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We all know that getting found on Google is critical to the success of our online course. But did you know that Google owns YouTube and it's just as important to get found on YouTube which is the #2 most popular search engine (right after Google)? It's important to not just have quality content on your course but also create helpful content, build an audience and provide value. And you should be doing this on YouTube. In this episode, I talk with Tim Schmoyer about YouTube, Video and how to feel confident in front of the camera. First of all, we talk about YouTube. Do you have a YouTube channel set up yet? If not, we talk about some reasons why you might want to consider that. We also talk about how to get comfortable in front of the camera. Tim has some very interesting things to say, some of which I haven’t thought about. I’ve been producing videos for clients since 2003 and I’ve produced a LOT of videos, but even with my experience, Tim brought a different perspective on several different topics which I really appreciate. And since we’re talking about video today, are you like most of us that struggle with being on camera? Maybe you are uncomfortable or you don’t like doing it, and that has prohibited you from making effective course videos. Perhaps you are like many other people who struggle with the technology side or you don’t want to waste money buying the wrong equipment or software.
Now let’s dive right into the interview.
In 2006 Tim uploaded his first video to YouTube to introduce his girlfriend to his family across the country. Others started watching, so he started digging into YouTube to figure out how it worked and in 2011 he became the first creator to start training YouTube creators. Today his company, Video Creators, has been featured by FOX, Forbes, BBC even YouTube themselves as he trains other creators to master the YouTube platform and use it as a place to spread messages that change lives. And he married his girlfriend. So Tim, thanks so much for being on the Online Course Coach podcast today.
I started doing video in 2006 when I was in graduate school in Dallas, Texas. I had just started dating this girl and wanted a way of introducing her to my family back home in Philadelphia. This place called YouTube had just started a few months prior. People were posting videos and watching them, and I thought I could try it too. We started going out with my girlfriend and making little videos together of the places we went to. I started posting those videos on YouTube for my family to see. We went on to creating videos on our engagement, wedding, honeymoon, first real job, first house, first kids, and more. Back in the early days when we were dating to our engagement, other people were watching and commenting on our videos. I started trying to figure out how the platform worked, how people found my videos, why they were watching my videos and why they were commenting on them. I ended up on the inquisitive side of trying to figure out how the platform works, how audiences grow, what causes people to watch and get them interested, and I ended up working with Disney, Time Warner, eBay, HBO, and other companies. In the meantime, I got known as the guy who’s trying to figure out how the platform works. So, here I am today, on a full-time business to help people create online businesses and audiences around their YouTube audience and channels.
In the past, there used to be no money involved. People were just creating videos out of the passion to tell stories, to reach audiences, and to express themselves creatively. A lot has happened since then, including YouTube’s change of ownership from a group of guys to Google, and most people coming in these days with the aim of making money out of the platform. Even so, the people I like on YouTube are those with a mission behind what they are doing. The people who get excited about reaching people and changing their lives, notwithstanding the need to make money and make their practice sustainable.
There are different reasons as to why. The truth is, if you have videos embedded into your website and people click on those videos and watch them, that’s more time spent on your page. This is a factor that Google looks for ranking web pages. Pages with videos in them that people watch tend to rank higher than simple text pages. There’s also the fact that a YouTube video itself can rank outside any website. I’m not sure about the current stat but back when the stat came out, it was that making a video with the same content of an equivalent blog post, the video was 52 times more likely to rank on the first page of Google or YouTube than a blog post. I think the principle is still true that it’s easier to get videos to perform than it might be to enter into a big sea of other bloggers who are trying to get attention.
The first I made was actually an e-Book, which was like a lead magnet for me. The second was an EBook called, “30 Days to a Better YouTube Channel”, which is still my number one selling product. It’s kind of an e-course but in a book a format. Later on, I started creating videos of the same content.
I actually have a whole course on that. Truth is, there’s always a starting point. For instance, my first video was so awkward and I improved over the course of doing about 4,000 videos. Many people tend to think that you have to be outgoing to perform well on camera but surprisingly most YouTubers I know are actually introverts. For me, the focus should be on presentation rather than trying to be comfortable on camera. And just like any other activity out there, you get better at it over time.
It depends on what you want to accomplish. Of course, there are other ways you can build your audience including podcasts, blogs, and others. The biggest advantage that YouTube has over any other medium is its ability to not only tell but also show. I would say that if your aim is to create a deep connection with your audience on a personal level, then YouTube is the best platform to use.
My expertise on YouTube is organic growth. I’ve not done any promotions on YouTube or Facebook but growing my channel the best way I can. When it comes to promoting my courses, I’ve always relied on email campaigns. By sending out emails, I try to integrate my audience into my courses just to make them feel part of it and find value in whatever I’m offering them. In so doing, they also help promote my courses to other people, which leads to a larger audience.
It’s the website that packs all my YouTube course videos including videos, podcasts and even consultation services. Check out the Find Your Voice courses that teaches you how to feel confident in front of the camera.