How to Establish Thought Leadership on YouTube  ## Metadata - Author: [[Social Media Marketing Podcast]] - Full Title: How to Establish Thought Leadership on YouTube - Category: #podcasts - URL: https://share.snipd.com/episode/93ee07dc-c58b-4bc0-82ec-fc9a831fd1a8 ## Document Notes > [!note]+ Document Notes > tags: [youtube-strategy, thought-leadership, video-marketing] > author: Mike Stelzner > source: Social Media Examiner > reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geahwXBPTNY > date created: 2024-12-28 15:30 > > # 🏷️ Title: How to Establish Thought Leadership on YouTube > <!-- deep-read:sections start --> ## 🧰 Action Inbox - [H1] Define your perfect viewer avatar (like "Charlotte") — foundation for all content #youtube-strategy - [H2] Create title before recording using the 4Ps method — video structure strategy #content-creation - [H3] Test multiple title variations using YouTube's AB testing feature — optimization #split-testing ## 🧭 Table of Contents - [📝 Summary](#-summary) - [📖 Main Content](#-main-content) - [🗒️ Notes](#️-notes) - [📚 References](#-references) - [🗣️ Paraphrase](#️-paraphrase) - [📰 Newsletter](#-newsletter) - [✅ Action Items](#-action-items) - [🧪 Hypotheses](#-hypotheses) - [📊 Methodology](#-methodology) - [❓ Questions](#-questions) - [🔮 Future Research](#-future-research) - [💡 Implications](#-implications) - [🧠 Learning Styles Assessment](#-learning-styles-assessment) - [📊 Accessibility Assessment](#-accessibility-assessment) - [🌍 DEIB Assessment](#-deib-assessment) - [✅ Logical Validity](#-logical-validity) - [🛡️ DARVO Analysis](#-darvo-analysis) - [🎯 Conclusion](#-conclusion) ### 🔗 References - [Amy Landino's Website](https://amylandino.com) - [Social Media Marketing Podcast](https://socialmediaexaminer.com/shows/social-media-marketing-podcast/) ## 📝 Summary - Amy Landino explains her 4Ps method for establishing thought leadership on YouTube - YouTube's long-form content creates deeper connections than other platforms - Content has lasting power - videos can generate views for years unlike other social platforms - Success requires understanding your target viewer and speaking directly to their problems - Key stakeholders: business coaches, consultants, and professionals wanting to build authority online - Bottom line: YouTube's long-form format builds stronger thought leadership than short-form content across other platforms ## 📖 Main Content Amy Landino, business coach and author, shares her systematic approach to building thought leadership through YouTube's long-form video format. Her 4Ps framework (Problem, Package, Promise, Picture) provides a structured method for creating content that resonates with target audiences and establishes expertise. The core argument centers on YouTube's unique advantages: content longevity (videos can generate views for years), long-form format allowing deeper connection, and the platform's role as both a video and podcast destination. Unlike short-form platforms where content has brief lifespans, YouTube's algorithm continues serving relevant content to new audiences over time. Landino emphasizes the importance of defining a specific viewer avatar and addressing their actual problems rather than what creators think they should know. Her "broccoli in the cake" concept illustrates how to package necessary but unpalatable advice within appealing promises that viewers actually want. ## 🗒️ Notes #### ⏱️ [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geahwXBPTNY?t=0) — [H1] YouTube Title Evolution - Key idea: YouTube titles have shifted from creative to obvious - Evidence: "Back in the day with YouTube, you really had to be very creative with your titles. To get people to pay attention, now you just have to be obvious." #### ⏱️ [03:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geahwXBPTNY?t=225) — [H2] Amy's Journey and Pivot Point - Key idea: 2018 pivot from video marketing to time management accelerated growth - Evidence: "It took all of seven years to get to 80,000 YouTube subscribers. At the beginning of 2018. We from went from 80,000 to a hundred thousand in a hundred days just by talking about time management and morning routines" #### ⏱️ [08:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geahwXBPTNY?t=510) — [H1] Why YouTube Matters for Thought Leadership - Key idea: YouTube dominates long-form video with unmatched content longevity - Evidence: "There is just no other platform period that wins with long form video the way that YouTube does... Everything now is how do we get it to you as fast as possible, which means getting it as short as possible" #### ⏱️ [12:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geahwXBPTNY?t=735) — [H2] YouTube as Podcast Platform - Key idea: YouTube competes as top podcasting destination offering audio and video - Evidence: "YouTube might be number one or number two, I'm not sure who's top right now for podcasting platforms" #### ⏱️ [15:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geahwXBPTNY?t=920) — [H1] Content Longevity Advantage - Key idea: YouTube content can generate views and revenue for years - Evidence: "My most popular video for for years was one I filmed in the first six months... That video was by far and away the most successful video on my channel for years because it just kept showing up in search" #### ⏱️ [19:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geahwXBPTNY?t=1185) — [H1] First P: Defining Your Perfect Viewer - Key idea: Successful YouTube content requires speaking to a specific person, not a camera - Evidence: "When you look at the lens, like it's that person, it's like you're sitting down for coffee with somebody who just wanted to ask your advice" #### ⏱️ [22:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geahwXBPTNY?t=1350) — [H2] Charlotte Avatar Example - Key idea: Specific viewer personas enable targeted content creation - Evidence: "My perfect viewer has always been Charlotte... She's probably treating her business a little bit too much like a job because she's very happy. She didn't have to be at that old job anymore" #### ⏱️ [26:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geahwXBPTNY?t=1570) — [H1] Second P: Problem Identification - Key idea: Content must solve specific problems using viewer's language - Evidence: "What's the problem that we're solving for? Even people who are comedians are solving a problem with their content... Use the words your viewer would be using" #### ⏱️ [29:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geahwXBPTNY?t=1785) — [H2] Broccoli in the Cake Concept - Key idea: Package necessary but unpalatable advice within appealing promises - Evidence: "We, in business, we have learned so much. And we just wanna take our clients and shake 'em and be like, it's a you thing. You're screwing this up... But they don't care" #### ⏱️ [35:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geahwXBPTNY?t=2120) — [H1] Third P: Package (Problem + Desired Outcome) - Key idea: Content should bridge current state to desired state systematically - Evidence: "What I'm gonna try to do with my content... is to understand that arc. What's the problem? And where do we, where are we trying to go?" #### ⏱️ [42:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geahwXBPTNY?t=2535) — [H1] Fourth P: Promise in Titles - Key idea: YouTube titles should make clear, obvious promises to viewers - Evidence: "Now you just have to be obvious... the promise you make is how are you going to identify with or solve that problem in this piece of content" #### ⏱️ [47:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geahwXBPTNY?t=2850) — [H2] Title Creation Strategy - Key idea: Create title before recording to maintain focus on promise - Evidence: "If you are waiting until after the video is done to come up with what your title and thumbnail are gonna be. It's amateur hour" #### ⏱️ [52:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geahwXBPTNY?t=3165) — [H1] Picture: Thumbnail Strategy - Key idea: Thumbnails should add intrigue and show process elements - Evidence: "You have to give a visual representation of what people are going to get. But not only that, it needs to add intrigue" #### ⏱️ [57:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geahwXBPTNY?t=3430) — [H2] Thumbnail Examples and Methods - Key idea: Successful thumbnails combine faces with process indicators - Evidence: "The CCC method... Now you can see a little bit of my process. I made you a good promise in the title winning video" ## 📚 References - [Amy Landino's Website](https://amylandino.com) - [Good Morning, Good Life Book](https://amylandino.com/book/) - [Amy TV YouTube Channel](https://youtube.com/amytv) ## 🗣️ Paraphrase - YouTube's long-form video format creates stronger thought leadership connections than short-form content on other platforms - Success requires defining a specific viewer avatar and addressing their actual problems using language they understand - The 4Ps method (Problem, Package, Promise, Picture) provides a systematic framework for creating compelling YouTube content - Content longevity on YouTube means videos can generate value for years, unlike other platforms where content quickly disappears ## 📰 Newsletter **YouTube Thought Leadership: The 4Ps Method for Lasting Impact** Want to build real authority in your space? Amy Landino's 4Ps framework transforms how you approach YouTube content creation. Unlike other platforms where content disappears quickly, YouTube videos can generate views for years. Amy's tutorial from 2011 remained her top video for years simply because it solved a specific problem people kept searching for. The key insight: stop trying to be creative with titles and start being obvious. Your title is a promise - make it clear what viewers will gain. **The 4Ps Framework:** - **Problem**: What specific challenge does your viewer face? - **Package**: What's the desired outcome they want? - **Promise**: What will they gain from this video? - **Picture**: How does your thumbnail add intrigue? Amy's "broccoli in the cake" concept is genius - wrap necessary but unappealing advice inside promises people actually want. Instead of "You need better systems," try "How to never worry about where clients come from again." Start by defining your perfect viewer (Amy calls hers Charlotte) and speak directly to their current struggles and desired outcomes. Resources: [Amy Landino](https://amylandino.com), [YouTube Creator Academy](https://creatoracademy.youtube.com), [Social Media Examiner](https://socialmediaexaminer.com) ## ✅ Action Items #### DevRel - Developer advocacy: Create YouTube series addressing specific developer pain points using 4Ps method - Education: Develop long-form tutorials that solve actual coding problems developers search for - Developer experience: Use YouTube to demonstrate API implementations and troubleshooting processes - Developer marketing: Leverage YouTube's search functionality to reach developers seeking solutions - Community management: Monitor YouTube comments for feedback and community building opportunities #### Community - Maintainers: Create video documentation for complex setup processes and contribution guidelines - Contributors: Develop onboarding video series using clear problem-solution structure - Sponsors: Produce transparency videos showing impact and fund allocation - Ecosystem: Coordinate cross-project video content and collaborative tutorials #### WordPress - Core: Record development process videos and architectural decision explanations - Community: Create meetup presentation templates following 4Ps structure - Training: Develop comprehensive video learning paths for different skill levels - Documentation: Supplement written docs with video tutorials addressing common pain points - Support: Create troubleshooting video series for frequently reported issues #### The WPCC - Programs: Document fellowship programs and success stories through video testimonials - Projects: Create case studies showing before/after results of governance improvements - Funding: Produce transparent reporting videos showing fund allocation and impact ## 🧪 Hypotheses - YouTube's algorithm favors content that delivers on clear promises made in titles, leading to higher retention and recommendation rates - Long-form video content creates stronger parasocial relationships than short-form, resulting in higher conversion rates for thought leaders - Content creators who define specific viewer avatars produce more focused, engaging content than those targeting broad audiences - The "broccoli in the cake" approach increases consumption of educational content by packaging it within desired outcomes ### 📊 Methodology - A/B test video titles using obvious promises vs. creative/vague titles to measure click-through rates - Track viewer retention rates between videos that establish clear problems vs. those that don't - Compare engagement metrics for channels with defined avatars vs. those without specific target viewers - Measure conversion rates from YouTube traffic for thought leaders using systematic content frameworks ### ❓ Questions - How do YouTube's recommendation algorithms weigh title clarity against engagement metrics? - What's the optimal balance between addressing immediate problems and building long-term thought leadership? - How can B2B professionals adapt consumer-focused YouTube strategies for professional audiences? ### 🔮 Future Research - Analyze correlation between YouTube success and business outcomes for professional service providers - Study the effectiveness of different thumbnail strategies across various professional niches - Investigate how YouTube's role as a podcast platform affects content strategy decisions ### 💡 Implications - Practice: Content creators need systematic frameworks rather than ad-hoc approaches to YouTube success - Policy: Organizations should consider YouTube part of their documentation and training infrastructure - Security: Long-form content requires careful consideration of what processes and information to reveal publicly - Education: Educational institutions should leverage YouTube's searchability for evergreen instructional content - Funding: Marketing budgets should account for YouTube's long-term ROI potential compared to short-form platforms ### 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment Reading level estimate: 8.2 (Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level) #### 👀 Visual learners - Present: Thumbnail examples, visual framework diagrams for 4Ps method - Improve: Process flow charts showing problem-to-solution journey, before/after examples #### 🔊 Aural learners - Present: Full interview audio available, conversational explanation style - Improve: Audio summary highlighting key framework points, pronunciation guide for technical terms #### 🗣️ Verbal learners - Present: Clear definitions of "broccoli in cake," specific examples with Charlotte avatar - Improve: Glossary of YouTube terminology, more analogies comparing to familiar concepts #### 🧩 Kinesthetic learners - Present: Step-by-step 4Ps process, actionable title creation exercises - Improve: Worksheet for defining viewer avatars, hands-on thumbnail creation guide #### 🧠 Logical learners - Present: Systematic framework structure, clear cause-effect relationships - Improve: Decision trees for title selection, metrics-based success measurement criteria #### 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Social learners - Present: Interview format encourages discussion, community building aspects - Improve: Collaboration prompts for peer feedback, group exercises for testing ideas #### 🧘‍♀️ Solitary learners - Present: Self-directed framework application, individual reflection on target audience - Improve: Personal assessment tools, solo practice exercises for content creation #### 🌿 Naturalistic learners - Present: Organic conversation flow, natural problem-solution patterns - Improve: Content ecosystem analogies, growth and adaptation metaphors ### 📊 Accessibility Assessment #### Screen reader semantics - Present: Clear heading structure, descriptive content organization - Improve: Alt text for any framework diagrams, ARIA labels for complex concepts #### Keyboard navigation - Present: Standard video controls accessible via keyboard - Improve: Timestamp navigation shortcuts, transcript interaction capabilities #### Contrast and readability - Present: Standard text meets contrast requirements - Improve: High contrast mode compatibility, larger text options for detailed frameworks #### Text resizing and reflow - Present: Content scales appropriately at 200% zoom - Improve: Responsive framework diagrams, flexible layout for all screen sizes #### Media and captions - Present: YouTube auto-captions available - Improve: Professional captions with speaker identification, downloadable transcript #### Forms and interactions - Present: Basic video interaction controls - Improve: <!-- deep-read:sections end --> ## Highlights - **Subscriber Growth From Time & Routines** - Amy grew from 80K to 300–400K subscribers after focusing on time management and routines. - A pivot to those topics produced rapid subscriber growth within months in 2018–2019. Transcript: Amy Landino It has been a real, like when I say it's been a journey, 2018 was a pivotal year for my career in particular. Mike, you've been on my journey since beginning. And you know, I was building YouTube for as long as I've been in this business. I've been on YouTube. Michael Stelzner Sexy, savvy, social. Amy Landino Yes, that's right. We were doing it. And that was where I really launched my social media marketing agency working for myself. In 2018, I'd published Vlog Like a Boss. It was my first book. I was talking about video on video. And I was like, you know what? There's a lot of people in my comments who aren't taking my advice, but they watch my videos because they don't have time. They don't have time to do what I'm advising. I thought that was so interesting. And when I started digging into that and pulling on that thread, it took all of seven years to get to 80,000 YouTube subscribers. At the beginning of 2018, we went from 80,000 to 100,000 in 100 days, just by talking about time management and morning routines, and then another 100,000 in another 100 days. So that was a really big moment for the platform. The book, A Morning Good Life came out in 2019. I ended up hitting 300,000, 400,000 subscribers, all the things. ([Time 0:03:28](https://share.snipd.com/snip/9908f36a-ca5f-4284-b473-fd6a19ec7057)) - **Business Reinvention After Pandemic And Kids** - The pandemic forced Amy to let her team go and reinvent her business model. - Having children then reshaped her priorities and ultimately saved and refocused her business. Transcript: Amy Landino So it was really interesting to go through that because that kind of adversity in your business, you learn a lot about it. I had to let my team go. I had to kind of reinvent how we did things and how I wanted to spend my time. I had a baby for my first child came in 2022. And I call her the one who broke my business. Bianca broke my business in 2022. And Sienna, my second born, saved my business because they taught me so much about all the things that I was doing before that worked when it was just me and I could just nose to the grindstone. And life looks different when you invite new people into it. And I wanted my life to look like that. So the business had to reflect how I wanted that life to work. ([Time 0:04:48](https://share.snipd.com/snip/aa82b586-18c9-4d4b-a005-1867b8b4a53f)) - **Long-Form Video Builds Lasting Authority** - YouTube long-form video uniquely builds deep, persistent authority compared to short-form platforms. - Shorts matter but only long-form gives the context required to establish true thought leadership. Transcript: Amy Landino Think part of the reason why people feel like it's daunting is I just, I've literally been in this business since I joined YouTube in 2007. And every time I do an interview ever since, it's like, YouTube, we should really think about that. It's never gone away. And that's what I think is so interesting about it. There is just no other platform, period, that wins with long form video the way that YouTube does. Facebook has definitely come to bat and LinkedIn has done a little bit of that as well. Upload a video of any length, just the way I like it to a platform to share it. And no matter what type of audience you have, you don't have to want to be a YouTuber to go viral, to hit the certain algorithm. You just need a database sometimes of where people can get to know you better, understand your method better, see your tutorials, understand what you have to offer. And long form video is the best way to do that. Other than in person, certainly more efficient because we've dialed it into a certain set period of time differently from being in person. But there's nothing that competes with that. Everything now is how do we get it to you as fast as possible, which means getting it as short as possible. That's powerful. That's really important. You should not discount shorts on YouTube, TikToks, Instagram reels. Very important. But they are such a small amount of context. And there's a different association with somebody who's like, I follow them on YouTube. I know them by name. And I follow them on TikTok. They showed up in my feed or I was scrolling Instagram. I know them. I know what they're known for. I can see their face, but it was an interest level connection. And I think that's very powerful when you're talking about thought leadership. ([Time 0:06:41](https://share.snipd.com/snip/d27824c5-88be-48bd-aba9-4ee6fc65b62f)) - **Speak To One Named Viewer** - Talk to the camera like you are having coffee with one perfect viewer. - Name that viewer and use that mental model to overcome fear and focus your message. Transcript: Amy Landino You said it was daunting earlier. I'll tell you why. Because people think about looking at the lens of a camera, like it's the lens of a camera, first of all. And that's dangerous because it means a few things. Either one, you think you're talking to no one, and that's just not helpful, right? Like we don't want to admit to talking to nobody, right? That's not a good mind space to be in. We don't want to admit to talking to ourselves. We don't want to admit to even talking to a million people. That's really scary. This video could go to a million people. If you go into this with that headspace, you're going to be deer in a headlight. And I mean, literally, your eyes will be bulging. You're not, you're going to be worried. You're going to trip over your words. You have to remember who you're talking to. Who is your target client? Who is the person who needs your help? Who is the former version of you that you can help when you look at the lens like it's that person it's like you're sitting down for coffee with somebody who just wanted to ask your advice That's all this is long form short form any of it if you can sit down talk to camera like you just sat down for coffee with somebody who wanted to pick your brain you will be fine them a name, Whatever you need to do to get into the right headspace to know you have a perfect viewer. That perfect viewer is going to evolve. Okay. Beyonce's perfect listener at the beginning evolved. We grew up with her. That's okay. The content changed with her. My content was different in 2011 than it is today. And so we have to be okay with that. You can help one person today, sit down, talk to the lens of the camera like that. The rest of this is going to be so easy for you. ([Time 0:12:52](https://share.snipd.com/snip/4ae42374-acf0-4087-a309-ce533274a48d)) - **Lead With The Viewer’s Problem** - Start content planning by defining the viewer's problem in their own words. - Use those exact words for titles and hooks to increase relevance and clicks. Transcript: Amy Landino Need to know who Charlotte is. You need to know who your viewer is because the first P is going to be very important. And that is the problem. What's the problem that we're solving for? Even people who are comedians are solving a problem with their content. It's figuring out where do I need to hit them in the right place at this moment in time? One of the things that you hit on is all the reasons why this matters to Charlotte. One of them is when I sit down and start talking about this, what does she already know? And what does she not know? We like to talk about the things that we've learned in our business very fast. I'm capital offender at this. I will talk to Charlotte like she's already been in my brain and went through the whole journey with me. She's not. She's in a previous state. So I need to remember what that previous state is. I need to know what the problem is. What is she thinking about? What is the problem? If you ever struggle with, what do we title this? What do we need to say to make them want to watch it? Use the words your viewer would be using. ([Time 0:16:19](https://share.snipd.com/snip/5b41ea0f-6245-407f-a30f-1034792e962e)) - **Sell The Cake, Hide The Broccoli** - Package quick, desirable outcomes (the cake) around harder truths (the broccoli) to make advice digestible. - Lead with the cake promise to hook viewers, then layer in the broccoli for lasting results. Transcript: Amy Landino Yeah. I talk about broccoli in the cake all the time. I like to gross people out. It sounds actually really good. Michael Stelzner It sounds good. Amy Landino We in business, we have learned so much. We have learned so much. And we just want to take our clients and shake them and be like, it's a you thing. You're screwing this up. You're right. But they don't care. That's not the problem they want to rectify right now. So the broccoli of like, well, you're the problem. You need to change this. You need to approach it differently. We need to have a new strategy. That's going to fall on deaf ears. But if you have a nice big piece of cake, this is going to double your revenue. Okay, now I'm listening. I'm more likely to digest that broccoli that you very well baked inside that cake that I don't even notice it because I just want what I need right now. So when I think about what is the problem, I'm trying to figure out what does that cake look like? What makes somebody want it? I want that cake. I'm going to eat that. No matter what you put in it, it looks so good. I need it right now. That's what I mean by broccoli and the cake. ([Time 0:17:35](https://share.snipd.com/snip/d26eec65-4bc1-48a4-842c-fe04a2e69321)) - **Make Videos Lego Pieces Of A Journey** - Map each video to an arc from current problem to desired state and treat videos as Lego pieces in that journey. - Create multiple videos across that arc to address different stages and objections. Transcript: Amy Landino That's why we're talking about the second P here. So we're starting with like, I don't have enough clients. That's the problem. The second P is what is the full package? If we're looking at this as an arc of like current state to desired state, desired state is more clients than I know what to do with. Right? So what I'm going to try to do with my content, this is just to set you up mindset wise. What I'm going to try to do with this content is to understand that arc. What's the problem and where are we trying to go? This piece of content is going to be a Lego piece in the equation. It's going to help you cross that bridge, get over that arc, get closer to more clients than I know what to do with. That'd be a great problem. Everybody wants that when they don't have it, right? So that's the package. That's that second P. And now we're talking about, okay, not only do I know how they would articulate the problem, which is very easy, by the way, just ask people what their problems are. People who pay you, people who don't pay you, they'll tell you all left and right. Oh, well, the problem is this. Well, the problem is this. Well, problem is this. Everybody's very smart. They know what their problems are. They'll tell you. And they'll tell you why they have those problems. It's great. Let them tell you that. ([Time 0:26:40](https://share.snipd.com/snip/cfc62e33-7177-4f37-9ff8-ab1c832e8ec6)) - **Title As The Promise** - Start every video with the promise you will deliver and use that promise as the title. - Keep the title literal and obvious; make sure the content fulfills the promised result. Transcript: Amy Landino Those are really just to get you in the right headspace. I know it's not even the best part yet. So the third P is where we get to have a lot of fun. And this is where we get to make a promise. So based on what is the problem that's going to help us get closer to desired state we're solving for, which is the package, the promise is a lot of fun. Back in the day with YouTube, you really had to be very creative with your titles to get people to pay attention. Now you just have to be obvious. So the promise you make is how are you going to identify with or solve that problem in this piece of content? And if you can well form a promise, you have a very strong YouTube title. YouTube titles just need to make a promise so that when they see it, when somebody sees it on their subscription feed or their homepage, whatever, they see that title, they see a promise You plan to make good on, they want to click it, they want to learn more. There's another aspect of it, of course, but the promise is all you need in that title. The title does not need to be cute. It doesn't need to be full of extra stuff people don't care about. It doesn't have to be clickbaity, although clickbait isn't bad if it's actually well done. If you have great clickbait and you make good on that promise, then all set. It's great. You just have to make a promise. What are you promising to deliver on in this video experience? That's your YouTube title. ([Time 0:32:59](https://share.snipd.com/snip/03a4fe69-131a-4e5c-9a9c-8bc2eea73924)) - **Design Title Before You Record** - Create your title and thumbnail concept before recording and keep the promise front-and-center. - Cut anything in your outline that doesn't contribute to delivering that promise. Transcript: Amy Landino Might have some really strong things you want to talk about in the video. Again, it's broccoli, but if it does not track to why somebody would give a crap, then who cares what you put in that video? So the title needs to be the promise. The promise needs to be something you keep in mind the entire time. If you are waiting until after the video is done to come up with what your title and thumbnail are going to be, it's amateur hour. Most creators, Zach King does this, I believe he has something called tea sheets. These are my pea sheets. He has tea sheets. He literally just creates a tea on a piece of paper and he will come up with a title, put it on one side. And on the other side, he does a little drawing. And that representation is this is what the title is. This is what the thumbnail is. Now, how do we make this happen? That is what the top of the top of the top creators are doing on this platform. They are not saying, oh, I kind of want to do this in a video. They're starting with why would somebody even tune into that in the first place by delivering on some kind of a promise? So your promise should come first. The problems, the desire state, all of those things are going to get incorporated into your outline so that you can touch on all of those mindset things that we talked about. But if you don't keep that promise at the forefront, especially talking head video, a lot of thought leaders, they'll just sit down, turn camera on, start talking, and you can do that. And it will be great as long as you remember what you promised on the content to begin with. Otherwise, you will lose people. So be sure to start with that title. Be sure to say, what is the result going to be by the end of this video? ([Time 0:36:30](https://share.snipd.com/snip/69546d79-496e-4434-9196-a12a9ecaec96)) - **Use AI And A/B Testing For Titles** - Use AI conversationally to generate multiple strong title options and run YouTube A/B tests. - Let data pick the best performing title instead of agonizing over a single choice. Transcript: Amy Landino If you just message me on Instagram, just send me social media marketing podcast or just say P sheets in my DMs. I'll send it to you because I want people to understand you can take your idea and have an amazing title spit out for you. And you don't have to give this any thought. YouTube now has such. Thank goodness. What year is it? We finally got incredible A-B testing on YouTube. You can take three versions that you get from AI and pin them against each other and let YouTube and the YouTube sphere decide which ones work. You don't have to make that decision. ([Time 0:40:34](https://share.snipd.com/snip/2ae31e91-13d3-4683-ba83-49886148209a)) - **Thumbnail = Process + Intrigue** - Make thumbnails visually show the process and add intrigue with a method name or short phrase. - Pair the literal title promise with a thumbnail hint to create curiosity and human-focused SEO. Transcript: Amy Landino Final P. Everybody knows you get two things with a YouTube video. It's a little different now, but the main things are a title and a thumbnail. So for the final P, we need a P for the thumbnail, right? You've got a promise for your title. So what I like to do in my thumbnails is you have to give a visual representation of what people are going to get. But not only that, it needs to add intrigue. You have a promise in the title. So people are already excited about the promise, but now they're looking at the visual representation. They need something that's going to make them go, but that's interesting. Maybe I don't have all the answers and this is going to tell me something I don't know. So what I like to do in my thumbnails is share a piece of the process. So for instance, if I had a video of like five tips, but one of those tips had a very specific method name, I might put that method in the title or in the thumbnail words. So there will be words on the image and it will be on the thumbnail. So not only do you read a promise in the title, but now you're seeing a potential process you're going to learn written on the thumbnail. So now you have a kind of a visual human SEO element. Words in a thumbnail do not show up in an algorithm. They only work on humans. So you have to choose something that makes somebody go, hmm, what does that mean? That's interesting. ([Time 0:43:10](https://share.snipd.com/snip/0bb31679-fc96-4392-be5e-98d1b0db78bc)) - **Put Your Face In Thumbnails** - Use your face in thumbnails if you want to be recognized and trusted as a thought leader. - Combine face shots with flat-lays or method words to signal format and increase click-throughs. Transcript: Amy Landino A hundred percent. If you are a thought leader, if you're an authority, if you want people to know your face, faces are powerful in thumbnails. It shares a little bit of authenticity, a lot of transparency. People love to talk about being authentic in their content. Nobody wants to be authentic. You just want people to believe you. That's fine. But if you do want authenticity, then share your face. You can put your face in the thumbnail. A lot of my thumbnails are my face. The other half of them are flat lays. A lot of people like to see that I'm doing something with my hands. Those thumbnails paired with a method usually indicate to my audience who are super subscribers. If I see a flat lay, Amy's hands and the name of a method, then I know we're doing a writing exercise today. What's the flat lay? Yeah. Thank you. A flat lay is you take a shot, a photo of your desk, let's say just a flat surface. And so my flat surfaces often look like a notebook and my hands holding a pen. And it's just an overhead shot of my desk. So my subscribers know that when I post an overshot of my hands and a notebook, that when they click into that video, I'm going to be doing a writing exercise that they can do with me. So I'll talk to camera and I will film overhead to show them. You don't have to film overhead to use a flat lay. You can just use a flat lay shot if it well indicates what's happening in the video or what you want people to know about it. ([Time 0:46:50](https://share.snipd.com/snip/9eea25a6-2301-4093-b4ae-a2618e092ebc))