How long should your YouTube video be?

How long should your YouTube video be?

How long should your YouTube video be? When you’re thinking about the length of your videos, you have a lot of factors to consider. Is it a live video or edited content? Are you a beginner or a veteran video blogger? Who’s your audience? Because of all these factors, the answer will be different for each person. That’s why this post is dedicated for entrepreneurs and vloggers who are just getting started on YouTube.

How long should your YouTube video be?

What does your audience want?

The number one thing to consider is your audience. Why is your audience watching you on YouTube? This may depend on your content, but if you don’t have an audience, you have to think about who you want to watch your videos.

You don’t want to build a list of random subscribers because that would be useless to you. If you’re an entrepreneur, you’re basically on YouTube to market and make money, so you should keep who your target audience is in mind. Everyone else who subscribes is a bonus or a future client because you never know.

Let’s say your target audience is entrepreneurs who are moms. They have busy lives because they’re balancing their business, their family, and their personal lives. If they’re going on YouTube, they’re searching for the shortest video that can help them. I’m the same. If I go on YouTube to search for something, I always choose the shortest video.

If you’re a beginner creating content, basically you should be asking ‘Does my target audience have time for this?’ If you don’t know, then research other YouTube videos  (competitors in your niche, because every genre is different) and see what they’re doing. While you’re researching, check how many subscribers they have. If it’s a big number, check how many videos they’ve created and then look through their middle videos because we all know the first videos we create are not great and with their newer videos, they can get away with creating longer content if they have a huge following of loyal fans.

 

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5 easy tips for creating captivating YouTube Thumbnails
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5 easy tips for creating captivating YouTube thumbnails

If you’re a business owner, you might think that creating captivating YouTube thumbnails is hard, but it’s actually really easy. All you have to do is think of thumbnails as book covers. The only difference is that on YouTube, you are judging a book by its cover. If you’re just starting off making YouTube videos, the thing that will get viewers to click on your videos (besides SEO), is your thumbnail. Here are 5 easy tips for creating captivating YouTube thumbnails.

5 tips for creating captivating YouTube thumbnails

If your video is showing up on searches, you want to be the video that viewers click on. If the title and content are the same, hopefully, your content matches the title, the best way to stand out is your thumbnail. As a beginner starting off on YouTube it’s important to focus on the design of your thumbnail. Let’s get started.

01 Put a face on it

It’s time to start posing because faces are the way to getting noticed. No, really. A thumbnail with your face on it is more likely to get clicked on than a thumbnail without a face. That’s probably why you see all those goofy and extreme facial expressions on YouTube thumbnails. Am I telling you to go that extreme? No, but if you’re making videos showing your face anyway, then you might as well put it on your thumbnail.

put a face on it

 

The easiest way to get your image is to make a still image from your video content. Sometimes this doesn’t always work, especially if you care about the way you look. I’m not going to lie, I definitely care about how I look, so when I’m editing videos, I try to pick a video that makes you look good. If you’re editing your own videos, there will be more times when you pause your video and you’re making an ugly face than a flattering one.

Because I know that image is important, I tell my clients to pose at the beginning of their video. Hit record and pose for 5 seconds, then do another pose, and another. It feels dumb, but you’ll have thumbnail choices that you won’t hate. If that’s too embarrassing or you want to have more control of your image, I have a client that takes selfies instead and gives those to me for her thumbnail options.

02 Text is everything

 

put text on your thumbnail

 

When you’re starting off with vlogging, having text on your thumbnails is really important. Why? Because no one will click on a video if they don’t know what it’s about. Here are some tips on creating the title for you YouTube thumbnail:

  1. Make sure the title is relevant to your YouTube video.
  2. Your thumbnail title doesn’t have to match the YouTube title.
  3. Try to make it short and catchy.  Most people are skimming thumbnails.

BRAND YOUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Stand out online and learn how to brand your YouTube channel in this 5-day email course. You'll also be subscribed to 'On Wednesday, We Go Rogue' and get access to the Go Rogue Library.

When you make it to the big time, you won’t have to worry about it. That’s why you see big accounts sometimes don’t have text on their thumbnails because people already know who they are. Read More “5 easy tips for creating captivating YouTube thumbnails”

7 video content ideas for businesses on YouTube to help grow their following
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7 Video content ideas for businesses on YouTube to help grow their following

If you’re on YouTube, you’re trying to stand out with your content and attract your target audience and get them to subscribe to your channel. You know what’s not going to get subscribers? Boring how-to videos. I’m not saying to stop doing those videos. In fact, I think they’ll attract your audience. People go to YouTube to learn how to do things. BUT, if you want them to hit subscribe, then you have to think like a lifestyle vlogger. That’s why I created 7 video content ideas for businesses on YouTube to help grow their following.

Why think like a lifestyle vlogger? If you’ve ever been on YouTube, you’ll notice that these people are like celebrities.  Viewers watch their videos mainly because they can relate to them or want to become them. It’s rare that people will subscribe just to learn something. In fact, a lot of people love to binge watch videos when they go on YouTube. Who wants to binge-watch educational videos?

Basically, you have to build a connection with your audience. Your viewers have to form an attachment to you, and the best way is to think like a lifestyle vlogger. Below are 7 video content ideas to add personality to your channel.

7 video content ideas for businesses on YouTube

01.  Behind the Scenes or Inside look

You can do a behind the scenes look at your office or a process of your business. This is the number one reason why we stalk celebrities. We want to know their daily routine, how to be as successful as them, and just everything about their life.

Tour

 

Business video ideas:

  • Inside look at your morning routine
  • An inside look at how you stay productive
  • Behind the scenes of your work process
  • Inside look at how you plan your work day

02. Monthly favorites

If you’ve watched lifestyle videos, you’ll notice that there are quite a few ‘Monthly Favorites’ videos. These videos consist of products that vloggers loved that month. You can take this same concept and use it for your business. Also, if you’re an affiliate, this is an extra way to promote to your audience without being too salesy.

 

Monthly favorites

 

Video ideas:

  • Book reviews
  • Favorite tools that you’re using
  • Favorite product that you’re using in your business or that helps your business

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On Wednesdays We Go Rogue
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On Wednesdays We Go Rogue

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I scrapped my old newsletter and decided to make a change. So now, On Wednesdays, we go rogue! What does that mean? Every Wednesday, I’m popping in your inbox to give you updates and tips that’ll help your business. Not only that, but the resource library is going to be a membership extension to the newsletter. It’ll be called Go Rogue Library. It’ll still house all your resources, but they will also be released in my emails so that you won’t have to keep signing up every time for an opt-in. 

 

On Wednesdays we wear black

What you can expect

On the road to domination

If you’re not learning then you’re not growing! In this section, I’ll shine a spotlight on the things that I’ve used to grow my business. This will be freebies, videos, products, courses, or tools that I’ve actually found useful for my business. Just think of this as professional development. You should be doing that at least once a week anyway.

 

Who run the world

There’s definitely rest for the wicked, the wickedly awesome that is…

The #1 thing I regret about starting my business journey, is that I was 100% about my business. So much so, that I’d get ill and had no time for the people around me. Most people start their own business because they think they’ll have time to do all the things they want, like hanging out with family and friends, having hobbies, traveling and so on. If you’re hustling 24/7, then you’re doing it wrong.  In this section, you’ll get a peek at what I’m doing on my downtime.

 

treat yourself

 

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Video editing process
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My video editing process

My biggest goal when editing and creating designs for videos is to help you attract your dream audience and become THE authority in your field. When I first envisioned my video editing process for this service, it was geared towards YouTube, but I have since expanded to other social media. The clients that I’m currently working with wanted videos created for Instagram, Instagram stories, and Facebook, so I added those options into this package.

My other goal is to focus on adding lifestyle elements to videos for entrepreneurs. Why? Because your audience wants to connect with you and once they do, they’ll want to follow/subscribe to your account and stay updated. I don’t want you to create a one and done video (those videos people look for to learn something, and when they do, they leave your channel and forget about you). I want you to create an audience that is excited to watch your videos consistently. Now that you know my main goals, here’s what you can expect from my video editing package.

My video editing process

Doing the homework

Once you book my service, you have a little homework to do. The first thing I do when you’re booked as a client is adding you to a project in Asana. Asana is a project management system and it’s where we’ll be doing all of our communication (you’ll still get email notifications, but through Asana).

Don’t worry, it’s FREE and easy to use. I’ll assign you to your task (your homework) and you’ll also see where I am and when things are due for your project. This makes it easier to communicate and manage all our files.

After you get access to your project in Asana, you’ll see that you have a questionnaire to fill out. This questionnaire helps me figure out what style to edit your videos in, your branding, who your audience is, and so on. I need this completed before I start editing your videos.

Also, on the questionnaire, there’s a section that lets me know how you’ll deliver your videos. You’ll let me know if you use Dropbox, Google Drive, Onedrive or any other cloud storage you have. If you want me to upload your videos to YouTube, you can provide access to your login or you can add my email address to your account.

Once you finish the questionnaire, you just mark the task as completed in Asana. The next homework assignment is to give me your brand style guide or elements of your brand (if applicable).

Click here to read more about the client process.

Click here to learn more about Asana. Read More “My video editing process”

5 reasons a youtuber needs a graphic and web designer

5 reasons a youtuber needs a graphic and web designer

If you want to be legit on YouTube, it’s not about filming and uploading anymore. With all the competition, users are looking for high-quality content to consume. Everyone knows that audio and video quality are important. In fact, it’s easier than ever to record high-quality content with just your phone. So what’s the next step? Design. To look professional, you need a brand and a website. Here are 5 reasons a Youtuber needs a graphic and web designer.

5 reasons a Youtuber needs a graphic and web designer

It’s time to look professional. I’m not talking about wearing a suit and tie. I’m talking about looking like a legit business, or an authority in whatever content you’re creating.  It has to look like you have a production team producing your video, even though it’s just one person. Besides saving you time and energy to focus on creating your videos, here are the ways that a designer can help elevate your YouTube channel.

01. Logo and branding

One of the first things you must have to look professional is a logo. Your logo will be everywhere and help with brand recognition. You’ll use your logo on your YouTube channel in the channel art, your YouTube video, on your website, media kit (if you plan to apply to affiliates), business card (if you plan to network), and so on.

Besides your logo, you also need a graphic designer to research and develop your brand. Why is branding important? You can think of it as creating a signature style for your channel and other assets. It keeps everything consistent. You’ll use the same fonts, colors, imagery, and so on. Sounds boring, right? Well, this helps with brand recognition. If you keep using the same style, people will start to know you for it. Not only that, but it saves you time in content creation. You’ll never have to guess which font and colors to use because it’s already decided.

02. Title graphics and channel art

A graphic designer can design your channel, title, and thumbnail graphics for your videos. If you already have an established brand, this will help with brand recognition. For your YouTube channel, the cover art is the main graphic on the page. It should showcase the important details of your channel.

Another thing you might not think about is the branding watermark on the bottom right side of the video. This graphic is usually the logo, but it could be a submark or an icon that’s relevant to your brand.

Tutor in Tinseltown YouTube Channel art

 

Thumbnails are the first thing people see when they’re browsing videos. Great thumbnails will obviously get more click-throughs. Not only that, but some people will also use title graphics in their videos to showcase what the video is about. Check out this video from Jenn Im for an example of cool title graphics. You’ll see that her thumbnail video and title graphics are completely different. Read More “5 reasons a youtuber needs a graphic and web designer”

5 ways to brand your YouTube channel
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5 ways to brand your YouTube channel

YouTube has evolved tremendously. I remember when anyone would just whip out their phone and start recording without thinking about anything. Now, it’s become a big production. No one wants to watch a video that is bad in quality. Even if you’re message is awesome, if it doesn’t look high quality or professional, then no one’s going to watch it. Besides editing, branding will take your videos up to the next level. Here are the 5 ways to brand your YouTube Channel.

5 ways to brand your YouTube channel

Some people start filming a video and upload it without even thinking about branding their channel. If your viewers want to know more about you, then they’re going to click over to your main channel page. I know that’s the first thing I do before I subscribe to any video.

When they get to your channel, they want to get a feel for you and check out your other videos. Just like a website, if the channel looks horrible, then I pass. Here are some simple things to do to make your YouTube channel stand out.

01. Get on the cover

The first thing you need to do is set your channel art. This is one of the first things your viewer sees on your page. You can have a picture of you if it’s all about you or you can just use your logo or YouTube channel name.

 

5 ways to brand your YouTube channel work it

 

Just so you know, you only have a limited space for your channel art. Make sure you only put relevant things on there or it will look cluttered and messy. I would just have my channel name and if you publish on certain days, the days that you post on YouTube.

If you want to create your own channel art (*shameless plug* I include this in my Multimedia Headquarters package), you can use Canva. Make sure you keep the dimensions in mind. The channel art is responsive to desktops and laptops, mobile, and TV. Just keep in mind when you’re designing. You’ll want to keep a lot of negative space (whitespace or make sure you see a lot of the background)because the desktop dimensions are very limited.

02. Make Headlines

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Brand x Web Design for Tutor in Tinseltown
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Brand x Web Design for Tutor in Tinseltown

Overview

Tutor in Tinseltown offers tutoring services and behavioral and academic consulting. In the future, Tutor in Tinseltown plans to expand into creating products and workshops that educate and assist parents within those categories.

Target Audience

Parents with children 4-20 who have academic, social, and/or behavioral concerns for their children.

Inspiration Board

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Branding and expanding your multimedia empire
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Branding and expanding your multimedia empire

In part 1 of How to build your multimedia empire, I talked about fear, how to get over fear, content ideas, and outlining ideas. If you missed it, check it out here. In this post, I’ll be going over branding and expanding your multimedia empire.

Branding and expanding your multimedia empire

Once you make the leap into creating video content, you want to focus on your brand. Your brand consists of everything from your image, scenery, voice, and so on. You want to make sure that you’re projecting the image you want to create. Read More “Branding and expanding your multimedia empire”

build your multimedia empire
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How to build your multimedia empire : Part 1: Getting over obstacles and making your mark

Congrats! You already took the first step into creating your multimedia empire and that is seriously considering it. I don’t want to waste your time, so this post is geared to those who already have evergreen content (newsletters, blogs, etc.) or videos (YouTube, webinars, workshops, and live video tutorials) that they want to use to start building/expanding their audience. Here’s how to build your multimedia empire. Read More “How to build your multimedia empire : Part 1: Getting over obstacles and making your mark”