Paul O’Malley’s YouTube channel, which options fast ideas to enhance effectivity, skyrocketed to over 30,000 subscribers in just 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 be taught from a YouTube success story!
The transcript beneath has been edited for size and readability.
Did you consciously resolve to begin a YouTube Channel, or did it occur organically?
Sort of a little bit little bit of each. Over the previous couple of years, I’ve had a number of roles in tech, together with Microsoft. I had individuals saying to me, “You are actually good at explaining these things in a method I can perceive… Do you wanna create YouTube content material? Possibly it’s best to do these movies on-line?” And I used to all the time simply sort of blow it off. After which just lately, I used to be in a job the place I used to be actually creating this type of video content material; brief bite-sized clips. Simply fast ideas right here and there. And so I assumed, what? I am certain different individuals may make use of this content material as properly. I made a decision to begin placing just a few of the movies up on YouTube, and a few of them began to achieve traction; individuals observed 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 may probably have, and in consequence, YouTube’s determined they wanna begin paying me for it on, from time to time. So I could as properly maintain at it!
Did you take into account every other video platforms except for YouTube?
I believe it was all the time going to be YouTube. I am fairly a fan of tech basically, so I might thought-about different platforms, however the one platform that will have the ability to give me the attain I wanted was YouTube. Vimeo is nice, nevertheless it’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 method I’d 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 a number of 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 among the movies that I might made. And , 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 wanting on the numbers going; what’s going on right here? And it was simply completely mind-boggling.
How do you give you concepts for movies?
I’ve all the time been a very large fan of pushing the know-how that I’ve to its absolute limits. To mainly 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 obtained 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 may save myself ten minutes a day, that will add an additional work week on the finish of the 12 months. I may do a heck of so much with an additional week yearly. And I am certain a number of different individuals may 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 prefer to share them.
One other instance, I’ve just lately began taking part in round with Google Docs and Google Sheets. And I will be sincere, 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 know-how can do when 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 individual itch? As a substitute of making an attempt to consider what individuals are going to be keen on, you share the issues which have helped you.
Actually, it might be one thing so simple as a keyboard shortcut that folks do not learn about. All through to one thing fully loopy, like having ChatGPT fully fill in lists and issues for you, proper? There are actually small issues and actually large issues.
It may 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 coloration blindness. Despite the fact that I do not use the colour filters which can 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 gentle bulb second. Having another person say, “Oh, I may use that,” and seeing the knock-on impact for them, that is actually what drives me and has for years.
Do you will have any pointers about how lengthy your movies ought to be?
I attempt to maintain the video as brief as potential. The factor that drives me insane once I go onto YouTube on the lookout for like a how-to video is when the primary three and a half minutes is somebody going, “Do not forget to smash that like button,” after which on high of it, there’s some insane trance music taking part in within the background. Do not get me improper; I like some psytrance from time to time, however not once I’m looking for out learn how to recall an e-mail in Outlook. I’ve simply by accident despatched this e-mail. I have to recollect it now. I can not spend three and a half minutes watching you speak about your channel.
So most of my movies are sub-five minutes. Various them are literally lower than three minutes lengthy. The longest movies I’ve achieved are perhaps 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 maintain 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 like?
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 screen.
For the display screen recording itself, I exploit 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 am going to do the display screen recording usually in a single hit. Then I am going to do my modifying, zooming in, highlighting, and squaring off issues so that folks can see all the things on the display screen as I am doing it.
After that, I exploit 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 flexibility to file at the next readability degree of audio in comparison with Camtasia. I’ve put sound dampening on a few the partitions, and I’ve obtained large heavy drapes to deaden the sound to make it possible for all the things is sweet and crisp and clear.
Subtitles are a bit extra of a course of. YouTube’s automated subtitle functionality is okay however not tremendous correct. Funnily sufficient, I truly use the Google Voice app on my cellphone. For individuals who occur to have a Pixel cellphone, it’s actually correct. So I am going to 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 present 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 sensible sufficient to have the ability to sync the voice with the subtitles.
The one different instrument that I exploit is Figma. I’ve obtained primary templates that I exploit for all of my thumbnails; the brand of no matter product I am showcasing within the video after which perhaps three or 4 phrases beside it with what the video’s about. It is tremendous straightforward for me to make these; it takes seconds.
What about your microphone?
The microphone I exploit 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 obtained a little bit defend right here, which mainly helps stop reverb from across the partitions.
Transferring 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 had 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, based mostly on the analytics that I used to be getting from YouTube. I am in Sydney, so Australian time zones will not be all the time the very best, relying on the place your viewers is. I used to be wanting on the analytics from YouTube to see when individuals had been watching my movies essentially the most. Plenty of the time, I used to be asleep or, to be completely sincere, sitting on the sofa, taking part in Halo. So at that time, I wanted to determine, “How am I gonna get essentially the most traction?”.
I am on Mastodon greater than every other social community. Provided that there is not any algorithm there, it’s totally 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 submit 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 have the ability to get some traction actually helped. I used to submit one thing on Mastodon round lunchtime for me, however the nighttime for Europe. And I used to be getting perhaps 4 or 5 individuals boosting my posts or getting just a few likes right here and there. After I was capable of begin posting content material on the time that labored finest for my viewers, posts that used to get 20 reposts had been now getting 2,500 reposts.
So is social media the principle distribution channel to your movies?
It is principally social, I believe. I’ve family and friends who’re very nice and share it with all of their mates, and a number of former colleagues have now began reaching out to me and connecting with me through LinkedIn and issues like that. They usually’ve been re-sharing my content material amongst their groups internally. The community side 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 who I used to work with liked 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 obtained 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 the rest?
I might say it’s principally the content material. I like to assist the place I can, which sounds very self-serving to say it like that, however I’ll submit on YouTube, and within the feedback, somebody will say, “Mine is not fairly working like this; I am seeing this as a substitute.” Despite the fact that I can not bodily go and take a look at that individual’s laptop, I nonetheless like to assist. I randomly get tagged by individuals on Mastodon saying, “I am unsure who may also help you right here, however Paul would possibly know learn how to do it”. Folks now see me as an avenue for assist.
I’ve truly gotten some fairly cool video concepts because of individuals asking me questions and asking learn how to do issues higher. If somebody’s requested me a query, I can not cease fascinated with it till I determine it out. I might prefer to say {that a} willingness to assist actually did drive the expansion.
To me, that sounds I imply so much higher than making an attempt the everyday progress hacks?
I am certain that these little ideas do work for some.
The most important tip is simply to make content material that’s worthwhile to individuals. Try to be constant. Folks subscribe to channels after they know what they’re gonna get. Strive to not submit 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 obtained a little bit of spare time, so I have been creating a number of additional movies. I’ve obtained 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 cellphone nerd. My telco loves me as a result of I am going to change telephones every time a brand new cellphone comes out. I’ve had lots of people inform me, oh, mate, it’s best to do cellphone critiques and stuff like that. However then I’d go into the realm of needing to file face-based video versus only a display screen recording. A display screen recording is simple sufficient for me to do. Including my very own video feed into it provides exponentially higher issue ranges so far as modifying and transitions are involved. What I’ve now could be working, and it is working properly, so I’ll persist with that.
After which lastly, monetization is a tough factor to get to. The necessities have tremendously elevated. I used to be very fortunate that I have been capable of attain that standing. What I’d say is that when you get to that standing, it isn’t life-changing cash. I will be brutally sincere, I’ve made about ten bucks. However because the channel continues to develop and the again catalog of movies continues to develop, that passive supply of earnings 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 here are the largest takeaways from my dialog with Paul.
1. Focus in your area of interest of experience: Create content material that you’re enthusiastic about, and you’d need 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 precise platforms on the proper time. You by no means know if you would possibly get a retweet from an influencer.
4. Produce high quality content material constantly: Submit movies on an everyday schedule and plan your movies forward of time.
