So you might only got like five ten hours a week treat those five ten hours a sacred treat that little side hustle budget as sacred and put it all into whatever death star laser. You have following these tips that you can hit that one thousand subscriber goal.
Ten thousand, a hundred thousand all right sean – i’m – excited to hear your five tips for people. If you were starting from scratch from zero subscribers today, because you’ve been on youtube for a long time.
I mean you’ve, been creating content for almost two decades. You’ve, been on youtube for 10 years, and you’ve, been crushing it also helping entrepreneurs, businesses as well as people like myself, legit youtubers.
So if you, after starting all these channels, are starting all over what are the five things that you would focus on today as a beginner with zero subscribers, the uh first tip actually kind of is before you even get started.
I would encourage people, you got ta. Just start messy, you know you actually really have to start before you’re ready. I found that before you get tactical, you have to kind of get past yourself and just punch fear in the face, punch perfectionism in the face and press record.
You may not even have the tip number one it’s. Clarity, you might not have clarity yet, but i don’t encourage you to start anyways, you learn. By doing you know you have a couple mistakes. First, before you start to get results so so just start, assuming you already kind of have that courage, you already have maybe a few videos out or you’ve committed to this process yeah.
The first tip would be clarity, and i would say this: if i was starting over, i would choose a clear, proven and profitable niche. So what i mean by that is that i would want a really clear niche. I’d, want to prove a niche one that is known to have an audience and then one that could be profitable because i believe you need money for the mission.
So personally, i would actually one example of a channel at start. If i started all over would be based on like biohacking and neurotropics, which this is kind of the connection of something i’m, passionate about something that there’s, a lot of profitable products in something that i research.
So i’d. Encourage people ask yourself: what do you research? What are you continuously curious about? What do you spend your money on? What do you geek out about, and so i follow kind of the bio hacking dave, asprey bulletproof coffee neurotropics are like these different, not really brain drugs, but brain vitamins, to try to optimize your focus and all those types of things, and so that’S actually something i geek out on, and so i’d, be choosing a niche that’s, not only solid.
There’s, a good base of people that are interested in that and that’s, a proven kind of if you will market, but it also has a bright future. People are getting more and more into it. So, instead of choosing a niche say about like typewriters, those are not on the way in those are on the way out, or they’re already gone.
You want to kind of get in front of a wave, and so biohacking and neurotropics just continue to grow so that’s kind of an example of what i would do if i was starting from scratch. Yeah, that’s, great advice, because one of the number one mistakes people make is they’re all over the place right? No clarity because they’re starting multiple channels and they don’t even know how they’re, going to make money so that’s, a great way to start your channel off because it’S going to help you with everything else, so take us into your second tip yeah.
If clarity is the first tip, then consistency would be the second tip, and i would commit to posting one video a week now. If i’m starting from scratch, maybe you know i’m wondering how much time do i have do? I have a full-time job.
Do i have 13 kids like what do i actually have like what are my resources, but assuming that i have to do this on the side as a side hustle, i’m gonna find a way to get at least one video per week Done and i’m gonna focus on content value, not production value, and what i mean is one of the biggest things that honestly, we think is a limitation to us creating content.
But a lot of times i’ve, seen that it’s, an excuse of us hiding behind fear is i don’t have the right camera. Yet i don’t have the right lighting yet dude. You just need a smartphone like. I would just keep it as simple as possible, and i would focus on the content value if you think about it using my neurotropics biohacking channel.
What people are interested in are my experience with testing two different neurotropics for a month and which one i liked better. The research i’ve done the information i’ve done. If they can kind of see me hear me, and i sound all right, then that is all i’m gonna need.
I’m gonna focus on the content value not so much the production value, especially at first and then i would get feedback. This is a big one. So, as i’m posting one video a week, not only am i listening to comments.
Not only am i paying attention to which videos get views and whatnot, i am going to ask people what they think about my content if it could get better whether that means i get into like an online course.
A coaching group, a facebook group, my neighbors somebody else in the community, i’m gonna try to get real humans to give me, and i need to tell them that i’m open to constructive criticism, because when you’re, just starting you don’t, want to you.
Don’t want to create an isolation. You want to get honest feedback on your videos, so you can make them better and really dial in the content of the channel yeah. It doesn’t, get more simple than that.
One video per week, 52 videos a year that’s, your goal and i love the whole feedback thing you know even like we have the vi members club here on video influencers. I think that’s, a great resource to get feedback from other content creators, including us, so a great tip.
Let’s, go ahead and get into tip number three yeah. Third, if i’m starting from scratch as a beginner trying to grow in today’s, youtube landscape. I am still going to focus on search-based content and this is actually stacked.
On top of the choice of niche which i chose and so again, i chose neurotropics there’s, definitely interest. You know you, don’t need to be afraid of competition. Competition’s, a good thing. It proves that there’s interest in the topic, so people that are tim, ferriss fans and jocko willink fans and joe rogan fans and podcasts about neurotropics and biohacking, and how to hack sleep and fitness there’s already a market that’s into that kind of content, so i’m just jumping in on really an ongoing conversation with my new youtube channel.
But i’m, going to focus on search-based content and the two videos i would really start with is actually product reviews and versus videos, and so even for me again, i’ve already been doing this. I bought the focus factor: um brain supplements from costco read, reviews on them, didn’t, really feel anything from them learned that they were terrible.
So i go to the youtube search bar, i type in focus factor versus and then there’s. Other neurotropics i’ve, tried brenden burchard’s. High performance stuff, you’ve, got like alpha brain on its stuff happen.
You have qualias qualias, however, you pronounce it different. Neurotropics people are searching for those like thousands or hundreds a month, and those searches are connected to a way of making money, because if i’m searching for the you know, which one’s better, i’m, probably going To make a decision at the end of that video, if a really good video of information is presented, and so i’m, focusing on search-based content, people don’t, know sean cannell, yet they don’t know my neurotropic Channel yet, but they do know they’re looking for a specific product, so that’s, a product review.
They do know they’re. Looking for specific versus video, this product versus that product, they do know they’re, looking for maybe even early. I might start touching on like five ways to improve your sleep and then you, maybe you’re.
Talking about some supplements. You’re talking about some habits. I’m, going to focus on search-based content. Google revealed that 65 of people go to youtube, looking to answer a specific question, so those are going to be the first few videos i make for sure.
Yeah people forget they don’t, often care who’s, saying it they care about what they’re saying, and that’s. Why youtube is a utility people, use it to search for content, so great tip? All right, so let’s, move on to tip number four.
What would you say uh you would focus on if you’re first, starting out with zero subscribers on youtube yeah. So since this is kind of like my personal youtube playbook after a decade of experience branding this neurotropic biohacking channel, i am going to focus on a wide channel brand.
But then i’m, going to have niche videos, and so here’s. What this looks like for me. I would not include neurotropics in the channel name, because again, these neurotropics are again different products, different drinks and pills and different things that you can take, but it could eventually limit me later.
I think it is powerful to niche down, but you i also think you could almost become too niche. So what the opportunity is is to have a wider channel name. So i wouldn’t, call it like neurotropolis, you know, or some kind of channel.
I might just call it like you know modern health and and definitely do some like research on maybe a good name or maybe even personally, you know brand it, but i would want like a wide enough alternative health brand.
But yet i would focus on niche videos. So i think this is the real opportunity. I would really get known for talking all about narrow tropics at first, maybe like 100 videos – all about that, but then eventually having a vision – and this is, i love the tip.
You share a lot of time start with the end in mind. Think about your goals. I would want to maybe grow the channel because once i got you know 5 10. 15. 20. 000. Subscribers i would when the channel has grown.
I would then maybe reach out and start interviewing authors. Doctors, biohackers scientists, because that’s, still going to be on brand for the channel name, even if it started with niche videos. I wanted a wide enough brand to expand out to at this point.
After a little bit of momentum’s happening, i’m, going to focus on collabs with other alternative health people. Again, i want a brand if you will a playground or a sandbox, where there is guardrails to what i can talk about, but i have enough of an alternative health kind of branded channel where narrow tropics could be heavy in there, but i also could bring on A sleep expert, i could review to talk to an author talk to somebody else about natural foods that can help like all kinds of different things that that audience would be interested in, because here’s, i think the power tip benji is, i’m really making a channel i would want to watch this is for me again.
What are you curious about? What do you, research and i’m? I’m looking for information about neurotropics. If somebody’s, like you know, got some new brain science on some, whatever else this kind of stuff, i want to watch, but i want to bring my unique voice to it and also you know again proven and profitable niche lots of different ways That you can monetize this type of a channel so again wide channel brand, but i would start and build my influence by creating specific niche or niche videos that’s.
Such great advice and oftentimes niching down has a risk of pigeonholing yourself right. Limiting yourself, but would you say that, in the midst of putting up those first hundred niche videos, you would still outro your videos as that, like overarching niche, so that’s, a broader like channel topic? I would if i had the clarity that i potentially do now and i already knew what it was all about, but on the flip side you know in the beginning again it goes back to just start messy.
It just goes back to just grow. Just get some growth going, get some videos out there get some subscribers going, because the other thing that’s interesting, is again once you hit 5000 subs or 1000. Once you hit 10 000, your opportunities start to shift.
Now you actually can bring on. Probably some celebrity guests because they go. Oh wow like this is a focused audience of people interested in biohacking dave asprey, who’s, one of the big guys who you know kind of made: bulletproof coffee, popular and whatnot.
He’ll, be like he comes out with a new book. Of course he wants to come on your show, and so maybe later i even dial in branding and slogans and taglines early on it’s just about niche videos. It’s, just about like this product versus that product and someone being like wow, this channel seems valuable and they click subscribe.
You can optimize over time. You got to take massive uh messy action when you’re, just starting, and so that’s. What i would do awesome, so we have clarity in your channel and your niche one video per week search based content when you’re first starting out, and while why channel brand niche videos hit us with tip number five, if you’Re just starting from zero.
Finally, i would take these first four strategies and apply my fifth tip, and that is extreme focus and benji. This is what i’ve learned again. If i would have done things differently, i’ve got over 125 million video views.
You know between a couple of our channels over 2 million subscribers. Looking back, if i would start all over again, i could have gone faster if i was more disciplined. Less distracted and more focused, and so if you really want to grow from zero subscribers and hit that target of a thousand or ten thousand, i’m going to get focused with my time.
That means like am i taking this seriously? Do i really want to grow this youtube channel? Look if it’s, just a hobby cool but like. If you really want to get results, you got ta focus, so i’d focus. My time i’d, be disciplined.
When am i creating content when, when am i gonna shoot these videos? How am i gonna stay consistent with one video a week? Focus with my money? I would be thinking about. Okay, i’m, not trying to put the stresses of debt or you know, spending frivolously.
I’m, investing my money, because money can help me grow the channel faster, not that you need to put a lot of money into it, but like the more money you put into it, the better like, as i can upgrade things as i can Buy a plane ticket or go to a conference or go network with people or like donate to uh one of the people.
I want to interviews. You know charity, to show that i’m. I’m serious about really wanting to have them on the show like using money strategically. I would be focusing extremely how am i using my energy to not just grow the channel, but learn more about my industry.
The time i’m putting into the videos in terms of research, i’d, be leveling up my skills extreme focus on okay. What do i need to get better at? I’m now building i’m. Assuming on 10 years of experience, but for those watching, maybe this is just your first couple: videos like it’s kind of like.
If you only work out one day a month, you’re, not going to lose as much weight or gain as much muscle as you would. If you worked out five days a week or even three days a week or even seven days a week like whatever so extreme focus, would be really compounding massive energy and focusing on this one thing: learning skills, getting courses getting training going to events whatever it is, And then the biggest one is, i would not do five side hustles all at once.
Like i’d rally, all my resources around one thing – and this is coming from me. I know like even over the years like even i’ve learned a lot from this video influencers project. I’ve. Had my sean cannell channel, i’ve.
Had while we’re, doing video influencers, i’m, also doing think media, and i’m, also like wanting to write an ebook, and i’m. Also, like i’ve got a full-time job and i ‘ Ve also got freelance clients, and that was just part of the scrappy hustle.
But, as i look back, i would have been more streamlined. I believe you could. You could eventually do everything that you want just not all at once and too many people. I talk. This goes into social media.
I would not focus on all the other social media platforms. I would focus on youtube, use the social media, maybe to promote the videos and grow the channel, but like put all of your energy, it’s kind of like star wars like the death star, giant orb planet like contraption.
That gets all this energy going to focus it in one laser that can blow up planets and if you want to blow up your channel with that death star laser rally all your time: energy, mental focus in addition to family and kids and whatever else so.
You might only got like five ten hours a week then treat those five ten hours, a sacred treat that little side hustle budget as sacred and put it all into whatever death star laser. You have and focus that on growing your channel, and i really believe if you do that in a proven and profitable niche following these tips, that you can hit that 1000 subscriber goal: 10.