Tagged: Creator Strategy

Split illustration showing YouTube Shorts feed disabled on one side and a high-impact long-form thumbnail on the other

YouTube Shorts Disable Is Here: Fix Your Thumbnail Strategy

YouTube now lets users turn off Shorts entirely. Here is how to adapt your long-form thumbnail strategy when Shorts-based discovery stops working.

Dan Kim8 min readApril 27, 2026

Bar chart showing RPM comparison across YouTube niches — gaming at $1-3, education at $2-5, finance at $8-20 — with a creator looking at the data

Creator Strategy

YouTube RPM vs. Views: Why Most Creators Earn Less Than They Should

Most creators obsess over views while ignoring RPM. Here is the data on YouTube niche RPM rates in 2026, and how to earn more without abandoning your content.

Dan Kim8 min readApril 20, 2026

Split dashboard showing a high CTR metric alongside a crashing retention graph, illustrating the YouTube Quality CTR trap

YouTube Growth

Why a High CTR Can Kill Your YouTube Channel (And What to Do Instead)

YouTube's 2026 algorithm punishes high CTR paired with low retention. Learn how 'Quality CTR' works and how to design thumbnails that attract and keep viewers.

Dan Kim9 min readApril 20, 2026

Split comparison showing an exaggerated YouTube Face thumbnail fading out and a clean minimalist thumbnail emerging

Content Strategy

YouTube Face Is Dead: What's Replacing the Open-Mouth Thumbnail in 2026

The exaggerated 'YouTube Face' thumbnail is losing clicks. Data shows neo-minimalism, proof-of-human authenticity, and matched emotions are what works now.

Dan Kim9 min readApril 14, 2026