Literary Insights

Here is a summary of the key points in the table of contents:

The book covers the YouTube platform, ecosystem, algorithm, and how to be successful on YouTube.
Part I provides background on YouTube’s history, AI, and algorithm.
Part II discusses common reasons YouTube channels fail and how to make money on YouTube.
Part III presents the YouTube Formula for success, including identifying your audience, doing research, creating engaging content, optimizing videos, building a community, and continuously improving.
There are action exercises throughout to apply the lessons.
The appendix includes a bonus companion course.
There are over 20 figures providing visual examples of thumbnails, retention, demographics, and more.

In summary, the book provides a comprehensive guide to succeeding on YouTube, with a focus on understanding the algorithm, creating strategic content, optimizing videos, and building an audience and community. It aims to help anyone unlock the YouTube algorithm to drive views, build an audience, and grow revenue.

Everyone should have a YouTube channel, especially brands. It is an enormous opportunity that brands are missing out on if they don’t have a presence on YouTube.
It takes time and a lot of videos to get good at creating YouTube content. Don’t expect success right away. Focus on improving video quality rather than obsessing over views and subscribers early on.
Brands should partner with YouTube creators rather than relying solely on expensive TV ads. Creators have a personal connection with their audience that ads lack. Letting creators promote brands naturally in their own style leads to greater engagement and ROI.
Brands underestimate the power of YouTubers to go viral. MrBeast’s Finger on the App example showed how he could get 1.5 million downloads quickly just by mentioning it, versus Quibi’s $1.7 billion budget only getting 300,000 downloads at launch.
YouTube is here to stay due to Google’s power. Brands need a presence on YouTube to connect with younger audiences who ignore TV ads and consume content on their phones. Partnering with creators is the most effective way to build awareness and sales on YouTube.
In 1999, the author had just graduated and started his own business doing graphic design and websites, despite having a new baby and financial pressures.
He got his first client serendipitously at Staples when helping a man pick a printer. This gave him confidence in starting his business.
However, after a few months he was struggling to get more clients and make enough money. His dad gave him advice to make more money with less time and diverse income streams.
The author realized he needed more clients. He cold-called businesses he had designed business cards for, offering website services, but only got 2 takers out of 200 calls.
He changed strategies and met face-to-face with business owners when delivering their finished business cards. This allowed him to showcase his work and pitch web design services.
He explained that websites were the future of marketing, though it was still a tough sell in the dial-up internet era.
The face-to-face meetings and showcasing his graphic design work helped him start getting more web design clients.
You started out designing business cards for a printing company, then pivoted to building websites for clients. This allowed you to acquire many clients initially.
Your father advised you that true success comes from client retention, not just acquisition. So you started offering web hosting and search engine optimization services to gain recurring revenue.
You won an iPod Nano from YouTube and realized the power of video marketing. You started embedding videos on client websites.
When Google bought YouTube, you noticed the videos were ranking highly in Google without any tricks. So you shifted your focus fully to video marketing to align with Google’s goals.
You became an expert in video marketing, helping businesses generate leads and sales through YouTube. You recognized the immense power of video compared to text and wanted to be at the forefront of this evolution in marketing.
You focused your videos on clear messaging to compel viewers to take action, like calling, purchasing or signing up. This allowed regular people to reach millions with inexpensive equipment, disrupting traditional marketing.

Here are the key points about the history of YouTube and how it can help creators succeed today:

YouTube started in 2005 as a video dating site called “Tune In, Hook Up” but struggled to gain users. The founders even tried paying women to upload dating videos but got no takers.
After failing as a dating site, the founders pivoted to allow any video uploads. The first video was “Me at the zoo” featuring co-founder Jawed Karim at the San Diego Zoo.
Early videos had no rhyme or reason. The founders just wanted content, so they uploaded random clips like planes taking off.
Through constant iteration and pivoting, YouTube evolved into the video platform we know today. This teaches an important lesson - be flexible and keep trying new things if your initial idea fails.
Studying YouTube’s origins shows creators the value of persisting through early struggles to later find success. Failures and course corrections are part of the journey.
The platform’s evolution also demonstrates the importance of listening to users and adapting to what they want, not just what you originally envisioned.
Overall, YouTube’s early days provide an inspiring example of turning an initial misstep into one of the most influential sites in history through tireless experimentation. Creators can apply this lesson of try, fail, analyze, and adjust to achieve their own success.
YouTube originally started as a video dating website, but the founders realized users were more interested in self-broadcasting and sharing personal videos.
Based on this user data, the founders pivoted to make YouTube an open platform for any kind of video. This decision fueled YouTube’s massive growth.
The ability for anyone to broadcast themselves to the world was revolutionary at the time and disrupted the entertainment industry.
Google recognized YouTube’s potential early on and acquired it in 2006 for $1.65 billion.
Today, YouTube has over 2 billion logged-in users per month watching over 1 billion hours of video daily.
The book explains how YouTube operates as an ecosystem with creators, viewers, advertisers, copyright holders, multi-channel networks (MCNs), and YouTube itself all playing roles.
Understanding the ecosystem and your role in it is key to YouTube success.
The book will teach you the “YouTube Formula” - creating, optimizing, distributing, analyzing, and adjusting your content based on data to grow your channel.
If you follow the formula, you can tap into YouTube’s opportunities for exposure, sponsorship, business ownership, and influence.
Napster was the original widespread file-sharing platform that allowed people to share MP3 music files for free. It was hugely popular but led to lawsuits from the music industry and was eventually shut down.
The DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) regulated digital copyright in the US after Napster. YouTube launched in 2005 without a robust system to prevent copyright infringement.
In 2007, Viacom and others sued YouTube for $1 billion in copyright infringement. This led YouTube to implement the Content ID system to detect copyrighted material.
Also in 2007, YouTube introduced in-video ads and the Partner Program, allowing creators to monetize their videos through ad revenue sharing. This incentivized creators to make engaging content.
However, it also led some creators to use clickbait tactics, frustrating viewers. Many criticized creators for “selling out.”
The Partner Program was revolutionary in allowing regular people to earn money from online content. It ushered in a new era of digital marketing and allowed unknown creators to find success.
Overall, the Partner Program transformed YouTube’s business model but also disrupted the viewer experience and creator motivations, forcing YouTube to balance competing interests. Its implementation was a major milestone in YouTube’s development.

Here are the key points:

YouTube’s artificial intelligence (AI) has evolved over time to get better at recommending videos to keep viewers on the platform longer.
In the early days, YouTube relied on simpler systems that weren’t good at recommendations.
Around 2011, YouTube started updating its AI to track user behavior better, especially on mobile devices. This included switching from rewarding video views to watch time in 2012.
YouTube partnered with Google Brain to utilize advanced machine learning tools to build a smarter recommendation system. The goal was to serve viewers more adjacent (similar but different) videos rather than clone videos to keep them engaged.
This switch to optimizing for watch time rather than just views transformed YouTube’s viewership and helped people stay on the site longer. Misleading “bait-and-switch” tactics were no longer rewarded.
The AI continues to evolve rapidly, analyzing millions of signals to recommend videos personalized to each viewer based on their interests, watch history, demographics, and more.
Understanding how the AI works now and how it has changed is crucial for creators to optimize their content accordingly. Utilizing the data YouTube provides is key to adapting strategically.
YouTube’s AI gathers enormous amounts of data (80 billion points daily) on user behavior such as videos watched, skipped, time spent, likes/dislikes, etc. This feeds into a satisfaction feedback loop to refine video recommendations.
The AI gathers metadata from thumbnails using optical character recognition to understand visual content. It analyzes video titles, descriptions, captions, and more using natural language processing to understand text content.
User location, watch history, search queries, and more provide additional signals. All this data trains the AI’s algorithms to predict satisfaction and engagement.
The two main algorithms are the recommendation algorithm which suggests new videos, and the ranking algorithm which ranks results. They work together to optimize the viewing experience.
The AI has evolved significantly over time, now creating highly personalized feeds and suggestions unmatched by earlier more rudimentary systems. Deep learning allows it to make nonlinear connections just like a human brain.
This evolution has led to a massive increase in engagement. By utilizing AI to understand users and connect them to relevant content, YouTube has grown average watch time from 100 million hours per day in 2012 to 1 billion hours today.

Here are the key points:

YouTube uses computer vision and image recognition on thumbnails to determine video content and appropriateness. This helps with video discovery and staying ahead of demonetization issues.
The AI analyzes every frame of videos to create shot lists and labels to understand the content. This is used for recommendations and safety checks.
Closed captions are read by the AI to gather more data on video content.
Natural language processing analyzes sentence structure and meaning from captions and audio. This allows more nuanced categorization.
Video titles, descriptions, and metadata are also analyzed, though actual content is weighted more heavily.
YouTube uses multiple algorithms optimized for different parts of the platform like homepage, suggested videos, search etc.
The homepage balances suggesting familiar content and new discovery based on user viewing history. This increases engagement.
Suggested videos use factors like a channel’s other content, similar videos people watched, and triggering rabbit hole or variety seeking behaviors. This also boosts engagement.

Here are a few key points on why most YouTube channels fail to succeed:

Not analyzing data to understand what’s working and what’s not. Successful YouTubers study analytics and viewer feedback to continually improve their content.
Getting stuck in outdated strategies rather than adapting to changes on the platform. What worked 5 years ago may not work today. Stay current.
Only creating content they personally like rather than thinking about optimizing for their target audience. Understand your niche and viewers.
Not regularly watching other successful channels to learn what engages audiences. Observe trends and understand why certain content succeeds.
Lack of consistency. Posting sporadically rather than sticking to a regular upload schedule. YouTube rewards consistency.
Poor quality production value. Investing in decent equipment, editing, branding etc. Improving production quality helps retain viewers.
Not leveraging external platforms to promote videos. Use social media, collaborations, etc to drive more viewers to your channel.
Giving up too soon. Success takes time. Analyze data, adapt, and keep persevering. Patience and persistence pay off.

The key is being a lifelong student of your audience, the platform, and successful competitors. Continuously learn, improve, and provide value to build a thriving channel.

Here are the key points from the passage:

Study successful YouTubers in your niche - analyze titles, thumbnails, descriptions, hooks, video content to understand what works and why. Look for patterns.
Learn to use YouTube analytics tools to understand your audience - age, gender, geography, watch time, comments, etc. Become an “analytics pro.”
Avoid comparison traps and copying others - put your own spin on ideas/trends. Compete with yourself, not others.
Use analytics to course correct when things go wrong or plateau. Be consistent with ideal upload schedule/timing for your audience.
Get feedback from your target audience, not just anyone. Feedback from the wrong group can harm your channel.
The passage gives the example of a gaming channel Thinknoodles which exploded its views by simply changing its upload time based on analytics.
Key overall messages are: study and learn from successful creators, become an analytics expert, avoid clones/comparisons, course correct with data, get targeted feedback. Keep improving.

Here are a few key points about making money partnering with YouTube:

The YouTube Partner Program (YPP) allows creators to monetize their videos by running ads and getting a share of the ad revenue. To join, you need 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the last 12 months.
Ad revenue - This is money you earn from Google running ads on your videos. The more views your videos get, the more ad revenue you can make. Rates vary based on factors like content type, viewer demographics, ad types, etc.
Channel memberships - Fans can pay a monthly fee to get special perks like custom emojis, exclusive videos, etc. This gives you a more reliable income stream from your loyal fans.
Merchandise - You can create and sell your own branded merchandise like t-shirts, mugs, hats, etc. This is another way to monetize your loyal fanbase.
Sponsorships - Companies may pay you to promote or review their products in your videos. These deals can be very lucrative, especially as your channel grows.
Affiliate marketing - You can make commission promoting other companies’ products through special links.
External platforms - You can also earn money from your YouTube videos being viewed on other platforms like Facebook, TikTok, etc.

The key is to diversify your income sources on YouTube so you’re not solely reliant on ad revenue. Building a loyal audience and selling merch, memberships, etc. creates more stability. It takes time to build up, but can become quite profitable.

The YouTube Partner Program (YPP) allows creators to monetize their videos through ads and revenue sharing. This incentivized creators to make better content, leading to more views and growth for YouTube.
To join YPP, you need 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the past 12 months. You also need an AdSense account. Once approved, you can earn money from ads, channel memberships, Super Chats/Stickers, YouTube Premium revenue sharing, and merchandise.
Advertisers pay YouTube to show ads (CPM - cost per thousand impressions). Creators earn a cut of this revenue (RPM - revenue per thousand views). The more targeted the ad, the more it costs. Know your audience demographics to attract relevant ads.
Additional YPP monetization includes channel memberships, Super Chats/Stickers during live streams, a cut of YouTube Premium subscriptions, and merchandise shelves. Each has its own requirements to unlock.
Follow all YouTube guidelines and policies to avoid demonetization or channel deletion. YouTube monitors channels even after approval, so you must continually meet standards. Read the terms, avoid copyright issues, and make compliant content.

Here are the key points summarizing how to diversify revenue streams on YouTube:

Channel memberships allow loyal fans to pay a monthly fee for exclusive perks like custom emoji, badges, livestreams, etc. Gaming channels need 1,000 subscribers, others need 30,000.
Super Chat and Super Stickers allow viewers to pay to pin comments and send animated stickers during livestreams as a way to support creators.
Merchandise like t-shirts, mugs, plushies etc. can be sold via YouTube’s partnership with Teespring. Merch helps convert viewers into buyers.
YouTube Premium subscriptions give ad-free viewing and allow downloads/background play. Creators get a cut of the subscription fees based on watch time.
Ad revenue can vary greatly based on audience demographics. Female, minority, and niche creators can make far more from the same ads.
Google Preferred Lineup gives top 5% of channels access to premium advertisers and CPMs up to 5x higher. Factors include popularity, platform, passion, protection, production.
YouTube Select allows advertisers to target specific lineups of content matching their demographic. Maximizing revenue depends on understanding and catering to these niches.

Here are a few key points about using your influence as a YouTube creator to generate big money beyond just AdSense revenue:

AdSense revenue from the YouTube Partner Program is just the beginning. Successful YouTubers have many revenue streams.
Brand sponsorships and endorsements become possible once you have an engaged audience. Rates for sponsored videos vary greatly based on viewership and influence, from a few hundred to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Merchandise can be a lucrative revenue stream, as fans want to rep their favorite creators. Products like t-shirts, mugs, and other accessories can be sold through channels like Teespring.
Appearances, speaking engagements, and consulting opportunities arise when you become an industry expert and influencer. Rates vary greatly.
Affiliate marketing and links allow creators to earn commissions promoting relevant products. The more influence you have, the more you can make from affiliates.
Fan funding sources like SuperChat and Channel Memberships provide direct support from your loyal viewers.
Original music, books, courses, and community events are other ways top YouTubers have monetized their influence into additional income streams.

The key is building an audience that trusts you and scaling your authority in the niche. The larger your viewership and the more engagement you drive, the greater your influence becomes, leading to higher earning potential beyond AdSense.

Even after 4 years on YouTube, the author was amazed at how much money there is to be made, beyond just AdSense revenue. Brand deals and sponsorships open up huge new opportunities.
Many YouTube creators have gone from modest AdSense earnings to massive brand deals worth far more. The author gives examples like Jessica, whose brand deal revenue is now 70% of her total, and Slice n Rice, who had a pivotal brand deal with Warner Bros that showed them the power of their influence.
Success stories like these show that anyone can find success on YouTube in their own niche, with just a phone camera and passion. There’s an audience for every interest.
Merchandising can go far beyond just selling t-shirts. Influencers can collaborate on products, generate hype, and make huge revenue. The Jeffree Star x Shane Dawson palette made $52 million.
Brands will pay influencers big money for promotions, knowing their authenticity persuades viewers. Services like FameBit connect brands and creators.
Influencer marketing agencies like Plaid Social realized early on that influencers could deliver great ROI by connecting brands with their engaged communities. But it took time for this new form of marketing to be understood and valued.
Ricky Ray Richte took his influencer marketing business model to traditional marketers, but they dismissed the idea of using amateur YouTube creators to sell products.
One of his early successes was partnering Shay Carl Butler with Orabrush to promote the oral hygiene product. The campaign generated millions of views and sales for a low cost.
Ricky Ray collaborated with an ad agency on a viral Turkish Airlines campaign using 800 influencers. It got 140 million views and 3 million social shares.
Another campaign with Steripod sold out their product nationwide after promotions by YouTube influencers like Lindsey Stirling.
In 2015, Ricky Ray’s company Plaid Social Labs was acquired by Bill Gates’s Branded Entertainment Network (BEN), making him CEO.
BEN uses artificial intelligence and deep learning to predict campaign performance. Their tech predicted views for an Apex Legends campaign at 99.5-99.8% accuracy.
Influencer marketing is still in its early stages, with 80% of YouTube content coming from creators. Huge potential remains.
Ricky Ray sees his work as empowering modern artists and innovators. Brand deals allow creators to monetize their art.
Building your own business and brand has even more potential than sponsorships. The McKnights went from AdSense to brand deals to launching their own hair products in Walmart.
Owning your business allows you to control your product and keep all the profits, instead of driving traffic to someone else’s brand. The McKnights wish they had started their own company sooner.
Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson is a successful YouTuber who reinvests his money into creating bigger projects and making a difference rather than lavish purchases.
MrBeast had the idea to plant 20 million trees to celebrate reaching 20 million YouTube subscribers. He partnered with Mark Rober to create Team Trees and worked with the Arbor Day Foundation to properly execute large-scale tree planting.
MrBeast enlisted the help of over 8,000 other YouTubers to spread awareness. He got support from influencers like Elon Musk, who donated $1 million. In total, Team Trees raised $22 million.
MrBeast later organized a livestream rock paper scissors tournament with top YouTubers to raise money for COVID-19 relief. It raised over $5.8 million, with Google matching to donate $12 million total.
The key point is that influencers like MrBeast recognize the real power of their influence is not fame or money but rather their ability to raise awareness and make a true positive difference in the world.
The Missouri Star Quilt Company started as a small business run by Jenny and Ron Doan in the small town of Hamilton, Missouri.
Originally, Jenny was a costume seamstress but started quilting due to demand in their area. She became hooked on quilting creativity.
They invested in an expensive longarm quilting machine but struggled to find customers in their tiny town.
Their son Alan had the idea for Jenny to start filming quilting tutorials for YouTube. She was hesitant but did it anyway.
Putting the YouTube links in their newsletter brought a lot of interest. Viewers started asking where to buy the products used.
This allowed the business to expand online, delivering nationally and internationally. Their YouTube channel grew exponentially.
YouTube allowed them to extend their reach from a small town to a global audience, significantly increasing revenue.
They reinvested revenue into the community, helping Hamilton thrive. The business now has millions in annual sales.

In summary, the Missouri Star Quilt Company used YouTube to take their small town quilting business global, massively extending their reach and driving revenue.

Missouri Star Quilt Company started on YouTube and became the biggest quilting channel, generating $40 million in annual revenue. This shows the power of YouTube to grow a business.
Orabrush was an early YouTube success story, leveraging cheap ads to generate huge sales growth. This opened the door for big brands like Coca-Cola to also use YouTube for marketing.
The Harmon brothers worked with PooPourri on a viral ad campaign, using split testing to optimize versions of the ad. The ad went viral before testing was complete, underscoring the importance of testing different versions.
Brands should use the words their followers use to describe them in titles and messaging. This comes directly from the creator community.
The Harmons took smart risks with outlandish marketing like the PooPourri and Squatty Potty campaigns. These brands went on to see great success thanks in part to YouTube marketing.
The key takeaways are to think big, take smart risks, listen to your audience, relentlessly test and optimize, and leverage the power of YouTube to grow your business or brand. Consistent effort over time yields big results.
Bobby Edwards of Squatty Potty struggled to get his toilet stool product to sell at first. People didn’t understand how to use it.
Bobby hired the Harmon brothers (Jeffrey and Daniel) to create an ad campaign, but Bobby’s investor initially rejected their idea for a pooping unicorn ad.
A few months later, after an event with unicorns, Bobby changed his mind and greenlit the pooping unicorn ad without his investor’s approval. This was risky.
The Harmons, Dave Vance, and the author collaborated on the script and creative for the ad. They filmed it while Bobby was away to avoid interference.
The ad went viral instantly when launched, getting over 20 million views in the first day without any ad spend. Sales skyrocketed.
Key lessons: Think long-term with evergreen content. Be your own influencer and connect directly with your audience. Embrace digital marketing and track data like analytics and brand lift to measure performance. Avoid too many executives diluting the creative process.

Here are a few key takeaways:

Success on YouTube requires data-driven decisions balanced with human-centered content creation. Lean into YouTube analytics, but don’t lose sight of creating for real people.
Many creators underestimate how difficult it is to gain traction on YouTube. It takes strategic planning, high-quality content, and persistence.
The “YouTube Formula” combines analytics insights with authentic content that connects with viewers. Understand your audience, optimize your content, and keep improving.
Don’t rely on guesswork. Use the data YouTube provides to make informed choices about topics, formats, promotion, etc. But maintain your creative vision and voice.
Growth in views, subscribers, and revenue are interconnected. Focus first on serving your audience with great content, and the rest will follow.
Competing in the YouTube ocean as a small fish requires determination and strategically using the tools YouTube offers. Let the data guide you, but create content with heart.

The key is balancing analytics with creativity - let the data inform human-centered decisions. Master YouTube insights, but stay authentic. Growth comes from understanding your fans and giving them your best.

Dan and the narrator filmed a video that Dan predicted would not perform well. Dan was able to intuit this based on his deep understanding of his audience and what engages them.
His prediction was correct - the video underperformed. This shows Dan has a “YouTube Sixth Sense” for knowing what content will resonate with his audience.
Successful YouTubers like MrBeast have this sense too. It comes from obsessively analyzing data about their content and audience.
Rather than relying on intuition, creators should use data analysis to remove bias and assumptions. This allows them to make data-driven decisions aligned with their audience.
The narrator explains creators should have a clear goal that motivates them. This allows them to make a plan using the YouTube Formula - create, execute, analyze, adjust.
The Formula works because it is based on YouTube data that provides real feedback. Creators should optimize for satisfying viewer needs rather than gaming the algorithm.

Here is a summary of the key points about identifying your target audience on YouTube:

Don’t take a “spaghetti approach” and throw content at the wall to see what sticks. Be strategic and focused on a specific audience.
Focus first on creating high-quality content about a topic you are passionate about. The audience will follow good content.
Take time to really understand who your ideal viewer or “avatar” is. Define their demographics, interests, pain points, and goals.
Look at your channel analytics to see audience age, gender, geography, traffic sources, etc. Use this data to refine your avatar.
Think about when, where, why, and how your audience consumes content. Tailor your content strategy to their needs.
Create content that speaks directly to your avatar’s interests and provides value for them.
Be consistent so you gather data over time. Don’t change your content focus too quickly.
Keep optimizing based on audience feedback and data. Listen to your viewers and what performs well.
If you focus on serving a specific audience incredibly well, YouTube will reward your channel by promoting your content.

The key is to not take a generalized approach but to be very strategic in serving a particular audience you understand deeply. Let your passion for your content fuel this process.

Here are the key points:

Start with a content foundation you’re passionate about, then identify your target audience who will actually watch your videos. The crossover between your passion and your ideal audience is crucial for YouTube success.
Don’t just make content for yourself. Make it for the specific viewers who will care about it.
Study your audience’s comments to see what resonates and what they want more of. Adjust your content accordingly, while staying true to your passions.
There is likely a threshold where you’ll max out your potential audience with very niche content. To grow further, you need to broaden your appeal while still serving your core loyal fans.
Not all channel types work the same. Identify viewing behaviors and preferences specific to your niche audience.
Help YouTube’s AI understand who your target viewers are so it can recommend your content accordingly and find more similar viewers.
There is an audience for any passion if you can identify the target viewers who will actually watch. Combine your passion with a strategic understanding of your audience’s interests.
Ackie NerdECrafter found her audience when she stopped trying to conform to traditional beauty standards and started being her authentic self on her YouTube channel. She originally thought she had to wear makeup and look pretty to attract an audience, but realized her viewers liked her more when she was genuine, mistakes and all.
Embracing her real personality and flaws is when Ackie’s channel started growing. She believes this authenticity is why her channel took off compared to other female creators who were trying to appear perfect.
Ackie advises creators to truly care about who their initial viewers are, no matter how small the number. Get to know them and what they want to watch so you can make content specifically for them.
Figure out who your target audience is before settling on a niche. Let your viewers’ behavior shape your content rather than jumping into a niche too quickly.
Do a “Persona Breakdown” to get to know your audience demographically, psychographically, and behaviorally online and offline before creating content.
Keep in mind your audience’s “micro-moments” - the quick searches and browsing they do on mobile. Be there to serve their needs in the moment.
Tailor your content closely to your target audience once you have a detailed understanding of who they are through the Persona Breakdown.
The “pooping unicorn” story illustrates the importance of doing research to understand your target audience. By researching niche communities like Reddit’s Bronies, the author realized how valuable it is to get to know your ideal viewer avatar on an individual level.
Knowing your audience allows you to create content that will resonate with them. The Bronies served as a focus group - not the target buyer, but a community likely to respond to and share the ad, kickstarting viral growth.
Research enables you to find your people and figure out how to connect with them through your message and delivery. It’s essential for acquisition and retention.
Tactics like surveying niche subreddits can uncover unexpected groups who will organically engage with your content. Their feedback loop of watching, commenting, and sharing is invaluable.
The data you gather through research allows you to make smart decisions about tailoring your content. You can have confidence you truly understand your viewers.
Taking the time to “recon” your audience pays off with growth, by helping convert viewers into loyal community members who feel seen and engaged.

The key is combining reconnaissance of your ideal viewer with smart data analysis to fuel content decisions. This research-driven approach is the foundation of the YouTube Formula for successfully finding and keeping your audience.

Here are the key points I gathered from the summary:

Jeffrey Harmon and I worked together on an ad campaign for an ice cream company.
We created a 4-minute ad featuring a unicorn pooping ice cream. Before the ad launched, we leaked a gif of the unicorn pooping ice cream to the Brony community.
The ad went viral - over 20 million views in 24 hours. We promoted it further with ads.
In the first year, the ad generated $28 million in sales. It is still converting years later. This was dubbed the “greatest viral ad in internet history.”
For our next project, we are creating a high-quality TV series about Jesus called The Chosen, targeted at evangelical Christians.
We did reconnaissance and research to identify our target audience of Gen X and millennial Christian women aged 25-45.
We held a marketing lockdown to plan our crowdfunding strategy to raise money for the project’s production.
The key is finding the right audience who will resonate with your content and promote it. Thorough audience research and understanding viewer personas is critical.
May 26, 1980 was a pivotal day for the author when he saw The Empire Strikes Back as a 6-year-old. The movie had a huge impact on him and he became obsessed with Star Wars.
In the 1980s, the author was fascinated by impactful TV commercials like the Wendy’s “Where’s the Beef?” ad and Dunkin’ Donuts “Time to Make the Donuts.” He wanted to understand what made them so effective.
Powerful public service announcement (PSA) ads in the late 1980s also had a big influence, using shock value to send a memorable message. The author recorded ads and SNL sketches on VHS to watch repeatedly and share.
The author has been obsessed with understanding what makes content great and impactful from a young age. He wants to learn how to create equally brilliant, effective messaging that can change people. This passion carries through to his YouTube work today.
Great content can have a profound influence. Impactful videos, ads, movies can stick with you forever and even alter the course of your life, as Star Wars did for the author.
On YouTube today, creators have an opportunity to potentially create life-changing content and spread important messages, just as those ads and movies did decades ago.

Here are the key points about content and storytelling:

Content includes the video, title, thumbnail, and metadata. A good title and thumbnail are critical to getting viewers to click and watch.
Good content follows a story arc:

The Hook - Grabs the viewer’s attention and introduces the topic
Reengagement - Keeps the viewer engaged throughout with plot points, jokes, etc.
The Setup - Sets up the climax, building anticipation
The Climax - The peak event the setup built up to
The Goosh - A surprise or bonus at the end to delight viewers and keep them watching to the end

Following this story arc structure helps craft narration that keeps viewers engaged from start to finish. It works for any type of content - comedy, drama, educational, etc.
Master storytellers like Jerry Seinfeld are skilled at each stage of the arc, especially reengaging the audience between the hook, setup, and climax.

So in summary - captivating storytelling following a proven arc is key to creating content that engages viewers, and the video is just one component of that. A compelling end-to-end experience is crucial.

Here are a few key takeaways on creating effective content in a short timeframe like a 30-second commercial:

Hook the viewer right away with something visually striking or emotionally engaging. The old ladies and juxtaposition of the dull office vs. tasty burger does this well in the Wendy’s ad.
Quickly establish the problem/goal. The ladies want a better lunch than the sad desk meals.
Present your solution. Wendy’s tasty burgers are shown as the answer to their lunch problem.
Use humor, emotions, or clever visuals to keep the viewer engaged. The ladies’ funny reactions and office/burger contrast achieves this.
End with a clear call-to-action. The branding and “Now that’s better” line prompts the viewer to choose Wendy’s.
Use short, punchy dialogue and tight editing to convey a lot in a short time. The back-and-forth comments and quick cuts do this effectively here.
Repeat key elements like brand name for memorability. Wendy’s branding is shown multiple times.

So even in a super compressed format, following proven content formulas and techniques can make your message compelling and effective!

Here is a one sentence summary:

The bun is big, fluffy, and empty, implying the burger patty inside is tiny and disappointing.

Here are the key points on why click-through rate (CTR) is the most important metric for YouTube success:

Everything starts with a click. If viewers don’t click on your video, they won’t watch it no matter how good the content is.
CTR measures how effective your title and thumbnail are at getting attention and getting viewers to click. It reflects how well you are earning viewers’ attention.
Impressions count when a title and thumbnail are shown to a viewer for at least 1 second. More impressions from YouTube recommendations mean more visibility.
Higher impressions and CTR are better. It means YouTube is recommending your videos more widely outside your core audience.
CTR was an important metric before YouTube provided the data directly. High CTR titles and thumbnails were tested in Google Ads and found to boost YouTube views when used.
The algorithm is highly sensitive to CTR. High CTR signals to YouTube that a video is engaging and worth recommending. This leads to more impressions and views.
A/B test your titles and thumbnails to improve CTR. The higher the CTR, the more YouTube will share your content and the more viewers you’ll reach. CTR is the start of YouTube success.

Here are the key points:

Test different titles and thumbnails to see which ones get the highest click-through rate (CTR). Jeffrey Harmon tested 165 titles for the Squatty Potty ad to find the best one.
Put a lot of thought into your titles and thumbnails before creating the video. MrBeast won’t make a video unless he has a clickable title and thumbnail first.
Use curiosity in your titles and thumbnails to get people to click. Make them wonder “what will happen if I click on this?”
Follow design principles like the Rule of Thirds to create balanced, aesthetically pleasing thumbnails. Position the main subject at intersection points in a 3x3 grid.
Use contrast, color, and recognizable faces strategically based on how the brain processes images. The visual cortex reacts quickly to things like contrast, color, and faces.
Study platforms like Netflix to see what thumbnails catch your attention. The image drives over 80% of choosing what to watch on Netflix.
You only have milliseconds to grab attention, so every detail of your thumbnail and title needs to work together to earn that click.
The Rule of Thirds is a technique in photography and design where you divide an image into thirds both vertically and horizontally. Placing important elements at the intersection points draws the viewer’s eye and creates a more aesthetically pleasing composition.
Color psychology influences decisions and behavior. Color contributes up to 90% of the information that forms a decision. Understanding color meanings allows you to make more impactful content.
Thumbnail strategies include using faces, objects, text, clipart, perspective, and organized clutter to capture attention. Faces and objects together work best. Eyes connect with viewers. Progressions and contrasts grab interest. Sparing text clarifies. Arrows and emojis redirect eyes. Scale creates pop. Patterns make you stand out.
Strategies evolved as YouTube introduced custom thumbnails. Some used “clickbait” thumbnails, but metrics changed to minimize this. Thumbnails should accurately represent content.
Understanding thumbnail design principles and strategies allows creators to make their content more clickable and captivating without being deceptive.

Here are some tips for creating compelling and clickable titles on YouTube:

Use active voice. Active voice titles are more effective on YouTube than passive voice. For example:

“I Explore the Surface of Mars” (active voice)

“The Surface of Mars is Explored By Me” (passive voice)

Ask questions. Titles that ask questions spark curiosity and intrigue. For example:

“What’s Really Inside a Black Hole?”

Use numbers. Putting a number in the title signals to viewers that they will get specifics. For example:

“5 Recent Space Discoveries That Will Blow Your Mind”

Use power words. Words like “Unbelievable,” “Shocking,” and “Amazing” help capture attention. But don’t overuse them.
Target keywords. Include 1-2 strong keywords related to your content to optimize for search. But focus on intrigue first.
Tell a story. Titles that hint at a journey or discovery are engaging. For example:

“My Journey to the Edge of the Solar System”

Use cliffhangers. Leave viewers wanting more with a teaser. For example:

“What NASA Doesn’t Want You to Know About…”

The key is balancing clickability with optimization. Lead with intrigue, curiosity and emotion first, then refine with key search terms. Test different versions and see what resonates most with your audience.

Here are some tips for engaging viewers’ attention so they watch more of your videos:

Hook viewers in the first 10 seconds with an intriguing opening - ask a question, share an interesting fact, show something visually compelling. Those precious first seconds are your chance to grab their attention.
Keep your pacing lively - avoid long pauses or lengthy monologues. Quick cuts between different shots and locations helps maintain interest.
Use b-roll footage and graphics to illustrate and visualize what you’re talking about. This boosts engagement as viewers take in more visual information.
Switch up camera angles, move the camera around, utilize close-ups for emphasis. A static shot gets boring quickly.
Include an element of surprise or unexpected humor when possible to capture attention.
Share personal stories and examples that viewers can relate to on an emotional level. This builds a connection.
Ask viewers questions and have them interact/engage in some way, like posting in comments or voting on something.
Cliffhangers and teasers for what’s coming next in the video or series will keep people watching in anticipation.
Monitor audience retention reports to see when people lose interest and adjust your format accordingly. Study what works for successful creators in your niche.

The key is to actively engage viewers from start to finish both visually and mentally so they want to stick around and consume more of your content. Respect their time by delivering value throughout.

Here are the key points:

Watch your videos all the way through, then rewatch and analyze the data to find patterns in audience engagement and disengagement.
Pay attention to metrics like average view duration (AVD), average view percentage (AVP), and average views per viewer (AVPV) to understand how well you are retaining viewers.
Look for the “hockey stick” and “slow burn” effects in your retention graph to identify sharp early drop-offs or gradual declines.
Analyze the 50% and 30% points where you lose viewers to understand what is causing them to leave.
Maintain a strong value proposition throughout the video to keep viewers engaged. Provide value and entertainment at every step.
Use timestamps, calls to action, endscreens, etc. to reengage viewers.
Learn from the data to create better content that connects with your audience. The goal is to increase watch time and build a loyal viewership.

Here are the key points for creating a YouTube content strategy:

Strategize for Your Audience:

Create a consistent, predictable experience for viewers. Establish a schedule and brand they come to expect.
Make content that fulfills your audience’s needs - entertain, inform, inspire, etc. Think about the micro-moments they may be experiencing.
Find ways to stand out without sacrificing consistency and authenticity to your brand. Get creative!
Collaborate with others to make more diverse, dynamic content.

Strategize Using Data:

Analyze traffic sources to see where your views are coming from and double down on what works.
Study metrics to identify your best-performing content. Make more of that.
Look for data relationships between factors like views, subscribers, comments, etc.
Let data guide your strategy, not dictate it. Stay true to your audience.
Use A/B testing to optimize strategy over time.

The key is combining audience-focused strategy with data-driven strategy to create engaging content optimized for growth. Be consistent for viewers while leveraging data insights.

Here are the key points I gathered from the summary:

DanTDM, a popular YouTube creator, collaborated with Garrett Gee, a former soccer player, to make a video about soccer balls timed with the World Cup.
The collaboration brought a surge of new viewers to both of their channels. Garrett got his first million-view video.
Collaborations can bring new traffic from the collaborator’s audience. It benefits both creators.
Brooklyn and Bailey McKnight successfully collaborated with the sketch comedy channel Studio C. It brought Studio C exposure and revenue when they were small.
Make a content schedule to stay organized. Define your target audience and value proposition. Be consistent with your brand.
Prioritize mobile optimization, as 70% of YouTube watch time is on mobile. Make videos based on audience wants balanced with your passion.
Know where your viewers are coming from - mobile, search, suggested videos, etc. Tailor videos for each source.
Optimize for recommended videos, since it drives 75% of YouTube views. Help the algorithm connect your content through consistency and series.
Make lists of frequently asked and should-ask questions to create videos that rank in search. Use search as a funnel to bring viewers who consume more of your content.

Here are the key points about optimizing your YouTube content strategy:

Answer people’s questions in your videos to attract search traffic. Connect your content so viewers can easily find more videos to watch next.
Focus on getting your videos recommended, which drives 75% of YouTube views. Optimize for Browse, Trending, and Suggested recommendations.
For Browse, 3 uploads per week works well. Daily can cause burnout and overload the algorithm.
For Suggested, build a large library of interconnected videos. The more videos, the more recommendations.
Create data relationships between videos using playlists, endscreens, cards, and descriptions. Even small percentages matter.
Use playlists to keep viewers engaged and signal connections between videos. YouTube Mix also automatically creates varied playlists.
Think holistically about your channel. Optimize individual videos for recommendations, while also building your library and connecting all the pieces.

Here are the key points from the passages:

Playlists are an effective way to keep viewers watching multiple videos in sequence, improving watch time. Playlists are like creating a mixtape of videos that flow together.
The YouTube Community tab and Stories allow creators to engage with their audience outside of just video content. These can help promote videos and products.
A “tent pole” strategy involves timing the release of evergreen content around recurring events or topics that periodically spike in popularity, like holidays or championships. This uses the heightened interest around the event to boost views.
Having a variety of associated “buckets” or categories of content keeps viewers engaged instead of just offering very similar videos. Variety keeps people coming back.
The A-Team example demonstrates that always relying on the exact same formula or plot eventually causes people to lose interest, even if it was very successful at first. You need some variety.

In summary, using playlists, community features, tent pole timing, and content buckets/variety helps create an engaging experience that improves watch time and sustains audience interest.

Here are a few key points about building a community around your content:

Foster a sense of belonging. Make your viewers feel like they are part of something special by bonding over shared interests, values, or experiences. Give your community a name, create inside jokes, and reward loyalty.
Encourage participation. Ask questions, host polls and contests, respond to comments, and feature user-generated content. This makes your audience feel valued and engaged.
Be consistent. Post on a regular schedule so your community knows when to expect new content. This builds trust and loyalty over time.
Interact thoughtfully. Reply to comments, answer questions, and acknowledge your superfans. But don’t overpromote or spam your community. Focus on adding value.
Offer membership perks. Consider creating a membership program with exclusive content, discounts, badges, early access, etc. This incentivizes monetization.
Host live events. Gather your community IRL through meetups, conferences, or behind-the-scenes events. This strengthens their bond with you and each other.
Unite around a purpose. Rally your community around a cause, movement, or goal bigger than just your content. This creates a shared sense of meaning.

The most successful YouTubers don’t just create content, they cultivate communities. Nurture meaningful relationships with your audience for greater loyalty and engagement.

To build a community around your YouTube channel, you first need to deeply understand your target audience through developing viewer personas.
The book Primal Branding outlines 7 fundamentals for building a loyal community: Creation Story, Creed, Icons, Rituals, Sacred Words, Nonbelievers, and Leader.
The Creation Story tells the origin story of your brand/channel in an authentic, personal way to foster a sense of belonging.
The Creed encompasses your beliefs, values, and purpose that your community can rally behind.
Icons are visual representations of your brand that your community associates with you.
Rituals are shared experiences, traditions, and interactions that strengthen community bonds.
Sacred Words make up a unique lexicon your community uses.
Nonbelievers are those outside the community who don’t understand it.
The Leader acts as the public face and steward of the community.
The author gives the example of how they successfully built a passionate community around the TV series The Chosen by implementing these 7 fundamentals.

Here are the key points about community building from the passage:

Community building involves establishing seven fundamentals: Creation Story, Creed, Icons, Rituals, Sacred Words/Lexicon, Nonbelievers, and Leader.
The Creation Story explains how the community started and what it stands for.
The Creed is the community’s mantra or motto.
Icons are symbols, imagery, or people that represent the community.
Rituals are the community’s processes and procedures.
Sacred Words/Lexicon are the unique language of the community.
Nonbelievers are those who oppose or disagree with the community.
The Leader is the main voice and face of the community.
An eighth fundamental is Distribution - getting the message out across different platforms.
The passage uses The Chosen as an example, explaining how it established each of these fundamentals to build its fan community.
Creating a compelling narrative around these fundamentals helps connect people to the community.

Here are the key steps for optimizing, launching, and promoting a new video on YouTube:

Upload Video

Upload your final exported video file to YouTube Studio. Make sure the title, description, tags, thumbnail, captions, end screens, etc. are all properly set up beforehand.

Optimize Video

Enter a compelling title and description using keywords and phrases people search for.
Add relevant tags and captions.
Customize an eye-catching thumbnail.
Set up end screens and cards to promote other videos.

Launch Preparations

Let current subscribers/followers know a new video is coming with a teaser post or announcement video.
Line up collaborations or sponsorships to help promote the video if applicable.
Make sure your website and social media are ready to maximize views.

Promote Video

Share the video on all your social media accounts.
Email subscribers notifying them of the new video.
Collaborate with others to cross-promote the video.
Consider running paid ads to boost views.
Interact with commenters and respond to any questions.
Analyze performance and make ongoing optimizations as needed.

The key is to actively promote around the launch, optimize based on data, and continue engaging with your audience after uploading. Treat it as a full campaign rather than just passively uploading.

Here are the key points for optimizing and launching YouTube content:

Optimizing Videos

Create compelling thumbnails that use color, text, and emotion to draw viewers in. Be honest and make sure the thumbnail matches the content.
Use catchy yet concise titles that use your target keywords and connect to your other content buckets.
Optimize video descriptions with keywords, links, timestamps, etc. Vary descriptions between videos.
Use cards and endscreens to direct viewers to more of your content, but don’t put cards too early in the video.
Write relevant tags using target keywords and related terms.
Use closed captions and TubeBuddy’s default profiles to save time.

Launching Content

Research similar channels for ideas and strategy. Identify your target viewer avatar.
Create and test content months before launch to refine your avatar and strategy.
Time your launch carefully to maximize views.
Focus on getting clicks and engagement right away to signal relevancy to the algorithm.
Promote strategically across social media and collaborations around launch time.
Don’t push the wrong audience from other channels to new content. Match content to viewer avatar.
For promoting a video, it’s best to use a blended strategy of organic and paid promotion rather than relying solely on paid advertising.
Promote organically first to find the right audience. Look at where your target audience hangs out online and crossover viewership data to find potential collaborators.
Paid strategies can then amplify your reach. Pay influencers to promote your content to their followers. Use paid ads targeted to the right audience.
For selling products, also use a blended organic and paid approach. Make high-quality, relevant content. Allow viewers to see the product in multiple places organically. Supplement with targeted paid ads.
Give specific examples, like the successful campaigns done for Squatty Potty, Studio C, and Brooklyn and Bailey. These combined organic content and promotion with carefully targeted paid ads.
The key is understanding your audience, goals, and how to reach the right people organically first. Paid ads can then enhance this to grow an audience or drive sales. But organic content and promotion comes first.

Here are the key points:

The video “Sterling Breaking News Update” was released 5 months after the original video.
It shows a nosy reporter barging into Scott Sterling’s hospital room to ask about his soccer plans. His trainer intervenes and defends Sterling.
The video includes Studio C’s usual comedic style to appeal to their target audience.
There are calls to action throughout the video to click and buy the t-shirt. The trainer works these into the script in a humorous way.
They spent a small amount promoting the video, but made millions in t-shirt sales as a result.
Blending organic reach with paid promotion produces the best results for growing an audience or selling a product.
It’s important to research your target audience. Then find creators with similar audiences to collaborate with for organic reach.
This strategy has worked successfully many times with different clients when executed properly.
Small tweaks to a video based on data can significantly impact its trajectory and success.

Here are the key takeaways from the story of The Ohana Adventure’s YouTube success:

Rachel started a family vlog channel in 2013 without much direction or researching other vlogging channels. But she had a clear “Why” - to inspire family togetherness.
It took 9 months to gain any views and hitting 100 subscribers felt huge. Having a clear purpose kept them motivated.
A “How to Shave Your Legs” video with Rachel’s daughter went viral and triggered monetization success. This convinced Jase to quit his job to focus on YouTube.
They focused on improving watch time and viewer retention. Analyzing metrics helped them make adjustments to content.
They optimized titles and thumbnails through testing different options and phrases. This increased clickthrough rate.
Collaboration with other channels exposed them to new audiences and boosted subscribers.
Persistence, constantly improving based on data, and having a purpose beyond fame led to their eventual massive success on YouTube. It’s a great example of try, fail, analyze, adjust.
The Bennett family started a YouTube channel called The Ohana Adventure, documenting their everyday family life.
They became reliant on the income from their YouTube channel.
Changes to YouTube’s policies around kids’ content (COPPA) negatively impacted their channel’s monetization.
Rachel was determined to regain monetization, so she collaborated with other creators, focused on engagement, and listened to audience feedback to improve their content.
They had huge success with a Taylor Swift parody video that led to millions of views.
They made some mistakes by copying others and not speaking to their core audience, but recovered by refocusing on their ideal viewer.
The kids now have their own channels targeted to specific audiences.
The family learned to constantly analyze data and adjust in order to succeed on YouTube.
The author encourages not giving up when you fail, learning from mistakes, and creating content you’re passionate about for your ideal audience. Follow the YouTube formula: try, fail, analyze, adjust.
Grandpa Jack gave the author an important life lesson while camping when he was 12 years old. He asked what impact the author would have on the world - would it be good or bad? This left the author thinking deeply about the message.
Although the author didn’t fully grasp the significance at the time, the message stuck with him over the years and influenced many decisions in business and his personal life.
The author thanks Grandpa Jack for this impactful lesson that continues to shape him.
The author challenges the reader to use what they’ve learned to positively impact the world through YouTube by entertaining, inspiring, motivating and educating others.
He advises surrounding yourself with people who will push and motivate you to impact lives.
The author thanks his wife, kids, parents, co-author, business partners and team for their support.
He also thanks a 3rd grade teacher whose attempt to humiliate him ignited his motivation and led him to where he is today.

Here is a summary of the key points from the excerpt:

wdfunding: A successful Kickstarter-like campaign run by the Harmon Brothers to fund a movie parodying faith films (pages 150-151, 259).
CTA box usage: Calls to action strategically placed onscreen to drive desired viewer behaviors (page 281).
Curation: The process of curating and presenting content to engage an audience (pages 227-228).
Curiosity impact: Creating curiosity through content is crucial for viewer retention (page 190).
Cute Girls Hairstyles: A successful lifestyle channel run by the McKnight family (pages 58-59, 84).
CV (Cloud Vision): Artificial intelligence for image recognition used by YouTube (page 25).
Data accumulation/usage: YouTube gathers and leverages user data for recommendations (pages 28-32).
Education/learning from data: Data informs YouTube’s algorithms and content creators’ strategies (pages 43-46).
Feedback gathering: User data and direct user feedback inform optimizations (pages 172-180).
Goosh/story: The unfolding narrative that keeps viewers engaged (pages 158-163).
Impressions metric: Indicator of potential views for an asset (page 285).
Influencer marketing: Partnerships between brands and creators (pages 79-83).
Listicle titles: Video titles using numbers to promise information (page 206).
Metadata usage: Data that helps YouTube connect content and viewers (pages 242-243).
Primal Branding fundamentals: Key principles for brand building (pages 253-266).
Thumbnails: Visual elements that drive clicks and retention (pages 185-201).

Here is a summary of the key points from the passages:

Rogan, Joe, 213
Rule of Thirds, 191–193 chart, 191f, examples, 192f
Ryan’s Mystery Playdate, 79
Ryan’s World, 72, 79
Ryan’s World (ad revenue case study), 71–72
Sacred Words (Primal Branding fundamental), 260–261
Sales, content (usage), 165–167
Satisfaction signals, 28–29
Scalable valuable content, 131f
Schmidt, Jon, 265
Scott, Ridley, 156
Seals, Earl, 149
Search engine optimization (SEO), 121, 125, 242 rabbit hole, 208, rankings, 111
Seinfeld, Jerry, 159–163, 167
Selects. See YouTube Selects
Self‐broadcasting, 5
Self‐videos, avoidance, 128–130
Sephora (campaign), 109–110
Setup. See Story
Shark Tank, 103, 106, 144
Shaytards ad revenue case study, 71, initiation, 17
“Shonduras,” popularity, 128
Shot of the Yeagers, 171
Should Ask Questions (SAQs), 230 lists, 242
Sibyl (AI program), 22
Singh, Satyendra, 194
Six Sisters Stuff, 225
Sixth Sense, 116–118
Sizes/shapes, examination, 187f
Slice n Rice, 76–77
Slow burn, representation, 216f
Smallhorn, Kristina, 125, 242
Social channels, impact, 227
Social media following, 106–107, friends, inclusion, 275–276
Social presence, 259
SpaceX, 90, 205, 207, 262
Spangler, Todd, 63
Split testing A/B split testing, 275, usage, 102, 289–290
Sponsorships, 76
Squatty Potty (online campaign), 17, 103–106, 144, 205, 218 Mecham, involvement, 220, production, 277
Standard YouTube License, selection, 270
Star Trek, fans (loyalty), 253
Stone, Devin, 130, 147, 246, 247
Stories. See YouTube Stories videos, 238
Story arc, 159f, climax, 161, 167, Creation Story, 253–256, goosh, 161–162, 167–168, hook, 159, 167, reengagement, 159–160, 167, setup, 160–161, 167, wrap‐up, 162–163, 168
Storylines, simplicity, 163–164
Storytelling elements, 158, narration, pattern, 158–163
Strategies, learning/usage, 111–112
Studio C, 161, 226, 239, 278–279 paid strategy, example, 281
Subscribers increase, example, 49f, numbers, importance, 92
Subscription, 34 browse features, 32, fees, 62, notification, 36
Suggested. See YouTube Suggested
Super Chat, 61 implementation, 64, livestreaming, 62–64
Super Stickers, 61 livestreaming, 62–64
Surface features, 32–37
Swift, Taylor, 297
Swipe ups, 86
Tannerites, The, 171
TeamSpeak (online meeting space), 170
Team Trees, 89–91, 94
Tent pole strategy, 238–240 peaking effect, 238
Terms of Service, 59
Tesla, 90, 262
Text, thumbnails (examples), 198f
TheOdd1sOut, 232
Thinknoodles (upload time), 48
Three‐panel thumbnail, example, 198f
Thumbnails, 44, 122, 158 AI validation, 31, audits, 200, clicks, usage, 183, combinations, 163, creation (MrBeast), 185–186, data points, usage, 30f, design, 200, execution, 200, image color, importance, 195, impact, 195, problem, 50, strategies, 195–200, three‐panel thumbnail, example, 198f, traffic sources, relationship, 201, two‐panel thumbnail, example, 198f, types, 197f–199f, variation, 290
Titles, 122, 158 active voice, usage, 205, amplification, attention‐grabbing words (usage), 208, capitalization, 207, clickable titles, creation, 205–208, combination, 163, creation (MrBeast), 185–186, emotional drama, usage, 207, generation, downloadable tools (usage), 208–209, listicle video titles, numbers (inclusion), 206, polarizing words, usage, 207, problem/solution, offering, 206, questions, usage, 206, relevance/trend/topicality, 205, satisfaction, 202–205, trusted source, usage, 207, urgency, creation, 206, usage, 183, viewers, addressing, 207
Tobi Lorax, 90
Tolkien, J.R.R., 90
Traffic arrival, understanding, 124, collaborations, impact, 226, consumption traffic, 231, direct traffic, increase, 107, impact, 276, sources algorithms, 298, thumbnails, relationship, 201, types, 176f, viewers, decoding, 123–126
Trending, 32, 35–36 popular, contrast, 35–36
Trusted source, usage, 207
TubeBuddy, usage, 208, 272, 289–290
Tweaks, 284–285
Twitch, 263
Twitter, 89, 90
Two‐panel thumbnail, example, 198f
Uploading manual uploading, 52–53, schedule, consistency, 47
Up Next video, usage, 34
Urgency, creation, 206
Utah YouTubers (UTubers), 171
“Value of YouTube, The” (study), 203
Value proposition, maintenance, 218–219
Vance, Dave, 103–104, 145
Variety channels, problems, 241
Veronica Mars, 150
Viacom, lawsuit, 12
VidCon, 17–18, 101
Video buckets, 240–242 creation process, 245–248, example, 246f, selection process, 242–245, spikes, examples, 243f–245f
Videos analytics, 178f, authenticity, 165, backup plans, readiness, 288, completion, 293, content, creation, 224–226, creation, 228–229, description, 31–32, 236, discovery, 116, emotional connection, 165, intelligence, 30–31, in‐video advertisements, 13, launch, 269, metadata, similarity, 245, optimization, 269 process, 272–274, organic promotion, 277, planning/execution, 53–54, promotion, 269 process, 276–277, release, 275 strategy (Markham), 274, self‐videos, avoidance, 128–130, structure, metadata (connection), 242–243, target video, preproduction consideration, 2732, titles, 31–32, 201–208 listicle video titles, numbers (inclusion), 206, tweaks, 290–293, uploading, process, 269–272, Up Next video, usage, 34, views, example, 292f, watching example, 278f, surveys, 28
VidIQ Boost, usage, 208
Viewers. See Average views per viewer addressing, 207, algorithm recognition, 269, attention, engagement, 211, behaviors, 170, brain, thumbnails (impact), 202, commitment, respect, 212, creator, relationship, 77, decoding, 123–126, demographics, 135–136, 138–139, 175f, engagement/satisfaction, 37, 248, evaluation/recognition, 140–141, identification, 175f, likes/dislikes, 28, lives, micro‐moments, 136–138, long‐term engagement/satisfaction, maximization, 28, origin, knowledge, 228–229, persona, 205, positive/negative behavior, monitoring, 25, presence, determination, 179f, psychographics, 135–136, 139, reengagement, 159–160, subscription fees, 62, surface features, 32, watching, prediction, 28, YouTube tracking, 27–28
Viewing pattern, creation, 236
Views increase, example, 49f, watch time/views, 286
Visual attention, 186–195
Visual cortex, 186
Wagstaff, Robert (Dr. Bob), 16, 100
Watch something else content type, 35
Watch time, 133, 293 algorithm, 22–23, 67, increase, actions, 46, views, 286
What, 174 feedback, 177f, title satisfaction, requirement, 202–205
What’s Inside (Markham), 93, 117, 226 ad revenue case study, 68–69
When, 174 date range, 178f
Where, 174 feedback, 176f
Who, 174 viewer demographics, 175f, viewer identification, 175f
Why reasons, 203, title satisfaction, requirement, 202–205
Wiley, Amy, 234
Work Week Analytics, 54
Wozniak, Steve, 254
Wrap‐up. See Story
WWE, content modification, 234
Yeager, Steve, 171–172
YouTube (YT) 70/30 split, 63, 76, activation, 4, adjustment, 295, advertising, 124 success story (Orabrush), 15–17, 81, 99–100, algorithms, usage, 121–122, 136, analytics, 277, artificial intelligence, 21, 118 change, 23–24, auto‐caption feature, 31, channels, failure (reasons), 41, content problem, 36–37, strategy, creation, 223, ecosystem, 9, 99–100, 234 complication, 14, thriving, 58, failure, 295, focus, importance, 54–55, goals, 28 alignment, 121–123, knowledge, 118–120, Google purchase, 6, growth, 19, history lesson, 3, merchandise, money (generation), 64–65, Mix, 236–237, opportunities, 86, partnering, money (generation), 57, power, leveraging, 100, Sixth Sense, 116–118, success, 295 achievement, 41, 84–85, reasons, 77–78, superstitions, 52–53, system, evolution, 18–20, value, 203f, viewer presence, determination, 179f
YouTube Browse, 232–233, 289
YouTube Community, 237–238 Guidelines strike, 271
YouTube Formula, 6–7, 72, 119–120, 172 book, 227, usage, 275
YouTube Homepage, 33–34, 84, 184, 232–233
YouTube Partner Program (YPP), 13, 57, 195–196 acceptance, 61, AdSense, impact, 72–73, integration, 14, joining, 59–60, money, logistics, 60–62, revenue opportunities/possibilities, 62–65, 75–76
YouTube Premium, 61, 65
YouTube Search, 124 feature, 36, increase, 107, results, 184 spidering, 121, traffic, 229–231 mindset, 125
YouTube Selects, 68
YouTube Stories, 237–238
YouTube Studio, 271
YouTube Subscription, 34, 232 feed, 184
YouTube Suggested feed, 32, 34–35, 184, 233, 289, videos, 124 CTR, increase, 201, recommendations, 196
YouTube Trending, page (usage), 259
ZHC. See Hsieh
Zoom (online meeting space), 170

#book-summary

The YouTube Formula How Anyone Can Unlock - Derral Eves