David Dobrik has been one of the biggest success stories YouTube has seen in recent years, accruing over 16 million subscribers on the platform. Now, a YouTube and social media expert has explained exactly how he made it happen.
While Dobrik was originally a Vine star, his transition to YouTube was relatively seamless and he soon picked up any traction he had gained from Vine and, obviously, a whole lot more.
Since then, his views have started to outshine some of the biggest names on YouTube, yet has accomplsihed it in an unconventional yet authentic way – as YouTube expert Paddy Galloway explains.
In a video that takes a deep dive into Dobrik’s career – as well as what he did to become so successful – Galloway lists several factors that have contributed to the Slovakian-born star’s success.
One of the first things Galloway points out – after showing off Dobrik’s incredible viewing figures and estimated net worth of $7m – is that he “goes against many of the principles that YouTubers live by.” He makes short videos, uses copyrighted music and isn’t afraid to use strong language or show edgy content – meaning most of his videos get demonetized by default.
Paddy then says that he believes Dobrik’s success comes down to four key factors – and he seems to hit the nail on the head.
The first factor given is “Migrating his audience” or, in more simple terms, how he pulled his Vine followers across to YouTube. Through his growing knowledge of brand deals, content algorithms and the power of collaborations, the transition to YouTube sensation came much quicker than it did for David than it would have for others.
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Galloway then says the second factor to Dobrik’s success is how he “evolved the vlog.” He explains that while Vine might have died, Dobrik essentially makes videos that seem like Vine compilations, in that its short-form sketches or moments collated into one bigger piece. This is in contrast to other vloggers, who make them longer to increase watch time and monetization potential.
He also notes the point of view the vlogs are filmed in – mostly on his friends, and from a side angle rather than straight-on, making viewers feel even more immersed in what they’re watching.
Galloway’s third factor to success is the use of characters to add extra dimensions. Having a big group of friends who are also popular online personalities means David himself doesn’t have to drive the narrative of the vlog – instead, viewers become fans of the entire ensemble.
Finally, Galloway says the fourth key to success is Dobrik’s outsmarting of the YouTube algorithm. Despite not being the ‘model YouTuber,’ he uses titles and thumbnails that are very clickable, and the short videos mean viewers stick around to watch the whole thing.
Because of his great click-through-rate and watch-time, his videos still perform well on YouTube’s algorithm despite not hitting boxes the platform would typically search for.
This breakdown provides a lot of food for thought for aspiring content creators, especially with the point that “content should always come first” the resounding message at the end.
Although there always has to be a certain amount of luck involved to see so much success on YouTube, it’s clear that Dobrik continues to go above and beyond to create the best content possible, while also maximizing his opportunities on the platform.
