Ep. 20: How to build a YouTube audience - with Trena Little

Starting a YouTube channel can feel overwhelming.

In this episode, YouTube Strategist Trena Little, shares the inside scoop on why YouTube is the perfect hub for yoga teachers. She also shares some tips on how to use YouTube to build an engaged community. If you’ve thought about starting a channel, you will definitely want to get a notebook at the ready.

The impact of YouTube for building an engaged community

Trena Little got started before YouTube was popular, and before social media became a ‘thing’. Trena was pregnant with her first child when YouTube came into her life. She wanted to figure it all out for herself, and so she started her own mum channel.

“When I started looking at this content on YouTube, I was like, ‘Holy cow! I see how businesses can use this.” - Trena

Trena feels that people who aren’t on YouTube building their business, are missing the potential of how YouTube can nurture their community online.

“A lot of people don't realize the connection and community that you can make on YouTube with your videos. They're gonna connect so much faster and create such a deeper audience than any other platform, because they feel like they know you. It's like they invite you into their home.” - Trena

As a YouTube Strategist, Trena loves teaching women business owners how to use YouTube to build their yoga audience.

“The hub of your content strategy, to drive more business and in particular, get more people to your yoga channel or to your yoga studio.” - Trena

Why create a YouTube channel as part of your yoga marketing strategy?

Save time - multiply your content

You can use YouTube to re-purpose and re-use your content. For example, by embedding your YouTube video into a blog post, you can have two hits on Google search, rather than one. And this is a big reason why Trena loves to create a polished YouTube video; it acts as the hub of her content.

“It's such a powerful platform to use as your content multiplier.” - Trena

YouTube is a search engine

YouTube is the next largest social media platform after Facebook. In 2019, Facebook is the biggest, with 2.23 monthly active users. YouTube is next in line, with 1.9 billion monthly active users. Yet Facebook has a limitation, where YouTube is winning...

“How are people going to find you, unless a video is shared, or they go to your (Facebook) page?” - Trena

Trena’s point is very important - Facebook is not a search engine, and so despite being mighty, it is not as powerful.

“YouTube is a search engine. And super bonus, it is owned by Google.” - Trena

The fact that Google owns YouTube could be reason alone to take video making seriously!

“The way Google likes to put results on their search is by putting the most valuable content at the top, and to Google, video is king.” - Trena

We often favor video content over blogs, as we like consumable, snackable content. As YouTube is a search engine, Google will place YouTube videos at the top of video searches. This provides an additional way that your content can be surfaced, when someone uses organic search.

YouTube can build an audience who LOVE what you do

Kevin Kelly’s article 1,000 True Fans, explains the art in the business of gaining subscribers and followers who love everything you do. The idea is that you don’t need to have large and lofty goals when it comes to becoming successful.

“To be a successful creator you don’t need millions. You don’t need millions of dollars or millions of customers, millions of clients or millions of fans. To make a living as a craftsperson, photographer, musician, designer, author, animator, app maker, entrepreneur, or inventor you need only thousands of true fans.” - Kevin Kelly

Trena shares the idea that YouTube is the perfect platform to attract and nurture these hardcore fans who will keep your business alive.

“We’re in the business of making money. And with 1000 true followers, that's what's going to keep your business going. Those are the people that are going to show up, the people that are gonna buy, those are the people that are going to refer you.” - Trena

But yoga has been done on YouTube already (you say!)

If you create specific content that your audience are looking for, your content will surface for that particular topic.

“If you can really nail in on your target audience and understand them, you can create a specific video content they are looking for. So whether you think your audience are on YouTube or not, your audience is probably going to use Google search. When they do, they could potentially find your YouTube content at the top of Google.” - Trena

Another reason why ‘It’s not all been done already’, is that you haven’t arrived at the party yet!

Remember, there is space for everyone, and you will always have something unique to bring to the yoga mat of the world. To read or listen into a longer episode about your unique value, revisit Ep. 18: Why collaboration is important - with Amanda Kingsmith.

YouTube can help show who you stand for

It’s super important to understand who you serve, and to display this clearly on YouTube. When done well, the viewers will instantly know who your channel is for, and it can help attract your niche.

How to get started on YouTube - in 3 steps

Don’t forget to take note of the amazing FREE resources which Trena has kindly provided. Scroll to the links to claim yours.

1. Create a channel banner

The main way your audience will decide if they want to consume your content, is by reading your Channel Banner. So start with that.

“When they come to your channel instantly on that banner, they know who it's for.” - Trena

Trena’s channel banner reads:

Helping you build the confidence to get on YouTube

You may want to use the same tagline or statement that you chose for your business cards. If you missed this post, revisit Ep. 19: What to include on a business card, for more tagline ideas.

3 tips to make an impactful channel banner - 3 tips

Be succinct

“A YouTube banner is the first thing your audience sees on your profile, so you want to grab their attention. Fast.” - YouTube Banner Maker, Canva

Be clear

“With YouTube and in business, we need to make our messaging really clear. Because if somebody watches a video or two, and maybe aren't subscribed yet, we need to make sure we stand out for them.” - Trena

Kick butt

“If somebody finds your video on search or they get click happy on YouTube, and they come to your channel, you've gotta put it right in their face who you stand for. - Trena

2. Build your templates

Create a header image and thumbnail image at the beginning - this will save time later!

When creating your own YouTube channel, remember to be consistent with your branding. Creating a consistent brand experience will at first help viewers to recognise you and your business. This is important from the get-go, and over time it will also encourage the trust and loyalty of subscribers and followers.

• When someone sees your YouTube thumbnail, it should fit in with the rest of your branding

• Make your YouTube thumbnails consistent for each video

• Use same brand colors in the video elements - for example in text, links or transitions

• Use the same brand colors for YouTube course enrolments

3. Dive in - make a 5 minute video!

Your first efforts will stink (let’s face it), but be brave and stick with it - it’s the only way to progress and get better at this.

“We just have to start ugly and just go for it because it can't be perfect and it's never going to be. And I think if I don't look back and see something that's cringeworthy or hear something that's cringe worthy, then I'm not making my business better. So I think we need to have that ‘Just get started’.” - Amanda

Just get videos up. You can get more strategic for sure later, but accept you need to make all your mistakes in the beginning and figure out a process that works for you.

Content ideas for yoga teachers

Take some of those biggest topics which you think will appeal to your audience. These first videos don't need to be epic. Just five minutes.

Make a video for your audience to go to, and by the end, have a quick win.

What's a quick win you can offer your audience?

• Is it a stretch that can do at their desks to help their posture?

• Is it something that they could do in the middle of the day when you know they need a break?

• What's something quick that they could do to see a benefit at the end of that video?

Put this quick win in place, and you will create value by laying out their next step forward. Simple!

Two top tips to build your YouTube audience

To build value for your audience, you need to keep them engaged so they stick around to consume more of your content. The last thing you want to create is long, drawn out videos or to use language that switches your audience off. To keep your viewers tuned in, use these two tips.

Create the video without memorizing the script

You probably think that filming is a long process, but it doesn't have to be. Here’s how Trena does it:

“I will only record a couple lines at a time. So I'll hit record on my camera and I'll do a couple lines from my script and then I’ll pause. I look down at the next set, and I'll deliver those to the camera, and pause, and look at the next set. Then I can cut those pauses outs, and I don't have to memorize the entire video.” - Trena

By using the method above, it makes it easier to edit in ‘Jump cuts’. Jump cuts are when you go from one clip to the next, which makes your video look like it's going faster than it actually is.

This keeps people more engaged for longer, and helps you better serve your audience, and keep them coming back.

Use Analytics to build your audience

Using analytics can help you improve your video making, and future success on YouTube.

An example - how analytics helps you improve video content

One of Trena’s clients made a video about audience retention graphs. Every time he said the word ‘module’, there was a drop-off in viewers. This serves as useful feedback, and he swapped the word out for ‘lesson’, and other alternatives.

Imagine how useful this feedback can be when you are delivering your yoga offering on YouTube!

Trena considers herself as a big picture, creative marketing person. If you can identify with this, you may not be so much into numbers either. Despite this, Trena shares how user friendly she finds YouTube Analytics...

“There are so many graphs and pretty images, and it's so much easier to understand. You can simply go into analytics and see exactly how long people are watching your video, exactly where they are leaving to help you make that next video even better.” - Trena

Summary - how to use YouTube to build an audience

1. Keep everything as simple as possible in the beginning

2. Make a channel banner

3. Make your templates for thumbnail and headers

4. Come up with a valuable topic

5. Make your first 5 minute video

6. Give, give, give value

7. Think of a quick win for the end of the video

8. Use analytics as you go to see what’s working

9. Make another video

10. Keep going!

More about Trena Little

Trena helps creative business owners find the confidence to be on video. She believes every business owner deserves to be the face of their business so she provides support by teaching the tech, mindset, and strategy on how to use video content to grow your business. Trena also knows we are limited on the number of hours we have in a day, so she focuses on how to multiply your video content reach to get the biggest bang for your buck!

Your next step:

If creating videos for your audience is where you want to focus, it’s time to create that YouTube channel my friend. Download Trena’s amazing FREEBIES and get started.

Until next time, give yourself permission to just get started and grace along the way. Talk to you soon!

Links:

• Trena’s website

• Trena’s YouTube channel

• Trena’s FREEBIE: Training on creating 1 month of content in 8 hours

• Trena’s FREEBIE: Video Multiplier Roadmap

• Trena's Black Friday Bundle: Save $1,000 on YouTube for Creatives with this link!

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