Lessons
Class Introduction: How to use YouTube to Sell your Products
05:52 2Myths of YouTube Success
04:58 3Why Video can Help your Business
05:45 4How to Identify the Goals of Your Videos
04:07 5Set Up Your Home Studio in 2 Minutes for Free
13:54 6Demo: How to Set Up Your YouTube Channel
29:21 7What kind of Videos will Sell your Work?
02:19 8About the Interview Format
05:38About the Vlog Format
03:38 10About the Talking Head Format
12:54 11Frequency Best Practices
07:51 12Which Format is Right for You?
15:20 13How to Develop Content that Sells
14:53 14How to Crush Self-Doubt
10:51 15Demo: Upload your First Video to YouTube
04:36 16Guest Expert Joeli Kelly: How to Optimize your Uploads and Get Found
30:00 17How to Talk about Yourself
07:21 18How to Start your Video
06:18 19Sample: VlogBrothers
07:00 20Why Nonverbal Communication Matters
13:00 21How to Expand your Content Ideas
14:59 22Generate a never-ending list
14:20 23How to Make It Easy
10:45 24How to Make Sales
17:57 255 tips for a Better Video
08:29Lesson Info
How to Start your Video
So now, hopefully, you're like okay, I'm not necessarily talking about myself, but at the very beginning of your video, you are kind of talking about yourself. And this whole beginning of your video thing is where a lot of people get stuck and get, like, they're not quite sure what to do or what to say. So, how many of you, when you recorded your video earlier, were kind of stuck at the how to start it part? Yeah, everybody's like, "Kind of, yeah." It can be awkward to just immediately start talking, 'cuz you're not sure, like, what do you say, and how do you start? And here's the really crazy thing is, it's hard to get started, and then the first 30 seconds really, really matter. So, the first 30 seconds, according to YouTube, is when people decide if they're gonna stick around or they're gonna click away. So, no pressure, but your first 30 seconds have to be perfect. (laughs) No, I'm kidding, that was a joke. They don't have to be perfect, but they are really important to your views ...
and if people stay. So, let's talk about how to make your first 30 seconds really good, and then I'm gonna give you some examples of openings you can use. 'Cuz what I find is if I have a list of openings to use, and I don't know how to start the video, I just look and I'm like, I'm gonna do that one, and then I just do it. So, hopefully this will give you some ideas of how exactly to get started. So, the first thing your first 30 seconds needs to do is make it clear what your video will be about. You have to be totally honest, upfront about what your video is gonna be about. So you don't want to do the clickbait-y thing where you're like, you know, adorable puppies running through fields and then it's like, you sitting in your studio. (laughs) Right, 'cuz if people watch the first 30 seconds but click away, YouTube records that. What Jolie was saying earlier is that your videos will be recommended more and more people will find you if people watch through the whole video. So, we need to keep people engaged, and in order to do that you need to be really clear about what your video is gonna be about. And what you want is people to know if they want to stay or go, so that they get what they came for and they leave happy, because if you promise one thing and you don't deliver it, they're gonna not trust you and not click on your videos in the future. Does that make sense? Yeah, so in the first 30 seconds, you wanna make clear what you're video is gonna be about, and I think I actually have some questions for you in the workbook about this. So, let's talk about three ways you can open your videos to make those first 30 seconds really great. So, it's super easy and I've got a couple samples we can watch of openings. The first one is just ask a question. If you ask a question, and then you answer the question, you're gonna make people happy. When you ask a question at the beginning of the video, what it does is it sparks people cur-- it sparks people's curiosity. They wanna know what's coming next, and so they stick around to listen to the answer. So, a lot of times I'll start a video like, "How do you make your small business profitable? "Well, today we're gonna talk about A, B, and C." Right? So that question, what it does in people's brain, is they're like, "I don't know, how do you do it? "Oh my goodness, I need to find out." So, that question is really, really useful at getting people to keep watching, keep paying attention, and pay attention all the way through. So, I want you to think about, for your, what you're going to talk about, the different topics we covered, how could you start with a question? What is a question that you could then talk about in the video? So, it might be a question your customers have asked you like, you know, how do I do squats, or where would I wear this hat, or what hat does this outfit go with? So, you can ask the question at the very beginning and then you're gonna answer through. This is one of the most easiest openings ever, 'cuz after you've decided what to talk about, and you're just like, what question leads to this answer? Super simple, any questions about that? Okay, the second is also, like, so straightforward you can't even believe it, but "Hey, I'm Tara, today we're gonna talk about" blah. The important thing about this is I am not telling you who I am for 10 minutes. This goes back to the it's not about you thing. People make the mistake of thinking in every video they need to introduce themselves like you just met them at a networking party, like "Hi, I'm Tara Swiger, "I help makers and artists, I'm the author of "these books, this is my podcast." No, because those first 30 seconds are so vital, they need to be really to the point, and they need to be about what this video's about not what everything in your whole life is about. Does that make sense? So, a simple "Hey, I'm Tara, today we're gonna talk about" and then what you're gonna talk about. If it's an interview show, "Hey, I'm Tara. "Today I'm here with my customer Joe. "Joe is gonna talk about how much he loves our company." But you would say it a little different than that. So, just like, right to the point and then you dive in. Any questions about that? That's like a super, super straightforward one. And we, oh yeah. Does YouTube, I know they haven't provided this um, anytime a while back but I don't know if they do now. If you notice that your intro is too long, there's no way you can edit it once it's been uploaded, right? Right, you'd have to upload a new one. Yeah, okay. Yeah, I don't think you can clip it down. You're like, how do I go back and -- Right. You could, and what I would do is just make new videos. Yeah yeah. Yeah, just totally new ones with a real quick opening. YouTube actually recommends, in their own recommendations on their website, that you jump right into it, that you don't, and this by the way, this includes any graphics, or openings, or music, and when I was actually going through YouTube videos of some of my clients and friends, what I found is way too many people have a long graphic on the screen and music playing, and this is one of the things that when Jolie, before I had hired her, and we were just friends, she was like, "Mmm, no. "Nobody's gonna watch that, stop doing that. "You need to immediately go into hey, I'm Tara." So now, my videos start with a question, and then like, today we're gonna talk about the answer, and then, and then a little bit of the music, and then immediately talking about it, and we've shortened the music tons, because in my audio podcast people love that music. It's a little audio cue what podcast is starting. But on YouTube, they want to see whatever they're gonna see and then they want you to immediately go into what you're gonna talk about.
Class Materials
Bonus Materials with Purchase
Bonus Materials with RSVP
Ratings and Reviews
Linda E
Tara Swiger was amazing! Clear, concise and so informative. I loved this course! I am so inspired to get going with my You Tube videos and feel confident with her plan of actions. Thank you Creative Live.
Jennie Powell
Tara made so many excellent points and has made me have a long list of actionable points to help to grow my YouTube presence! She has such a clarity of expression and a friendly manner that I find very easy to learn from.
Lori Rochino
Great video, lots of notes were taken as I got a lot of takeaways to use for my new Youtube channel. Thanks, Tara for a great class!