15 Things YouTubers Do That Annoy People

We’ve compiled the top 15 responses from a reddit thread on annoying things YouTubers do.

4 years ago   •   3 min read

By Sunil Kowlgi
Table of contents

Sometimes you find good advice in unlikely places. On a Reddit thread titled “What is something YouTubers do that annoys the crap out of you?”, Redditors shared their opinion on things they hate in YouTube videos.

Some responses were hilarious that I could relate to, such as common annoyances like misleading thumbnails, super long intro, etc. More interestingly though, the responses were in a way tips from viewers to creators, on things to avoid in their videos.

Not annoying viewers is the first step to them liking your video. I’ve compiled the top 15 responses from the thread. Avoid these mistakes while making your next YouTube video. This will help you create more goodwill than most videos on YouTube.

1. Fake facial expressions on thumbnails

Some video thumbnails look like those strikingly bad ads you see on some websites. Obviously many people get drawn to videos that use such thumbnails, but these thumbnails are a turnoff for discerning viewers. Avoid using manipulative facial expressions in your thumbnail.

2. Loud music that drowns voice

If you are both speaking in your video and have a musical background score, make the music sound level not more than 10-20% of your mic audio. Music can improve a video, but it can also hurt the video if it’s too loud relative to voice.

3. Long, drawn out introduction

In this day and age of short attention spans, people will appreciate if you get to the point quickly. Cut out unnecessary stuff from your video. If you respect people’s time, they will respect your video.

4. Clickbait thumbnails

Avoid misleading people by using things like red arrows in a thumbnail, to point to obvious things. Red arrows will draw in the most gullible viewers. Such viewers don’t have a high bar for quality and will get drawn to the next shiny object they come across.

5. Taking too long to get to the point

Don’t make a video any longer than it needs to be. There is no magic formula for video length. If the content is precise and engaging, people will watch it no matter how long or short.

6. Making videos longer to make money off ads

Don’t stretch your video just to please YouTube’s ad algorithm. The algorithm can change anytime, making your video length optimization irrelevant. Don’t worry if the length is right to attract ads, just focus on making an engaging video.

7. Misleading thumbnails

Be honest with your thumbnails. If you promise more with the thumbnail than you deliver with the video, viewers will feel stung and lose trust in your channel.

8. Apology video that looks like every other apology video

If you’re doing an apology video, make it honest and don’t try too hard.

9. Overused intro line

People watch videos to find answers, for entertainment, etc. Avoid boring them with an ordinary intro. Use a unique opening line or chop off the intro altogether. You can add info about yourself in the video description or the About section of your channel.

10. Obstructing the end of the video with two big boxes

YouTube lets you add two big boxes with video recommendations, that show up 5 seconds before the end of the video. These boxes cover up large parts of the video. If you are showing something important at the end of the video, it can get hidden under these boxes. Make sure that doesn’t happen.

11. Trying too hard to sound like a news anchor

People like it when video creators speak like their authentic selves. Speak like you normally do, it will lend a charm to your video and make you stand out.

12. Start video with “Like and Subscribe”

If people really like your video, they will subscribe. No need to nudge.

13. Using computer generated voices

Nothing makes people hit the back button like a robot news reader.

14. Indistinct videos

Everyone copying techniques of popular channels has led to a certain sameness of channels across YouTube. Popular channels got that way because they were unique at one point. Find your own niche and strive to be unique.

15. Over-editing

Some video editing helps to make the video crisp but overdoing it makes the editing noticeable and even annoying. Use editing judiciously.

These tips were the top voted responses on a thread about annoying things YouTubers do. By avoiding these common mistakes YouTubers make, you will start attracting the right kind of viewership.

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