YouTuber Nexiph reveals secrets in starting your Fortnite career

YouTube creator and avid player Nate “Nexiph” Evans offers advice in turning your Fortnite hobby into a real job

Interview conducted, condensed by Michael "HindoG" Hindi

Q: How old are you, and where are you from?

I am 18 years old, and live in San Diego, California. You can call me Nate, by the way.

Q: Great, Nate. How did you get into YouTube?

I’ve been doing it since 2012, 8 years now. I started by looking up to massive YouTubers such as Faze, Kwebbelkop, and Syndicate and was amazed by how they turned content creation into a full time career. At first, I was using my laptop webcam to record my own gameplay, which was obviously not ideal

By 2014 or 2015 I ended up getting an HD PVR which allowed me to get serious about YouTube

Q: That’s a long time to be doing YouTube. When did you first notice real growth to the channel?

It took multiple channels since 2012 - I probably went through 4 channels at this point. By the end of 2015, however, is when I started up a Minecraft channel with a following of 350 subscribers and about 100 views per video. Eventually, I started playing a new game called “Rocket League” and I immediately fell in love with it. I grinded out many Rocket League videos - and it only took 2 weeks to get a video with over 20,000 views! I had 2500 subs within a month, and I have been hooked ever since

Q: Was that when you realized YouTube could become a full time career?

Yeah, I realized that I was building a loyal fan base since I was posting and livestreaming very consistently. It was more so about putting in the time and not giving up which was the hardest part. That’s when most people give up, but I didn’t and here I am now

Q: How do you pull the interest of viewers who have a wide variety of content to choose from?

I think the most important aspect for any video is the thumbnail. Because, if a viewer sees a thumbnail that interests them, then they will click. But if the thumbnail doesn’t stand out, then a viewer will never click. I would recommend photo editing software for anyone serious about doing YouTube… and you don’t even need anything super fancy - there’s a lot of free alternatives! Just do some searching and you’ll get there

Also, now is the best time to network and gain an audience on multiple platforms. Share your content on Twitter, Reddit, Instagram - even Tik Tok isn’t even a difficult platform to gain a following on these days

Q: And how do you retain that viewer interest, once you do end up reeling them in?

Obviously, it’s going to be through the quality of the content. There’s always a reason why a viewer clicks on the video - because they’re intrigued. What’s going to keep them there is how good your content is. Make content that you would personally watch, and most importantly ENTERTAINING. Don’t be incredibly monotone - add some energy to your voice or else you’ll make your viewers snore

Q: How do I make quality content if I don’t know how to edit?

Similarly to photo editing software, there’s a bunch of free video editing software out there. If you do enough research, you should be able to get decent video quality. Mac users can use iMovie - anyone who uses Windows can search online for many solid options. Just put in the time and you’ll get there eventually

Q: Any tips about the YouTube algorithm that will help me out?

Nobody knows the YouTube algorithm completely. Us YouTubers can only make educated guesses as to what videos will do well. Through trial and error, we know for sure that engagement plays a key role in dictating what videos get promoted the most. Audience retention, watch time, likes, and comments all get factored in. That’s why making content that not only reels people in, but also keeps them there will perform well. Ever wonder why all YouTubers ask for likes and comments at the beginning of their videos?

Q: How do you set goals for yourself as you grow on YouTube?

I just passed 500,000 subs, which is amazing. My next goal is 1,000,000, but I also want to make it clear that you should be realistic in your goals. Setting an unreasonable goal might make you feel unmotivated after a while… Also, I always write down my goals so I never forget where I want to be. I recommend you do the same as well

Q: After a while, wouldn’t it become difficult to come up with video ideas?

Yeah, it can get hard to stay fresh and come up with more ideas. I recommend bouncing ideas off of your peers on YouTube, but not copy their content. If you ever come up with a cool idea, write it down on a notepad and eventually you’ll have a bunch of ideas to fall back on

Q: Any last “need-to-know” tips that I should be aware of?

Just know that your channel is your brand. Make sure to have a clean profile picture, banners, and any other artwork associated. Make sure to post consistently - treat it like a profession. There’s a reason why not many people can turn content creation into a full time gig - because it isn’t as easy as it seems

Thank you Nexiph for the helpful advice. Aspiring Fortnite players out there need to take these tips seriously if becoming a full-time gamer is a priority.

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