Programming &

Producing Content
First Steps
Before beginning this guide, it’s important
to have a basic understanding of how
to navigate YouTube Analytics and
its key features. Demystifying the how and
why behind video performance will directly
impact your efforts to develop future
programming!

Check out this short video detailing the

platform and, if you’re interested in more
info, click into the advanced guide on the
video’s endscreen.
The next step is to review your videos and
think about potential “buckets” that you can
organize them in:

■ Format, series, style, or tone

(ex. music videos, vlogs, sketches)

■ Intended audience
(ex. subscribers vs. non-subscribers)

■ Longevity of topic
(ex. evergreen vs. topical content)

■ Cost / Budget to produce

(monetary, time based, etc.)
Once you have identified these groups, the last
step is to organize your content and data to
ensure that you can access the information
you need. We recommend doing this via:

■ Groups, available in analytics, allow you

to see performance data across a set of
videos (including existing playlists!)

■ Playlists, whether public or private, are a

great way to organize your content and,
once set, can be quickly updated during
the video upload process!
Review Your
Channel Strategy
To get started, jump into YouTube analytics and look at the channel
view. The first thing you want to do here is immediately select a
wide date range, such as 90 days. This will not only allow for
perspective relative to any changes in your channel performance,
but also minimize outliers and seasonal fluctuations.

For example, look at how the 28 day chart to the right suggests a
performance drop, while the 90 day chart indicates a spike and
then return to typical performance.

With this perspective, a creator might analyze their performance

notice that the spike was driven by a one-off viral hit. In this
scenario, the indication would be that, while a high volume of new
viewers came to the channel for this single video, they didn’t stick
around to watch other content on the channel. With this in mind,
the creator might consider ways to better retain new viewers, such
as frequent Calls-to-action or investment in the topics driving new
viewers.
Now it’s time jump back into those analytics groups that you put
together. After setting a shared time period for your groups,
review the performance of each content bucket, taking note of:

■ Has there been an increase or decrease in any of

the groups in a particular period? When? Why?
(Ex. A creator might notice their vlogs format start to
overtake the tutorials that originally drove their channel)

■ Do any of the groups over or underperform

in a particular area?
(Ex. My video essays drive the most watch time and have
the longest view duration, but my vlogs gain more subs)

■ What are the averages for each video or episode in a

group? Are these being skewed by a single viral video?
(Ex. Your highest WT group might actually have a lower
average WT per episode when compared to another group)
Within both high and low-performing formats, it’s important to look at
the individual episodes or videos that are driving the overall
performance; look for patterns in:

■ Topics
(Ex. Reviews of cheaper, more accessible products
outperforming those of more expensive products)

■ Thumbnail and Title:

(Ex. Videos with bright colors and strong facial expressions
outperforming darker, less dynamic imagery)

■ Length and Retention

Look at average view duration and average percentage viewed
relative to total run time; are longer or shorter episodes
performing better relative to others?
Understanding your audience is key to planning future programming. Take a
look at the following data both at the channel level and across content groups:
NOTE: This data may be limited for MFK content / channels

■ Age, Gender, Geography: While this only captures signed-in viewers, it is

a good directional indicator of your viewership. To confirm this
information, think about fan meet ups; does this data accurately reflect
attendees?

■ Subscriber vs. Non-Subscriber Splits: Available across metrics like

Average View Duration and Views, this data is a great way to get a sense
of what content appeals to subscribers or, conversely, is more mass
appealing.

■ The Audience Interests Card: This cards highlights the videos (other
than your own) most watched by your audience over the last 7 days.
This report is a great way to identify popular video topics and formats,
ideas for different title and thumbnail styles, and even collaboration
opportunities.
Next it’s time to take a look at your release schedule. Look at
a wide period of time and consider the following:

■ Frequency: How often do you upload per week/month?

Is this sustainable over the long term? Do you have a
structure to what comes when?
(Ex. Monday Vlogs and Friday Reviews)
■ Consistency: Are you consistent about both your
upload and content schedules? Have you taken any
breaks or made changes in the last 6 months?
(Ex. Do you upload off schedule for things like
Halloween or Vlogmas?)
■ Content Volume: Is there a particular format, series, or
content type that you’re producing more of vs. another?
Now that you’ve got the data in front of you, look at the
efficiency of each type of content:

■ Monetary Cost vs. Return

Review the monetary cost to produce individual
videos in each content group and compare it to
both the viewership and revenue they generate.
Try to identify your most and least profitable
content. RPM is great metric for this!
■ Time to Produce
Outside of pure monetary cost, it’s also important to
think about the time involved to produce one
content type vs. another. Based on the data
available, ask yourself whether it’s more important
to focus on low-frequency, high-production value
content or high-frequency, easy-to-produce content.
Taking all of the previous slides into account, it’s time to
build out a content outline that guides your future video
topics and upload frequency + takes into account any HERO

changes you’d like to make.

During the review process, it’s possible that you’ve

HELP HELP
decided to explore new content types. We’ll look at how to
build out new content ideas in later slides, so for now it’s
okay to list certain uploads in your schedule as TBD.
HUB HUB HUB HUB

If you’re happy with your existing content, feel free to skip

the next section and move on to “Review Your Workflow”.
Week Week Week Week Week Week Week
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Hero content serves as a tentpole moment
and drives viewers to your channel who are
unfamiliar with you or your brand:
■ Rare, usually built around a major event,
release, or big idea

■ Deals with mass appeal topics that lean into

the video’s concept as opposed to
your star power

■ Provide a moment of mass promotion,

converting a large amount of casual viewers
into loyal subscribers
Help content is evergreen and serves as a source of
continuous viewership and subscriber growth;
e.g. “How to tie a tie”
■ Targeted topics; appeals direct to specific
interests by fulfilling a need, addressing a
niche, or answering a question

■ Infrequent, but not rare; help content is more

common than hero content, but likely won’t
be the bulk of your releases

■ Converts casuals; help content is meant to

expose your content to new audiences,
bringing them into the fold and (ideally)
converting them to frequent viewers
Hub content appeals to your core audience,
keeping them coming back via steady, consistent,
content that appeals to their expectations and
desires.
■ Common; this content will likely be the
majority of your releases and speak
directly to your channel goals / mission

■ Familiar; hub content should feel familiar to

long time viewers; lean into your formats and
don’t be afraid to get personal!

■ Repeatable; hub content should be easy to

produce on a consistent basis, save the big
picture stuff for hero ideas!
Build Out Your
Programming
Before setting out to research and develop a programming
slate for your channel, you should be clear about the goals
this new content aims to achieve:

■ Revenue focused content will likely focus on

advertiser friendly topics, appeal to high CPM
audiences, and (typically) skew longer.
■ Subscriber Growth focused content will need to
introduce your brand and incentivize viewers to
come back on a consistent basis.
■ Reach focused content is likely to be accessible and
mass appeal; it can answer common questions,
address topical issues, or provide universally
understood entertainment.
Once your goals are set, it’s time to do some research by watching
a wide range of content. Consider using the following strategies to
organize your research:

■ Review Creator on the Rise regularly for a sense

of up-and-coming creators. Pay particular attention to
the personality, vertical, formats, and style of the creator
+ their content.
■ Learn from your peers by watching content you see as
competitive or complementary to your own. If you’re unsure
of who your peers are, consider reviewing the audience
interests card and/or asking your audience what other
channels they watch.
■ Diversify your research by also looking at videos that you’ve
never engaged with (ex. live streams, new verticals). Think
about how you might experiment with these new topics or
put your own spin on existing formats!
While broad appeal content is great, it’s possible to find
success by tapping into a smaller, passionate niche
community. These niches vary in size; there might a
massive fandom that plays the game Fortnite or a
smaller group that collects antique cars.

Take time to think about the subjects you love. Perhaps

it’s fashion? Yoga? Pets? Being a mom? When your goal
is to reach a niche audience, it’s important that you feel
connected to that niche and share the audience’s
passion. You want your videos to come across as
genuine and authentic.

After narrowing down your niche interests, consider

using relevant on and off-platform communities as a
source of information and insight into what’s being
created for the existing community.
While broad trends bring potential reach, it’s important
to consider:

■ The audience for a trend might not be the same

as your existing fanbase; if you’re a beauty
creator, it might not make sense to engage with a
fitness trend.

■ Sustainability: while you might find success with

a trend, your viewership will rise and fall based on
the popularity of the trend itself rather than your
content. We recommend focusing on unique,
sustainable content to avoid a situation where
you’re always chasing the hottest new trend.

■ Timing is everything. YouTube culture and trends

move at lightning speed, so it’s important to
always consider the lifecycle of a trend before
diving in.
While collabs are a great way to expose your content to
established audiences, they do require a bit of planning.
Consider the following and then click here for more
in-depth guidance.

■ Choose wisely: The most popular creator in your

vertical may not be the best choice; focus on
audience overlap, personality match, and content
style. A great place to start is the Audience
Interests card, which can provide insights into the
other creators your audience is watching.

■ Go beyond a one-off: Think about creating a

repeatable format that allows you to “guest-in”
your collaborators

■ Be social: It’s called the creator community for a

reason! The best collaborations are built out of real
relationships formed through social interactions
rather than business arrangements
While the impact of search traffic will vary from creator to creator, it can nonetheless be a good
indicator of audience interests. We recommend reviewing:

■ YouTube Search traffic will allow you to see what searches directed viewers to your content. This
can give you insights on things like titling, popular formats, and audience familiarity with your name
or brand. For example, a channel may notice that a significantly higher number of viewers arrive to
the channel by searching for the title of a popular format (like Meme Review) as opposed to
searching for the channel name itself.

■ Google Trends allows you to track the popularity of various search terms over a period of time. For
example, a channel may notice that search traffic around “halloween costumes” tends to spike
every year in the months of September and October. Knowing this, the channel could get ahead of
the trend by creating a few unboxing videos in August, scheduling them for release just as the
search traffic spikes. Additionally, Google Trends allow you to look at related queries; a channel
might try searching itself and then reviewing related queries for potentially series ideas or
collaborators!
Asking your audience for their input on future content is a great
way to drive engagement and help viewers feels a sense of
ownership towards the channel and it’s content + voice.

■ Stories are another great way to engage your audience’s

creativity. When doing so, don’t forget to use reply-in-story
to directly comment on viewer ideas worthy of discussion!
■ Community Tab Polls are a great way to get targeted votes
and feedback on specific topics, future thumbnails, and
more. For maximum flexibility, encourage your audience to
leave additional ideas in the comments!

■ In-video calls-to-action are nearly as old as YouTube itself,

but are an ever effective way of driving viewer engagement
in the comments. If you find an idea worth using, don’t
forget to shout out the suggester when posting the video!
While it might not be for every creator,
live streaming is a great way to produce
real-time, engagement-focused content
for your audience.

If you’re interested in pursuing live streaming,

we recommend:

■ Checking out the YouTube Creators video

on the right side of this slide.

■ Reviewing the playbooks and courses

available in this Creator Academy toolkit!

■ Checking out this YouTube Help Center

article for any technical questions regarding
the live product.
Once you’ve taken some time for research and development of
content ideas, return to the content outline you put together
earlier in this deck.

Review the releases you have already planned and think about
whether they’re still valid relative to the content deep dive you
just did. Using this context, it’s time to build out your future
programming slate and finalize the list of topics you plan to
upload in the coming weeks / months.

Bear in mind, that while the goal is to get as far ahead as

possible on content, different content types and verticals may
limit how far ahead you can plan (ex. topical news, vlogs, etc.)

For this reason, it’s also important that we review your

production workflow to maximize efficiency and turnaround.
A Note on Pivots,
New Channels,
& Taking a Break
 When it comes to a pivot, timing is everything. Before
committing to a content shift:

■ Look for a broad audience shift: Review the

demographics information in YTA; has there been a
substantial change in audience age / gender / geo?
Can you trace this to a moment in time?

■ Review Google Trends: Similarly, if your content

focuses on a single topic (e.g., tiny houses),
performance may be tied to the public’s changing
level of interest; check this via Google Trends.

■ Check in with yourself: While data is important, your After noting the success of their college focused content, Brooklyn and Bailey
own passion (or lack thereof) can also show through shifted their content to target an older, young adult audience.
in your content. Do you feel you could be more
creatively fulfilled by a change? Have your interests
evolved and you’re now drawn to different types of
content? Answering “yes” could signal that it’s time
for a change.
29
 As you being your pivot, keep these best practices
in mind:

■ Ask big questions: What creative horizons do you

want to explore? What is sustainable long term?
How can you create content that connects your new
passions with your audience’s interests?

■ Communicate and iterate: Be transparent with you

audience about the changes you hope to make and try
to ease into any major changes. As your content
develops, measure results and test and iterate on
different approaches.

■ Commit for the long term: It can take some time, think
months, not weeks, to observe true results. As time
passes, be ready and able to respond to audience
feedback and trends you notice in the data. It’s
inevitable that some viewers will be vocally opposed to
the change, so it’s important to measure yourself based
on your initial goals and the metrics you hope to
influence.
30
 If you want to try something new but don’t want to pivot your main
channel, creating a spinoff channel could offer many benefits:

■ New topics: If your main channel focuses on a single topic

(e.g., RV life), a spinoff channel can give you the chance to
share your other interests without alienating or confusing
your audience.

■ New formats: A second channel is a great place to flex your

creative muscles! A great example of this is Corridor, who
uses a multi-channel presence to experiment with a wide
variety of topics and content types.

■ New audiences and opportunities: Though there are no

guarantees, a spinoff channel that reaches different
demographics can lead to opportunities like brand deals
that wouldn’t necessarily happen on your main channel.

31
 As you launch your spinoff channel, consider utilizing these
best practices:

■ Bank content for the launch: It’s a good idea to prepare a

few videos for the launch of the new channel. This will
showcase your commitment to this new outlet and
provide viewers with a variety of content to engage with
as they engage with the channel.

■ Create a distinct voice and identity: While some overlap

is inevitable, a spinoff channel that too closely mirrors
your other channels’ offerings can confuse and split the
audience. Be sure your spinoff focuses on content and
value viewers can’t get from your main channel.

■ Make an announcement: It’s important that you create

For some creative inspiration, take a look at this channel
an announcement video on your main channel that trailer / announcement video from Unus Annus.
clearly states the goals of your new channel, the content
viewers can expect, and provides easy to access via
links in your video descriptions, cards, and endscreen.

32
 Being a YouTube Creator can be very exciting, but it can also entail a
substantial amount of time and effort. It’s important to treat yourself with
compassion, and to respect that you have limits like any other person.

As you go about your normal work week, be mindful of symptoms of burnout.

Is creating videos feeling stressful and not enjoyable? Are you feeling like you
just can't create anymore? To quote the National Institutes of Health, burnout
symptoms include: “an overwhelming exhaustion, feelings of cynicism and
detachment from the job, and a sense of ineffectiveness and lack of
accomplishment.”

If any of the above rings true for you, we recommend you consider taking a
break from your channel. Whether this is a few days or a few months, we
want to stress that YouTube’s recommendation systems do not disadvantage
channels that break from uploading. After looking at thousands of channels
across YouTube, we saw that while some channels experience a dip in Looking for tips on self-care and burnout? Check out
viewership after taking a break, many actually perform better. this lesson from the Creator Academy!

For tips on successfully taking a break, check out the next slide!
33
 When planning for a break, it’s important to consider the
following:

■ Think about the timing: Is there a time of year when

your viewers or ad revenue are lower than usual?
For example, a creator might use each January (a
month commonly associated with low ad spend) to
rest and recharge.

■ Talk to your audience: The YouTube community can

be incredibly supportive, and sharing your intentions
will not only keep viewers in the loop, but can make
your connection with them even stronger. If possible,
make sure you let them know when you’ll be back!

■ Consider off-season content: Creators have used a

variety of strategies to maintain their presence during
a break, including compilations of old content, guest
hosts, or lightweight content formats like Community
Posts or Stories.

34
Review Your
Workflow
As you may have noticed in the previous section, it’s important to set aside
dedicated time to research and develop future video concepts. We
recommend you work towards consistent content planning sessions and:

■ Enlist creative help: while production staff (like editors) can be a huge
help, don’t be afraid to also seek out creative collaborators that can
fulfill a writer / producer role.

■ Be realistic: While you shouldn’t limit your creativity, you should weigh
the costs (both monetary and time) involved to produce certain ideas.
If you’re committed to an idea but worried about being able to execute,
try stripping away everything but the minimum viable elements
necessary to produce it.

■ Keep a record: While not every idea will make it, it’s important to track
your concepts in a notebook or digital document. If you ever find
yourself having to cancel a video, these partially developed ideas
might be easier than starting from scratch!
Once you’ve settled on a set of video concepts, pre-production is the stage
where you plan out the “how” that will allow you to deliver on these ideas in
the production stage. Here, it’s important to:

■ Review your needs in bulk: Take a look across the videos you intend
to produce and think about the resources necessary to produce them.
Rather than standing up a new crew, location, gear rental, etc. for
each, ask yourself where overlaps exists and then schedule
appropriately.

■ Schedules and shot lists: There’s an old production adage that states
“a minute in pre-pro is worth an hour in post.” With this in mind, focus
on early organization and try to plan out everything from the days you
plan to shoot to the “shots” necessary to making your vision a reality.

For more in-depth guidance, check out this video from

the YouTube Creator Academy!
Now that you’ve extensively prepared, planned, and prioritized, it’s time to physically
produce the content for your channel:

■ Emphasize audio: There are few things that ruin a video quicker than bad audio
quality. While on set, prioritize quiet, non-echoing spaces and use the highest
quality microphones available to you (avoid built-in mics). To avoid copyright
issues, avoid recording 3rd party music in the background of your videos and
use the YouTube Audio Library if you need to swap out a track!

■ Dedicated resources: The last thing you want to be doing on production day is
scrambling to find equipment or sets for your production. Where possible, try to
have dedicated gear reserved and consider using a space in your dwelling as a
dedicated production space.

■ Maximize efficiency: Where possible, try to stuff as much production and

content into your shoot days as physically possible. This will not only ensure
return on investments like rentals, but also allow you to batch shoot content,
leading to fewer dedicated shoot days overall. In addition, try to capture any
information on set that might be useful in post (Ex. stills for a thumbnail, BTS
footage, notes on which take is best)
For many creators, editing is the most time-consuming part of their
production process. To optimize your experience, try:

■ Enlisting an editor: Having someone to help comb through the

week’s footage will not only free up time, but also give you a
second set of eyes on your content; for best results look for
someone with both the right skill set and a deep passion for your
content.

■ Reviewing your software: While you might be comfortable with a

more basic editor like iMovie, more advanced editing software
suites can offer powerful tools, plugins, and features that might
allow you to streamline your process.
For an in-depth look at a fellow creator’s experience hiring
a video editor, check out this video!
■ Using a file system: Organize your footage, project files, and other
assets into a digital folder that is easy to access and navigate. For
safekeeping, we recommend using an external hard drive that can
be stored in a secure location. In addition, try to hold onto old
footage as long as possible, as it might come in handy for future
projects or throwback compilations!
If you’re eligible, we recommend dedicating some time towards
promotion of upcoming content via product features like:

■ Stories content is lightweight and easy way for you to keep you
audience updated on future releases via your mobile device.
Try posting behind-the-scenes footage, short teaser clips, and
direct-to-camera hype that adds value for loyal viewers and builds
the velocity of your next upload. Once the video is posted, don’t
forget to shout it out!

■ Community Posts are a great place to post compelling gifs, memes,

and images that tease your coming content. As with Stories, the
best content will add value for viewers while avoiding the
appearance of being purely promotional (ex. just a link to the video) Looking how to use all three of these tools together?
Check out this strategy!

■ Premieres are a great way to funnel the promotional efforts above

into a red carpet, joint viewing experience for those fans who show
up right at the release of your video. If you want to take advantage
of this feature, we recommend uploading 1-3 hours before launch
and then sharing the landing page out via the above features!
While just getting to the video upload can be exhausting, it’s
important to give your full effort to these finishing touches:

■ Upload early (if possible): Try to upload your video as

either scheduled, unlisted, or private a few hours in
advance of release. Doing so will give you time to address
any last minute issues, including upload errors, yellow
icons, and video processing.

■ Don’t overstress the “when”, but be consistent: Instead of

worrying about a “magic time” to post your content, focus
on the time that makes the most sense for you and
workflow. Once you’ve found this time, be consistent in
your releases to avoid audience confusion.

■ Make sure the relevant features are enabled: Be sure to

review the various upload settings to ensure that the
proper features are enabled; this includes things like
Premiere status, ad enablement, and features like Super
Chat / Super Stickers.
In many cases, a video’s thumbnail is the only element a viewer will
review before deciding whether or not to click in or keep scrolling. With
this in mind:

■ Consider the audience: Who is your video targeting? Content

targeting your subscribers might highlight familiar features (e.g.
your best friend), while content targeting casual viewers can lean
on actions and emotions that are more universally relatable (ex. a
shocked face)

■ Create synergy: A thumbnail and title work together to tell a

story. How can you use your thumbnail to catch viewers eyes and
express something the title alone could not?

■ Think mobile: Many viewers will be watching your video on small

screens, so make sure your thumbnail stills works when shrunk Think of how a viewer might respond differently if this thumbnail instead
down and viewed at low brightness. used text like “Interview with Jada” or “Interview with My Daughter”

■ Know your vertical: Different verticals have different tastes;

some, like beauty or tech, might lend themselves towards bright,
product-focused thumbnails. Others, like lifestyle vlogs, might be
more focused on more naturalistic stills that showcase the
individuals who appear in the content.
If thumbnails catch the viewer's eye, it’s titles that make a promise about
the actual content of your video. When creating your title, try to:

■ Be accurate: Make sure your title is a true representation of the video.

Otherwise, viewers are likely to click on your video, realize it’s not
what they thought, and quickly click away, driving down your average
view duration and average percentage watched.

■ Focus on specifics: While a video might span multiple days of

activity, it’s usually best if the title focuses in on the most exciting,
engaging, or accessible elements of the video.

■ Keep it short: Similarly, while YouTube allows up to 100 character

titles, try keeping them under 70 characters and focusing on the most
important words at the front.

■ Engage the audience: Consider using the title to ask the audience a
question or make a statement that they either agree or don’t agree
with. Doing so will start the engagement process immediately and Looking for more guidance on thumbnails and titles?
can motivate viewers to click in to either answer the question or Check out this lesson from the Creator Academy!
prove / disprove your statement. (Ex. Is this the best steak ever?!)
Final Thoughts
This brings us to the end of the production and programming guide.
By now, you’ve hopefully garnered a sense of:

■ The basic skills necessary to start a channel analysis

■ The process for reviewing your overall channel strategy

■ Tips and tricks for creating new programming ideas

■ How to review and optimize your creation workflow

Looking for more content strategy advice? Check out the toolkits available here!

Prefer video content? Check out the YouTube Creators and Creator Insider channels!
Thank you!