Lessons from women YouTube creators: Content is king, don’t take criticism to heart

Content is king and keeping one’s audience in mind is crucial for success. And yes, surviving criticism and negativity on YouTube means developing a thick skin. These are the lessons women YouTube creators behind channels such as ArtKala, Interior Maata and Kaizen English have for anyone aspiring to become a content creator.
Ananya Bhattacharya (34) owns a YouTube channel focussed on interior decoration videos, amassing over 786,000 subscribers. (Image credit: Interior Maata)
“It is important to have a genuine and positive approach towards your subscribers. Your content can help them connect with you and later they will help build your business,” Vadodara-based Ananya Bhattacharya (31) told . She started her channel in 2017 at a time when she was facing depression and low-self esteem.
But the leap of faith she took with YouTube proved to be pivotal. Her channel Interior Maata — focused on interior decoration videos–now has over 786k subscribers. The channel has also helped her grow her main business which is interior decoration. “My YouTube channel not only helped me grow my business but also, as a designer, allowed me to explore my creativity,” she said.
ArtKala is run Puja (18) and her siblings Sneha Kumari (20) and Pawan (15). (Image credit: ArtKala)
For the creators of ArtKala, which includes Puja (18) and her siblings Sneha Kumari (20) and Pawan (15), the channel started in 2016 was a means to help out their parents who were facing financial difficulties.
Their channel now has close to 4.5 million subscribers and is full of DIY(Do It Yourself) tips and tutorials, which makes for some of the most addictive content on social media. Puja too agrees that creators need to keep their viewers’ needs in mind. “If you are making content then you have to find what is the demand with the audience,” she states.
She also admits that the negativity on social media platforms is part of the job and one has to get used to it. “When you start making content then people will come and say that you can’t do anything, this is not a girl’s thing to do, but you have to innovate and not take negative feedback to your heart. If you are not comfortable in showing your face, then there are so many ideas for channels that you can start without showing your face,” the teen creator said.
She also has some financial advice for creators: spend on products that will make the channel more profitable. The siblings themselves have chosen to invest in a swanky office/studio in Patna to boost their business.
Kaizen English is run Chennai-based Malar (34), who turned to YouTube as a means of expanding her English coaching class business. (Image credit: Kaizen English)
Chennai-based Malar (34), who started Kaizen English in 2017 — a YouTube channel dedicated to teaching English — has a different approach to criticism. “When you receive negative comments (criticism), take a moment to consider what you may learn from them. If there is something, make use of the input to help you develop. If not, never give it a second thought,” she said.
Incidentally, Malar (34) turned to YouTube as a means of expanding her English coaching class business. The idea to start Kaizen English on YouTube came from her students who were working overseas. “They suggested that I upload videos on YouTube so that they could learn from there,” she explained. And it proved to be a very smart suggestion given Kaizen English now has over 954k subscribers and she is hoping to hit the golden one million subscriber mark soon.
And while these creators have tasted success in the competitive world of YouTube, Bhattacharya admits that being a woman meant it was easy to doubt her abilities as a successful YouTuber or entrepreneur. “I think that started with being born in a patriarchal society. We see the successful faces on any leading business magazine, highest subscribed YouTube channel, or a start-up that got funded in million is 95 per cent of them lack a female face,” Bhattacharya said. However, she feels this is changing with YouTube content creators like Kabita Singh, Prajakta Koli leading the charge.