Creators On The Rise: How DankScole’s 30-Day YouTube Shorts Experiment Became A Full-Time Career

Welcome to Creators on the Rise, the place—in partnership with world creator firm Jellysmack—we discover and profile breakout creators who’re within the midst of extraordinary development. 


DankScole wasn’t positive YouTube Shorts would work out for her.

When the shortform video platform rolled out within the U.S. earlier this year, the 24-year-old creator (who IRL goes by Shanice Cole) was primarily centered on rising her TikTok presence. She started importing movies there in 2019, after a school classmate urged her to share her longtime interest–making informal, humorous, relatable skits for family and friends–with the web.

However, Cole needed to stake her spot on extra platforms–and make longer-form video content material. In 2019 and 2020, she tried to make a cross-site method work by streaming video games like Fortnite and NBA 2K on Twitch, and posting the occasional longer video on her YouTube channel, however she may by no means fairly discover a method to stability making content material throughout all three platforms. And although she rapidly amassed hundreds of thousands of followers on TikTok (she’s at 5.7 million now), they didn’t appear prepared to comply with her to different websites.



Like a lot of our different Creators on the Rise featurees, Cole suspected YouTube Shorts could possibly be a game-changer–however she wasn’t sure. So, she determined to attempt one thing: she would add content material to Shorts each single day for 30 days. If her movies didn’t show in style, she would make TikTok her No. 1 platform for good.

Cole didn’t actually anticipate the experiment to repay.

But it did.

Since working her 30-day trial in February 2021, Cole has grown her channel by multiple million subscribers and greater than 300 million views. She went from netting round 3 million views in January (for her longer-form, beforehand uploaded content material) to 46 million views in February, 102 million in March, 34 million in April, 22 million in May, and 44 million in June. In the primary two weeks of July, she’s netted 23 million views.


DankScole’s YouTube channel skilled a notable upswing in March, and once more in June. Monthly viewership information from Gospel Stats.

Cole’s hottest movies are a bit longer than her TikTok movies, and a bit longer than your typical Shorts content material: Parents always asking if you got money for something (18 million views) clocks in at a minute, How school is going to be in 2030 (15 million) is 40 seconds, and When your sibling snitches on you but it backfires (15 million) is a minute lengthy, too.

For Cole, the success of those longer-than-average movies are proof that on YouTube Shorts, she will make extra expansive content material that brings within the sort of viewership her movies on YouTube fundamental didn’t. That’s why she’s nonetheless importing each day movies to Shorts 4 months after her 30-day experiment ended–and why she thinks Shorts is the driving pressure behind her now full-time content material profession.

Check out our chat along with her under.

Tubefilter: Tell us a bit of about you! What’s your title? Where are you from? What did you stand up to earlier than launching a YouTube channel?

DankScole: My actual title is Shanice Cole, therefore Scole (S.Cole). I grew up in Milwaukee, Wis., spending most of my time taking part in basketball and specializing in faculty. I used to be going to varsity at University of Saint Thomas once I began my YouTube channel from zero subscribers. Creating content material on YouTube has all the time been one thing I needed to do since I used to be younger, however I by no means had the arrogance till sooner or later I used to be identical to, Why not? I’ve all the time been generally known as the humorous one.

Tubefilter: When and why did you determine to begin posting content material on YouTube? Were you impressed by different creators? What was your objective if you began your channel?

DankScole: I all the time made humorous movies on campus for mates, and sooner or later somebody was like, “You ought to do extra.” I suppose at that second, I spotted perhaps I ought to. I spent quite a lot of my childhood making skits and remaking music movies for my siblings. I had so many imaginary films and live shows that I placed on that I compelled my siblings to look at.

As far as inspiration, my greatest idol is definitely Drake. I used to be a fan of his music early, and he has all the time motivated me to work arduous at no matter I do. If I had to decide on a creator, my greatest inspiration can be my youthful brother SplashBoyChris. When I began YouTube, my brother had about 2K subscribers, which appeared like rather a lot on the time. He additionally pushed me and gave me the arrogance to create.

My unique objective once I began YouTube was to make gaming skits/films with my family and friends. Boy, how issues have modified. I’d say DDG performed an enormous position in that inspiration too.

Tubefilter: We see your earliest movies had been about gaming, however it appears to be like such as you switched issues up fairly rapidly and started producing the sort of comedy/way of life content material that’s your bread and butter as of late. How did you discover out that was the sort of content material you preferred to make?

DankScole: I all the time did pranks and way of life issues in my reside streams on Twitch–though there wasn’t quite a lot of ladies on Twitch, that by no means fazed me. I all the time had enjoyable once I was capable of be myself, so I made a decision that’s what I needed to heart my content material round. Plus, I actually loved taking part in: Fortnite and NBA 2K. I believe the largest factor that helped me discover my area of interest was being away from my household whereas in school. I needed to create issues they may watch whereas I used to be away.

Tubefilter: Your YouTube channel has just lately seen a noticeable increase in subscribers and views. Do which video or occasion triggered this improve? If sure, what do you assume made that video significantly in style?

DankScole: I must say the largest contribution to my improve was my consistency. I initially made a reputation for myself on TikTok, the place proper now I’ve near 6M followers, who I’m so grateful for. I all the time need to do longer movies, and it’s been considered one of my targets to be a star expertise on YouTube. I simply couldn’t discover a method to stability between two platforms. Once Shorts took place, I informed myself I’d put up each day for 30 days, and if I didn’t see change, I’d simply proceed to construct my model on TikTok. My relatable parodies like this one all the time did fairly nicely, however Shorts gave me a method to put up extra whereas engaged on my longer movies.



Tubefilter: Has Shorts performed a major position in your engagement spike?

DankScole: Oh, undoubtedly! Shorts are a great way to have your face seen, and it’s for positive performed a HUGE position in my engagement spike. It’s allowed folks to see me extra and set up myself as a Black LGBTQ+ lady comedy creator. I noticed Shorts as a method to develop and showcase how cultured and relatable my comedy will be like in this video. Once folks see your face, it’s all about connecting and making folks really feel good by constant leisure.

Tubefilter: What is YouTube Shorts like when it comes to attracting views/subscribers vs YouTube fundamental? Is it simpler? What different perks does Shorts provide?

DankScole: I’d say for me, it’s rather a lot simpler to draw an viewers and subscribers. Once you construct that military of loyal followers, they’re going to need to watch all the things (lengthy or quick). I believe Shorts additionally helped as a result of I haven’t completed many collabs with different creators. Most of my content material is with myself and household, however YouTube isn’t like the way it was again within the early 2000s–now most individuals spam collaborations. I’m simply not like that. I really take satisfaction within the relationship I’ve with my followers, so I had to determine methods I may construct my model whereas staying true to myself.

Tubefilter: What’s your manufacturing course of like? How lengthy does the common video take from conception to posting?

DankScole: As far as skits, I’ll script out the skit, then create a shot checklist and shoot the video. The common skit will most likely take me about three to 4 hours. Parodies are a bit totally different as a result of I’ve to script all the things and report my very own music. I can do a full parody from scratch (with out breaks) in about 20 hours. It’s kinda arduous as a result of I play all my characters like Mama Dank, Lil Dank, and myself as Shanice. My lifestyle videos are on the spot, so relying on the video modifying could possibly be anyplace from two to 5 hours, like.

Tubefilter: What do you hope folks take away out of your content material?

DankScole: Honestly, I simply need folks to smile and know that if I could make the perfect of my state of affairs; then they will as nicely.

Tubefilter: Has your current engagement uptick modified something for you? Do you could have any new plans or targets on your content material profession?

DankScole: I’m very lucky to say I’m a full-time creator and may now focus extra on my long-term targets I set for myself. I introduced on a brand new administration workforce, Vanessa Beals at Underscore Talent, to essentially assist me discover methods to make use of my content material to develop and broaden my enterprise–I need to achieve this far more exterior of creating content material.

With my YouTube, I need to begin doing extra way of life movies and displaying my character by these. Most of my followers know, my greatest objective was to maneuver my household to Houston. Now that I’ve completed that, I undoubtedly need to make extra content material involving my household, and construct my enterprise. It’s extra enjoyable once I’m round individuals who make me really feel at house.

Tubefilter: What’s your favourite a part of making content material as a complete?

DankScole:  By far my favourite factor is that I’m capable of be myself. People all the time gravitate towards me and see me because the “cool” individual, however truthfully I’m tremendous bizarre and awkward.

Tubefilter: What’s subsequent within the fast future for you and your channel? Where do you see your self in 5 years?

DankScole: I’m at the moment gearing as much as present the world that I’ve many abilities, considered one of them being that I like making music. I’ve a music venture dropping this month the place I’m going to indicate my followers how I like to jot down, produce, and direct my very own music and music visuals. I even have merch dropping on the finish of this summer time, so I’m actually enthusiastic about the remainder of this yr. Where I see myself within the subsequent 5 years, is touring and pursuing music. I see my YouTube, hitting 10 mil subs, and my youthful brother and sister at a million–YURRR!


Jellysmack is the worldwide creator firm that detects and develops the world’s most proficient video creators. The firm’s proprietary video optimization know-how and information drive social viewers development, unlocking new income streams and amplifying monetization.

Currently house to over 150 influential Creators together with PewDiePie, MrBeastBrad Mondo, and Bailey Sarian, Jellysmack optimizes, operates, and distributes creator-made video content material to Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube. Jellysmack-managed content material boasts 10 billion world month-to-month video views and a cross-platform attain of 125 million distinctive U.S. customers, making it the most important U.S. digital-first firm in month-to-month social media viewers.

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