Trying to start a faceless animation channel — how long should I give it before judging the results?

Hey everyone,

I’ve been looking into faceless animation channels as a possible long-term passive income project, and I wanted to ask people who have experience with this kind of content.

I understand the basics: pick a niche, stay consistent, make the videos interesting, and don’t expect overnight results. I already have keywords selected for the channel, but I’m wondering how much keywords actually matter compared to things like titles, thumbnails, retention, and the video ideas themselves.

For anyone who has built or worked on faceless animation/AI-style channels:

How long did it take before you started getting more noticeable views?

Were keywords important, or did thumbnails and titles matter more?

What should I focus on in the beginning besides just uploading consistently?

How many videos or months should I give it before deciding if the niche is working or not?

I’m especially curious about thumbnails too, because I know they can make or break whether people even click. I’d appreciate any advice on what actually helped you start getting an audience and what mistakes to avoid early on.