- If you are just getting started
with growing your YouTube channel.
You started with zero views, zero subscribers
or at least very small channel
and you're ready to jumpstart
this thing, get some growth going with more views
and more subscribers.
Well, today, I wanna share with you exactly what I would do
if I were to start a YouTube channel today
and wanted to get massive momentum fast.
That's coming up.
Hey everyone, welcome to Video Creators,
my name is Tim Schmoyer and here we are all about
helping you grow your YouTube channel, get more views,
more subscribers, and make money, so that ultimately
you can reach more people and change their lives
with the message that you're spreading.
I remember back when I first uploaded my very first video
to YouTube was March 2nd, 2006.
This platform was very different, it was over 10 years ago.
And back then, there was no money, there was no competition.
Fast forward to today, and it is a very different ballgame.
One that I've been tracking and been on top of
for the past 14, 15, whatever 16 years it's been since then.
So if I were starting a YouTube channel today,
there's a few things that you guys as creators
I typically see when you're getting started
that you focus on that's just kind of not necessary.
And the first one being is focusing on all the gear
and camera equipment, and all the tools that you need.
Growing on YouTube isn't about the fancy equipment
that you have, it's about how well
you connect with an audience
and make them feel something.
So don't let all the tech and the fancy gear and everything
hold you back from making videos.
Use whatever cam you have, and just get started.
Number two, it's essential that you figure out
what value you want to provide
to someone in your target audience.
So this first time viewer who you're trying to
quickly attract and gain momentum with,
they don't click on your video because they care about you,
at least not yet.
They click on your video because the title and the thumbnail
tease some sort of value that you want to consume.
So if you want to get momentum with non subscribed viewers,
you had to very quickly get that first time viewer
to be like,
"Oh, I get it I know what this channel is about."
"And I know what value I'm going to get here."
"And I want to keep watching."
Hopefully you've already picked up
on how I've already done that you're in this video.
Number three, as you're going through this process
of clearly communicating the value
that you propose to deliver to someone
in your target audience,
you thereby end up choosing a niche.
And when you start picking like what niche,
it kind of starts eliminating what the things you are
going to talk about, and things you're not
going to talk about, for example,
it'd be kind of weird on this channel
if I made a gardening video for you,
and showed you how I was doing something in my garden.
Or if I made like a random gaming video
or something like that.
That is not aligned with the value of why you're here,
and so having that niche and defining that value
gives you focus and helps make your new audience
know exactly what they can expect from you.
And that helps them want to come back
and consume more of that.
You can do a lot of different styles of videos,
as long as the through line that ties all of those styles
together comes back to the value that you propose
to deliver to someone to your target audience,
so that they're not confused like.
"Tim, why are you giving me a gardening video?"
Number four, do some recon research on your competition.
But look at their channel see what's working well for them.
Maybe go to the channel, look at the top performing videos
go to most popular videos.
See what do they do really well,
what are the audience really responding to,
and use that as some fodder to create ideas.
Don't just copy people, that doesn't really help you,
but using it as inspiration
in terms of what content you can make next
could be really good.
Number five, this is a common mistake
I see new creators making, and that is you take too long
to get to the point in the beginning of your videos.
So your title and your thumbnail set an expectation
for the viewer that causes them to click.
And if that expectation isn't met
within the first few seconds, it's likely
that you're going to lose that first time viewer
because they're like,
"I don't really know where this is going,"
"What's happening here."
And then they're just out.
Remember, the first time viewer didn't click because of you,
they clicked because of the title and thumbnail
and value that was pitched to them.
So whatever is in your title and thumbnail,
that thing can't come eight minutes later in the content.
It has to be pitched right up front,
and then you can go back and fill in the backstory,
or you just tease it, up the ante in the opening seconds,
and really capture their attention and then dive in.
Just make them feel like you're in the right place,
you're going to get what you clicked for.
Number six, if I were to go back
and start a new YouTube channel again,
I would definitely work harder at planning my content
from the very beginning.
This isn't television where the show
kind of needs to do this like intro,
then ramp up to something.
It's actually your title and thumbnail
did all the heavy lifting in terms of enticing the viewer,
they clicked, they're there, now you need to keep the video
continuing from where that title and thumbnail left off.
And that comes number seven, which is spend more time
on your titles and thumbnails.
It's not unusual for a creator to spend hours,
maybe days crafting this perfect video,
and they upload it to YouTube and get no traction on it
because it doesn't matter how amazing your video content is,
if no one's enticed to click on it in the first place.
So title and thumbnail are arguably more important
than the video, it's not because even if they click
and they quickly abandon the content
because the content is lame, your video still
isn't going to perform really well.
So it really is that you need a solid connection
between the title, the thumbnail, creating in the intrigue
and then coming in with solid content
that absolutely delivers.
Number eight, utilize any existing platforms
that you might already have to really kind of kickstart
your channel and get some momentum going.
I got my kickstart with my youtube channel
by the audience I was already had on my blog.
They started watching my videos
and that kind of got my very first channel
kind of started getting that going back then.
But the point is, like, you're not going to get
a ton of traction necessarily by promoting yourself
in other places, but at least your diehard people
will be able to like, oh they have YouTube channel,
and they'll go, come and watch you on YouTube
and It'll give you a few views
and just kind of help you get started.
Number nine, this is kind of the non sexy part of YouTube,
but you have to study your analytics.
Have to study your data.
Your data doesn't lie, it tells you exactly
how your videos are performing, and it shows you
a lot of opportunities for growth for how to fix problems
and improve and do them better with your next content.
You don't get any of that information though
if you're not looking at your analytics.
Now I know most of us as creators,
we just love to create content.
Like we're in this, not because we love data,
but because we love to create things
and we love the post it, and we love the real time feedback,
and the interaction, and the community,
and everything that happens around our content.
You should be looking at things like,
what videos are getting the most views,
and the most watch time, and which ones
have the highest click through rates on the end screen.
Like people are like saying hey,
I want to watch more videos from you
after watching this video.
Those are all things that you should watch
and pay attention to the trends of those videos,
so that you can reproduce those things that you're learning
in your next video, and do them better and better and better
with every video that you publish going forward.
If your analytics sounds intimidating,
no problem, I got you covered.
There's a little interactive card that popped up right now,
you can click and go to a whole playlist we have
just showing you how to get started through analytics,
and find opportunities for growth in there.
Number 10, if you really want to get momentum on YouTube,
it's important that you make a lot of videos.
Not because the algorithm cares, the algorithm
honestly doesn't care how many videos you publish
or how frequently you publish, all they care about is
when we show this to people do they watch, yes or no.
I do recommend you make a lot of videos
when you're getting started,
because that's how you're going to make a lot of mistakes,
and fail a lot before you have a lot of people.
Like you don't want to be making those mistakes
after you have a lot of people watching too.
And two, it's how you really get better at this process
of creating value and doing it sustainably
and consistently over time.
When you hear other creators say things like,
"Hey, when I started posting daily on my channel,"
"started blowing up."
The question is, is it actually the quantity
that helped their channel grow?
Or is it because they learned a lot more lessons,
much more quickly, and so they have better videos sooner
that actually do perform better in the long run?
And I think it's the latter thing,
the algorithm doesn't care, but you will learn a lot
and you'll learn, you'll develop your skills
much more rapidly, so that you can get to growth
and momentum quicker than you would otherwise.
Now if you really want to get more views
and subscribers on your channel, this video right here
I break down a checklist for you,
and make sure you're doing all the right things
that will generate more traffic,
more momentum on your YouTube channel.
So if that is what you want, click that video right here
and I'll see you guys right in the next one.