The Secret Behind Our Explosive YouTube Growth

in #youtube7 years ago (edited)

If you haven't been following our Tangerine Travels from the beginning, we're producing daily videos as we travel through Mexico. While none of the videos are easy or quick to produce, our latest was one of the most labor-intensive yet.

In this post, I'm going to give you a behind-the-scenes look into what it takes to produce our (on average) 5-10 minute videos. As an extra bonus, I'll also share our biggest secret to our rapid YouTube growth.

At only 6:55 long, you may think "How could this video possibly take 12 hours to make? You're clearly not doing things efficiently!"

There's a lot more that goes into our videos than you probably think. Here's what goes on behind the curtains.

Shooting the footage


Guanajuato, Mexico is a city full of color. Houses all over the city are painted vibrant colors, so we wanted to showcase their beauty. At 10 am yesterday morning, we began walking around the city getting footage of its many colorful homes.

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We'd spend the next 5 hours walking up and down many of the incredibly steep streets of the city. About 6 miles and 15,000 steps later, we felt like we had enough footage, so it was off to our Airbnb. After, of course, another strenuous climb back up a hill. (The city is shaped like a bowl, so it's hard to get around that.)

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Compiling the shots


After getting the video from our action cam to our computer, we learned that we had about 200 clips and a little under 25 minutes of video.

At this point, Maddie had to transfer all the clips into iMovie to prepare them for editing.

Editing the clips


We've come to learn that if any scenery shot is more than 2 or 3 seconds long in the final video, the viewer will feel like it lasts for an eternity. Every second counts.

The proceeding hours were spent editing and refining each and every clip to take the absolute best split seconds of each and discard the rest.

Rearranging the clips


If we were to start off the video with whatever average footage we were able to get in the beginning (before getting our stride that particular day), our videos wouldn't be that great. That would also lead to low audience retention and sad puppy dogs everywhere. No bueno. We'd see viewers quickly drop off, never to be seen or heard from again.

We really wanted to showcase a few of the most vibrant colors in the very beginning of the video, but the problem was that when we started shooting the footage, the sun was low and shadowing most of the buildings. The colors pop significantly more if you get the shot at the right time of day. It's hard, if not impossible, to know this until reviewing the footage later since we can't view anything on the cam after recording it.

Quite a bit of time went into rearranging the clips so it had what Maddie deemed "the perfect flow" and we felt like others would enjoy the colorful story from start to finish.

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Making the cut


Now, it's time to go through the "rough cut" and make sure each clip has its place. We watched the video and made a judgment on each clip. Is the quality there? Does it fit with the rest of the video? Does it showcase the real Guanajuato? Should it make the cut?

If it didn't get a "hell yes!" to every one of these questions, it was, "adios, and better luck next time."

Finding music


You wouldn't believe how boring videos like this can be without background music! The music can absolutely make or break the video. Therefore, we needed a song that was free to use, long enough so it wouldn't repeat, but most importantly, a song that fit well with the theme and essence of the video.

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You need the music that agrees with a large audience (not too niche, like opera for instance) but you don't want it overpowering the footage so the only thing the viewer can pay attention to is the song. This can happen if you use music with lyrics.

Final Touches


After everything up to this point, small touches can do a lot for the final product. If you watch this video (above) closely, you'll notice that most of the clips change with the beat of the music. It takes a lot of effort to make that happen.

If we want to take out or add any video clips after putting in the music, the whole thing needs to be edited all over again. In this video, cutting the clips to match the music had to happen three times to get as close to a perfect product as possible.

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Creating a thumbnail


After the video is all ready to go, we need to create a thumbnail. This is the preview everyone sees on a Youtube video before pressing play; it's a pretty significant factor that determines whether or not people click on the video.

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Why else do thumbnails matter? Here's an example.


When you search YouTube for "The most colorful city in Mexico" we're probably going to come up at the top of the search results.

How are we ranking at the top right after posting our video? Keep reading to learn our secret that we promised you ;)


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Although we're at the very top of the search results, we still need our thumbnail to be the most clickable one on the list. The third thumbnail on this list is tough to compete with! That is an exceptionally bright picture and it stands out without needing text.

However, most of the time, we're competing against thumbnails that just aren't that good. We've found that adding bold text not only helps give context to the video without needing to read the title AND draws the eyes right over those other previews and onto ours.

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For each thumbnail, we have to dig through the video footage to find a good background with plenty of negative space for the text. It sometimes means getting half a dozen screenshots, trying out the title text on each, and scrapping most of them after a few attempts. The one above, for instance, didn't make the cut.

The thumbnail for this particular video took quite a few tries to get right but we feel the end result is great. (Not to mention a little Steemit highlight, holla!)

Download video to computer


After the video is complete, the next step is to download the file. A 7-minute video takes about 15 minutes.

Optimize video


Using HandBrake's free software, our next step is to optimize the video which takes an additional 15-20 minutes for a 7-minute video. It can save hours off YouTube upload time.

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Upload to Youtube


With the optimized video, we can now start the upload to YouTube. The amount of time this takes depends almost entirely on internet speed. At our current Airbnb, it will take 30-45 minutes to upload a 7-minute video. Using slower internet speeds, it could easily take 12 hours (we experienced this while in San Blas, Mexico).

Note: We are able to create the thumbnail at the same time the video is completing the last three steps (downloading, optimizing, and uploading.)


Screen Shot 2018-04-09 at 2.44.54 PM.png


Title research


The above chart shows the average number of minutes that people are watching our videos each day. Why are we seeing this exponential growth in our viewership? And how did we get this video to rank at the top of the search results immediately after uploading?

It's in large part thanks to our Secret Weapon, Tube Buddy!

If you have a YouTube channel, you need to download Tube Buddy. Even their free version is highly-useful. We're coming up on the end our free trial, but as soon as that's up, we're immediately ponying up for the paid subscription.

Use code "TangerineBuddy" for 20% Off a paid subscription.

Tube Buddy's software allows us (among many other things) to find the best search keywords to target. You enter search terms into their "Tag Explorer" and it spits out a grade for each term.


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In this screenshot, you'll see that the phrase "The most colorful city in Mexico" gets a 77 because:

This keyword isn't too competitive and has enough search volume to make it worth targeting.

The search term "Why is Guanajuato famous?" also gets a 77. Hence the title of our video: "Why is Guanajuato Famous? Tour of the Most Colorful City in Mexico"

Writing a description


Our primary focus for this video was to rank for the search terms:

  • "Why is Guanajuato Famous"
  • "The most colorful city in Mexico"

Therefore, we need to include both phrases in the title, description, and tags. The video's description is what people are going to see if they click to see more information about the video. You want it to sound natural, you don't want it to sound like you're stuffing keywords in there, and you want it to include the exact search terms that you're targeting.

Here is a preview of our description for this video. Notice that both search terms are included verbatim:


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Tag research


In addition to those primary search terms we were targeting, we were also hoping to rank in a number of secondary search terms. We use Tube Buddy's Tag Explorer again to find the best supplementary tags for our video.

After doing quite a bit of research, looking for tags with good search volume and low competition, we ended up using these words and phrases:


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Next to each tag, Tube Buddy shows us our YouTube ranking for each search term. As you can see, we're number one for the two terms we were targeting, and we're ranking for quite a few others!

Being able to rank for so many search terms immediately after posting a video goes a long way toward helping us grow our Youtube channel and it would be very difficult to do without Tube Buddy's software!

We would not be seeing this type of growth without the help of this awesome software. If you have a YouTube channel, I highly recommend that you download and use their software, even if you only ever use the free version.

If you end up wanting to upgrade to a paid subscription, you can use the promo code "TangerineBuddy" for 20% off.

Disclaimer: we're a TubeBuddy affiliate and will receive a commission if you end up downloading and paying for the service. We are only promoting it because we use it and love it.

Curious to learn more about us?
Check out @wadepaterson's 20 Questions with TangerineTravels.

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Until next time,
@sharingeverybite (Maddie)
@shenanigator (Jordan)
(and Laska the Siberian Husky)

If you enjoyed this post, follow us @TangerineTravels

Our YouTube goal is to hit 500 subscribers by April 25th.
Help us get there! Subscribe to our channel
Progress: 349/500

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I wish you get more views and visitors for your videos on YouTube. You seems work really hard for it and your efforts deserve appreciation.

Thanks, @shohana1 we appreciate that! Our viewership has been growing tremendously and we're gaining 20 or more subscribers on most days lately, which is a lot for a channel of our young age and small size. We are seeing the growth, so it's probably only a matter of time before we have a lot of subs.

My kids want to start posting videos on youtube. They will be watching this tonight for sure. My youngest is 8 and she keeps asking me if she can become a "youtube superstar". How can I tell her no...lol. Anyways thanks for sharing the back end side of what goes into creating your amazing videos!

I don't know, you're 8-year old could become a superstar, kids have a way of waving their hands in front of technology and magically having it work perfectly for them ;)

But for real, that's hilarious! Thanks for the compliment, that means a lot!!

When she posts her first video I'll let you know. She has decided this will happened and the work involved didn't bother her in the least. Now to find the time to work with her on this.

Compliment is deserved. Have watched multiple of your videos and I'm not a video fan so that says something. Have been talking with my Wife about selling everything and taking a couple years to travel. She still isn't 100% sold on the idea, but the type of questions she is asking makes me think she is starting to change her mind a little.

Have watched multiple of your videos and I'm not a video fan so that says something.

That's nice to hear!

Have been talking with my Wife about selling everything and taking a couple years to travel. She still isn't 100% sold on the idea, but the type of questions she is asking makes me think she is starting to change her mind a little.

Keep planting the seeds and watch them grow. Don't tell Maddie but that's what I may have done with her. (Totally unintentionally, of course!)

(Totally unintentionally, of course!)

LOL...I'm a little more honest with myself, I am totally planting seeds and proud of it. 100% intentional.

Are you calling me a liar? LOL

Maybe to yourself at least...lol. Good chatting with you, always nice meeting someone that you can joke around with.

Thanks for the tips! Upvoted!!

We appreciate the upvote. Thanks for reading!

This post, with over $50.00 in payouts, has used the following bid-bots.

postpromoter payout in the amount of $92.20 USD.
promobot payout in the amount of $40.42 USD.
smartmarket payout in the amount of $0.83 USD.

For a total calculated bidbot upvote value in the amount of $133.45 USD.

This information is being presented in the interest of transparency on our platform.

Please consider the long term effect on our platform before using bidbots!

You can read more about how bidbots are affecting our platform here.

This comment is by no means a judgement of your work @tangerinetravels, only an earnest appeal that we might all work together to build a great platform by letting the community curate our work and not bidbots.

@Transparencybot is a non-profit initiative, please consider supporting it and the transparency it brings to our platform.

Thanks, @transparencybot! This is our first time promoting a post. We really wanted to give a behind-the-scenes look at​ the tremendous amount of effort that goes into producing our videos.

Thanks, @tangerinetravels.
You’re being a real sport about @transparencybot. Really appreciated.
I just hope other people will react in the same way ;0)

I don't like the fact that bidbots have become so prevalent on this platform but it seems to me that they're here to stay. At least until a drastic change takes place (like the upcoming communities, for example).

I wish Steemit.com would create something that allowed users to promote posts up near the top of the home/trending page where instead of using a bid bot, the Steem/SBD would be burned. Sure, there is the "Promoted" tab that does exactly that, but does it ever get clicked on? I don't think so. Those promoted posts need to be more visible if we want that way of promotion to be used.

As long as bidbots are a thing here on Steem, I'd like to see them be used to promote the absolute best content. I think the trending page over the past months has been filled with mostly trash. Someone coming to Steemit for the first time would most likely see the trending page and think "Nah, this isn't for me." I know that's what I'd think if I didn't know anything about the platform and saw the trending page for the first time!

One good thing about bidbots is that it makes Steem Power more useful. Now, SP owners can earn a consistent income off of their investment. But does that make up for the negatives? Probably not.

I'm hopeful that communities will change this place for the better. Until then, I hope people will write up great posts and promote those to the top. That way, as long as bidbots have their place, we can showcase much of the outstanding work that so many Steemians have to offer. That's what the outside world needs to see, not the garbage that usually fills the trending page.

I completely agree. I think creators of quality content need to be as vain as the spammers are. If you have the money, buy your way up. But that won’ t help the people that have little or no money...

I don’t even dare to show thevplatform to my friends - lol. I don’t want them to think that’s the place I’m spending my time.

I think promoted content should be labeled as promoted content, and maybe even have its place. But I think posts should be rewarded by other authors because they are of good quality. Like it was originally intended to be.

But then you get the circle-jerking again...
Honestly, I don’t think most people are responsible enough to handle the system in a fair way. But that’s just my two cents...

Very interesting, if you need an audio mnemonic or some royaltee free music. Give me a shoutout

Awesome! Is there any place online where we can hear samples of your stuff?

Hey, here’s a post about one of our charity compilations. Audio mnemonics are not online atm, but i am working with some crypto startups
https://steemit.com/syria/@elektropunkz/dance-4-syria

I believe that city is what inspired the city of the dead in the Pixar movie Coco

I forget if it was on Steemit or YouTube but someone else mentioned the same thing. It totally reminds me of that city! The steep hills filled with colorful buildings!

Hola,

Wow, so much effort you folk put into each production. Because you go thru each step in a most optimal way, the whole videos always looked well put together.

Now, I know why you get so much views and followers.

Keep up the good work and keep on enjoy traveling.
Have fun.

Yeah, a lot more goes into it than meets the eye. We wanted to write this post (and promote it) because we wanted more people to see the things that go on behind the scenes.

Hola,

Great idea you did explain about your efforts putting together all these videos so, your follower feel more appreciate you sharing you travel.

A lot goes into making videos. The editing part is sometimes tiring, as you wouldn't want to leave any tiny details out. I did a 4 minutes picture plus sound clip, I knew the stress. Haha. You guys are doing really amazing. It is not easy walking around the city for five hours, get back to the room, and start editing and all the process that goes into it. What you are doing is commendable. It is not just, "they are posting videos". A LOT is being done. Well done.

The editing part is a tremendous amount of work, even after you know exactly what you're doing. As I'm sure you've come to find out, there's a pretty steep learning curve when it comes to editing video and knowing all the intricacies of the software. Something that's as easy as "drag and drop" could take one an hour to figure out. But once you know how to do it, it's significantly easier but still incredibly time-consuming​.

Thanks for always watching our videos, reading our entire blog, and leaving thoughtful comments. This is why you're one of our favorite Steemians!

Yaaaaaay!. Your words always delight me, and I am glad you always take your time to reply and explain things in details. I really admire you both. Thanks for being awesome.

I had to spend so much time to know this ... you leave me amazed brother ... good content ... keep it up

GREAT post! As a newbie to making videos/youtube, easily the best overview I've come across yet. MUCHAS GRACIAS :-) Edited to add: Note you are using the SonyFDR 4K thus assume you're shooting in 4K? If so does HandBrake retain 4k after converting? Also note on YT the highest setting on your vid said 1080? Thx!

Thanks, we appreciate that! We've put a lot more effort and research into optimizing our videos for search and into growing our channel than we have into how to get the absolute best video quality.

We don't always shoot in 4K because our action cam shoots better video in 1080p if we're moving because we get more frames-per-second.

As for HandBrake retaining 4K, I'm not sure exactly how that works or whether or not the original video quality is retained. I thought the video quality is retained and HandBrake's optimizing just makes for a quicker upload.

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