3].
• Solution: Create a realistic schedule (e.g., weekly uploads) and batch-produce con-
tent [11].

4 Hooking Viewers with Psychology

4.1 Curiosity Gap (Information Gap Theory)
• Concept: Spark curiosity by presenting partial information that viewers want to
resolve [19].
• Example: MrBeasts titles like I Survived 50 Hours in a Freezer create an information
gap [23].
• Application: Use titles like The One Trick to Win Every Fortnite Match to compel
clicks [10].

4.2 Emotional Triggers

• Concept: Emotions like surprise, awe, or humor drive engagement [19].

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Growing on YouTube in 2025: Advice from the Greatest YouTubers 6

• Example: PewDiePies humorous reactions in gaming videos keep viewers enter-

tained [3].
• Application: Start gaming videos with a surprising moment (e.g., an epic fail) to
hook viewers [9].

4.3 Pattern Interrupts

• Concept: Break viewer expectations with unexpected visuals, sounds, or edits to
maintain attention [19].
• Example: Mark Robers sudden zoom-ins or sound effects in science videos [8].
• Application: Use quick cuts or text overlays in gameplay montages to keep energy
high [10].

4.4 Visual Metaphors

• Concept: Use visuals to make abstract concepts tangible, enhancing retention [19].
• Example: Kurzgesagts animations visualize complex ideas like black holes [13].
• Application: In gaming tutorials, show progress bars or animated skill trees to
clarify mechanics [19].

4.5 Halo Effect

• Concept: Collaborating with trusted creators transfers credibility to you [18].
• Example: Red Bulls collaboration with gaming influencer Lachlan boosted brand
visibility [12].
• Application: Partner with gaming YouTubers for co-op streams or shoutouts [12].

5 Engaging Viewers for Retention

5.1 Strong Hooks (First 10 Seconds)
• Technique: Grab attention with a question, bold statement, or teaser [7].
• Example: Growth Spurts videos ask engaging questions like Want to double your
views? [7].
• Application: Start gaming videos with Heres how I beat the final boss in 5 minutes!
[10].

5.2 Storytelling and Structure

• Technique: Use a narrative arc (hook, value, resolution) to maintain interest [10].
• Example: MrBeasts challenge videos build tension and deliver satisfying conclusions
[23].

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Growing on YouTube in 2025: Advice from the Greatest YouTubers 7

• Application: Structure Lets Plays with a goal (e.g., Can I survive Minecraft hard-
core?) [3].

5.3 Interactive Elements

• Technique: Add polls, quizzes, or choose-your-own-adventure features [19].
• Example: Gaming channels use polls to let viewers choose the next game [3].
• Application: Include end-screen polls like Which boss should I fight next? [7].

5.4 Pattern Interrupts in Editing

• Technique: Use zoom-ins, sound effects, or B-roll to break monotony [11].
• Example: Jacksepticeyes energetic cuts in gaming videos keep viewers engaged [3].
• Application: Add sound effects for epic gaming moments (e.g., critical hits) [10].

5.5 Community Engagement

• Technique: Respond to comments, host live streams, and create community posts
[1].
• Example: Artists of Morality likes and replies to comments to build connection
[17].
• Application: Host Q&A streams for gaming fans to discuss strategies [12].

6 Gaming Niche: Growth Strategies from Top Creators

6.1 PewDiePie: Personality-Driven Lets Plays
• Strategy: Combine humor and commentary to make gameplay engaging [3].
• Application: Add unique commentary to Minecraft or Fortnite videos [3].
• Psychology: Emotional connection through humor increases retention [19].

6.2 Dream: Creative Challenges

• Strategy: Create unique gaming challenges (e.g., Minecraft manhunts) [22].
• Application: Design challenges like Beating Elden Ring with no armor [3].
• Psychology: Novelty sparks curiosity, driving clicks [19].

6.3 Jacksepticeye: Community Interaction

• Strategy: Host live streams and engage with fans on Discord [3].
• Application: Create a Discord server for fans to share gaming tips [12].
• Psychology: Building community fosters loyalty and repeat viewership [18].

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Growing on YouTube in 2025: Advice from the Greatest YouTubers 8

6.4 Emerging Trends in Gaming

• VR and Metaverse: Cover games like VRChat or Roblox [10].
• Esports Content: Create highlight reels or commentary for Valorant tournaments
[22].
• Application: Use curiosity-driven titles like Is VR the Future of Gaming? [19].

7 Monetization and Scaling

7.1 Ad Revenue and Sponsorships
Advice from MrBeast: Reinvest ad revenue into bigger videos to scale [23]. Strategy:
Join the YouTube Partner Program and pitch gaming brands for sponsorships [14].
Psychology: High production value signals quality, attracting viewers [21].

7.2 Channel Memberships and Crowdfunding

• Advice from Kurzgesagt: Crowdfunding like Patreon builds a sustainable income
[4].
• Strategy: Offer exclusive gaming content to members [4].
• Psychology: Fans feel valued, increasing loyalty [18].

7.3 Cross-Platform Growth

• Advice from Emma Chamberlain: Use Instagram and TikTok to drive traffic [18].
• Strategy: Share gaming Shorts on TikTok to attract new viewers [14].
• Psychology: Familiarity across platforms builds trust [18].

8 Sustainability and Mental Health

8.1 Avoiding Burnout
• Advice from Jack Innanen: Dont dread creating. Take breaks to stay inspired [7].
• Strategy: Batch-produce content and schedule breaks [11].
• Psychology: A rested mind creates more engaging content [20].

8.2 Handling Criticism

• Advice from Amy Porterfield: Focus on supportive fans, not haters [18].
• Strategy: Use YouTubes comment moderation tools [7].
• Psychology: Positive reinforcement boosts motivation [19].

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Growing on YouTube in 2025: Advice from the Greatest YouTubers 9

8.3 Balancing Passion and Profit

• Advice from Dylan Reeves-Fellows: Create for fun, not just money [15].
• Strategy: Align content with your passions (e.g., gaming) [5].
• Psychology: Intrinsic motivation sustains long-term growth [5].

9 Conclusion
Growing on YouTube in 2025 requires learning from the greatest creators, avoiding com-
mon mistakes, and leveraging psychology to hook and engage viewers. Top YouTubers
like MrBeast, Emma Chamberlain, and PewDiePie emphasize retention, authenticity, and
community, while psychological principles like curiosity gaps and emotional triggers drive
clicks and watch time. In the gaming niche, unique challenges and live interaction can set
you apart. By staying consistent, engaging with your audience, and prioritizing mental
health, you can build a thriving channel that resonates with viewers and achieves lasting
success.

10 References
References
[1] Copy Posse, 10 Big YouTube Mistakes to Avoid in 2024, 2024, www.copyposse.
com.
[2] Epidemic Sound, 8 YouTube Mistakes to Avoid in 2025, 2025, www.
epidemicsound.com.
[3] vidIQ, 12 Tips for Starting a YouTube Gaming Channel in 2025, 2024, www.vidiq.
com.
[4] Patreon, Crowdfunding for YouTubers, 2024, www.patreon.com.
[5] Glasp, My Honest Advice to Anyone Starting YouTube in 2025, 2025, glasp.co.
[6] Vocal Media, How to Get More Views on YouTube in 2025, 2025, vocal.media.
[7] Hootsuite, 28 YouTube Tips to Grow Your Channel in 2025, 2025, blog.
hootsuite.com.
[8] Fourthwall, 13 Strategies to Grow Your YouTube Channel in 2025, 2024,
fourthwall.com.
[9] TecSmash, 5 Tips to Make Engaging Videos on YouTube, 2019, www.tecsmash.
com.
[10] The Go Guy, 10 Crucial Tips to Grow on YouTube in 2025, 2025, thegoguy.com.
[11] Wolfheart, Tips for YouTube Growth: How Top YouTubers Succeed, 2025,
wolfheart.co.uk.
[12] Brand24, 8 YouTube Tips for 2025: Trends and Tactics, 2025, brand24.com.

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[13] The Upcoming, Six Mistakes Every YouTuber Should Avoid, 2021, www.
theupcoming.co.uk.
[14] SocialPilot, How to Grow a YouTube Channel: 12 Proven Tips for 2025, 2025,
www.socialpilot.co.
[15] Skillshare, YouTube Success 2025: Launch Grow Your Channel, 2025, www.
skillshare.com.
[16] Odettarockheadkerr, Avoid These 20 Common YouTube Mistakes in 2024, 2024,
www.odettarockheadkerr.com.
[17] Sprout Social, How to Get More Views on YouTube: 18 Ways, 2025,
sproutsocial.com.
[18] Hootsuite, 9 Tips and Tricks to Increase Your YouTube Engagement Rate, 2022,
blog.hootsuite.com.
[19] HubSpot, How to Make Engaging Videos: 6 Psychology-Backed Hacks, 2024, blog.
hubspot.com.
[20] Eightify, VTuber Mistakes to Avoid in 2023, 2023, eightify.app.
[21] Skillshare, How to Make Irresistible YouTube Thumbnails: Strategy Psychology,
2025, www.skillshare.com.
[22] vidIQ, The 54 Best YouTube Niches, According to Viewers, 2024, www.vidiq.com.
[23] @gregisenberg, X Post, 2025, https://t.co/pAzdbdVDQU.

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