Wanna be a successful YouTuber? Read this. I’m talking about one niche, but it applies to all niches.
For those 3D printing creators stuck under a million or two views, my serious advice:
If you have “3D” or “printing” in your name, that’s a massive TAM limiter. This niche alone can’t support a successful YouTube future — you need 4 million views minimum to be a successful full time YouTuber. There are other limiting words like “makes” or “maker”, but people don’t immediately reject those, and they can still be successful. There are other words too, do your own research.
Before you hit record, look at your script, and then say out loud what your hook (first 30 seconds) is saying about the story you are telling. You want your opening words to be the widest part of your funnel (outside of packaging).
Yes, a story. 3D printing nerds are actually too literal. This is why this niche is held back. YouTube is a craft of mystery, intrigue, drama, winning and losing something. Most of these nerds have no concept of the emotional condition that drives the larger audiences. They do not appreciate hyperbole, which is a requirement to convey the feelings and emotions in every book or movie ever made. Regular people get it.
Every video should be a story. Even if educational. Think back to your favorite teacher in school or college, they didn’t just present the data, they found a way for that knowledge to reach you.
Packaging. Your thumbnail and title are the most critical component of your content. They need to instantly and accurately describe your content to the widest group of people possible. But not too wide, or you’ll pull in the wrong people who click away instantly, signaling the video isn’t a positive viewing experience and ending it before it even got started.
Example packaging. Attached is a multi-million view thumbnail of mine with 3 clear objects. The words signal something is illegal to fix. That is confusing, how could something be illegal for the viewer to fix? Then the John Deere hoodie, signaling to the right group of people, and also a dog whistle to the right to repair crowd, because John Deere is the epicenter of that fight. Finally the screwdriver. The reason it’s a screwdriver and not a wrench? A wrench signals “mechanic”, that limits the TAM, but a screwdriver is more widely understood and less intimidating. Again, we want the largest TAM possible.
Stop making 3D printing the main subject, nobody cares… what I mean, millions of viewers are scrolling past your packaging because they don’t care. Make 3D printing a character, a tool, or a sub-plot. Make it a hero, a villain, a victim — you’ll thank me later when your views explode. 😁
Now you understand, why I’m so disappointed in the small minds of the creators and sponsors in the 3D printing niche. They have no comprehension of the thousands of hours of studying, and applied learning that it takes to speak to millions of people a month. Other larger brands and more intelligent people get it, and I don’t surround myself with small minded people.
Last, don’t give up. Spend hours analyzing your successes and failures, find out WHY they won or lost. Know your audience, know who to speak to, who to ignore. NEVER take advice from non-successful creators or random uninvested comments. It’s your future on the line, not theirs.