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First attempt to Youtube channel with book reviews

A detailed account of a Fastlane process...

WellWallet

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I just started a channel on Youtube to make reviews - key takeaways and useful/actionable steps from books i read.
Please check it and give some feedback because i am new to this territory
Thank you. ❤️
Really good review! Your delivery is clean, clear, and understandable. Plus I really enjoyed your intro.
 

Private Witt

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Congrats on this channel launch!

I love books so much it hurts when I get lazy and slack on my readings. Looking forward to MJ book reviews.

Really like the stars at the end, great touch.
 
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BrianLateStart

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Congrats on starting the channel. The video was well thought out and contained a lot of good information. I'm curious who your intended customer is. I can see it working for people who don't want to read, but not sure how they get to your video. I imagine people who enjoy reading, also like reading reviews, which are easy to be found all over amazon. I personally could see this format working better for movies than books. Just my thoughts.
 
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I just started a channel on Youtube to make reviews - key takeaways and useful/actionable steps from books i read.
Please check it and give some feedback because i am new to this territory
Thank you. ❤️

Hey great book to start with and well done on the channel - very solid start.

Books are great for YouTube seo so you have tons of potential to grow very fast.

Best of luck!
 

Andy Black

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Stargazer

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We'll done, you get to the point without any waffle.

I like that you are taking your key points from - presumably - all the books you are going to review rather than just give your opinion.

With that in mind my suggestion would be maybe to have some sort of checklist with the key points filling the list as you bring them up so your viewers can scribble them down too if they so wish.

Dan

PS: Like a blank flip chart on a stand in the old days with Key Points as the header and then as you mention each one you write it thereby creating the list except you do it digitally now.
 
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Private Witt

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I have zero knowledge of book review YT channels but had some thoughts on monetization when u blow this up. Sure you thought of something like these but will give my two cents.

1. Once u have a loyal following you could ask in the video for followers to use the link in the video bio to purchase the book through an referral link to Amazon or other places the epic book sells on. Maybe only 50 cents to a buck profit but could add up one you build a legion of loyalists who will buy the book you recommend.

2. Charge a marketing fee to unknown or upcoming business book authors or other genres you enjoy reviewing. Of course the work would have to highly developed as you dont want to rent out to junk. I know I'd pay for this service as an author who has put out quality work and who has been an Amazon book best seller before, just give me a discount if this thought never crossed your mind and end up going with it wink wink...

Sure tons of other ways by being creative, looking forward to your journey, love these type of threads.
 

fastlanedoll

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Very nice start! :)

Just curious, are all your subscribers / views organic? Or did you promote your channel in some way?

Those stats with just one video is very impressive. Congrats!
 
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NikGR

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Thanks everybody for their feedback !!!!
I'm curious who your intended customer is. I can see it working for people who don't want to read, but not sure how they get to your video. I imagine people who enjoy reading, also like reading reviews, which are easy to be found all over amazon.
I am interesting more in the practical aspect of reading . That's why I call the channel "useful books" . I don't just want to make reviews and takeaways which is ok for someone to save time or to have a summary of books but I also want to focus on the practical / actionable step that we can take from every book and implement them immediately in our lifes in the areas of wealth - health - relationships and happiness. There is where i think i give value.

Just curious, are all your subscribers / views organic? Or did you promote your channel in some way?

Those stats with just one video is very impressive. Congrats!
I have posted the video to my social media and i inserted keywords in the video that i think that they are relative to the content (Book,Reviews,Study, Books,Review, ,entrepreneurship,Key Takeaways,Reading ,Top 10,Takeaways,Book club,business,Economic,money,best books,booktube, ,booksmart,library,reading books,goodreads,npr,recomendations,non-fiction books,best seller,ny times,critics,oprah,bill notes,wattpad,writing)

in one day 462 views
77.6 % came from external sources
2,1% suggested videos
4,9% search youtube
5.6% other youtube
4,7% navigation
2,8% channel pages
... others...

impresions 99
clickrate 27,3%

the video is 4.29 minute long and the average view time is 1:44
 

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fastlanedoll

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Thanks everybody for their feedback !!!!

I am interesting more in the practical aspect of reading . That's why I call the channel "useful books" . I don't just want to make reviews and takeaways which is ok for someone to save time or to have a summary of books but I also want to focus on the practical / actionable step that we can take from every book and implement them immediately in our lifes in the areas of wealth - health - relationships and happiness. There is where i think i give value.


I have posted the video to my social media and i inserted keywords in the video that i think that they are relative to the content (Book,Reviews,Study, Books,Review, ,entrepreneurship,Key Takeaways,Reading ,Top 10,Takeaways,Book club,business,Economic,money,best books,booktube, ,booksmart,library,reading books,goodreads,npr,recomendations,non-fiction books,best seller,ny times,critics,oprah,bill notes,wattpad,writing)

in one day 462 views
77.6 % came from external sources
2,1% suggested videos
4,9% search youtube
5.6% other youtube
4,7% navigation
2,8% channel pages
... others...

impresions 99
clickrate 27,3%

the video is 4.29 minute long and the average view time is 1:44
Thanks so much for sharing, really appreciate it, will subscribe!!

I havent told this forum yet, but I posted a really short test video on my channel with explanatory organic traffic (not a total action-faker) ;)

I will share my channel after posting my first 'real' video ;)
 

Olimac21

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Well done Nikos I really liked your style and it looks very professional! The stars system at the end is veryyy good.

The only "improvement" I would suggest is to give less takeaways, normally 3-5 are easier to remember for the human brain.

Brian Johnson-The War of Art Review here is an example of a really good channel doing this.

Btw are you greek? If you are perhaps an interesting niche would be to attract greek readers to your channel by doing some videos in greek, talking about books that are in the best seller`s list this year.
 
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NikGR

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View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJhQ4kee4Bk


Third video in my channel , this time is a bit longer , 10 minutes . I try to upload one everyweek , but it takes 1 full day for recording and montage .

The channel has 1000 views and 81 subs. I will make some more book reviews videos as a catalog / playlist and then i think i will promote it more. So far only organicly views and from my social media.
 

NikGR

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107 subs ,
i made social media for the channel
Facebook ► Instagram ► Login • Instagram
i also started to promote it more actively , i send messages to people i know and may be interested and i suggest them also to subscribe

i enter some groups with books and i promote it to people in the same niche
 

NikGR

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4th Video of the channel with the book

Algorithms to Live By - Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths​


subs 119

A guy in greece with a channel with 8.000 subs wants to make a greek version for reviewing economic books for his channel . It will be a good oportunity to colaborate and increase the subscribers in my channel .
 
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NikGR

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5th video
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i am experimenting with the timing , and a more relaxed -like coffee - style
i believe that the content is getting better , and soon when i ll get a teleprompter i will make more smooth talking with less cuts.

my main advertisment is through related groups in facebook

do you have any other ideas so they can discover me ?

The views instead of rising , they are falling ...
1.jpg
maybe at the first videos they were views from friends which they wanted to check this but now they think its not for them . i must target more to people who are interested for this stuff.
 

Private Witt

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I like the relaxed coffee style.

Have you tried subreddits focusing on books and business?

I got a friend who has a 20k sub channel and his views have been incredibly up and down. Some get like 10k - 20k views and than all of a sudden only 700, I wouldnt let the decline discourage you to much and just keep pumping out content.
 

NikGR

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I like the relaxed coffee style.

Have you tried subreddits focusing on books and business?

I got a friend who has a 20k sub channel and his views have been incredibly up and down. Some get like 10k - 20k views and than all of a sudden only 700, I wouldnt let the decline discourage you to much and just keep pumping out content.
Thanks for your ideas. I posted at subreddit/r/books but maybe I ll search for other related.
 
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NikGR

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6th video
134 subs


First time using a telepromter that i bought from amazon for 130 euro and it worth the money
https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B08LLF22W9/

the filmaking process was way easier ... the speak was smoother and the mondage even easier . Usualy one video took me a whole day , now only a couple of hours and i believe the output is better. it gives me some energy to continue in weekly base (i try to post one every sunday morning)

This time i made it short and i project my self more.

Even my english are not good i continue to speak and appear in my videos because i want the commantment of control through my personal brand.

For promoting i think its better to search facebook groups that are more relative to the specific book so it will not look like a bulk spam but as i suggestion for people likeminded , in my niche
 

NikGR

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7th book review in the channel .
This time i test it to be a doodle sketch presentation to see if i will got better results . Maybe if i hire an english narrator it would be much more professional and will make better impact.

so far 150 subs .
I am still a very small channel but i continue to test ideas and try to give as much value as i can .

The analytics:
~ 6 Click through rate x 2.8K Impressions = 179 Views from impressions

The other source of promotion is relative fb groups

1.jpg
2.jpg
 

NikGR

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8th book
159 subs
This time it's about bodylanguage so it was challenging to find videos that can explain specific movements and actions. I didn't appear in the video neither i made doodle but it was footage with narrative .
 
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NikGR

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9th video (about networking and social life)
163 subs


1.jpg
The views since i started the channel spike during the release and share at social media and then they drop .
The dissapointing is that the spike always become smaller . This video took only 69 views in 3 days :(

I will try another month testing some ideas and if they don't work i think i must drop the project :/
 

Branko

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Keep putting your big smiley face on all the thumbnails, thats the energy I want to click on. I see some thumbnails don't contain your face. Keep branding yourself. People notice faces more than anything else. Our face recognition system is the most developed observational tool that we posses.

Love the thread!
 

Martin.G

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9th video (about networking and social life)
163 subs


View attachment 37757
The views since i started the channel spike during the release and share at social media and then they drop .
The dissapointing is that the spike always become smaller . This video took only 69 views in 3 days :(

I will try another month testing some ideas and if they don't work i think i must drop the project :/

That's because you have a good "sprint phase", that is when you release your video, but not a good "evergreen phase", that is after that, and it's when the views growth or keep coming.

To improve the evergreen phase you need to do SEO. For example, your book appear 7 when I search for "never eat alone book summary".

Also, look the results, and you will find that every thumbnail is similar, you have to break the pattern. 5 thumbnails in the top 10 are the cover of the book, and sometime someone is looking to the book. It is fine, but your video doesn't highlight. Because of that you don't have more clicks and don't improve in the ranking (CTR and view time are key factors).
 
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NikGR

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Good news , i have make a cooperation video in a big greek channel "Financial GReeks" (110.000 subs) which is about economics and i reviewed the book "rich dad poor dad" in greek language , which got 2.200 views in 4 days :
The video in this other channel is this :
( the video is in greeek language)
after that the subs in my channel jumbed to 256 in a few days ... and still rising (everytime i refresh i see more)!!! I got also good comments about my work so i guess i found people in my niche.

I will make every month one video in that other channel (we called the project :" book of the month!" so i will have more subs and traffic from that in the future!

It is also useful for me to get some experience working for a big channel
:smile::smile::smile::smile:
 
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NikGR

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10 th video
285 subs

it has been a long since the last video (i was a lot of work in my main job) so i upload a video to keep the channel going. This a classic investment book so i posted in a lot of stock groups . I hope soon i will reach 300 subs

I got the first paycheck from youtube videos: 100 euros (for the guest video gig in greek channel , which i talked in the latest post) . So its good to see some kind of reward . I make a table to my friends to celebrate it. Motivation is important in this stage .

i am thiking to make one promo campaign . i made 10 videos so i have some proof of work to show. what do you suggest? youtube ? google ? social media?
 

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