We know, we know. You want to create the best content, for the right person so you can grow your channel and business. But your channel isn’t growing, and you don’t know why. Well, we do. There is a GOOD chance that you are looking at the creation process backwards.

This mistake has probably not only been causing you frustration, but also confusing your viewers and holding you back from achieving your full potential on YouTube. If you’re ready to start creating videos in the most optimal way, stick around because we’ve got the solution that will get your viewers to click on your video and love it so much they become a die hard fan.

Creator Spotlight

But first, we want to introduce you to, Edris Toussaint. Edris is a sports videographer that started on YouTube simply for a creative outlet. He liked having full control over the videos he was making instead of just doing what he was told. He felt like working with us was a “speed booster” for his channel. He learned new strategies and how to apply them directly to his channel. Plus, the direction regarding primal branding, hooks, titles and thumbnails were a game changer for him as well. Go check out his channel .

Ineffective Order

It is so stressful to put your time and energy into a video and not get the results that you want. Having the right process in the right order, will make such a difference in your mind as well as in the results that you get.

Side Note: It is so easy to feel set in our ways and not want to move to a different order that feels less comfortable. But if you give this a try, I promise you that the intentionality will make such a difference in your results.

Most creators that we work with start by hitting record. They film and see where the video takes them. Then, they create their title and thumbnail for their videos while it’s uploading. (facepalm) DO. NOT. DO. THIS. Especially in the vlogging world, creators have just decided that the story is found in the edit. This leads to creators just filming everything, and then they are required to go through hours of footage to piece it all together.

You can do this with vlogging and many people do, but it would be SO much better to have an idea of what you want the story to be before you even start filming and then, just be open to the changes as they come. The story can be a bit open ended. For example, the story can be as simple as we are going to this amusement park and we’ve never been here before. Let’s see if we like it or let’s see what our favorite rollercoaster is. Or let’s see if we can ride 25 rides before the park closes. You can always use a voiceover if you need to to help put the pieces together later, but having an idea will save you so much time. Then, you can shoot your hook and intro after filming to make sure it all pieces together well.

Effective Order

The first thing is content ideation and so your first thought needs to be your target audience. So who is your ideal target viewer? What is the type of content that person needs to see? And, how do we package that into a video that ideally is going to reach that person? Starting here, will allow YouTube to do a lot of the heavy lifting for you. Do not skip this step! You can not create the best video possible if you don’t even know who this video is for.

Next, think about your title and thumbnail. Now, we are not saying that you need to have it created and set in stone, but having a direction and a plan is going to do wonders for your video creation. Especially in the vlogging space this might be difficult, but having a few ideas set will allow you to give yourself a little more direction and then you can allow yourself the freedom to change it.

Along with that is planning the hook. Your title and thumbnail are teasing an idea that your hook is teasing even more. And this needs to be short. If you take 15-20 seconds to get to what your audience is looking for, you are going to lose them. When you go longer than 10-15 seconds, you are giving away too much information or just repeating your title which you absolutely don’t need to do. We also see branded spots and calls to action at the beginning or we hear the infamous, “Welcome back to my channel. Don’t forget to like, comment and subscribe.” Ugh. Do Not Do This! Your audience will just skip past and find what they are looking for – or just abandon the content entirely. Why don’t you just make it easy for them and give the people what they want.

Your hook can be the perfect way to set up to your story. Think, who’s the character? What do they want? What happens if they don’t get what they want? – This is a great start for a hook. It doesn’t have to be complicated! Even if you’re an educational channel you can do this. It will help frame your video in how to present your material in a much more compelling way.

And don’t forget about the second hook! The end of your video should convince your viewer to watch your next video. So, avoid ending language, “Thanks for watching!” “I hope that was helpful.” “Well, that’s all for today..” “So….” Ending music , etc. All of this just tells your viewers that your video is over so go ahead and click out. You must keep delivering value all the way to the end and then lead them to the next video that you want them to watch.

Remember, the beginning and ending of your video are the most vulnerable for loosing viewers. Taking the time to script out what you are going to say is going to make such a difference.

I know this is a lot of planning and you haven’t even hit record yet, but think about a movie production. They storyboard the entire movie and make tweaks along the way before they even start filming. It will be frustrating in the process, but it will make the rest of your workflow SO much easier. And it will bring your viewer along for the journey in a much less confusing way.

FINALLY, record your video! And while you are editing, craft it in a way that is going to keep the most people engaged. If your video is a talking head the entire time, it’s going to be very hard to keep people engaged. Always think, is there a way I can show this instead of just tell it?

We know, this is going to feel awkward. We understand. But try it and see what happens. Retention graphs don’t lie.

Power Tip

. It’s only available in the US, but will be rolling out to more places in the future. But this is a great way to listen to your favorite podcasts (like ours) on the go.

Keep changing lives!

Tim Schmoyer

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