Stuck in “The YouTube Dip”? Aprilynne’s 7 Paradigm Shifts Can Help You Climb Out

We’ve all felt it—that gut punch of uploading consistently, improving your videos, and yet… the performance is just not there. You’re trying, and the results aren’t showing. You might be stuck in what Aprilynne Alter calls The YouTube Dip.

In her powerful new video, Stuck in the YouTube Dip, creator Aprilynne explores this all-too-common slump by interviewing nine fellow creators and tapping insights from YouTube experts like Colin & Samir and John Youshaei . What she uncovers is equal parts strategy and psychology—a set of seven paradigm shifts that can help creators not just survive the dip, but emerge stronger.

Here’s a breakdown of her 7 shifts, and why they matter.

1. From “If You Know, You Know” → “Anyone Can Get It”

One of the most common traps creators fall into is assuming too much familiarity—making videos that only resonate if the viewer already knows you or the topic. Aprilynne calls this the “if you know, you know” problem.

To grow, your videos needs to hook anyone, not just your loyal fans. Because on YouTube, the idea sets the ceiling, and the execution determines the result. Even the best script and the cleanest editing in the world can't go viral if the ceiling is set too low to begin with. She shares the example of Liz Rowe, a creator whose thoughtful book review underperformed—not because of bad execution, but because the topic itself had limited reach. The lesson? Frame ideas so that even a total stranger would be intrigued.

Use Aprilynne’s checklist:

• What’s the view ceiling for this topic?
• Are there any breakout “outlier” videos on it?

2. From Unrelated Uploads → Compounding Momentum

Your YouTube channel isn’t a one-off portfolio—it’s a show. To grow, your next video needs to carry momentum from the last. As Samir puts it: “If you're trying to increase your view floor, it's not going, "All right, I made three of these videos that really worked, but now I'm going to go make this video cuz I think it'll be a viral video." You're going to lose the fans of this show. Your YouTube channel is a TV show”

Aprilynne explains how creator Trigg built momentum by following up a viral knife review with similarly styled cookware videos to follow. But when he changed direction too suddenly, viewers dropped off. The takeaway? Keep 80% of your next upload relevant to the next video one.

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3. From One-Off Wins → Repeatable Formats

Creators sometimes try to reinvent the wheel with every upload. But when a format works, repeat it. 

“A lot of creators that we spoke to, they weren't learning from success. So, when we would look at their channel, we would be workshopping a specific video. And then we would look at the channel and realize that there's another format they have that's already working. There's a title thumbnail format that clearly overperformed, but they were choosing to do something different. And if Creators looked at what was already working instead of what didn't work, I think they'd be in a better spot” - Colin and Samir

Aprilynne points to creator Killdozer, whose Dollar Tree Diet video Outlier video took off. So he double downed on his Outliers and created a whole series around them creating videos like The Orange Diet, The Red 40 Diet, and more. Familiarity breeds clickability.

She also shares a framework: Break down your best-performing video and ask:

• What drove curiosity?
• What structure or tension made it compelling?
• How can I templatize this into a repeatable series?

Repeatable, Outlier-inspired formats are what can help you get out of the dip.

4. From Just Another Video → This One Matters

For creators without, one thing matters most: trust. Without a known brand, viewers need a reason to believe your video is worth their click. Aprilynne suggests infusing your packaging with one of four trust signals:

• Expertise – call out credentials or personal experience.
• Proof – show transformation or results.
• Effort – highlight the time, work, or journey behind the video.
• Emotion – be personal or vulnerable in your story.
  
  

Whenever you think through your next video, ask yourself: “Why would a stranger trust that this video is worth their click?” Make sure the answer is visible in your title, thumbnail or both. When you’re not already known, that trust needs to be earned.

5. From Thumbnail Design → Thumbnail Psychology

“A pretty thumbnail is not the same as a clickable thumbnail” - Jon Youshaei

Good design isn’t enough. Clicks are driven by curiosity, which means thumbnails need to spark questions. Aprilynne introduces the “information gap”—the distance between what the viewer knows and what they want to know. 

“You know, one of the core foundations of packaging is the information gap, right? It's the distance between the information that you presently know and the information you want to know.” - Colin and Samir

To build curiosity into your thumbnail, ask yourself: What question does this image spark?

She outlines five thumbnail types that create this gap:

• Result thumbnails – Show a powerful outcome.
• Transformation thumbnails – Highlight before and after.
• Comparison thumbnails – Create a side-by-side tension.
• Novelty thumbnails – Show something surprising.
• Moment thumbnails – Capture real emotion or drama.

Before designing your next thumbnail, first ensure you thought through the thumbnail psychology: ask yourself these two questions:

• What questions do I want my thumbnail to create?
• What information gaps do I want to open?

6. From External Validation → Internal Drive

Beyond tactics, the dip is emotionally tough to stomach. It’s easy to feel like you’re failing. But Aprilynne reframes the dip as a test of motivation—a gate that separates the creators in it for the fame and fortune from those in it for the why.

To make it through, reconnect with your purpose. Maybe it’s to help others. Maybe it’s to one day show your grandkids the creative work you put into the world. Or maybe it’s to do YouTube full time. That internal drive is what carries you when the results aren’t.

“And the next time a video flops or the comments are quiet or you feel like quitting, pause, breathe, and remind yourself you're not failing, you're just passing through.” - Aprilynne Alter

7. From Pushing Through Alone → Growing With Support

YouTube often feels like a solo sport. But it doesn’t have to be. 

“This is a team sport.” It's like it's hard being a YouTuber, right? You have to do all these different jobs: Writer, producer, editor, director, cinematographer, you know, script maker, salesperson. And you have other responsibilities in your life. And it's a lot to try to do it all yourself. The best creators not only collaborate with other people, but they kind of find a couple, they find some peers who are, who can be friends. Because it can be very lonely being a creator. And the bigger you get, the harder it is to find friends who are peers.” - Rob Gabel, Chief Strategy Officer at Spotter.

Find your people. Reach out to fellow creators. Start a group chat. Even one creative friend can make the dip feel a little less steep.

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Final Thoughts

Aprilynne’s video isn’t just inspiring—it’s a roadmap to get out of the dip. Whether you’re in the middle of a YouTube slump or simply trying to sharpen your strategy, her seven paradigm shifts offer powerful tools for turning frustration into momentum.

1. Watch the full video: Stuck in the YouTube Dip 
2. Explore Spotter Studio to validate ideas and spot winning formats before you film.
3. Aply to join Aprilynne’s Creator Crew to get help with paradigm shift 7 : )

Because yes—the dip is real. But it’s not permanent. We’ll leave you on this quote from Aprilynne. It’s so good you have to read it twice:

“And the next time a video flops or the comments are quiet or you feel like quitting, pause, breathe, and remind yourself you're not failing, you're just passing through.” - Aprilynne Alter

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