general youtube tips

idea > title > thumbnail > hook > storytelling > viewer retention
audience quality > audience size
- avoid optimizing too hard for virality
title > thumbnail > bingeability > SEO
lots of good videos > one great video
shorts should complement main content
authenticity can be a valuable differentiating factor
- enjoy what you do
- avoid trying to become a different person; try to lean into traits you already have
create a brand for yourself

filming

only film either in places where you have everyone's consent or public places with no expectation of privacy
- always blur out people who you don't have consent from so that they can't be identified
- always stop filming if requested to do so
not public if:
- you have to be invited
- you have to get authorization to enter
- there is an expectation of privacy (hotels, bathrooms)
- not intended to be accessible to the general public
examples of public places:
- sidewalks/streets
- parks
- town squares
- transit terminals
businesses open to the general public can be considered public places, but you should generally still get permission before filming

amtrak filming policy:

need to contact amtrak if footage is for commercial use
must stop filming if told to do so
may be questioned or searched at any time
cannot film in:
- platforms (unless you have a ticket & can only filmed using handheld devices)
- employee areas
- train cars (unless you have a ticket + cannot film passengers or employees + train car must be in service)
- train engines
- offices
- baggage areas
- restaurants
- on tracks / in areas where amtrak vehicles have right of way

greyhound does not allow filming without obtaining permission

flixbus does not have a consistent filming policy; policies are operator-specific

cannot film lyft/uber drivers without obtaining permission from the driver

production

there is no one thing that really levels up your videos, it's a bunch of small things
- details matter; always be striving to improve further
sound makes a big difference in your videos
- be careful not to make music / sfx too loud
j-cuts improve video pacing
title & thumbnail is a promise to the viewer about the video; make sure to keep that promise
- your title must accurately describe the video; if you have a boring title, you have a boring video
your thumbnail builds upon the title; it shouldn't repeat it
focus on viewer psychology and use of emotion in title & thumbnail
- needs to be attractive at a glance
- needs to have perceived value
- needs to be recognizable at small sizes
avoid making thumbnails too visually noisy; simple is better
- avoid putting yourself in the thumbnail unless you are the content
- thumbnails should have a clear reading direction and a clear focus
  - arrows can be a helpful way to provide this
- avoid using more than a few words in the thumbnail
avoid putting anything in the bottom right corner of the thumbnail, as it will be covered by the video duration box
- the size of the video duration box will vary between different devices
stick to a consistent theme for all of your thumbnails to improve recognizability
make sure to write a few lines about the video in the video description to improve SEO
- make sure that the description is connected and builds upon the title
first 60 seconds are the most important for algorithmic recommendation
- start with hook in the first 8 seconds
  - start with strongest claim / most interesting visual
- escalate interest during 9-30 seconds
  - examples:
    - introducing a complication which makes viewers more interested in the video
    - revealing something unexpected that challenges assumptions
    - giving a tantalizing glimpse of the end result to keep viewers hooked
- slow down while maintaining energy during 30-60 seconds
  - add additional context to make premise more compelling
  - introduce a new mini-promise to keep viewers invested
there is no best overall video length or time to upload, only what is best for your audience
there is no optimal uploading schedule; the algorithm does not punish you for infrequent uploads

storytelling

constant dance between context and conflict
- repeated twists keep the viewer engaged
  - piling on detail after detail is boring
- use but/therefore rather than and/then
create a rhythmic flow of varying sentence lengths
- "don't just write words, write music"
- use sentence lengths intentionally to create an engaging rhythm
use a conversational tone
- talk as if you're talking to a close friend, not a camera
- it should feel like you're talking with the viewer, not to the viewer
whenever possible, work backwards from the end of the story
- where do you want to take the viewer?
  - what do you want to leave them with?
  - what should be the last thing they hear?
- the last line should be the most memorable
- you have to start from the end to build out the conflict in the middle
  - start with the first and last lines
focus on your unique perspective
- how will you uniquely tell the story about that topic?
- try to create something unique that people haven't seen before
create a good hook
- first line should be as punchy and indicative of what's to come as possible
  - don't start with an open/opaque line
- first line should immediately grab the viewer
- visual hooks are far more effective than audio-only hooks

storytelling framework

TODO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqDItsy4JVY

growth

avoid sharing with friends & family when starting out; this will cause the algorithm to recommend this video to similar audiences which may not be interested in the video
- for similar reasons, be careful with sharing your video on other platforms
getting the basics right and having a plan is the most important
- if your content is genuinely enjoyable to watch, viewers will eventually come
early on, focus on exploring different themes and finding what best works for you. once you find something that works, focus on improving it.
youtube growth is non-linear
success is rare but possible
- ~90% of videos get under 1,000 views
- <2% of videos get >100,000 views
- 90% of views go to top 3% of channels
- outliers are overrepresented
  - on average, it takes 2-3 years for a youtube channel be monetizeable
avoid comparing yourself too hard to other creators
- iteration is necessary to refine your videos, focus on trying
  - you will get good at this eventually
youtube analytics is extremely noisy below 100k views
- as a rough rule of thumb, the baseline volatility for viewership is typically +/- 10k views
avoid using the algorithm as a scapegoat
- your videos need to offer value to viewers; you are competing in a market for people's attention
- only the value of your finished content matters
see: https://www.reddit.com/r/NewTubers/comments/1glkh0g/this_is_how_the_youtube_algorithm_works/
slowly improve gear over time
- better production quality does not make better
focus most of your editing effort on the cut
hire an editor as soon as it is financially feasible to do so