YouTube strategist you should follow to make $$$ from your channel

YouTube strategist advice isn’t optional and hasn’t been for a while now. YouTube’s algorithm doesn’t reward random posting as it does strategy. If you want to turn your YouTube channel into a business with consistent views, more subscribers, and real revenue, you need to learn from people who understand WHY content works AND what tactics to try.

Below you’ll find our best list of YouTube strategists worth following (not only because they have good opinions, but because they give real frameworks that creators can use today), plus their insights into YouTube as a platform, how the algorithm works, what data actually matters, and how strategy beats guesswork every time.

YouTube stats every strategist tracks

Numbers don’t lie, but many creators ignore them. Here are a few stats every YouTube strategist keeps close:

• Average audience retention for top channels is 40-60%

• Click-through rate (CTR) for effective thumbnails: 4-6%

• Channels posting consistently (3-5 videos per week) grow subscribers 67% faster than those that don’t.

• Only 4% of channels surpass 10,000 subscribers, and they all have a clear strategy.

• The average watch time per video varies widely, but adding 30-60 seconds of engaging content increases algorithmic promotion drastically.

• According to recent benchmarks, only 16.8% of videos exceed 50% retention, and over 55% of viewers drop off within the first 60 seconds. Most people decide whether to keep watching in just 8 seconds.

So…if your video doesn’t hook within the first seconds, YouTube won’t push it, no matter how creative or beautifully shot it is. And that’s why we’re offering this 1-week $100 trial for professional video editing, because it matters and it can really be the difference for your YouTube channel, because a good strategy with poorly made videos won’t work.

However…

Let’s get back to the strategists you came here to read.

1. Mario Joos

Source: Mario Joos YouTube channel

If you’re tired of recycled “hook, story, offer” advice, Mario Joos is your antidote.

He’s the former lead retention strategist for MrBeast (2019–2022)… yes, the same MrBeast whose videos get more views than Netflix series.

Joos founded Brightrock, a company that researches the neuroscience of attention, dopamine, and parasocial relationships, basically the stuff that makes us addicted to content (Vidpros recently had an interview with Mario Joos, and we loved it.)

Unlike most “tactic-first” YouTube strategists, Mario treats retention as a science experiment. His process: form a hypothesis, test, analyze data, refine.

“I try to be a lot stricter with what is good knowledge, what is bad knowledge. Even I have a

strong belief – nobody ever knows fully if they’re actually right about anything.” – Mario Joos

He also writes on LinkedIn that the best YouTube tactics are often the simplest: test thumbnails every two weeks, place ads every minute, dub into new languages, and revive old formats that still work.

He left MrBeast because he wanted his research to benefit all creators, not just one. And he wants to challenge myths like “attention spans are shrinking” because his studies show that the right story can hold modern viewers longer than ever.

So, if you run a channel, study and follow how Mario connects brain chemistry with storytelling because he has some amazing videos on his channel.

2. Tim Schmoyer

Tim started as a creator himself in the early days of YouTube and eventually founded Video Creators, one of the first agencies dedicated to YouTube strategy back in 2013 with a proven track record.

Over the years, his team helped thousands of creators and brands, generating billions of views and millions of subscribers before he sold the agency to VidIQ in 2022.

What we would say sets Tim apart from many other strategists is how he sees YouTube as part of a larger creator business, so not just a platform for posting content.

If you used to follow Tim Schmoyer, you’ve probably noticed that his YouTube channel looks a little different these days. The tutorials, algorithm breakdowns, and case studies that once defined his content aren’t his main focus anymore.

Source: Tim Schmoyer Creator Business Coaching page

But that doesn’t mean he’s disappeared from the creator world.

Tim still works as a YouTube strategist, just in a more selective, private way. Instead of public uploads, he now offers coaching to a small group of hand-picked creators through his Creator Business Coaching program.

A lot of creators get stuck in the cycle of posting, editing, and hoping for the next viral hit. What Tim teaches is that being a creator isn’t just about videos, it’s about structure, leadership, and clarity.

He’ wants to show what the future of a YouTube strategist really looks like: not someone who chases trends, but someone who helps creators design businesses that last. So while his own uploads might have slowed down, his impact hasn’t. He’s still molding the next wave of strategists, just…differently than before.

3. Nick Nimmin

Nick Nimmin is another right person to follow if you’re tired of everything else. His YouTube channel is practically a free masterclass in creator business. He can teach you how to use data, tools, and realistic insights to make better decisions.

Nick’s videos and content strategy is to focus on analytics and audience behavior. He breaks down retention graphs, CTR benchmarks, and A/B testing, the boring stuff that, according to him, actually makes the money.

Source: Nick Nimmin’s YouTube channel

He also helped shape StreamYard through educational content and TubeBuddy’s as well. showing creators how to analyze their performance and get more views through small, yet compounding improvements.

Since 2014, he’s been breaking down YouTube tips, updates, and tools to help people get more views, subscribers, and revenue, and he’s known for keeping things real. One thing about Nick is that he doesn’t claim to know everything, and often shares advice from other experts and official YouTube sources.

He’s not just about giving advice. He also builds tools for creators, like CreatorMix.com, a free music platform, and several iOS apps designed for content makers. His message to creators is simple: keep learning, keep creating, and remember: YOU got this.

4. Sunny Lenarduzzi

Sunny Lenarduzzi used to be known as just another content creator showing you how to grow on YouTube. But, little by little, she evolved into something bigger: a YouTube strategist who helps people turn their video content into a full business.

But her approach isn’t just about getting more views or trending a video; but she also teaches YouTube creators how to scale their income, authority, and personal brand globally.

She turned her YouTube channel into a full-on brand and then built an education and coaching ecosystem around it. Today, she’s not just a YouTube strategist, she’s a business mentor for creators who want their content to actually pay the bills.

Source: Sunny Lenarduzzi’s YouTube channel

Her philosophy is simple, you don’t just make videos, but you rather monetize your knowledge and authority so your channel becomes a client-generating engine.

Sunny’s approach bridges the gap between content creation and business strategy. Most “YouTube strategists” focus on thumbnails, titles or retention percentages. Sunny says those matter, but they matter because they help you get the right audience who trusts you and eventually buys from you.

And she shows that a YouTube strategist shouldn’t just focus on subscribers, they(you?) should focus on turning subscribers into paying customers.

Her long-running program (formerly known as “Authority Accelerator”) and now often referred to under the Authority.io umbrella, teaches creators how to go from zero to a scalable, high-profit business using content you already know how to make.

Yet, it’s worth mentioning that some creators find high-ticket programs like hers expensive or hard to follow, especially if they’re early in their journey. Even though, some say that that’s actually part of the broader lesson she teaches: YouTube isn’t a hobby. If you want revenue and brand impact, you have to treat your channel like a business, and improve your skills for that matter. Because only by treating it as a full-time job can YouTubers succeed.

5. Adam Erhart

If marketing had a baby with storytelling, it’d look a lot like Adam Erhart’s channel.

Adam’s channel and programs teach the psychology behind sales and marketing. He shows why some businesses attract clients effortlessly while others are ignored, all through simple strategies that creators AND entrepreneurs can implement immediately.

Basically, Erhart ties YouTube strategy to revenue, focusing on conversions. That’s why his clients and viewers aren’t just creators but also brands who want sales. His videos mix SEO, copywriting, and audience psychology.

Source: Adam Erhart’s YouTube channel

He often says the problem isn’t lack of ideas; it’s lack of direction and strategy. That’s true.

Most creators create without knowing what outcome they’re aiming for. Adam shows how to reverse-engineer your content and manage it in a way that starts with your business goals, then plans scripts, writing, filming, editors, and video creation that move people toward that inital goal.

Who benefits most from Adam Erhart? Creators who care about revenue (so, not just views) and people who want a business-first approach rather than a “make niche videos with little time spent on them and hope for anyone to subscribe” approach.

His strategies are especially useful if you want to manage and turn a YouTube channel into a full-time business or start a marketing agency helping others.

Who to follow and when

If you’re just starting out, pick one that matches your immediate goal: retention, growth, analytics, business, or revenue.

But if you’re serious about scaling your channel, you can learn something from all of them. Each one fills a gap the others don’t cover.

Combining insights: from Mario’s brain science, Nick’s analytics, Tim’s structure, Sunny’s authority-building, and Adam’s marketing psychology — gives you a complete toolkit for growing a channel strategically.

If you need a proper recap of all of them:

• Mario Joos – If you want to understand why people watch and stick around, study Mario. His content is perfect for anyone serious about retention, psychology, and the science behind clicks.

• Tim Schmoyer – Tim’s channel is great if you care about turning YouTube into a business engine. Even if he’s not posting what he used to on YouTube, you can benefit from his consultations.

• Nick Nimmin -is the numbers guy. His channel breaks down analytics, retention graphs, and practical YouTube strategy tools.

• Sunny Lenarduzzi – Sunny’s channel shows how to bridge content creation with business impact. If your goal is to turn a channel into a personal brand or client-generating machine, her content is worth following.

• Adam Erhart – is for those who want to see YouTube through a marketing and revenue lens. He explains the psychology behind why people buy, how to create videos that actually move your audience, and how to think about content as part of a business strategy.

And if editing is holding you back while you’re trying to implement strategy, don’t forget about the Vidpros’ $100 trial offer on making professional videos that can change any channel for the better. Watch the demo video if you need more convincing!