Is YouTube promotion worth it for small creators?

From my experience, investing in YouTube promotion can yield mixed results. I spent around $5 a day for four weeks, and I saw a significant increase in subscribers, about $0.50 per subscriber during the promotional period. However, my average before and after was just 3-4 subs a day, so the promotion definitely boosted my numbers temporarily, but I’m curious about the long-term retention of those subscribers.

I’ve been experimenting with promotions on a larger scale, spending $17 a day across three videos. Since starting this strategy, I’ve grown from 12,000 to 30,000 subscribers, which is a pretty remarkable increase. This might suggest that if you have a decent-sized channel already, the investment can pay off more significantly, especially if your content is engaging and resonates with viewers.

One important thing to consider is watch time. While increased views can look good on paper, they can negatively impact your average watch time if viewers drop off quickly. This could affect your channel's performance overall. When I promoted, I was concerned about whether the new viewers would stick around and engage with my content, which ultimately affects how the algorithm treats my channel.