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Most people in James’s world know Zac Mason as the expert behind James’s substantial weight loss and fat-to-muscle conversion.
While it’s been life-changing, and while James is wholeheartedly grateful to rediscover his younger self, this episode is about another dimension of Zac Mason.
Zac has recently achieved another transformation for James – that of his YouTube surf channel from obscurity to some visibility in the surfing community.
James and Zac will discuss here how to make a good video for YouTube.
They’ll break down the essentials of effective YouTube video production.
They’ll show how crucial it is to a/b test YouTube thumbnails, and to have a compelling video hook.
And they’ll suggest a strategic approach to the YouTube video production workflow.
Table of contents
1. The power of expert guidance
2. Three kinds of people on YouTube
3. Setbacks on the way to mastering YouTube
4. How Zac achieved his breakthrough
5. Quality content over subscriber count
6. Tailoring videos for a targeted audience
7. A collaborative approach to optimizing YouTube content strategy
8. The crucial role of thumbnail A/B testing
9. Enhancing video performance through strategic adjustments
10. A focused, one-video strategy
11. Unlock your YouTube potential with expert help
12. Zac’s approach to goal-oriented video marketing
The power of expert guidance
James recognizes the value of expert instruction in achieving results he wouldn’t attain on his own. It’s something he appreciates in strength training sessions with his trainer. There’s an ease that comes from having someone else facilitate the process, whether it’s deciding on the next weight or strategizing the next move.
James’s experience with strength training helps him understand the value he offers in his weekly group calls, where he has been providing guidance for 14 years. He draws a parallel between the support he receives in his workouts and that which he offers his callers – the benefit of having someone to navigate through decisions and instructions.
Shifting to the realm of organic YouTube video marketing, James speaks of a similar collaboration with Zac, whose newfound proficiency with YouTube videos has helped James and others with digital content creation and marketing strategies.
Three kinds of people on YouTube
James reflects on his journey with YouTube content creation: despite producing a significant volume of work, not all of it achieved the intended impact, due to a lack of focus and strategy.
This realization came after observing other creators, like the “Hormozi type,” who show effectiveness and efficiency in content creation, highlighting the importance of creating engaging content with a clear theme and purpose.
James categorizes YouTube creators into three groups: those like him who are prolific but not always on mark, those who wish to leverage YouTube’s potential but are paralyzed by indecision or lack of knowledge, and those who have mastered the platform, achieving significant success.
This insight leads him to seek out the strategies of the most successful creators, aiming to understand and replicate their success in his endeavors.
Setbacks on the way to mastering YouTube
Zac had early aspirations of becoming a surf videographer, sparked by his passion for surf films. Financial constraints, however, led him to pursue photography instead.
Zac’s journey took a turn towards fitness, where he began making videos, leading to his initial attempts at YouTube content creation.
Facing harsh criticism and feeling defeated, Zac wound up selling his camera and stepping away from video creation. This interest in videography and content creation, though, persisted through his life changes.
After a period of disillusionment with YouTube, Zac decided to give the platform another shot, aiming to approach it with a more structured and informed strategy. He invested time in learning from YouTube gurus, despite realizing that the strategies that worked for them in the past were not necessarily applicable in the changing landscape of YouTube.
Zac’s efforts initially led to frustration as he struggled with video quality, engagement, and the overall success of his content.
Determined to overcome these setbacks, Zac recognized the need for a renewed focus and a deeper understanding of YouTube as a platform. This acknowledgment marked the beginning of a more serious and dedicated effort to master YouTube content creation. It was a shift from video creation as a casual hobby to treating it as a skill that requires study, practice, and continuous improvement.
How Zac achieved his breakthrough
Encouraged by James and motivated by the evident success of others in their network, Zac recognized YouTube’s potential for significant impact and growth, leading to an epiphany about the platform’s capabilities and his own potential for success.
Upon realizing the importance of diversifying his online presence, Zac found guidance in a mentor who provided simple yet effective advice for YouTube content creation. This mentorship, coupled with Zac’s readiness to learn and apply new strategies, led to the creation of a video that outperformed his expectations, gathering 1800 views with only 250 subscribers at the time.
This video was a turning point for Zac. It demonstrated that creating impactful YouTube content was not about inherent talent but about applying the right techniques, investing time in quality production, and treating the process with the care and attention it deserved.
The breakthrough led Zac to a realization: success on YouTube is achievable through skillful execution and learning from the right mentors. He likens his newfound content creation approach to hosting a dinner party where every detail matters.
Quality content over subscriber count
To date, Zac’s breakthrough video has garnered over 157,000 views with just 350 subscribers. This underscores YouTube’s capacity to reward quality content over subscriber count.
The experience highlighted an exponential relationship between the content’s appeal and its reach, challenging the common perception that a large subscriber base is a prerequisite for success on the platform.
James shares a similar experience. A well-crafted video of his own vastly outperformed the subscriber-to-view ratio he had, further proving YouTube’s algorithm favors content quality and viewer engagement over mere subscriber numbers.
This shift in understanding emphasizes the importance of focusing on the creation of compelling videos that resonate with viewers, rather than solely on increasing subscriber counts.
James’s strategy, too, of repurposing a single high-quality video into various formats, such as shorts and blog posts, illustrates an efficient approach to content creation that maximizes impact with minimal resources.
This method not only increased viewership and website visits but also paved the way for the channel’s potential monetization.
Tailoring videos for a targeted audience
The prevailing wisdom among YouTube communities and experts underscores the importance of creating content for a well-defined audience. YouTube’s algorithm is adept at matching videos with viewers who have shown interest in similar content, making it crucial for creators to produce videos that cater specifically to the preferences of their target demographic.
This targeted approach can significantly increase a video’s chances of success by ensuring it reaches viewers most likely to engage with it.
James shares how he once created a niche video that didn’t resonate with a broad audience. Despite receiving positive feedback, the video didn’t achieve widespread viewership, showing that success on YouTube often hinges on creating content that aligns closely with the proven interests of one’s audience.
This approach not only enhances viewer engagement but also guides creators on the type of content to focus on for future projects.
Zac advocates for a disciplined approach to video production, insisting on a clear understanding of the audience, the purpose of the content, and the desired action from viewers before proceeding with creation.
A collaborative approach to optimizing YouTube content strategy
Zac’s help in refining the YouTube content strategy for James’s business channel has led to a significant shift in how James and his team utilize the platform.
By linking to on-platform content directly within YouTube videos, rather than directing viewers off-site, they’ve aligned with successful practices observed among other creators. This strategic change has notably improved viewer engagement on YouTube and has even begun to drive sales directly from video content, a tangible benefit of this adjusted strategy.
The process of content creation has become more structured and efficient through James and Zac’s collaboration. Zac’s role in providing detailed preparation work, including suggested thumbnails and scripts with clear hooks, descriptions, and calls to action, has streamlined the production process.
This support allows James to focus on recording quality content, significantly reducing the complexity and time involved in creating videos.
Their success underscores the importance of having a clear purpose for each video and ensuring that all elements of the content are aligned with the intended viewer action. By rethinking their strategy to keep viewers within the YouTube ecosystem and making the call-to-action process more intuitive, they’ve seen immediate results in terms of engagement and conversion.
The crucial role of thumbnail A/B testing
James and Zac emphasize how important it is to A/B test YouTube thumbnails in optimizing YouTube videos for higher engagement.
Thumbnails, often the first element noticed by viewers, play a pivotal role in attracting attention and influencing the decision to click on a video. Through A/B testing, one can determine which thumbnails perform better in terms of clickthrough rates, watch time, and overall impressions, allowing for rapid adjustments and improvements.
James’ experience reveals the substantial impact of thumbnail optimization on video performance. A successful round of A/B testing led to a significant increase in viewership, demonstrating that even minor changes in thumbnail design can result in a dramatic increase in engagement.
This process has become a standard operating procedure for their team, underscoring the value of testing and data-driven decision-making in content strategy.
Our creators also touch on the technical aspects of A/B testing, including the importance of testing frequency. Zac explains that testing thumbnails on an hourly basis, as opposed to daily, provides a more accurate comparison by ensuring that each thumbnail receives a similar number of impressions. This method offers quicker feedback and enables more effective decision-making, highlighting the nuanced strategies that can enhance content visibility and viewer engagement on YouTube.
Enhancing video performance through strategic adjustments
Zac highlights the effectiveness of strategically adjusting video titles to enhance performance on YouTube, noting that the relation of title to thumbnail plays a crucial role in a video’s success. He suggests that titles should be tested for their impact on clickthrough rates and watch time, indicating that the process of optimization may vary based on initial viewer engagement and the content’s alignment with audience expectations.
James echoes the importance of a comprehensive approach to video optimization. This includes not only the visual appeal of thumbnails but also the relevance and clarity of video titles and descriptions. His personal experience with implementing these strategies has led to significant improvements in video performance, confirming the predictability and effectiveness of a meticulous and data-driven content creation approach on YouTube.
A focused, one-video strategy
James and his team have adopted a focused, one-video strategy, redirecting their efforts to emphasize quality and strategic repurposing of content across different formats, such as shorts and carousels, derived from a single source like a podcast highlight.
This approach, spearheaded by Zac’s expertise, particularly in creating compelling thumbnails, marks a significant shift towards optimizing content for broader engagement and efficiency in production.
Recognizing the challenges in content creation, especially in areas like thumbnail design and strategic content planning, James sought Zac’s assistance to extend this focused strategy to his partners. By stressing the importance of starting with one well-crafted video and improving from there based on feedback, they’ve established a methodology that prioritizes quality over quantity.
This streamlined approach has not only simplified the content creation process but also significantly enhanced the effectiveness of their YouTube strategy.
Unlock your YouTube potential with expert help
Zac now offers his expertise in YouTube content creation to others. The most straightforward way to seek his guidance? Simply email him – [email protected].
This service promises to deliver the kind of directed assistance and advice that has significantly benefited James.
James’s enthusiasm for Zac’s service underscores the transformative impact it has had on his own content creation efforts, making them more deliberate and intentional.
Their collaboration, along with initial support from their mutual friend Isaac, showcases a comprehensive approach to producing various types of YouTube videos, from educational content to potentially viral videos, tailored to meet specific goals and audiences.
Zac’s approach to goal-oriented video marketing
Zac’s approach to video marketing is intensely goal-oriented, focused on understanding the specific outcomes desired by clients, whether it’s, for James, increasing Mentor membership or enhancing business partnerships.
Zac’s strategy begins with a fundamental question: “What do you actually want to achieve?” This direct-response approach ensures that every video produced is tailored to meet the client’s specific objectives, showcasing Zac’s unique ability to drive execution and maintain accountability.
James’s experience with Zac’s program highlights its effectiveness, with tangible results that have transformed his YouTube channel from obscurity to a platform for significant opportunities, including sponsorships and collaborations.
His success story of evolving into a recognized expert in the surf market, exemplifies the potential of Zac’s targeted video marketing approach to not only achieve but exceed the set goals.
As James plans to continue leveraging this approach with future content, it’s clear that Zac’s method is not just about creating videos but about crafting a strategic tool for business growth and audience engagement.
Want your next video to be better than your last 10? Look up Zac
Better thumbnails, more views – Thumbnailtest.com
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