Read on Twitter
A menagerie of @AliAbdaal + team's best thoughts on how to:
- Generate content ideas
- Build a badass recording studio
- Set up your Refinery + Systematic Structuring
(Not sure what the last bullet means? Me neither. Let's find out together!
)
- Generate content ideas
- Build a badass recording studio
- Set up your Refinery + Systematic Structuring
(Not sure what the last bullet means? Me neither. Let's find out together!
)
1/ This past week, >159 students made YouTube videos (most for the first time).
After many hours of editing and tweaking, we were all forced to confront the terrifying truth:
"The edit is never done. Only abandoned."
After many hours of editing and tweaking, we were all forced to confront the terrifying truth:
"The edit is never done. Only abandoned."
2/ "You can't read the label from inside the bottle."
When you're too close to your own content + processes, it often takes an outsider to see clearly.
Ali's at 1.24M subs and still works with folks like @timschmoyer to learn more.
@Atul_Gawande on the value of coaches
When you're too close to your own content + processes, it often takes an outsider to see clearly.
Ali's at 1.24M subs and still works with folks like @timschmoyer to learn more.
@Atul_Gawande on the value of coaches
3/ Big idea: you can film 19 videos in a day.
Once you overcome your own preciousness, you can get in the mindset of filming multiple videos at once (batching), then sending them out one by one.
"Get in the zone and refuse to leave" @akirathedon https://twitter.com/akirathedon/status/1152459994849091584
Once you overcome your own preciousness, you can get in the mindset of filming multiple videos at once (batching), then sending them out one by one.
"Get in the zone and refuse to leave" @akirathedon https://twitter.com/akirathedon/status/1152459994849091584
4/ Search for video ideas with disproportionate ROI.
If someone has 25K subs and their video has 200K+ views, it's likely a topic with disproportionate demand.
Typical conversation rate of subs to views is 20%
100,000 subs = 20,000 views
25K subs should be ~5K
If someone has 25K subs and their video has 200K+ views, it's likely a topic with disproportionate demand.
Typical conversation rate of subs to views is 20%
100,000 subs = 20,000 views
25K subs should be ~5K
5/ I was surprised to learn that A/B testing of headlines and thumbnails actually has considerable value (at least once your channel scales up).
@TubeBuddy can automatically test titles+thumbnails in 24 hr cycles and update to the best option once statistically significant.
@TubeBuddy can automatically test titles+thumbnails in 24 hr cycles and update to the best option once statistically significant.
Ali's seen huge upticks of click-thru rates (e.g. +5% increases!) from successful A/B tests.
Example:
Which of the below do you think would be a higher performance thumbnail?
COMMIT BEFORE YOU READ THE NEXT TWEET
Example:
Which of the below do you think would be a higher performance thumbnail?
COMMIT BEFORE YOU READ THE NEXT TWEET
Well? ...
I was wrong.
It's the one without text, nearly every time (for Ali's channel).
Virtually every thumbnail on Ali's channel performs better w/no text.
I was wrong.
It's the one without text, nearly every time (for Ali's channel).
Virtually every thumbnail on Ali's channel performs better w/no text.
7/ Probably the most powerful concept I've learned from the course so far: Learn to "stack the deck" with unfair advantages as you build.
As you build a YouTube channel, you want to harness AS MANY unique forms of leverage as possible (relative the intensity level of your goals)
As you build a YouTube channel, you want to harness AS MANY unique forms of leverage as possible (relative the intensity level of your goals)
8/
Ways to Stack the Deck
1. TIME
"Make each vid a Netflix documentary" - longer, graphics, b-roll
2. VOLUME
3x videos a week (vs. typical 1 vid/wk)
3. MONEY
Buy great gear, hire team, get courses
4. DETAIL
Thumbnail, title, script structure
Ways to Stack the Deck
1. TIME
"Make each vid a Netflix documentary" - longer, graphics, b-roll
2. VOLUME
3x videos a week (vs. typical 1 vid/wk)
3. MONEY
Buy great gear, hire team, get courses
4. DETAIL
Thumbnail, title, script structure
9/
1. TIME
@jamesvjani started a channel this year & has 10 vids.
He's at 500K subs.
How? He spends an amount of time per video most would find insane, then publishes at an insane level of quality.
(Other examples: @Kurz_Gesagt, @JEverettLearned, @wendoverpro)
1. TIME
@jamesvjani started a channel this year & has 10 vids.
He's at 500K subs.
How? He spends an amount of time per video most would find insane, then publishes at an insane level of quality.
(Other examples: @Kurz_Gesagt, @JEverettLearned, @wendoverpro)
10/
2. VOLUME
There's a predictable avg growth rate of video output to subscriber count.
This means one strategy is simply to be prolific and put in your reps.
Here's the average subscriber count per videos published.
2. VOLUME
There's a predictable avg growth rate of video output to subscriber count.
This means one strategy is simply to be prolific and put in your reps.
Here's the average subscriber count per videos published.
11/
3. MONEY
Your studio is one of the best ways to do leverage $ strategically for beginner-to-intermediate YouTubers.
The resulting vid quality is a great way to "signal" seriousness to the audience immediately (as well as make your videos more enjoyable)
3. MONEY
Your studio is one of the best ways to do leverage $ strategically for beginner-to-intermediate YouTubers.
The resulting vid quality is a great way to "signal" seriousness to the audience immediately (as well as make your videos more enjoyable)
In terms of studio investments, the most important are:
1. Audio. Fix this first! No one will sit through bad audio.
2. Lighting. Probably the biggest plus factor for adding visual quality.
3. Camera. Having a better capture device.
4. Editing. Tighter edits, music, b-roll
1. Audio. Fix this first! No one will sit through bad audio.
2. Lighting. Probably the biggest plus factor for adding visual quality.
3. Camera. Having a better capture device.
4. Editing. Tighter edits, music, b-roll
You can improve to infinity, but 80/20 shifts:
1. Capture audio w external mic
2. Buy $50+ dollar softbox+big-ass-light combo
3. Get $500 DSLR camera (instead of using an iPhone)
4. Use editing software to add music, b-roll, cuts (Final Cut Pro)
~$1k
1. Capture audio w external mic
2. Buy $50+ dollar softbox+big-ass-light combo
3. Get $500 DSLR camera (instead of using an iPhone)
4. Use editing software to add music, b-roll, cuts (Final Cut Pro)
~$1k
12/
4. DETAILS
Spend time and energy on the refining the fine details of your videos.
90% of this extra effort should go into iterating headlines and getting strong video thumbnails.
They say @mattdavella takes ~300 photos per video to get 1 perfect thumbnail.
4. DETAILS
Spend time and energy on the refining the fine details of your videos.
90% of this extra effort should go into iterating headlines and getting strong video thumbnails.
They say @mattdavella takes ~300 photos per video to get 1 perfect thumbnail.
Another form of detail is setting up a video creation system.
You want to know exactly what's in your "production line" for video content creation. Have an assembly line for each stage of value from starting idea to published video.
Here's what that looks like in @NotionHQ
You want to know exactly what's in your "production line" for video content creation. Have an assembly line for each stage of value from starting idea to published video.
Here's what that looks like in @NotionHQ
13/
Want a 80/20 of stacking deck for avg creator (e.g. without going insane)?
1. Craft system to generate content ideas for specific audience
2. Publish 1-2 videos per week
3. Invest ~$1K on gear as you can (start with audio)
4. Focus on thumbnail+vid title+editing quality
Want a 80/20 of stacking deck for avg creator (e.g. without going insane)?
1. Craft system to generate content ideas for specific audience
2. Publish 1-2 videos per week
3. Invest ~$1K on gear as you can (start with audio)
4. Focus on thumbnail+vid title+editing quality
14/
14/ These advantages don't guarantee success.
But each one "stacks the deck" in your favor so you can beat the odds and get to whatever your goal is for building a YouTube channel as an asset.
14/ These advantages don't guarantee success.
But each one "stacks the deck" in your favor so you can beat the odds and get to whatever your goal is for building a YouTube channel as an asset.
15/
More threads on building a great YouTube channel here https://twitter.com/MarcKoenig_/status/1328403283493478400
More threads on building a great YouTube channel here https://twitter.com/MarcKoenig_/status/1328403283493478400
