Growing a Youtube Channel as Part of My Personal Brand

[Kung Fu Steve]

Hmmm I see thanks for this it's given me a lot to consider.

In the cultures I'm aiming to reach moving the head side to side does mean no - although I'm not sure at this speed it means the same thing? Maybe subconsciously?

I understand what you mean by be careful of small movements, I'm going to have to look more into this. Thank you for the heads up for this - these kind of things are easy to miss!

Would be great to get @Kung Fu Steve 's input on this too, and as I said I'll have to look into this more! And maybe join toastmasters or something to learn more about speaking.

Thanks again!

When I first started speaking as a career I was told that I "didn't have certainty" -- and I argued about it because I thought I did. I was certain. I knew what I was talking about. I know the words I'm going to say. I know where this was going.

But I've since learned there are MANY levels of certainty.

I'm sure you've heard (just like everyone else on the planet), that our communication is only 7% the words we say, the rest is tonality and physiology.

If we were all sitting in a room and someone walked in who was extremely confident... would we know? (I'm going to hallucinate you're gonna say yes)

How do we know that? Because of the way they carry themselves. The way they are moving. They way they walk and breath and stand, even.

Watch old videos of Michael Jordan. When he stepped onto the court he was a stud and EVERYBODY knew it. THAT is certainty. When you KNOW the ball is going to go into the hoop. When you KNOW you're going to win. You just carry yourself differently and you subconsciously communicate differently.

Take this small bit for instance:

View: https://youtu.be/3Z9cW9JPFWo?t=50


You're telling people "Here's the reason you can't finish what you start... and that is perfectionism..."

Even that point right there you're trying to hammer -- when you SAY perfectionism, there's a weakness in your vocal cords and a tightness in your neck. You're delivering the word but there's no certainty behind it.

You're trying to convince ME that perfectionism is my problem but it SOUNDS like you're trying to convince yourself. Does that make sense?

Even after 2,500 live events on stage I still need practice. I'm working on certainty every single day. First it has to show up internally. I have to believe the words that I'm saying. Then I have to demonstrate that belief externally.

Here's a good practice tool (and if you're up for recording it, put it up here and we can do more).

I want you to say the words "Click the button to subscribe now."

And the first couple of times (3 - 5 times) you say the sentence I want you to basically scream it like you're in prison and someone is about to shank you and the only way you'll be able to defend yourself is by being the loudest, strongest, and angriest.

The second couple times you say that sentence I want you to come from a place of begging and pleading. Really weak and wimpy.

Then the third time find the middle of that pendulum and say it with absolute certainty.

Key notes: absolute certainty is not this I BANG ON MY CHEST AND RAAA I'M SO CONFIDENT -- absolute certainty looks like resolve. Where you're so sure that the sky is blue you simply say "The sky is blue." -- THAT sort of resolve.

Click here now to subscribe.

 

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[Kung Fu Steve]

OK. I'm up for it. Here's me chatting about doing talking head videos. I decided not to do talking head videos for the channel(s) I want to setup. I'll do screenshares and voiceovers instead.

Curious what you guys think @Prodox, @Runum, @Kung Fu Steve.

View: https://youtu.be/ixkvYao2zuk

I mean honestly it's just practice. You can tell this is off the cuff but the MAJOR plus is that you're comfortable. Even when you don't know what you're going to say, you're very conversational. If you're comparing to Prodox here, while his is a little TOO scripted, yours isn't scripted enough.

But here's the thing:

We've all heard people who sound scripted and they think that's a bad thing -- the real bad thing is if they sound scripted, that means they aren't scripted ENOUGH.

Think about the greatest actors of all time -- people like Anthony Hopkins or Robert Deniro or whoever -- they are SO scripted that it sounds phenomenal, powerful, impactful -- they've taken the words far beyond just the words, they've added character, power, and emotion behind them.

I'm still working on it. I've just hit what I feel to be another level for me and that's what I'm working on. Taking the words I have and making them stronger and more impactful so that I can move bigger audiences.

What's interesting is that in groups of like 500 I can still make every single person feel something -- I can make them all cry or laugh or engage or whatever. I start to lose that power after about 1,000. While I'm still entertaining and good, I'm not MOVING everybody (if that makes sense). I see Tony do it with 15,000 people in an arena. Way up in the nosebleeds you're still like "wow, he's talking directly to me"

Video is basically a one on one communication. It's so intimate. It's slightly different but the principles are the same. Certainty. Emotion.

 

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[Prodox]

YouTube is one of the platforms that I plan on building my personal brand on, but this is the one that I see as the most challenging.

I have been at it for four weeks now and my suspicions were correct.

It takes a lot of time to produce one video which means I can currently only commit to putting out one a week, which I think is fine in terms of frequency, but what it does mean is that the feedback loop is extremely long, leading to slower progress than on say Instagram.

That being said, I do enjoy the process and I feel that it is more personally rewarding.

What are the videos about?
My videos are currently all talking head videos on the topic of productivity, and the reclamation of time.

What are my goals with the channel?
I aim to use this as one of my prongs to build an audience.

I'm working on setting up a business right now (progress thread: https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/co...n-online-business-to-replace-my-income.95683/) and this is one of the ways that I will be funnelling people to my offer.

This channel is mostly around providing as much value as I can in the niche I am trying to enter, and building some sort of a following.

What is my strategy?
I am making videos around problem topics in my niche with searchable titles.

I don't expect a lot of traction to begin with so, for now, my aim is to put out as much high-quality content as I can, provide as much value as I can, and improve my video making skills.

What equipment am I using?
I am using a Sony a6500 with a Sigma contemporary f/1.4 30mm prime lens, a cheap lav mic I got off amazon, and premier pro on my MacBook air.

Why am I imaging this thread?
I want a place to record my findings, but most of all I would really appreciate any feedback or advice. I'm researching and analysing a lot, but direct advice would be incredibly valuable.

Also, hopefully some people can learn something from my mistakes and findings!

What is something that I have learnt so far?
Don't put in any clear giveaways that the video is about to end. Things like specifically stating you are summarising and ending the video, outro music faded in before the end cards, etc.

When I did this I saw a SIGNIFICANT drop at that very point, which apparently hurts you in the eyes of the algorithm, and it means that they won't see your end screen with playlists, subscribe and your next video button. And if they don't see that, they are less likely to watch more of your videos and subscribe.

What's my channel?

Jamal Moir

Learn how to become a highly productive, high output person and start accelerating towards your goals. Do you find yourself lacking in time? Do you feel that...

www.youtube.com

Here is an example of the kind of videos I put out:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FarMqjAlmg

 

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[Runum]

Some observations:

I like your background and your video quality is good. Nice screen jumps.
IMHO, when you say "22 weeks per year" there needs to be a visual graphic or something to emphasize that point. 10% needs a graphic. When you make a point there needs to be a graphic.

Need better transitions between your steps to break up the pace.

Youtube media is audio visual. Your lecture style is mainly targeting audio at the expense of visual. Don't tell them, show them. If you want to just tell them then you need to move to a podcast.

I wish you well on your project.

 

[Runum]

Transitions between steps isn't something I've thought much about... What kind of transitions do you have in mind? Like title screens, or something more subtle?

Well, if you have your steps numbered, 1, 2, 3, ...then have a graphic number 1 before step 1, and a number 2 graphic before step 2, etc. Maybe a rotating screen or color shift. Something to break up the pace of the video, something mentally stimulating. Maybe a trivia fact?(Just a thought) Maybe different camera angle for each step? Maybe different color shirt?

 

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[Prodox]

UPDATE 2020/07/09

So it's that time of week - youtube video release day!

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q2jNzIMUzU


It takes a long time to produce a video, but releasing it into the world feels good.

I'm trying to cram as much actionable information into these videos as possible and I'm getting good feedback...

The views are very low at the moment, but that is what I was expecting.

This week I took @Runum 's advice and tried to improve my transitions and add in more visual elements to make the videos more engaging.

I want to get my average watch time up and that seemed like a good place to start.

As usual constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!

 

[Runum]

UPDATE 2020/07/09

So it's that time of week - youtube video release day!

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q2jNzIMUzU


It takes a long time to produce a video, but releasing it into the world feels good.

I'm trying to cram as much actionable information into these videos as possible and I'm getting good feedback...

The views are very low at the moment, but that is what I was expecting.

This week I took @Runum 's advice and tried to improve my transitions and add in more visual elements to make the videos more engaging.

I want to get my average watch time up and that seemed like a good place to start.

As usual constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!

I think you made progress. Your video quality is great. Your speech pattern is clear and concise. I like the transitions.

IMHO you are overusing jumps. Your jumps are good, just too many and to often.

I like your visuals better but still not enough in my opinion.

Example: You talk for 1 minute and 25 seconds before showing your first visual. Go back and analyze the first 1:25 of the video and look for opportunity. You have to keep the viewer in mind. What is he looking for? How can I keep him interested? You have about 15 -30 seconds to keep them or they move on.

You talk about the morning, you could show you rolling out of bed and stretching/yawning.

You talk about making your very own morning routine. You could have a thought bubble pop up showing a short list with the label morning routine. Or, you could show you going through a sample morning routine in very fast motion for a few seconds.

You talk about a morning routine setting the viewer up for a good day and some early wins. You could show yourself in a thought bubble smiling broadly, maybe highlighted or brighter to emphasize happiness.

You talk about taking a show or eating breakfast. Opportunities to show quick pics instead.

0:56 "I am going to give you a few things..." You could say a specific number of things "I am going to give you 4 things...." and then emphasize the 4. Then you number them off throughout the video to keep the viewers watching.

When you say the word chose you could have several choices pop up briefly to set up some curiosity.

Those are just observations for the first 1:25. There is more opportunity there. I do agree that it takes a lot to produce a good video. My recording time is small compared to my editing and processing time. It may take me 8 hours to get a final video ready to upload and that is very frustrating, but part of the process.

Also, your key words are not good. Are you using a tool to help you with better key words?

I think you have some great potential. I like your lighting, pacing, speech pattern, and topics. Good foundation. Keep polishing and you will get better. Also, I see you are sharing on FB and that is good. Share shorter clips on instagram also.

Good luck and keep grinding.

 

[Prodox]

How I am choosing video topics and titles

So it's Saturday, and that's the day that I plan and record the footage for my weekly youtube video.

I've just come up with this weeks topic and title, so I thought I'd post a little on how I'm currently doing it.

My channel is focused around productivity so that already narrows things down quite a bit.

As I go about my daily life, ideas come and go - everyone has ideas, the problem is that most people forget them. The solution to this is to write them down, so whenever an idea pops into my head, I write it down in my Notion.

When it comes to Saturday I take a look at my list and pick a topic that I feel like doing.

Topics sorted.

The hard part is the title and keywords that I'm going to target.

For this I use a website called answer the public to get some ideas. Sometimes I get a nice base to start off, often though nothing on there inspires me.

Either way, the next step for me is to head over to tubebuddy's keyword explorer. There I spend some time fiddling with phrasing, vocabulary and ordering to find a longtail keyword that has a good rating.

I'm still a small account and I don't get much traffic to my videos to get them to higher spots.

Because of this, I figured I'd aim for low competition and low search volume. Low search volume is still well above the traffic I get at the moment, and high search volume keywords are dominated by big channels.

My thought process is that I will pick up the crumbs that larger channels leave behind until I grow strong enough to start taking slices of the cake.

Using this I come up with my video topic and title and I can start planning the content, which I'm about to go and do now!

 

[Runum]

Could be. You have to be self aware of any subtle messages you may be sending with face or body language. Your total message must be congruent to be believable. Anything that is not in alignment will negate your message. Just food for thought.

I would like to elaborate on this a little.

Speaking or lecturing in public is basically theater arts. You are selling an idea to the audience and your job is to get them to buy in. Your total presentation is the message, your clothes, you body language, your speech pattern, everything. Your audience has been trained since birth to use their senses to observe. They use their eyes and ears to perceive a threat to their well being, fight or flight, or pleasure, or stimulation, or boring content. Your live audience will telegraph their perception to you through their body language and facial expressions. Then you have to simultaneously read that and make adjustments to align with the audience's needs. Failure to adjust will result in the message not being received well and no sale.

Recording a persuasive video is way more difficult, especially if you are not experienced in sales or public speaking. When recording you get absolutely zero real time feedback. You have no way to adjust the delivery to match the audience. The only feedback you get is comments or data. You have to assess the comments or data to make the adjustments.

So, take the example of head movement. Generally, if we move our head side to side it is considered to mean no or negative. If we move our head up and down it generally means yes or positive. If I am trying to convince my audience of the virtues of an idea and my head is slightly moving side to side my voice, oral message, and body language are incongruent. My message and delivery have to be 100% aligned to be believable and accepted.

With a talking head, head movement is probably desired because the movement is visually stimulating. However, that head movement has to be precise. The tilt of the head, the movement, the eyebrows, the shape of the mouth, the wrinkles in the forehead, it all has to deliver the message or the whole thing is a waste of time.

These are skills that are learned and practiced. @Kung Fu Steve is much better at the body language - message connection than I am. He practices this all the time.

I hope this helps. I look forward to your next video.

 

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[Kung Fu Steve]

A new video - "5 Productivity Mistakes That are Killing Your Side Hustle" (I'm trying to focus in on my niche a bit more) - What do you think?

There's still some unnatural tones in my voice, but I think I'm getting a lot better... I feel comfortable talking to the camera now, it's now a just "turn it on and talk" sort of feeling.

I might try spending a bit of time reading out a script, recording it, watching it, picking out the strange parts and then rerecording it while fixing them.

I tried to show more energy in this video, and I think I did but maybe not enough yet, and maybe it's not the right kind of energy for me... I definitely need to play with this some more.

I also put in more stock broll this time.

I attempted to film some broll in my room, but with the focal length I use and the size of my room, it was pretty difficult to get nice angles and framing, and they all looked the same so it was quite boring. I ended up binning it all.

View: https://youtu.be/MyU1KesUB84

Immediately first 20 seconds 10x better than the previous videos. @ :25 seconds in -- that energy was fantastic. Maybe you felt overboard when recording it but it comes off great on video!

Here's an example of certainty and uncertainty:

@ :45 you have a lot of certainty in your words, your tone, and your posture.

@ :52~ you drop certainty.

Can you tell the difference? It's so subtle. It's so slight. Here's what it is: you dropped your sternum 2mm

@ 2:23 you really start to come into your own and you're much more comfortable

@ 2:52 I couldn't tell if you just stitched the audio together or actually said hoping twice

@4:20 you have a lot more certainty. much more confident. Energy is up

@11:20 I love the pitch. The only thing is your voice got caught in your throat when you said "go sign up"

Dude I hope you see your progress because you've improved a lot in such a short time.

Keep going!

 

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[Prodox]

OK I'm pretty proud of my performance on camera here...

I think I've improved a lot... It's coming onto 6 months since I started now and I can definitely see improvement

View: https://youtu.be/ZqxMVxD1vYI

 

[Prodox]

Well, if you have your steps numbered, 1, 2, 3, ...then have a graphic number 1 before step 1, and a number 2 graphic before step 2, etc. Maybe a rotating screen or color shift. Something to break up the pace of the video, something mentally stimulating. Maybe a trivia fact?(Just a thought)

Thanks, I'll give it some thought and see if I can get some inspiration from other channels that I like.

I wouldn't have noticed this without you bringing it up, so thank you very much. I appreciate you!

 

[Runum]

Thanks, I'll give it some thought and see if I can get some inspiration from other channels that I like.

I wouldn't have noticed this without you bringing it up, so thank you very much. I appreciate you!

Yw. You are always welcome to take a look at my channel in my sig. I don't have the video skills or background. Most of my videos are detailed how to videos. Lighting, sound, camera angle, and background is always a challenge.

 

[Prodox]

Yw. You are always welcome to take a look at my channel in my sig. I don't have the video skills or background. Most of my videos are detailed how to videos. Lighting, sound, camera angle, and background is always a challenge.

I'll have a gander - thank you

 

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[CountMonteCristo]

Hey man, I just went through your videos and I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised! I love how you've been evolving with each video, but you were confident and charismatic right off the start! I think you have some great potential, just give it some time.

Having said all that...

I think you made progress. Your video quality is great. Your speech pattern is clear and concise. I like the transitions.

IMHO you are overusing jumps. Your jumps are good, just too many and to often.

I like your visuals better but still not enough in my opinion.

Example: You talk for 1 minute and 25 seconds before showing your first visual. Go back and analyze the first 1:25 of the video and look for opportunity. You have to keep the viewer in mind. What is he looking for? How can I keep him interested? You have about 15 -30 seconds to keep them or they move on.

You talk about the morning, you could show you rolling out of bed and stretching/yawning.

You talk about making your very own morning routine. You could have a thought bubble pop up showing a short list with the label morning routine. Or, you could show you going through a sample morning routine in very fast motion for a few seconds.

You talk about a morning routine setting the viewer up for a good day and some early wins. You could show yourself in a thought bubble smiling broadly, maybe highlighted or brighter to emphasize happiness.

You talk about taking a show or eating breakfast. Opportunities to show quick pics instead.

0:56 "I am going to give you a few things..." You could say a specific number of things "I am going to give you 4 things...." and then emphasize the 4. Then you number them off throughout the video to keep the viewers watching.

When you say the word chose you could have several choices pop up briefly to set up some curiosity.

Those are just observations for the first 1:25. There is more opportunity there. I do agree that it takes a lot to produce a good video. My recording time is small compared to my editing and processing time. It may take me 8 hours to get a final video ready to upload and that is very frustrating, but part of the process.

Also, your key words are not good. Are you using a tool to help you with better key words?

I think you have some great potential. I like your lighting, pacing, speech pattern, and topics. Good foundation. Keep polishing and you will get better. Also, I see you are sharing on FB and that is good. Share shorter clips on instagram also.

Good luck and keep grinding.

This^^^ Everything @Runum just said. More B-roll, more visuals, even graphics and pictures, something. You're saying a lot, and your speech is snappy, and thus it's very hard to pay attention to the information when it's not illustrated with visuals. Either slow down and compact the info with less cuts, make it more conversational (like Alex Becker) or add more visuals and make it easier to keep up (like Matt D'Avella)

Anyways, keep it up, dude, you're off to a very strong start!

 

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[Prodox]

@Runum Wow thanks for the insanely detailed critique! Golden info again

I think you made progress. Your video quality is great. Your speech pattern is clear and concise. I like the transitions.

I definitely think I've made progress to, I went over and watched my videos in order and can see slow but steady improvement, I'm glad you think so too.

IMHO you are overusing jumps. Your jumps are good, just too many and to often.

Yes, I used more than I did in my previous videos as an experiment this time. some of the jump cuts are only taking out like a 1-second pause to up the pace of the video.

Maybe it wasn't an improvement!

I like your visuals better but still not enough in my opinion.

I see - thanks for all of the examples here, it's very easy to get what you mean from them.

Although I don't think all of those suggestions are the style that I want to go for (speech bubbles and the like), they have sprang some ideas up in my mind - so I'll see what I can come up with.

Also, your key words are not good. Are you using a tool to help you with better key words?

Yes I'm using tubebuddy and the keyword phrase that I used got a good score. It had a good balance between search volume and competition and was green so I deemed it good enough.

I then used the tags that it suggested and chose the ones with the highest ratings, although a lot of them were lowly rated.

I think you have some great potential. I like your lighting, pacing, speech pattern, and topics. Good foundation. Keep polishing and you will get better. Also, I see you are sharing on FB and that is good. Share shorter clips on instagram also.

Thanks, I will keep polishing and grinding and incorporating all the great feedback I get like this.

Really appreciate that you took the time to write this out, thank you.

 

[Andy Black]

Dammit, another great YouTube progress thread for me to follow.

I . Must . Not . Become . A . Consumer .

It takes a lot of time to produce one video which means I can currently only commit to putting out one a week, which I think is fine in terms of frequency, but what it does mean is that the feedback loop is extremely long, leading to slower progress than on say Instagram.

@Phikey is moving at a blistering pace here:

• NOTABLE! - Ecom Youtube Challenge - Building a channel with 120 videos in 120 days

 

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[Prodox]

OK! So my next video just got released.

I tried to increase the visual variation this time, camera angles, images etc. to make the video more engaging, what do you think?

One thing I messed up on was that I forgot to lock the white balance on my camera, and because I move around blocking and showing a blue light, the colour changes quite dramatically from scene to scene.

I learn something every time, haha.

The lessons all stack up and I can see my quality going up. I went back to my first video the other day and it makes me cringe so much.

How unexperienced I was xD

My last video had a significant drop in click-through rate, I don't know if this is down to the increase in reach or because the title and thumbnail were rubbish... I'll keep experimenting on this.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Z9cW9JPFWo

 

[Kung Fu Steve]

Ha.... anyone else scared to get @Kung Fu Steve to critique their videos?

Great post Steve.

Dude, you're telling me. Imagine me having to go up in front of the big guy himself and give HIS words back to him. F*ck me, man. It can be uncomfortable but it made me grow like crazy.

@Prodox I will say I'm very impressed with your videos, they're clean, clear, concise, and the audio and video are fantastic. I'd love to model yours and maybe even get help on my own!

 

[Andy Black]

OK. I'm up for it. Here's me chatting about doing talking head videos. I decided not to do talking head videos for the channel(s) I want to setup. I'll do screenshares and voiceovers instead.

Curious what you guys think @Prodox, @Runum, @Kung Fu Steve.

View: https://youtu.be/ixkvYao2zuk

 

[Kung Fu Steve]

Awesome feedback.

That’s one of the exact reasons why I stopped doing talking heads - I wanted to follow a script but found it really difficult doing so on camera compared to doing so as a voiceover.

Very interesting that you know you run out of steam when it’s 1,000+ peolle

It's not running out of steam but I notice the difference of impact.

At about 2,000 I catch people on their phones and shit when I'm speaking.

Where as even at 1,000 or so I have the entire room engaged and hanging on most every word.

And truth be told the average person would never notice or care but I'm not trying to be average. I want to be the best.

 

[Runum]

Another week another video!

This week I tried to focus on energy again, this time trying to pay more attention to my posture and keeping my sternum up, although I can't tell if I did it or not

I actually quite like a lot of my performance in this video, but again at the end when asking the audience to do things, I "swallowed" my words a little and I can tell I felt a bit uncomfortable watching it back.

I also tried a new kind of hook, where I did a voice-over over B roll. Not sure what I think of it yet, but I need to fix a few things about it before I make a real decision.

My voice needs more energy, I messed up the audio a little, some of the clips are on screen for too long, some ambient music and sound effects would go a long way I think (just for the hook).

I tried releasing it without posting it anywhere for a bit to see how many viewers I can get straight away... I got 2.

BUT these 2 are from notifications, so I think they are subscribers that every week just go and check out my video when it's released and that makes me happy, haha.

I do think that I need to find new ways to promote my videos, preferably organically.

View: https://youtu.be/_4f753BS8s8

I have begun growing on instagram and some of that is rolling into my YT channel. IG is all about the visual and the hashtags. I post a 10 sec visual clip on IG with a brief hook comment and link to my YT channel. I use the filters to enhance the images. I am new at it but it seems to work for me, not viral, but it brings a few views with each YT vid.

 

[Prodox]

Some observations:

I like your background and your video quality is good. Nice screen jumps.
IMHO, when you say "22 weeks per year" there needs to be a visual graphic or something to emphasize that point. 10% needs a graphic. When you make a point there needs to be a graphic.

Need better transitions between your steps to break up the pace.

Youtube media is audio visual. Your lecture style is mainly targeting audio at the expense of visual. Don't tell them, show them. If you want to just tell them then you need to move to a podcast.

I wish you well on your project.

Thanks for the tips!

These make a lot of sense... I've spent a lot of time trying to learn how to set up my camera and environment to look good on video, but I can see that I have definitely neglected other visual elements like you said.

That will be an improvement point for my next video for sure.

Transitions between steps isn't something I've thought much about... What kind of transitions do you have in mind? Like title screens, or something more subtle?

 

[Prodox]

Hey man, I just went through your videos and I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised! I love how you've been evolving with each video, but you were confident and charismatic right off the start! I think you have some great potential, just give it some time.

Having said all that...



This^^^ Everything @Runum just said. More B-roll, more visuals, even graphics and pictures, something. You're saying a lot, and your speech is snappy, and thus it's very hard to pay attention to the information when it's not illustrated with visuals. Either slow down and compact the info with less cuts, make it more conversational (like Alex Becker) or add more visuals and make it easier to keep up (like Matt D'Avella)

Anyways, keep it up, dude, you're off to a very strong start!

Thanks @CountMonteCristo , I'm really happy that you liked them and that you can see progress from one video to the next.

Confident and charismatic from the start? Haha, I felt pretty awkward at first, but I guess I hid it well then?

B-roll, graphics, pictures... Got it.

Yeah I am cramming a lot into the video so I can see what you mean.

I was partly modelling it off a channel that I like whose videos are entirely talking head with pretty much no visuals at all, but I guess it doesn't work for my content.

I've not heard of Alex Becker, I'll check him out - thanks for the recommendation.

I actually had Matt D'Avella in mind when I decided to add some b-roll of me doing some of the things that I talk about in the video. Clearly not enough though!

Thanks, I'll keep grinding and improving!

 

[Runum]

This is an example of one his videos that has... well nothing other than him talking at the camera.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLBCerAlk8I

Yeah, Nick Nimmin has 633k subs. If you look at his first videos 6 years ago he did a lot of graphics. He didn't start out as a talking head, he grew into it. Now, he can post crap and 10k viewers will watch it. (He doesn't post crap, just using that as an example)

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


Looking at the video that you posted, it is true that he is talking but look at his shots. Sometimes he is center screen sometimes he is right screen. Sometimes facing straight at the camera, sometimes facing to our left. He moves his hands and makes gestures. He changes the screen between paragraphs and points. Sometimes he is face in the screen sometimes he is further away from the camera. He is also very animated in his facial expressions. He sometimes talks fast and sometimes slows down. Overall he is doing more than just talking.

Sorry for the edits, I keep coming up with more thoughts.

When Nick is on video he commands your attention using his voice and other features. This is a skill to learn. I taught school classes for 16 years. I took command of my class through voice, facial expressions, body language, etc. The students knew that when they were in my class it was time to work and learn. We had fun doing it but they were expected to do their part.

As a suggestion, if you are aiming to be a talking head, are you comfortable talking in front of strangers in public? If not, you are going to have a difficult time with selling it. You may want to try out Toastmasters for a year or so. They specialize in helping people with confidence and public speaking challenges.

Again, you are doing well. You are learning. I am not shooting you down. Keep on working on your craft and you will improve.

 

[Prodox]

Yeah, Nick Nimmin has 633k subs. If you look at his first videos 6 years ago he did a lot of graphics. He didn't start out as a talking head, he grew into it. Now, he can post crap and 10k viewers will watch it. (He doesn't post crap, just using that as an example)

<snip>

Ahhh, OK - I fell into the trap of copying large YouTubers now, rather than copying them when they were first building their audience.

Thanks.

Yes he does speak really well - One of my goals is to actually do public speaking so I might give toastmasters a go as practice before I get the opportunity to.

Thanks for the suggestion.

And don't worry about shooting me down - I have thick skin!

 

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[Prodox]

Dammit, another great YouTube video for me to follow.

I . Must . Not . Become . A . Consumer .





@Phikey is moving at a blistering pace here:

• NOTABLE! - Ecom Youtube Challenge - Building a channel with 120 videos in 120 days

Haha, consume my friend, consume!

Thanks for the thread recommendation, that's pretty hardcore.

I haven't considered ads no... I'm not against it though, I'll look into it, thanks!

 

[Andy Black]

I haven't considered ads no... I'm not against it though, I'll look into it, thanks!

FWIW, here's my YouTube progress thread. I'll come back to it shortly:

• EXECUTION - Figuring out YouTube

 

[Prodox]

Great video. I recommend trying switching the camera angle or positioning so there's more variety on the video. If you check @Valier's thread you'll notice one of the key components of his success is how is videos are both long and full of variety, whick keeps the users from getting bored.

Yeah I've read through that entire thread - it's a great story.

I'll definitely try switching up the camera angle this time, thanks

 

[Runum]

Woo - Thank you

Shaking my head?

Huh, I hadn't realised that. I do move my head while talking though, is that a problem do you think?

Could be. You have to be self aware of any subtle messages you may be sending with face or body language. Your total message must be congruent to be believable. Anything that is not in alignment will negate your message. Just food for thought.