Welcome to YouTube Millionaires, where we profile channels that have recently crossed the one million subscriber mark. There are channels crossing this threshold every week, and each creator has a story to tell about YouTube success. Read previous installments here.
This week’s installment of YouTube Millionaires is brought to you by Bright – a learning platform focused on real conversations that level up your life.
Every video game fan–young or old, hard mode devotee or strictly casual player–has a place on RaidAway‘s channel.
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If you chat with the New York-based Call of Duty content creator, it’s not hard to see why he’s so determined to make his content open to anyone: For RaidAway, gaming has always been a space for bonding with family and friends–and somewhere he could go to escape from everyday stresses. He grew up playing Nintendo with his siblings, and it was one of his friends who introduced him to the idea of joining YouTube‘s massive gaming sector.
In his earlier YouTube efforts, RaidAway’s channels were a hobby, and his videos were largely gameplay-focused. But when he launched his current channel in 2013, he made what he considers a critical move. He decided to diversify his content. Instead of focusing solely on high-kill matches, he began recording himself opening the game’s loot crates and seeing which random prizes they delivered to him.
This, he says, gave him a window to inject personality into his videos. And his personality–plus the fact that he’s uploaded one new video per day, every day, for five years–was a crucial part of helping him build a subscriber base of more than one million people.
Check out our talk with him below.
Tubefilter: How does it feel to hit one million followers? What do you have to say to your fans?
RaidAway: Hitting one million subscribers was my goal for the longest time. After reaching 100,000 subscribers and receiving that silver plaque from YouTube, naturally the next plaque I wanted was gold.
The night I hit one Million subscribers, I was livestreaming on my YouTube channel while in a Discord call with all of my friends. My brother called me a few minutes before hitting one million to tell me how proud he was of me, and my mom and dad also came into my room to hug me and celebrate. It was truly seven years in the making, and I’m so glad my friends, family, and subscribers could experience it with me.
There are many things that I could tell my subscribers, but nothing seems more important than “Thank you.” I wouldn’t be in the position I am today without you, and you have stuck by my side for years, through all the ups and downs. I truly can’t thank you enough. I really have the best supporters.
Tubefilter: Tell us a little about you! Where are you from? How did you get into gaming? What else did you do in ye olde days before YouTube?
RaidAway: My name is Rich and I was born and raised in Long Island, New York, where I still reside today. I’m the youngest child in my family with two older brothers and one older sister. I was very blessed to be brought into a family that loved gaming. My two older brothers were obsessed with video games and introduced them to me at a very young age. I would sit down for hours playing Super Smash Bros on the Nintendo 64 with my brothers and cousins, and occasionally my sister would join in on the fun too. They also showed me the Gameboy and let me play Pokémon Red and Blue. I’m still a huge Nintendo and Pokémon fan to this day. Many of my friends in school also loved video games and we would play all the time. I was surrounded by it and never got tired of gaming.
Tubefilter: When and why did you start a YouTube channel? Did you go into it knowing what content niche you wanted to focus on, or did you discover your zone along the way?
RaidAway:I actually had a few YouTube channels before the RaidAway channel. I started my first channel back in 2011 by the name of VideoGamesRule1234. I am very glad I changed my name to RaidAway.
This channel was created because a friend of mine in middle school told me that he had a YouTube channel where he would post some of his Call of Duty clips. At the time, I thought that was extremely cool and wanted to start doing the same myself. I started browsing to find people with similar ideas, and it turned out so many people would post their Call of Duty gameplays on YouTube. My mom purchased me my first capture card for Christmas, and I finally started to post some of my Call of Duty clips.
A few years went by, and then I decided to start the RaidAway channel in 2013. This time, I took it more seriously and put in the effort to edit my videos and make my own thumbnails. I started to find my craft as I kept doing it. I met many close friends over the years and they helped me every day to keep pushing and really find my niche.
Tubefilter: Gaming is, of course, a huge sector on YouTube. How do you make your content stand out, especially with a popular franchise like Call of Duty?
RaidAway: I think the main thing I added to my videos to make them stand out was involving my personality. A lot of YouTubers would simply post high-kill gameplays or best class setups, but I really wanted to involve my personality to add a twist to the video. I would include funny moments and reactions from the other players in my lobby. Many of my most-viewed videos on my channel were from 1v1ing other people and hearing their reactions. They would typically get upset or make comments, and including these reactions made the video so much more special.
Another video topic that made my channel explode was the supply drop openings. In these videos, I would post myself opening crates in Black Ops 3, Infinite Warfare, and World War 2. I would showcase rare weapons and camos found in these crates and many people loved it. It was a way to make content on Call of Duty without just relying on an impressive gameplay, and I think that stood out a lot from competition.
Tubefilter: Is YouTube your full-time job? How often do you film? What does the average day look like for you?
RaidAway: YouTube has been my full-time job for years now. I never worked another job my whole life. I went to one job interview at a convenience store and I don’t believe they called me back, which looking back was a blessing, because it made me want to focus on YouTube and give it my all. If I had been offered that position, who knows if I would have kept going on YouTube.
I’ve been uploading videos daily for well over five years now. I record, stream, edit, or do something YouTube-related every day. I typically wake up around 10 a.m. and get my early morning coffee to start the day. I usually brainstorm for an hour to gather video ideas and see what I have to record. Then I spend a few hours recording for gameplay or content. Once I’m satisfied with the content I recorded, I will then edit the entire video. I then upload, check out the comments from my subscribers, and usually chill for the rest of the night.
Tubefilter: Do you have any strategies for growing your audience? Have you noticed any particular kind of content getting more traction than others? Do you adjust what you film depending on how your viewers react?
RaidAway: The main strategy to grow on social media is to never limit yourself to just one platform. I see so many people just uploading videos on YouTube, or just streaming on Twitch, and doing nothing else. Once you branch out and post your content to other platforms, you’ll have the opportunity for more eyes to be on your content.
One of the best platforms to post content right now is TikTok. The power of the For You Page is endless and can really get people to notice your content. From TikTok, they can then check out your YouTube channel or Twitch streams.
I definitely have adjusted and focused on different pieces of content throughout the years. Trends are constantly changing and people’s interests always shift. It’s very important to make sure you’re on top of trends so you know what content people are seeking. A few years ago, supply drop opening videos were huge, and I focused much of my content on that instead of high-kill gameplays. Now that supply drops are out of Call of Duty, the focus is shifted back toward high-kill gameplays and tips and tricks to improve on the game. Trends are always changing.
Tubefilter: You make a point to say your content is family-friendly. Why is that an important aspect of your channel?
RaidAway: I want everyone to feel welcomed to my channel. When someone watches my videos, I want them to feel safe and like they can escape the world for a few minutes. Some people don’t mind when content creators use slurs, but others really don’t like it. I prefer to stay safe and keep in mind that people may not like certain language in videos. I try my best to respect everyone.
Tubefilter: What’s your favorite part of making content on YouTube?
RaidAway: My favorite part about making content is being able to bring a few minutes of entertainment and happiness to someone’s day. Having people tell me that I’ve helped them through difficult and rough times in their lives really means the world to me. I first started my YouTube channel to really escape the world and for me to be myself, but now I make content for others who want to feel the same way. You never know what someone is going through in their lives, so it’s important for me to smile, laugh, and give them a few minutes of escape.
Tubefilter: Have you expanded your content and personal brand off YouTube at all? Launched any merch, a related business…? Do you want to?
RaidAway: I’ve had the opportunity to work with many brands over the years and to stream on so many platforms like Twitch, Facebook Gaming, Caffeine.tv, and many more. Like I mentioned before, it’s extremely important to not limit yourself to just one platform. Branching out to other media can help your brand tremendously.
I also dropped merch when I hit one million subscribers to celebrate with my fans. I’m constantly keeping up with trends and making sure I’m expanding my content and brand to the next level.
Tubefilter: What’s next for you? Any plans looking to the future?
RaidAway: I have many plans for the future of my channel. The great thing about making Call of Duty content is that we get a new game every year. There is always something to look forward to, and fresh new content to make. I’m also very interested in joining a gaming organization and working with other content creators to really push the limits of the gaming scene. This space is growing so rapidly, and these opportunities are something I really want to be a part of.
This week’s installment of YouTube Millionaires is brought to you by Bright – a learning platform focused on real conversations that level up your life.
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