The older I get the more I realise how much of a rush I was in my 20’s. You have more time at hand than you think. When I was so eager to “seek the great perhaps” that I packed up my life on a whim and moved 300ish miles to live in Huddersfield. Although this is now something that I dearly love, it was something that 26 year old me didnt think through properly. In my mid 20’s I had just started my first business and I thought I was going to be a wild success. I hadn’t factored in the hard work and grind needed to sustain a business let alone grow one.
Roll forward 10 years and I this year I turn 35 years old. That first business failed and I had to go back to a “normal job” for 2-3 years, had to pay off a large amount of business debt from the first business and FINALLY learnt my lesson that there is no need to rush. I am 2 years into my YouTube Consulting business with a much more stable base, putting in MUCH more hard work to expand network reach and brand awareness. Now what made the difference here?
Time! At 25 you have much more time than you realise. You may want to grow a business and be a massive success in 2 years but you need to remember that life is a marathon and you should play that in your favour. If you dedicate 1-2 years to learning your craft, talking to people within your desired niche or industry, learn from their experience and you wont regret it. I started and failed a business, repaid the debt, started a second business and im still only 35! “Only 35” – I know that sounds old to you teenagers, i used to think the same, but in this modern day world we have 70+ years at least to live and 35 is barely half time. If i work full tilt for 5 years I will still only be 40, and 40 is not the end of life either.
Give yourself time, remove that pressure and build something with patience and hard work – rather than fear, speed and get rich quick schemes.
Grow with a niche – Growing on YouTube takes time, dedication and a hyper focused niche. You might love creating YouTube videos and been trying to grow your YouTube channel for years by throwing unlimited content at the channel but in a scattershot manner.
Imagine you have a YouTube channel you want to grow in 2019 and you upload sports videos, food videos, child care videos, wrestling videos and then some car repair videos – how is your audience going to describe your channel to a friend? How are they to know what you will upload for them to watch next week?
That is where the power of a niche comes in. I have made 300+ YouTube tutorials on my YouTube channel nearly 2 years. During this time I have niched down into helping people grow their channel and learn the features and functionality that YouTube has to offer. This means that when someone arrives on my channel they know exactly what I will teach them and what I will keep teaching them today, tomorrow, next week, next month and for years to come. This makes you known for your field and niche and grows your brand and recognition…. and trust. Trust will win you business, trust will win you subscribers, trust will grow an audience on YouTube.
Maybe your channel is dying and you want a refresh? Maybe its old and you want to change niche? Been in active and not sure if you can revive the channel? OR you want a clean slate and a new beginning. Today we talk about whether you should rebrand or reboot your youtube channel.
I understand how hard it can be to start a YouTube channel. Life gets in the way and you have your day to day issues with school, work, family time or even personal health. With all this juggling it can be so easy to let your YouTube channel grow old or even die with inactivity… but should you rebrand your channel to kick start it or start a new one entirely when you return?
Re-branding A YouTube Channel
Maybe you started your channel years ago and you feel its cringey and hard to watch. Or you’ve decided that you want to move niche and update your public image, then a rebrand might be best for you.
Before you start a new channel and throw away your hard work, ask yourself a few questions.
Does your existing channel get regular traffic? – Don’t waste that traffic! Ignore the existing audience and you lose the opportunity to convert them to your new content
Will the old content harm your new brand? Or is it just a different niche? – There is nothing wrong with keeping the old content, announcing your new direction in a video, adding the old content to a playlist and starting the new content/brand with the next upload – with clear thumbnails and a new set!
Is the channel entirely dead? – If there is absolutely no traffic, links or existing audience there might not be anything to save. In this case you need to ask yourself if you want those old videos at all…. you could always make them private and then re-brand the channel.
If all else fails, you can always start your journey from zero and build a new home on YouTube by opening a new account.
A/B Split Testing – How To To A/B Thumbnail Testing – Step-by-Step YouTube Tutorial with A/B Testing with TubeBuddy // AB Test YouTube Thumbnails to improve Click Through Rate, Improve your video rankings boosting your views. Get more subscribers, get more views, and rank better with TubeBuddy.
What drives impressions?
As soon as you have uploaded a video, YouTube starts surfacing it to relevant audiences. Based on hundreds of signals, our systems determine which viewers are most likely to watch your video and continue to surface the video to audiences as long as it remains on YouTube.
Why do I have fewer impressions than subscribers?
Keep in mind that notifications and traffic from external websites or end screens are not currently included in impressions data. It’s important to understand that not every instance in which a viewer sees a video thumbnail will count as an impression, and that not all views come from thumbnail impressions.Learn what counts as a registered impression. You can also look at your traffic sources to fully understand where views and watch time are coming from.
How can I get more impressions or higher Click-through-rate (CTR)?
Higher click-through rate alone isn’t a strong indicator of success. To get a full picture of what attracts and engages viewers on your channel or videos, follow our tips on using impressions and click-through rate data. In general, the best way to get more impressions is to consistently make great quality content that viewers love.
Why are my impressions and CTR really low?
If it seems like your impressions are lower than they should be, here are some things to keep in mind when looking at your impressions data:
Not every instance in which a viewer sees a video thumbnail will count as an impression, and not all views come from thumbnail impressions. Learn what counts as a registered impression.
Older videos may have more impressions, as they’ll continue to be surfaced to audiences as long as they’re on YouTube. To get a more defined view of how your videos are currently doing, look at the first 7 days after uploading to compare impressions data for different videos.
As your videos become more popular, they may be shown to a wider audience beyond your core viewers. This can result in a lower click-through rate (even if you see an increase in overall views and watch time).
Use the traffic sources report to see click-through rate by traffic source. This can give you an indication of how your thumbnails and titles are doing in converting impressions to views in different contexts.
Avoid trying to increase your CTR by using thumbnails or titles that are clickbait. YouTube will recommend a video to viewers if the video is relevant to the viewer and if other viewers find the video interesting, as reflected by the video’s average view duration. Clickbait videos tend to have low average view duration and therefore are less likely to get recommended by YouTube. You can tell if your thumbnail is clickbait if it is getting high CTR but low average view duration and lower than expected impressions.
Deactivate Facebook Account on Mobile App – How To Disable Facebook Account Temporarily 2019 // Are you looking to take a break from social media? Maybe you just from some time away from Facebook and want to temporarily deactivate your facebook profile. In this step by step help guide I will help you disable your account.
HOW TO BE SELF EMPLOYED – The Hard Lessons You Learn When Your Are Your Own Boss (EP011) // In the news – FairTube YouTubers Union. Podcast – Are you dreaming about shaking of the shackles of the 9to5 grind and becoming your won boss? Have you handed in your notice and just settled down to your first week of work? or are you wondering if its he right move for you, this podcast is for you. Today I deep dive into the hardships that come with going freelance/self employed and the things you might not have considered would be a hurdle in your new adventure.
Also in the news we talk about the #FairTube YouTubers how this will effect youtube and what I feel about in with a deep dive.
TWEET ME YOUR QUESTIONS USING #STARTCREATINGPODCAST – GET YOUR QUESTION ANSWERED ON THE PODCAST!!
How To Improve Audio Quality In YouTube Videos – Fix Audio Quality // Is your sound bad? Ruined a video because of bad audio? In this video I share with you my ticks and tips to get quality audio on all your future videos.
9 BEST Tips For Small YouTubers – (YouTube Basics For Beginners) // In this tutorial I touch upon all the important basics for small and new Youtubers from framing yourself in videos, b-roll, youtube ranking tips for youtube video seo and more.
1 – Framing – Are you framing yourself in your videos properly? I mistake often done by new and small YouTubers. Make sure you take up a large part of your video screen and not hidden in the bottom corner of your screen.
2 – Camera Shake – If you are out and about or if you are new and haven’t figured out a way to aim your camera at yourself…. try and think about camera shake. Tripods are great for static shots, or slow your walking speed down if you are vlogging on the go.
3 – Audio – YouTube Audio is important. Most people will forgive bad footage but they will NOT forgive bad audio. Avoid background noise and try to invest in a lapel microphone or shotgun microphone for static environments.
4 – Camera / Webcam – You don’t have to spend and arm and a leg on a camera. You can record videos on a webcam or even your smartphone. In fact these days a mobile phone might be better quality than most cheap webcams you can find online.
5 – Lighting – This can be a life safer and a time winner. For years I struggled with the sunlight and had to fight the clouds or the early dark evenings in autumn. But if you have your own lighting you can record whenever you want and without needing to be at the fickle mercy of the weather.
6 – Channel Name – This is an important part of branding. With a channel name you can establish a niche and/or a focal personality within your content. My channel name is my name, Alan Spicer, which means I will be the core focus. But if your username is something silly and childish with bad spelling, it might be hard to be taken seriously should you want to be in a more business focused mindset for your channel.
7 – Notes vs Scripts – I personally use bullet points to help me make my videos. This is a good way to structure your videos, stay on topics and help you learn Youtuber video content as a small or new youtuber. Scripts can be good as well, but try to avoid sounding like a robot as you read word for word from the script.
8 – Trim Your Videos – You might have an okay 14 minute video but its filled with gaps, ers and ums. These can ruin the flow of your videos and turn your viewer off. As a new youtuber or small youtuber you need to deliver your point as quickly and cleanly as possible so why not edit that 14 minute video into 7 minutes without the mistakes.
How To Delete Instagram Account on Mobile – Permanently Delete Instagram Profile on Android & iPhone // Closing your account to start again? Deleting your Instagram Profile and IGTV Account? Or closing down old Instagram channels you dont need anymore. Here is a step by step tutorial on How To Delete A Instagram Account with a mobile phone.
2ND CHANNEL? – Should I Have Multiple Channels? // I see so many open extra channels thinking the 2nd channel will help them expand in multiple niches but the flaw is this is the hard work it takes to grow 1 channel with regular content let alone 3. If you only have time to grow 1 channel, why open a 2nd new channel and double your workload?
Long term growth on any social media platform is hard and will take a long time to seed a foundation. This tends to be the reason many creators burn out and give up on their goals. If you are creating content just to hit a demographic or to chase trends then it can get soulless, it can get hard and it can become a chore rather than a passion. HOWEVER, you can avoid this pitfall from day one if you make your channel, your social media content or your foundation about something that you love.
Have you ever been around a Star Wars fan that loves it soooooo much that they just wont shut up about it? Imagine how much content they can make talking about their favourite franchise without feeling it’s a chore. Use that passion as the fuel that fires your brand and pushes you to make content for weeks, months, and even years into the future.
Mental Health, Mindfulness and YouTube // Depression, stress, anxiety and burn out are all real things when you take on Youtube as a full time job or hobby. Try and take some time to yourself and discover a way to unwind. I personally like time to myself, or in quiet places with loved ones. So in this case I was taking a walk down my local canal with the ducks and the friendly walkers.
What do you do to battle stress, depression, anxiety or burn out?
A thumbnail is important to stand out and get noticed on YouTube. You need something eye catching but not too weird!
Once you’ve created your masterpiece its time to upload the thumbnail! Learn how to add a thumbnail to your YouTube videos using your Mobile phone (iPhone or Android device).
Download YouTube Studio App from the Google Play Store. Open the App, Click on the top left menu, choose videos, find the video you want to edit, click the pencil icon, and in the thumbnail click the thumbnail again, click change and upload your desired thumbnail image.
You’ve probably heard this phrase plenty times – “Don’t judge a book by its cover”. Though these are words to live by, it is often the most neglected advice.
Every day, every minute, every second, your videos are judged by their thumbnails. In fact, video thumbnail plays a very important role in encouraging viewers to hit the PLAY button.
With so many videos on the Internet competing for attention, a video thumbnail can determine whether your video is watched or ignored, that is why use Adobe Express Thumbnail Maker.
Thumbnails are the most important aspect of any video’s release, other than the content itself. Seriously.
This is because thumbnails, in combination with titles, are often the biggest deciding factor in whether or not a person will click to watch a video.
These are insights gained from conversations with creators, reading the YouTube Playbook, and countless experiments with various design types, all while measuring the click through rates and performance of our thumbnails through YouTube’s TrueView advertising.
Add text to represent your video content
Your thumbnail should convey your viewer what they’re going to see in the video. This is why it should sync with the title, description and the content of the video.
A good tip is to include some text in your thumbnails. Platforms like Facebook have a restriction on the amount of text you can put into a video thumbnail, so keep that in mind!
In fact, you can also include some hashtags in the thumbnail. Compare the views of this Jimmy Falon video to others:
As someone who regularly watches videos on different platforms, I request you to avoid using click-bait video thumbnails. This causes a lot of annoyance to the viewer and give out a ‘cheating’ vibe. And this is not good for your brand.
In the not so distant future, platforms like YouTube and Facebook can slowly start identifying such users using machine learning, and start penalising them.
Make it visually appealing
Impress your audience at first sight. Use the right color palette, but also make sure it doesn’t end up too gaudy and bright. You can use some image editing tools like PlaceIt.
PlaceIt even has a huge gallery of templates to get you started. I have used PlaceIT for YouTube branding inspiration for years and its always a great way to research a starting design. Or you can buy templates for as little as $14.99.
Tubular Insights claim that something as simple as sharpening the edges can have also a subliminal effect on your thumbnail!
Include a human face to build an emotional connect
This usually makes people click you video because it makes them feel more connected. Once that connection is made, viewers are more likely to watch the entire video.
If possible, use a close-up shot because it helps the image stand out, irrespective of the device it is being viewed on. Look at the views on these BuzzFeed videos:
Tip: Based on what emotion your video is trying to evoke, use a face that exaggerates this emotion!
Brand your thumbnails
Given the real estate of the thumbnail, it can become difficult to add your brand’s logo. But try to include it whenever you can. This ensures your video stands out in a collection/list, and helps the viewer identify your content.
Branding and logos are essential for great thumbnails. A good logo for brand recognition helps your thumbnails stand out against other thumbnails on YouTube because it’s a clear signal to the audience that this is one of your videos.
Since your audience is easily able to identify the video as one of yours, they are more likely to click that video.
A/B Testing is the process of testing two variants of the same thing. In video marketing, this involves comparing two different versions of a particular video to gauge which one does a better job at attracting more YouTube views or engaging an audience.
Video makers need to understand that nowadays, it is no longer just about putting out great content but being able to market it effectively enough to continue organic growth over time.
On top of having great quality content, video thumbnails, tags and descriptions contribute to driving traffic as well. Oftentimes, having great content with poor video descriptions or thumbnails can spell the difference between getting more YouTube views or not, and that’s not the only factor.
Having the ability to do an A/B test on videos prior to publishing them live to check which version and setup works better for their audience is essential to success.
Sadly, YouTube does not offer a feature for A/B Testing as of yet for its videos. I use the A/B thumbnail tool from TubeBuddy to help me boost views, rank higher and improve my click-through-rate.
Why should I Carry Out YouTube A/B Thumbnail Testing?
To most marketers, video is time-consuming and expensive to produce.
Then why am I suggesting you to make multiple variants of your videos?
Because your video is useful only if people actually watch it. And honestly, video that isn’t increasing your viewer engagement is a waste of your time and money.
YouTube A/B thumbnail testing will tell you what factors in your videos influence the probability of the viewer watching the entire video. And you can then use this insight to make more videos that your viewers love!
In fact, brands carry out A/B testing video ads on Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook all the time to mazimise click-through-rate and conversions – more often than you’d imagine.
How do I know whether my impressions click-through rate is high or low?
What Drives Impressions? – When you upload a video, YouTube starts surfacing it to relevant audiences. Based on many factors, our system figures out which viewers are most likely to watch your video. The system continues to surface the video to audiences as long as it remains on YouTube.
How Do I Know If My Click-Through-Rate (CTR) is High or Low – Impressions click-through rate measures how often viewers watched a video after seeing a registered impression on YouTube. Some views don’t count towards impressions, like views on external websites or from end screens. Because of this, your impressions CTR probably represents a subset of your channel’s total views.
Impressions click-through rate will vary based on the type of content, audience and where on YouTube the impression was shown. Video thumbnails are always competing against other videos on the homepage, in ‘Up Next’, in search results and more.
Half of all channels and videos on YouTube have an impressions CTR that can range between 2% and 10%.
New videos or channels (like those less than a week old), or videos with fewer than 100 views can see an even wider range. If a video gets a lot of impressions (such as if it appears on the Home Page), it’s natural for the CTR to be lower. Videos where most of the impressions are from sources like your channel page may have a higher rate.
Ultimately, it’s best to compare CTRs between videos over the long term and keep in mind how their traffic sources will affect their CTRs.
Keep Learning And Grow On YouTube (DEEP DIVE) // The secret to non stop growth on youtube, life and business is learning. If you keep learning new skills, keep learning your niche then you can keep talking about it and teaching people. You can grow your channel and secure your future success by learning marketable skills that can add to your income.
Grow Your YouTube Channel While Learning – I have been on YouTube since 2012 and I strive to get better with every video. Every chance I get I listen to audio books, watch videos and experiment with new platforms to see how this can help my audience and expand my overall reach, and you should to!
Everyone has a creation story, every business starts from day one and today in Episode 1 of the start creating podcast I share with you how being a HUGE pro wrestling fan led me to being a Full Time YouTuber 12+ years later. This is the first of hopefully many many more Start Creating Podcast episodes to come.
TWEET ME YOUR QUESTIONS USING #STARTCREATINGPODCAST – GET YOUR QUESTION ANSWERED ON THE PODCAST!!
Need help is getting started on YouTube – Download my FREE 10 Tips For New YouTubers eBook – http://www.alanspicer.com/ebook
