Theory of YouTube

7 Storytelling Mistakes That Are Killing Small Creators

Published by

jwalshey

on

Storytelling isn’t just an art—it’s a science. And if your content isn’t hitting, chances are your storytelling is the problem.

Great storytelling keeps people watching. Bad storytelling? It makes people drop off before you even get to the good part.

Here are 7 common mistakes you might be making—and how to fix them.

1. Your Story Arc Is Too Slow

Most people follow the traditional storytelling arc:

  • Introduction (setting the scene)
  • Rising action (slow build-up of stakes)
  • Climax (the exciting part)
  • Resolution (closing it out)

That’s great for books and movies. But for YouTube? It’s too slow.

You need to grab attention immediately—not 30 seconds in. Instead of a slow buildup, start your story at 70% intensity and introduce conflict early. Then, use a pattern of peaks and dips to keep people engaged.

Fix It:
  • Start fast—jump right into the action.
  • Introduce conflict early—give people a reason to care.
  • Keep re-hooking viewers—don’t let the momentum die.

2. Your Intro Is Backwards (The “Jumbled W’s” Problem)

Most people introduce a story in this order:

  1. Where & When (“It was a cold night in New York…”)
  2. Who & What (“John was walking home…”)
  3. Why & How (“Then, something crazy happened…”)

Sounds logical, but it’s a terrible way to hook people. The most important part (the WHY) is buried at the end.

Fix It:

Instead, structure your intro like this:

  • What & Why FIRST (“This might be the biggest mistake in YouTube history.”)
  • Who & How NEXT (“It started when a creator ignored his analytics…”)
  • Where & When LAST (“This happened last week at VidCon.”)

Put the most compelling part at the very start. That’s what makes people stay.

3. You’re Not “Re-Hooking” Viewers

Hooking someone at the start is easy. Keeping them watching? That’s harder.

Too many creators introduce a problem, solve it… and then expect people to stay for the rest. But once a problem is solved, viewers feel satisfied—which means they leave.

Fix It:

Every time you close a loop, open a new one.

Example:

  • Problem: “Most creators think good content is enough to grow. It’s not.”
  • Solution: “The real key is audience retention.”
  • Re-hook: “But even if you master retention, there’s still ONE major factor stopping growth.”

See what happened? The first question was answered—but a new one was introduced.

This keeps people watching longer, which boosts your Average View Duration (AVD) and gets your content pushed to more people.

4. Your Story Has No Villain (Every Story Needs Conflict)

Every great story has a villain. And no, it doesn’t have to be a person.

The villain can be:

  • An opposing idea (“Traditional education is failing creators.”)
  • A broken system (“Corporate media is killing independent voices.”)
  • A common misconception (“Most people think consistency alone leads to growth—it doesn’t.”)

Without contrast, your story feels flat. Conflict creates tension—and tension keeps people watching.

5. You’re Not Giving People Someone to Root For

People don’t just watch stories. They emotionally invest in them.

If your audience doesn’t care about the protagonist (which could be YOU), they won’t stick around.

Fix It:
  • Make your protagonist relatable—show their struggles.
  • Build common ground with your audience (“I was stuck at 500 subscribers for a year…”)
  • Give people a reason to root for them.

If people feel personally connected, they’ll stay engaged longer.

6. Your Story Isn’t “Sharable” Enough

Some stories go viral because they’re easy to share. Others die because they’re too complex.

The best stories have atomic sharability—meaning someone can repeat them in a sentence or two.

Example:

  • Paul Revere’s message: “The British are coming!” (4 words)
  • Elon Musk’s Twitter buyout: “He spent $44B to make it worse.” (11 words)
Fix It:
  • Use simple, punchy sentences.
  • Cut unnecessary details.
  • Use metaphors to make complex topics digestible.
  • Reinforce key takeaways so they stick.

Make it easy for someone to repeat your story. If they can’t summarize it quickly, it’s too complicated.

7. You’re Not Using Visuals to Reinforce Your Story

Words are powerful, but visuals supercharge engagement.

Humans process images 60,000x faster than text. If you’re only relying on words, you’re making people work harder to stay engaged.

Fix It:
  • Use b-roll, graphics, and edits to emphasize key points.
  • Work with skilled editors to enhance storytelling.
  • Paint vivid mental pictures with words if visuals aren’t possible.

A well-placed visual can be the difference between a forgettable story and one that sticks.

Final Thoughts

Storytelling isn’t just about telling a story. It’s about structuring it in a way that keeps people watching.

  • Start fast.
  • Introduce conflict early.
  • Keep re-hooking viewers.
  • Create contrast.
  • Make stories sharable.
  • Use visuals to reinforce key moments.

If your content isn’t performing, small tweaks to your storytelling can make a massive difference.

Now, go tell better stories.

Previous Post
Next Post