How I Create My YouTube Videos
I’m pretty new to the world of YouTube, at least in the world of business. I did used to create hundreds of cheesy, completely embarrassing videos as a teenager when I thought I could make it as a DJ but that’s a whole other story for another day…
The point is, I’m just starting my journey in video marketing but I was asked this question and so I feel like it’s my job to answer. I’m all in on Marcus Sheridan’s ‘They Ask. We Answer.’ philosophy so here goes…
The Equipment I Use
I keep it relatively simple when it comes to creating videos. The truth is that in 2016, all you need is a smart phone and you’re set. A tripod helps too unless you have arms of steel.
Here’s a list of all the different tools I use to create video:
iPhone 6
Video Ring light
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01FZ6SIWK/
iOgrapher Tripod Stand / Case / Thingy
https://www.amazon.co.uk/iOgrapher-IOIP6-Case-iPhone-6S/dp/B0174T2VE2
Remote Shutter
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00PJSIIES/
Screenflow for mac (Camtasia is a good alternative)
http://www.telestream.net/screenflow/
Note: None of these are affiliate links. They are just included for convenience. They are also all UK links but I’m sure you’ll find them on Amazon wherever you are.
My Video Workflow
When it comes to creating videos, I keep it as simple as i possibly can. This is to remove any objections or excuses that could stand in my way of creating videos. My procrastination and confidence with video is a work in process so I find it works really well. Batch creating videos is also a huge part of this. It’s something I haven’t fully taken advantage of but I will be by the time you read this.
Here’s a complete overview of the steps I take to create videos.
01. Topic
Think of topic and the top points I want to make. I do everything in one take and not to think about it too much. I know that might sound a little unprofessional but the truth is, I work best when I’m just sharing what I know and not doubting what I know. It’s how I’ve got over my fear of video and I always get the best feedback from the videos where I’m just having a conversation with the viewer I can’t see on the other side of the screen.
If you have a similar fear of video, try it. It’s all about practice but doing things in one take and forcing myself into this ‘one and done’ process has really helped to improve my confidence with video.
Once you start putting videos out there, you can always improve on them. The key thing is getting started though.
02. YouTube Setup
I plug my ring light in, adjust it to my height, position it and turn it on. I then plug my phone into my iOgrapher tripod that attaches to the middle of my ring light. I have it sitting horizontally as I primarily use it for YouTube videos but every once in a while I’ll reposition it vertically for a Facebook live.
I make sure that the wifi and mobile data are turned off on my phone to avoid distractions and then I turn the bluetooth on my phone and my remote shutter to sync the two up.
The next step is to simply insert the phone into the tripod and I always make sure the camera is facing to the top right. This is where I look when recording so I often reposition so that I’m close to the middle of the video.
03. Record
Once I’m set up and all synced up on bluetooth, all that’s left to do is hit the little shutter to record and we’re good to go. I do everything in one take and simply click the shutter again once my video is complete.
04. Snap Up The Selfies.
I simply switch to the photo setting on my iPhone and use the shutter remote to take 10-20 different poses that I can use for my video’s YouTube thumbnail. I always stand to the side so there is plenty of place for the text to be entered on Canva, the image creation tool I use.
The reason I take so many pictures is just so I have a choice in thumbnail graphics but also so that I have a bunch of image templates that I can repurpose for all kinds of content: blog posts, social media graphics, website images, etc.
It takes less than a minute to take them and it saves me a crazy amount of time in terms of content creation. I mean, who really has time to snap up new selfies every day to turn into social media posts?! I really am all about time blocking and batch creation wherever possible.
05. Upload And Create Thumbnail
Next up I plug my iphone in and open up Screenflow. I pull in the video I have just recorded then I head over to Canva to create my thumbnail.
Canva is a free image creation tool that makes it unbelievably easy to create pretty images for you to share all over the interwebs. I do pay for the upgraded version, Canva for Work which is £10/month. This allows me to upload my own custom fonts, create folders of content, save templates and set up brand boards. I find this really useful especially as I create content for social media clients but the free version is usually enough for small business owners.
In Canva, I have a folder set up in uploads called ‘Chloe’ and this is where I store all the images I have created so that they can be used at any time to create new graphic content. As mentioned, I take as many different poses as I can think of so that I always have one that I can come back to at any point in time. In fact, I often come back and create a few social media graphics for various platforms to promote the video on social media.
Another thing I do is always make sure that I have templates set up. While this is a set feature in Canva for Work, there’s nothing to stop you saving an image and duplicating it. It’s still basically a template.
By doing this, all I need to do is choose the graphic I want, swap it out and change the text. I can then download the image and pull it into Screenflow’s media section.
I then add my thumbnail in with and ending transition. I use the ‘dip to black’ one lasting for 1 second. I then pull in the video and just check that it plays okay. I then export the file as ‘Web – High’ and upload it to YouTube.
If you are creating a podcast, you can export it as ‘Lossless- Audio Only’ too and that will give you the audio file. This is something I do when recording guest interviews. I just add my little podcast jingle at the top and tail of it before exporting.
Here’s a "part two" video showing you how I do this:
05. Upload To YouTube
I can now upload my video to YouTube with a title, description and tags. I have tags saved in a document alongside my description template. This means I can quickly copy/paste it in then add just a couple of sentences relating the video’s content.
Done!
My video is good to go and it hasn’t taken me all that long to put it together.
Is this the best way to do it? I’m not sure. Probably not but it’s a start and it’s a really effective workflow if you are in a position where you have limited resources especially where time is concerned.
I’m just starting this journey in video, maybe you are too?
I hope you found this video valuable. If you did, subscribe for more good vibes or leave a comment below. I’ll see you there! :)
