Summary

(est. 5 min read)

I will be going over:

• 1,052 video ideas you can do today 🎯 

• Why you should ignore your YouTube analytics 📊 

• …and much, much more!

Actionable Tip

"What makes a viewer CLICK on a video?"

I’ve introduced this framework to some of the largest creators: B.E.N.S

1) B = BIG CLAIM 💥

Your packaging needs to make a BIG CLAIM

If your thumbnail and title do not evoke STRONG EMOTIONS in the viewer, you have LOST the CLICK

2) E = EASY TO DIGEST 👀

I see so many NEW YouTubers overloading their thumbnails

All you are doing is CONFUSING the viewer. Make sure your thumbnail has max 3 OBJECTS of FOCUS

3) N = NEW 🚀

To force curiosity - you need to be novel. You need to have some element of your video that is new and unique.

Something that your audience has never seen before.

4) S = SAFE TO CLICK ON 🧷

Most new YouTubers get this wrong. Stop trying to copy MrBeast’s overly-manufactured thumbnails.

They are not unrealistic for MrBeast. People are aware that he will live up to his claims. He supports them with proof instantly.

But they ARE for YOU. If you cannot support your thumbnail with proof within the first few seconds - you have lost.

Best Links

🎯 My Blueprint To Creating Viral YouTube Shorts, Effortlessly (link)

📊 My Exact 2.7B+ Views Ideation Process From Start To End (link)

📈 4 Lessons I Learned From Talking To 500 Large YouTube Creators (link)

1,497 Video Ideas You Should Do Right Now

In early March, I set out to improve my knowledge of what makes a viral video.

First, I scraped over 3,657 mega-outlier videos.

I then analysed the data for many metrics.

The findings were fascinating - and you can see them for yourself on this tweet.

However, quickly after creating this Tweet - I came to an interesting conclusion.

The vast majority of these viral videos used only a few formats.

Essentially meaning - they had the same core-ideas, just adapted for different audiences.

Following this - I expanded to scraping a much larger amount of video-titles across the largest creators on YouTube - aiming to create a near-comprehensive list of these formats which kept occurring.

And here it is.

Warning - this data is raw. Many of these may be hyper-specific, and not relevant.

However, I have been able to use this myself to create the inspiration behind several viral videos.

And if used correctly - you can do the same.

Ignore Your Analytics

I’ve had videos with 10% CTR fall completely flat - while videos with a 4% CTR skyrocket to literal millions of views.

And that’s not the only thing which may confuse you.

In this specific case - the video with the 10% CTR had a far greater Average View Duration.

A greater proportion of viewers were clicking on the first video, and an even greater proportion watched through to the end.

Nobody Knows What’s Going On

Humans have always had a strong tendency to oversimplify complicated ideas. This is highly prevalent in macro-economics, politics, and day-to-day life.

Do you know how your iPhone works?

No. But you don’t need to.

It’s the same with YouTube - and any other social-media algorithm.

I used to talk regularly with Todd B whenever I had any questions.

Todd B is the head of the YouTube discovery algorithm. He - quite literally - knows more about YouTube than anyone else on this planet.

However - not even he could give a high-level explanation of how it works.

It’s a black box.

Data goes in - such as your watch-history, preferences, and responses to previous content.

The data that comes out is simply what video would be best suited to you in this moment.

That’s it.

Issues Of Reading Your Analytics

I don’t propose that you completely stop looking at your analytics all together.

They do provide utility.

First off - it can help you flag when something is wrong.

If your videos are getting a low CTR - it likely means that it’s not accessible to a broader audience.

However, if your video was intended for a broader-audience, this could be an issue.

On the other hand - chances are - your video was intended for a tighter audience.

And so you can ignore it.

Certain analytics can also be helpful for understanding your audience on a deeper-level.

What type of moments cause them to click off? What type of moments cause them to continue watching?

Understanding these patterns across a large-amount of videos will help you build some genuinely strong and reliable conclusions.

However, don’t get caught up with the analytics behind individual content.

What Can I Do About It?

All content is a game of psychology. It’s not about beating an algorithm

YouTube recommends viewers the best video for them in the moment.

Instead of optimising for any specific metrics or KPI’s - instead - focus on making the best content possible for your audience.

What Have I Been Up To?

I decided to add in this section to the Newsletter!

I want this newsletter to be very personal. Focussing on my thoughts, projects I’m working on, sharing lessons I learn along the way.

For today, I’ll give a brief introduction to myself. Moving forwards, I’ll use this section to talk about any projects I’ve been working on.

Brief Introduction

First off, hello.

I’m Daniel Faraday. I’m typically based in the UK - not far from London.

However, over the past couple months - I’ve been living in Thailand. Primarily Bangkok. It’s been beautiful.

If you’re in Europe - I definitely recommend heading over to a warmer climate at least for part of the year.

The short, dark days which Europe suffers from - combined with the constant lack of sunlight - can take a toll on you mentally.

Skin In The Game - What I’m Working On

I’ve led many production teams - and currently still work with several clients. I always maintain a strong effort to keep skin-in-the-game.

I will never talk about YouTube without practicing it and testing it out for myself. Everything I discuss is a product of myself failing or winning.

Currently - I’m looking to grow that learning and partner with more creators to build at a larger scale. I want to personally work 1-on-1 with dedicated creators, experts, or people with a clear vision for their future.

If this sounds interesting to you - hit the button at the bottom of this newsletter.

Sharing My Thoughts

Sharing my prevailing thoughts publicly has been a blessing. And having the audience to do so has changed my life.

Writing is a form of meditation. It allows you to review a past situation, think about it through the lens of your current self, and create standards and rules so that you never repeat those mistakes again.

YouTube is a game with an extremely fast feedback-loop. You upload a video, and over the following few days, can learn a lot.

This documentation has helped me get a hold of that feedback loop.

Your Three-Month Roadmap

I've built several successful YouTube channels from the ground up. From faceless channels, to hyper-focussed personal-brands.

Instantly ignore everyone who says that YouTube is a long-term game. It doesn't have to be.

Failing to see results early on is the reason 98% of YouTube creators quit.

I'm going to tell you the exact blueprint to follow during your first three months so that you can actually get attention - and build a strong brand.

At the end - you will be convinced that YouTube is the correct path for you - and have the knowledge needed to take it further.

Read it here:

Partner With Me

If I don't at least double your views over the next 30 days - you don't have to pay a penny. And I'll do that:

1) Without diluting your target audience.

AND

2) Without even increasing your number of uploads.

Interested?

Book a call to schedule in your own personalised strategy call - where we’ll discuss how exactly we can help you reach your goals.

(PS: If you have any YouTube channels you want me to review to understand why they're performing well, let me know. We can go through them together during our call)

Thanks for reading,

All the best,

Daniel Faraday