3 rules top creators use to get millions of views. Plus: the growth strategy dominating YouTube right now. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
3 rules top creators use to get millions of views. Plus: the growth strategy dominating YouTube right now.
| The strategies and insights helping creators grow this week. | | |
| We Found the Perfect Viral Shorts Formula | | | | Think there is a formula for viral Shorts? We went searching for it. This video breaks down the 3 rules top creators use to get millions of views on Shorts, starting with the most important one: stopping the scroll in the first 1.5 seconds. 74% of Shorts views come from the feed, where the algorithm cares more about retention than titles or tags. If you are posting Shorts and wondering why they are not taking off, this is the framework to fix it. | | | | |
| The YouTube Growth Strategy Dominating in 2026 | | | | Niche expansion is replacing the "stay in your lane" advice. The creators growing fastest right now are mapping proven formats across adjacent markets instead of boxing themselves into one tiny topic. This breakdown covers the full framework: a clear channel promise, three repeatable content lanes, and why authenticity beats production value every time. | | | | |
| SPRING RESET OFFER | | This Rate Disappears When Spring Does | | We rarely go bigger than our forever deal, but spring called for something different: 40% off Boost for 12 months. Trending topics, thumbnail tools, competitor tracking, clipping - all at a deeper rate for a limited window. | | | | Valid on Monthly Boost plans for 12 months; not applicable to PayPal payments. Coaching is excluded. | | |
| In Case You Missed It | | Popular content from an earlier issue | | The New Thumbnails Dominating YouTube in 2026 | | | | Winning thumbnails look different this year. This breakdown covers 11 styles getting clicks right now, from neo-minimalism and cinematic text to "candid fake" and anti-thumbnails. If your thumbnails still follow the same formula from two years ago, this is the reset you need. | | | | |
| More From Last Week | | Quick hits and updates you might have missed | | YouTube Quietly Changed the Subscriptions Feed | | YouTube replaced the chronological Subscriptions tab with a "Most relevant" algorithm and did not announce it. Your subscribers might not be seeing your new uploads the way they used to. Worth watching before your next publish. | | | | The Highest Earning Faceless Niches, Ranked | | We analyzed over 250,000 videos to rank the highest-earning faceless niches by CPM, competition, and risk. If you are starting a second channel or exploring faceless content, this data shows where the money is. | | | | 6 Strikes That Will Get You Rejected for Monetization | | Before you apply for the YouTube Partner Program, check your channel for these six issues. Each one can delay or block your application, and most creators do not realize they have a problem until it is too late. | | | | |
| vidIQ FEATURE HIGHLIGHT | | Outliers | | Find viral videos from channels your size. Outliers surfaces videos that are outperforming their channel's average right now, filtered to your subscriber range and niche. Instead of copying what MrBeast does, see what is actually working for creators at your level and reverse-engineer the pattern. | | | | |
| vidIQ Pro Tip ✔ | | Compare multiple keywords at once and spot trends before they peak. Our updated keyword tool shows momentum and velocity - so you can predict what's about to blow up instead of chasing what already did. | | | | |
| Get More from vidIQ | ✓ Read our free articles, listen to podcasts on-the-go. | ✓ Subscribe to our YouTube channel, vidIQ - growth strategies & live reviews. | ✓ Subscribe to our new vidIQ Tutorials channel - step-by-step and how-to videos (new!) | ✓ Join us at upcoming vidIQ events - virtual and in-person. | ✓ Explore vidIQ and grow your channel faster with insights, not guesswork. | | |
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