How "Yoga with Adriene" Crushed the Algorithm (and How You Can Too!)

I love this practically rags to riches tale, especially because what Adrienne did, we can do too.

Who woulda thunk it?

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Adriene Mishler, a trained yoga instructor in Austin, Texas, started her once humble YouTube channel, Yoga with Adriene, in 2012. Little did she know that one key insight along the way would turn it into a juggernaut.

Her original idea was simple: Post approachable, calming yoga videos that anyone, regardless of skill level, could follow. That was the plan, but you know what they say about plans, right?

The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.

In Adrienne’s case, the early days of her YouTube channel did fine, nothing special. Growth was slow; her channel certainly did not stand out among the sea of online yoga content.

What to do?

The Aha! Moment

Her big break did not come from luck or timing; it came from some keen observation by Adrienne’s business partner, Chris Sharpe.

Knowing something had to change, Sharpe decided to do a deep dive into search generally, and how people search on YouTube specifically.

And that was when he discovered the secret.

It turned out that the most successful YouTube channels were tapping into specific search topics that audiences were looking for.

Up until that moment, he and Adrienne had been creating videos on whatever subjects they felt inspired by; they certainly were not methodical about anything.

Chris realized that what he and Adriene needed to do instead was to research popular search terms related to yoga, and make videos from that.

It turned out that what people were actually searching for was not what they had been filming. Instead of the generic “Yoga,” the searches were far more specific. It was for things like, 

· “Yoga for Beginners”

· “Yoga for Back Pain”

· “Yoga for Anxiety”

The Big Pivot

Armed with this one insight, Adrienne began to create new classes and videos for these exact topics. This did two vital things for their little business:

• First, almost immediately, Adrienne’s videos began to show up at the top of YouTube’s search results.

• This also meant that each video was not just a yoga class; it was a solution to a problem, a way for viewers to find relief for specific needs.

It was a game changer.

Finally, because people were able to discover Adriene’s gentle demeanor and great classes, the channel quickly became one of the most-subscribed yoga channels on YouTube.

And it hasn’t slowed down.

Today Yoga with Adrienne has 13 million subscribers and earns well over a million dollars a year.

And the YouTube search algorithm? Here is what you see when you search for “Yoga” today on the site:

So yeah, they’re still crushing it.

The Takeaway:

1. Yes, you too can crush an algorithm: Success on platforms like YouTube and TikTok is not just about creativity; it’s also about playing the game. By paying attention to search trends (for example, TikTok’s Creator Search Insights), and aligning your content with high-demand topics, you will definitely boost your visibility and engagement. 

2. You have to listen to your market: Instead of guessing what your audience wants, listen carefully. Ask them. Post a poll and get some feedback. Do your own deep dive of relevant research. Then adapt your offerings to what people really want. 

Steal This Strategy!

Sites:  Google Trends, Arefs, and SEMRush - These three sites show real-time search trends, allowing you to identify what people are currently interested in or searching for.

Tutorial: Ahrefs Academy’s free search basics video series.

Tool: TubeBuddy – Specifically for YouTube, this is a YouTube SEO tool that helps you identify popular search terms and optimize videos for search.

Book: The Lean Startup - teaches entrepreneurs how to launch smart. Create a simple product, test it with real users, learn fast, and adapt.

Bonus Tip: If search analysis is new to you, start out by learning a few SEO basics, like targeting keywords and optimizing titles. Even this simple strategy can help increase your visibility without needing advanced SEO skills.

Bonus! Yoga with Adrienne.

Thank You!

A special thanks to all of you who are checking out our new newsletter - much appreciated. It will be coming to your inbox a few evenings a week. What we hope is to send you to bed inspired. Notes is both a work of love, and a work in progress, and so if you have any feedback you would like to share, please do. You can shoot Steve an email at [email protected].