If you’ve been on any YouTube-related community space (forums, channels, seminars), inevitably, the same question gets asked over and over again, “How do I grow my channel?”

I’m active on many YouTube forums and communities, including the YouTube Creator Community, where I serve as a Top Contributor. In the YouTube Creator Community, I see at least a few posts by new users asking this very question every single day. Often, that’s the only detail asked for. Someone is a YouTube creator, they don’t have  channel that’s as big as they’d like, and they want advice on how to increase views, subscribers, watch time, etc.

Wanting to understand the ins and outs of channel creation, audience retention and growth, etc., are all understandable, however, if your only question is, “How do I grow?” you’re giving anyone who could be in a position to give you advice almost nothing to go on.

Here’s what, “How do I grow” means to anyone who may want to give you advice:

1. You have a YouTube channel
2. You want to make it bigger

That’s it! That’s absolutely no real information to build on, and yet, every day, creators flock to community forums, Facebook groups, and social media platforms just asking, “How do I get a bigger channel,” without any other detail, and expect the advice to start flowing in. Here are some questions that use the same level of detail in other pursuits:

• I’m an actor. How do I become famous?
• I have a business. How do I make a lot of money?
• I just had a kid. How do I raise her?
• I think I’m sick. What medicine should I take?

Nobody could be expected to give solid, actionable advice with that level of detail for those queries, so don’t hamstring yourself by simply popping into spaces where creators gather and expect that we can help you with a formula that works for everybody, in all cases. If that were possible, every channel would be an immediate success.

Asking specific questions about specific situations that can be solved with actionable plans is always welcome, but remember, especially if you’re brand-new, that a huge question like, “How do I grow my channel” is going to just result in a lot more questions from anyone who would want to help you, and often, we’re trying to do the very same thing for our own channels.