Paul O’Malley’s YouTube channel, which options fast ideas to enhance effectivity, skyrocketed to over 30,000 subscribers in slightly below six months. These are spectacular numbers! So how did Paul do it? We sat down with him to debate his journey and uncover the methods and methods he used to quickly develop his viewers. Get able to take notes and study from a YouTube success story!
The transcript beneath has been edited for size and readability.
Did you consciously determine to start out a YouTube Channel, or did it occur organically?
Form of a little bit little bit of each. Over the previous couple of years, I’ve had numerous roles in tech, together with Microsoft. I had individuals saying to me, “You are actually good at explaining these items in a means I can perceive… Do you wanna create YouTube content material? Possibly you need to do these movies on-line?” And I used to at all times simply sort of blow it off. After which just lately, I used to be in a task the place I used to be actually creating this form of video content material; quick bite-sized clips. Simply fast ideas right here and there. And so I believed, you already know what? I am certain different individuals might make use of this content material as properly. I made a decision to start out placing a couple of of the movies up on YouTube, and a few of them began to realize traction; individuals seen the content material I used to be creating and put it out on blast across the social media spheres. This drastically elevated the attain that I might presumably have, and in consequence, YouTube’s determined they wanna begin paying me for it on, once in a while. So I’ll as properly hold at it!
Did you take into account another video platforms other than YouTube?
I believe it was at all times going to be YouTube. I am fairly a fan of tech generally, so I might thought of different platforms, however the one platform that will be capable of give me the attain I wanted was YouTube. Vimeo is nice, but it surely’s extra of a business-to-business platform than a client platform. And for people who have began stretching out into the Fediverse with Mastodon and issues like that, there’s Peertube. However there is not any means I might have over 30,000 individuals following me on Peertube within the span of 4 or 5 months, whereas I do now on YouTube.
It’s fairly superb that you just grew so rapidly!
Yeah! I had numerous assist in that regard. I had some progress from my very own inside networks and from my earlier roles. However I used to be considerably fortunate to have a few program managers from Microsoft truly retweet a few my tweets relating to a few of the movies that I might made. And you already know, when somebody who has over 100 thousand subscribers themselves retweets one thing of yours, it tends to have a pleasant flow-on impact. Within the span of 1 week, I had six or seven thousand individuals subscribe, which, like… I used to be trying on the numbers going; what’s going on right here? And it was simply completely mind-boggling.
How do you provide you with concepts for movies?
I’ve at all times been a very massive fan of pushing the expertise that I’ve to its absolute limits. To principally save me time. So I positioned my channel as fast ideas to enhance effectivity.
And I imply, heck, I’ve reprogrammed keys to do macros and issues like that. I’ve received my mouse right here with a number of buttons set to regulate various things to hurry up my workflow just a bit bit every time. If I might save myself ten minutes a day, that will add an additional work week on the finish of the 12 months. I might do a heck of rather a lot with an additional week yearly. And I am certain numerous different individuals might as properly. And so each time I discover these little hidden options or little ideas that assist individuals’s workflows be a little bit bit extra seamless, I wish to share them.
One other instance, I’ve just lately began enjoying round with Google Docs and Google Sheets. And I will be trustworthy, within the final week or so, I’ve gone down a rabbit gap with utilizing ChatGPT inside Google Docs and issues like that. It is simply loopy to see what the expertise can do when you already know that little shortcut to leverage it. And so, hopefully, I can present somebody a tip that takes 5 minutes outta their day now however saves them 5 minutes daily from right here till eternity.
So it is such as you’re scratching your personal itch? As a substitute of attempting to consider what persons are going to be keen on, you share the issues which have helped you.
Actually, it may very well be one thing so simple as a keyboard shortcut that folks do not learn about. Throughout to one thing fully loopy, like having ChatGPT fully fill in lists and issues for you, proper? There are actually small issues and actually massive issues.
It might even be an accessibility characteristic. I do not actually have any main imaginative and prescient impairments, however I do know lots of people who’ve colour blindness. Although I do not use the colour filters which might be in home windows, I’ve seen the impact that, once I flip it on for them they usually go, “Oh my God!”… I like that mild bulb second. Having another person say, “Oh, I might use that,” and seeing the knock-on impact for them, that is actually what drives me and has for years.
Do you could have any tips about how lengthy your movies must be?
I attempt to hold the video as quick as potential. The factor that drives me insane once I go onto YouTube in search of like a how-to video is when the primary three and a half minutes is somebody going, “Remember to smash that like button,” after which on high of it, there’s some insane trance music enjoying within the background. Do not get me fallacious; I like some psytrance once in a while, however not once I’m looking for out the way to recall an e-mail in Outlook. I’ve simply by chance despatched this e-mail. I must recollect it now. I am unable to spend three and a half minutes watching you speak about your channel.
So most of my movies are sub-five minutes. Numerous them are literally lower than three minutes lengthy. The longest movies I’ve achieved are possibly seven minutes, and that is as a result of they’re a little bit bit extra in-depth and require a little bit bit extra setup beforehand. I attempt to hold it transient to the purpose but in addition clear sufficient that somebody can simply observe alongside themselves and perceive it as I am doing it.
What’s in your video creation toolkit, and what does your recording course of appear to be?
I create all my movies on Home windows as a result of Home windows is what I do know. I’ve a devoted 1080p monitor as a result of the movies that I broadcast are in 1080p. And so I like having the ability to file a full display.
For the display recording itself, I take advantage of a program referred to as Camtasia. It’s truthfully constructed from the bottom up for the kind of content material that I create. It makes it considerably simpler for me to zoom in on areas and issues like that. It does value a little bit bit of cash, however the profit is that it is sped up my workflow by miles.
Usually talking, I’ll attempt to have a storyboard so I do know what I’ll do and speak about. Then I will do the display recording usually in a single hit. Then I will do my enhancing, zooming in, highlighting, and squaring off issues so that folks can see every part on the display as I am doing it.
After that, I take advantage of Audacity to do the audio recording. I simply actually play it again and do my voiceover while I am watching the recording play. The profit is that Audacity has the power to file at the next readability stage of audio in comparison with Camtasia. I’ve put sound dampening on a few the partitions, and I’ve received massive heavy drapes to deaden the sound to be sure that every part is sweet and crisp and clear.
Subtitles are a bit extra of a course of. YouTube’s computerized subtitle functionality is okay however not tremendous correct. Funnily sufficient, I truly use the Google Voice app on my telephone. For many who occur to have a Pixel telephone, it’s actually correct. So I will get the transcript from there, and, now, it sounds sort of bizarre, however I put it into Microsoft Phrase after which use Microsoft Phrase to offer it a proofread and ensure the grammar is right. Then once I’m importing the video, I simply actually copy and paste the textual content in. YouTube is wise sufficient to have the ability to sync the voice with the subtitles.
The one different instrument that I take advantage of is Figma. I’ve received primary templates that I take advantage of for all of my thumbnails; the emblem of no matter product I am showcasing within the video after which possibly three or 4 phrases beside it with what the video’s about. It is tremendous simple for me to make these; it takes seconds.
What about your microphone?
The microphone I take advantage of is not tremendous costly. It is the Scarlet 2i2. It’s an XLR microphone, and so the sound high quality is significantly better than a USB mic. Usually talking, although, XLR mics shall be fairly costly. My setup retails for round about 500 AUD. I’ve additionally received a little bit defend right here, which principally helps forestall reverb from across the partitions.
Shifting on to the distribution of the content material. We talked a little bit bit about how different influencers have helped along with your progress in subscribers. Was there an inflection level the place you knew you have been onto one thing?
Having six-figure follower accounts retweet my stuff was actually that inflection level. However there have been steps that took earlier than that, primarily based on the analytics that I used to be getting from YouTube. I am in Sydney, so Australian time zones are usually not at all times one of the best, relying on the place your viewers is. I used to be trying on the analytics from YouTube to see when individuals have been watching my movies essentially the most. A whole lot of the time, I used to be asleep or, to be completely trustworthy, sitting on the sofa, enjoying Halo. So at that time, I wanted to determine, “How am I gonna get essentially the most traction?”.
I am on Mastodon greater than another social community. On condition that there is not any algorithm there, it is very a lot a matter of having the ability to discover your viewers on the proper time. That was the place Buffer got here in. Making an attempt to schedule a publish for Mastodon was cumbersome and really restricted in performance till Buffer got here alongside. I might already been utilizing it for Twitter, and I might been utilizing it for LinkedIn. So having the ability to schedule my posts on Mastodon and Twitter to exit at occasions once I knew I used to be gonna be capable of get some traction actually helped. I used to publish one thing on Mastodon round lunchtime for me, however the nighttime for Europe. And I used to be getting possibly 4 or 5 individuals boosting my posts or getting a couple of likes right here and there. Once I was in a position to begin posting content material on the time that labored finest for my viewers, posts that used to get 20 reposts have been now getting 2,500 reposts.
So is social media the principle distribution channel on your movies?
It is largely social, I believe. I’ve family and friends who’re very nice and share it with all of their mates, and numerous former colleagues have now began reaching out to me and connecting with me by way of LinkedIn and issues like that. And so they’ve been re-sharing my content material amongst their groups internally. The community facet of social networking actually comes into play there.
For instance, instantly, I’ve grown followers and customers from a random academic district in Texas. All as a result of one one that I used to work with beloved a few my movies and began sharing them with a few of their colleagues. And so, in consequence, it simply sort of began spreading. And now I’ve received a little bit little bit of a following amongst educators in Texas.
Is there something that has contributed to that natural phrase of mouth? Clearly, the content material’s good. Is there anything?
I might say it’s largely the content material. I like to assist the place I can, which sounds very self-serving to say it like that, however I’ll publish on YouTube, and within the feedback, somebody will say, “Mine is not fairly working like this; I am seeing this as a substitute.” Although I am unable to bodily go and take a look at that individual’s pc, I nonetheless like to assist. I randomly get tagged by individuals on Mastodon saying, “I am undecided who will help you right here, however Paul would possibly know the way to do it”. Folks now see me as an avenue for assist.
I’ve truly gotten some fairly cool video concepts on account of individuals asking me questions and asking the way to do issues higher. If somebody’s requested me a query, I am unable to cease eager about it till I determine it out. I might wish to say {that a} willingness to assist actually did drive the expansion.
To me, that sounds I imply rather a lot higher than attempting the standard progress hacks?
I am certain that these little ideas do work for some.
The largest tip is simply to make content material that’s priceless to individuals. Try to be constant. Folks subscribe to channels once they know what they’re gonna get. Attempt to not publish 25 movies in every week after which nothing for six months. I personally schedule not simply my social posts but in addition my YouTube posts. In the intervening time, I’ve received a little bit of spare time, so I have been creating numerous additional movies. I’ve received about six or seven weeks’ price of them already lined up, able to go.
Any pitfalls or traps for aspiring creators to keep away from?
Do not overdo it. I am a large telephone nerd. My telco loves me as a result of I will change telephones each time a brand new telephone comes out. I’ve had lots of people inform me, oh, mate, you need to do telephone opinions and stuff like that. However then I might go into the realm of needing to file face-based video versus only a display recording. A display recording is straightforward sufficient for me to do. Including my very own video feed into it provides exponentially higher problem ranges so far as enhancing and transitions are involved. What I’ve now could be working, and it is working properly, so I’ll keep on with that.
After which lastly, monetization is a tough factor to get to. The necessities have significantly elevated. I used to be very fortunate that I have been in a position to attain that standing. What I might say is that when you get to that standing, it is not life-changing cash. I will be brutally trustworthy, I’ve made about ten bucks. However because the channel continues to develop and the again catalog of movies continues to broaden, that passive supply of revenue will develop as properly. I do know lots of people who get to monetization and suppose they aren’t making a lot. However stick at it, continue to grow. After which, as you proceed to develop, that income will proceed to develop as properly.
Listed below are the largest takeaways from my dialog with Paul.
1. Focus in your area of interest of experience: Create content material that you’re captivated with, and you’d wish to watch your self.
2. You do not want fancy gear however audio high quality issues: Discover a setup that’s best for you and your finances.
3. Leverage your social networks and have interaction along with your viewers: Share your content material on the appropriate platforms on the proper time. You by no means know whenever you would possibly get a retweet from an influencer.
4. Produce high quality content material persistently: Publish movies on an everyday schedule and plan your movies forward of time.
