Table of Contents
Why you might want to go with YouTube:
You wake up to a notification: "Your video ‘PHP is dead, long live PHP’ just hit 100,000 views." You scroll through the comments, see a few thumbs up, a few predictable PHP jokes, and towards the bottom, holy crap, two separate comment asking about your software development services. You spent hours on this video and months on the channel, but now this thing is paying dividends.
To get here, you'll need to:
- Master various skills: scriptwriting, video editing, lighting, and shooting
- Create compelling thumbnails and write good titles
- Post both long form videos and shorts consistently
Why you might not want to go with YouTube:
You've just spent 20 hours scripting, shooting, and editing your latest video. After a week, it has only 37 views, most of which are probably from your mom. The thought of starting the whole process over again for your next video makes you want to smash your phone.
This might be you if:
- You're camera-shy or uncomfortable being the face of your content
- You lack the technical skills for video production and are unwilling to learn or outsource
- You're looking for quick results with minimal time investment
- You struggle with consistent content creation
Who you need to be to make YouTube work for you:
You're the type of person who:
- Enjoys teaching and breaking down complex topics
- Is comfortable on camera or willing to develop that comfort
- Has the patience to build an audience over time
- Believes video is the format of the future
What you can expect:
- Timeline: Expect to invest 6-12 months before seeing consistent lead generation, though individual videos can sometimes take off quickly.
- Audience: Potentially vast and diverse, but you can target specific niches with the right keywords and topics.
- Benefits beyond leads: Establishment as a thought leader, potential for passive income through ad revenue, and opportunities for partnerships and speaking engagements.
A word on combining shorts and long-form content:
YouTube these days has both shorts and traditional longer form videos and combining both can be a powerful strategy.
Shorts get shown to a small “test” audience and if they like it, get shown to more. They have the potential of going viral based on the quality of the video alone, but the attention span is very short and usually geared for entertainment.
Traditional longer form videos are excellent education and credibility building tools but their discovery depends on building a following and (to a lesser extent) SEO.
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