If you’re looking for a way to make your videos more engaging, get more views, and grow your channel… this article will show you exactly how to do that.
I vividly remember editing my first YouTube video for a client. I hated every second of it.
You know what the worst part was? I had spent years mastering video editing, perfecting my skills in visuals, sound, and software.
I analyzed the biggest and most successful content creators in the world. I knew how they made their videos. But when it was time to create one for my client… I had no idea where to start.
Staring at that empty timeline, I realized I was in over my head. And the longer I sat there, the more stupid I felt.
Secret Reason Why Most Videos Fail
So, I started looking for the secret formula.
Some sources told me to do flashy and clickbaity thumbnails. Others said that’s not professional.
Some sources told me to keep “ums” and “ahs” to come off more real. Others said repetition annoys people and makes them NOT watch you.
With the deadline rapidly approaching I took a shortcut. I looked at what other YouTubers in my client’s niche were doing and did roughly the same. Like copying your classmate’s homework and changing it up slightly so it’s not an exact copy.
I sent it to my client, he said it was OK and published it.
A few days go by and I don’t hear anything about the results. So I asked him what the results were. He seemed slightly confused by the question:
“Uhhh… what do you mean ‘results’?”
“The results from the video we published. Did the click through rate improve? Did watch through rate increase?” I asked him.
“Nooooo, Berin. That’s not how YouTube works! This video was to show YouTube we’re building the channel. It’s all about consistency, you know?”
I played it cool and said: “Sure, I understand”.
That was a lie. Because I didn’t understand at all how those things grew his channel.
And now, after years of working with YouTubers, I’ll let you in on a little secret: I was lying to my client. But he was also lying to me.
Because he had no idea what he was talking about either.
Maybe This Video Will Do Well
The video had good editing, decent content, and followed the trends. But the results just weren’t there.
When we spend money on something we measure the result. Doesn’t matter if we’re spending money on software, lunch or video editors – we make sure that we get what we pay for, right?
When you invest time and effort in creating your content, you do it expecting something back. You want feedback, views, and comments that your content is useful and people want you to continue making it.
Eventually, you’ll see some creators say things like:
“Don’t open up YouTube analytics, they’re useless.”
“Just post consistently and eventually one will do very well.”
This is usually said in a slightly condescending tone designed to make you feel dumb for even asking the question.
Here’s the ugly truth:
“Most creators make half of their videos just to make some videos. Maybe even more than half.”
And that just didn’t sit right with me.
What Makes Good Video Good?
I decided to get to the bottom of this and figure out the formula for better videos.
The good news? There was a formula.
The bad news? It took me months of puzzling pieces together, and then, it hit me…
I wasn’t making videos with a specific person in mind. I was making them without a clear understanding of what viewers wanted. And now, when talking to clients about their channels, I apply the same logic.
Instead of looking at generic tips like “How to grow on YouTube” I started asking:
“What’s the purpose of this video?”
“Who is that you’re talking to with this video?”
“What do they feel, want, and think before and after watching your videos?”
This mindset shift changed everything. Some might recognize it as ‘Pearson’s Law.’
“What is measured, improves.”
Want to immediately and dramatically improve your videos?
Imagine your ideal viewer from head to toe, how she or he looks like, feels like, and put yourself in his or her shoes.
Make assumptions that he or she doesn’t like fancy edits or a lot of colors in thumbnails. Make assumptions that he or she likes that specific message your video gives them. And then make everything according to that.
But every single video needs to be measurable by comparing it to the previous one. Otherwise, you don’t know if those assumptions are true or not.
And then, monitor YouTube analytics like a hawk.
Now you can measure your videos with metrics that actually make a difference. You can easily test better. You can figure out what works and what doesn’t, simply by having certain someone in mind when creating your content.
One of the first things I do when working with a client is implement this simple rule:
“We need to measure the results of every video we publish, no exceptions.”
No more guesswork. No more vague content strategies. Measurable, tangible, solid results.
There are plenty of ways to do this, and it’s doable for every YouTube channel, including yours. If you want to know how we’d apply this to your content, get in touch with us today.
