Episode 09: How to Rank on Search Results and Attract More Customers Using YouTube with Jamar Diggs
Is YouTube a part of your marketing plan? Maybe it should be!
Jamar Diggs, CEO and YouTube Strategist at J Diggs Media, is a YouTube strategist for coaches and consultants looking to RANK on YouTube and Google search so they can stop being a slave to the content spiral.
He is joining me in this episode to explain how to increase your following, generate leads, and be the first person your subscribers see on YouTube. He is also here to remind us all that you do not have to be a professional YouTuber to succeed!
Jamar graduated from Old Dominion University receiving a B.S. in Communications in 2013. From there, he began as a social media manager and worked his way to becoming an Instagram coach. Jamar found his passion in wanting to be a YouTube coach in 2021. He now provides marketing strategies through his services of YouTube intensives, YouTube management, and his digital products through the Ready to Rank shop.
Jamar takes his experience from corporate marketing and mixes it with YouTube strategy and YouTube SEO best practices to make his clients discoverable to more problem-aware people.
Topics We Cover in This Episode:
Using Youtube as a search engine strategically to scale
How to repurpose your Youtube video across different platforms
The value in creating foundational content
Tips for creating a Youtube funnel
How long your video should be when you’re first starting out
Hacks for intros and outros on your videos
How to make sure you have consistent branding throughout
Mindset shifts you need to make to have a successful channel
We are getting to the point where video is practically nonnegotiable. If you aren’t using it as a part of your marketing strategy, you are going to get left behind.
Jamar has had remarkable results and has found the secret sauce when it comes to tapping into YouTube for growing a business and traffic. I hope hearing his story as well as his perspective and tips helps you with your own business.
For more helpful information from Jamar, make sure you head on over to his Youtube channel to see his work in action and his website where you can find his services and even more resources. Both are linked below!
If you want to learn simple secrets to land media features in 30 days, watch the PR Masterclass at www.gloriachoupr.com/masterclass. It will teach you the EXACT methods thousands of bootstrapped small businesses use to get featured for FREE!
Resources Mentioned:
Visit Jamar's YouTube Channel: https://jamardiggs.com/youtube
Visit Jamar's Website: https://www.jamardiggs.com
Visit Jamar’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/jamardiggs
Follow Gloria on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/gloriachoupr
Watch the PR masterclass: http://gloriachoupr.com/masterclass
Get the PR Starter Pack: http://www.prstarterpack.com/
Join the Small Biz PR Pros FB group: http://www.getfeaturednow.com/
Additional Resources:
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Transcript
Speaker1: [00:00:01] Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Small Business PR podcast, I am so excited for today's guest. Have you ever wondered how to rank on YouTube, on Google and all the things? Video Right? We live in an age where it's non-negotiable for us to be found by our audience because that's how we can build our business. So Jamar is going to come on today and talk to us about how he was able to hack YouTube and the simple strategies you can use to not only grow your business and expertise, but to also rank number one on the search engine. Hey, friends, I'm Gloria Chou, small business PR expert, award-winning pitch writer, and your unofficial hype woman. Nothing makes me happier than seeing people get the recognition they deserve. And that starts with feeling more confident to go bigger with your message, because let's be honest, we simply cannot make the impact. We're here to make by hiding behind the scenes. So on this podcast, I will share with you the untraditional yet proven strategies for PR marketing and creating more opportunity in your business. If you are ready to take control of your narrative and be your most unapologetic and confident self, you're in the right place. This is the Small Business PR podcast. So thank you so much, Jamar, for coming on to the show.
Speaker2: [00:01:19] Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker1: [00:01:21] So I know that you are a YouTube strategist and you've worked in social media for a long time, I think you said since since twenty fourteen, but you really made a pivot to YouTube. So can you tell me a little bit more about why you decided to make this pivot and why? Youtube?
Speaker2: [00:01:35] Yeah. So I first started social media management because I had got my first big boy job in 2014, and it just was not cutting it. Like, I was like, Well, you know what? I would like to make some extra money up on the side. And so I started to do social media management for other companies on on the side, and it got to a point to where I really wanted to help more and more people. And so then in 2017, I started like coaching them just so I just I can kind of do more because the bandwidth was there. And then whenever I was coaching, there was always like a little like, you know, you should really be on video. I always kind of suggest video because even even in Twenty Seventeen video was one of the powerful ways for you to really build that know, like and trust factor. And at that time, I was really dabbling in YouTube as well, but I was talking more about Instagram and content creation and all this other stuff. And so and they were finding me that way, but I was never highlighting YouTube as much, and it wasn't until I was getting kind of caught up in like what everyone wanted from me. Like whenever it came to like, Oh, people, should people really want to know about Instagram and how to make money with Instagram? And then really, I just started feeling like a little a little like the niche was becoming a little bit more competitive than what I would like, right? And then I started asking people, What about YouTube? I brought up the YouTube thing again to people, and I was like saying, You know what? You should probably be on YouTube like, I've been able to do this, this, this and that.
Speaker2: [00:03:20] And did you know that you could rank for certain keywords that you know that you can be discovered more easier than just having to post every day up on Instagram and light bulbs went off for everyone? And then that's when I knew I had a little something, a little something there. And so then in this year, in twenty twenty one, I decided to actually just kind of make that pivot because YouTube was actually something that really lit me up inside. And whenever it came to social media coaching, just general Instagram coaching, it was it really wasn't my passion anymore. And I really love like digging into the analytics. I really love the numbers. I really love the strategy, and I really love being up on video. And I kept like, I kept always trying to push my clients to do video and some kind of ways. So it kind of just felt like the next best, best step for me to take.
Speaker1: [00:04:11] I love that, and I think before we were talking, you said that the one video generated like six figures for you down the line because it just keeps being there on the internet. So can you tell me a little bit about people who are, like, hesitant to rank on YouTube or even create videos on YouTube, and they're sticking to these platforms like Pinterest or Instagram? That's not searchable. So what do you have to say about kind of the longevity of that and why people really need to consider YouTube?
Speaker2: [00:04:36] Yeah. So when it comes to YouTube, it is the second largest search engine, and it's owned by the first largest search engine, which is Google, right? And so when we're doing that, we need to really think about what a search engine actually does for us, right? If I wanted to search for the nearest mall near me. Google's job is to show me that address, right? If they were to give me the nearest restaurant instead, I will be kind of mad, right? Like they wouldn't be doing their job. And so that's really how we need to start looking at YouTube whenever it comes to our business, right? So you can't really get that from Instagram, right? And on top of that, whenever you make one one one video, it can last you for years. Like how you said I literally have made this one. Video How to create a social media content calendar in Excel. Like about in 2018, and it literally has been able to give me like sixteen thousand views, right? And and those views equate to dollars, right? Especially if you are nurturing them correctly, if you're new, if you know how to convert them. And so but you can't really do that on any other platform, you can't really take an Instagram post that you made, what, three to four years ago and say, this was the post that that that helped me make all this money or help me get all of this traction. Like, it just doesn't work that way. And so I think using the search engine of YouTube this way is really, really beneficial for you to not only like kind of get more clients, but also grow your your your whole authority and make your marketing a little bit more.
Speaker1: [00:06:15] Gullible, yeah, do you think? You know, obviously, I love Instagram as well, but I know all too well what it's like to spend hours being a slave to the content calendar, only for it not to be searchable. So why? Like so in terms of like, you know, obviously Instagram, you need Instagram, you need all the different aspects of your marketing. So give me a big picture of you. Like, where does YouTube come in? Is it kind of like the first touchpoint? And then obviously you have your Instagram strategy building upon it? Or where does it fall into the journey of someone building their business?
Speaker2: [00:06:45] So this is such a great question, because whenever I come to anyone, they're like, Oh, you're asking me to add YouTube to my strategy now? Like, what? What like, what do I do? And I really challenged them instead of thinking about it as YouTube being added on to their Instagram strategy. I say, let's flip it a little bit. I want you to make YouTube your actual content hub, right? I want you to do that because now you have so much richer content, you have a video that you can repurpose till the cows come home, right? And then that makes it very easy for you to now suffice the Instagram gods and really go ahead and start creating content that is a little bit more easier for you. So you're only making like one really big piece of content one time a week, right? And then now you're able to create your graphics, your reels, your IGTV videos, your Instagram Stories, all from that you're able to pin that as well. Many different ways you're able to make your blog post, right? So having some high quality piece of content like a YouTube video is really giving you more of an easy way to scale your marketing efforts than just starting with an Instagram post and then trying to stretch it to be a blog post. Stretch it to maybe fit into a YouTube video, maybe stretch it to be a pin a few times, right? There isn't that much stuff to work with whenever you have your Instagram post.
Speaker1: [00:08:08] Yeah, I agree I'm all about working smarter, not harder, but again, it's I just think because Instagram, it seems a little bit easier, but you're right, it's not searchable. So why are we spending hours and hours on how we can just create one piece of content and slice and dice it however you want? So I'm all about that. Now, in terms of like the actual tactical tips for someone who is, like you said, a business provider, they need to have that know, like and trust factor. And obviously VIDEO does that. What are the kind of first few things they should do if they just are getting started?
Speaker2: [00:08:38] So whenever you're starting to get interested into YouTube, I always recommend your first few videos be educational because like I said before, YouTube is a search engine, and the only way for them to know what your channel is about is with the right kind of videos. And what typically happens is that we end up creating vlogs or we start creating day in the lives, or we end up doing office tours, right? Because we think people really, really want to see, like, you know, our behind the scenes, we think that, you know, people care and our Instagram following cares. But when it comes to YouTube, they don't. And so what happens is that those don't end up getting getting the views because YouTube isn't able to really categorize that really right. No one really knows about it. They're not interested in it. So instead, I always recommend educational content off of your frequently asked questions first. Ok, that that does two things. One, it helps you rank a lot more faster for certain keywords, right? Because it's something that is frequently asked. People are always searching for that, right? That's why my how to create a social calendar with Excel did did so well, right? It's something that is just always search for. It's evergreen. And then and then the next thing is that now it tells YouTube, OK, this is a YouTube education channel. This is a wellness channel, whatever that channel is. And so now they're able to to suggest your video to other people that watch similar videos. Right? When we make it very easy for YouTube to categorize us, things become a lot more easier.
Speaker1: [00:10:14] Yeah, 100 percent, so, OK, so basically and you're honestly you're so nice because I think I think when you were saying they don't care, I'm just like you, nobody got time for that. Like, no one's looking at your office tour. No one's looking like, seriously, you know, and I think I think we can just come out and just say, no one cares and you have to provide value first. No one wants a US unless they know who you are. So that's just the kind of a first step. So, so, so don't do the beats, do you foundational content? And then what's the next step? Let's say I come up with a video about my CPR method, which I have and my like three step framework to pitch. What do you recommend me to do next?
Speaker2: [00:10:52] Ok, so next is when we kind of dig a little bit deeper and we start shifting perspectives, right? So we have this how to kind of content. We have the we have what these are kind of what I call my anchor videos, right? These videos are like your tried and true signature things that you want to always be like pushed up in the algorithm. And so things like a template or a how to something that you will always like send people back to over time to get more to get more information about and maybe you even have your your lead magnet tied to it, right, so that you can kind of get them off of YouTube eventually. That's going to be great. Next thing is, when you start shifting perspectives a little bit, you start telling them more about like why something is important, right? Or why what they're thinking or why what they're doing is probably not the best route for them to do right. Start shifting their perspectives first. So after they know how to do something now, you have to get them right now. Before you think about this, do this instead, because this is going to kind of, you know, get you off on the right track. So content like maybe like misconceptions or the reason why you should be doing X, Y and Z right the top, whatever mistakes that people make, right, like things like that, things that that shift the perspectives. And that's going to really help you add some more dimension to your channel because it's not just like some tutorial, step by step type of thing, right? And that's where we kind of messed up. We think that YouTube, whenever we hear YouTube, we hear we we hear online free tutorials, right? And and it can be that one hundred percent if you make it that. But if you make it into a little YouTube funnel like like how I teach my clients, you start out with a little bit of how to or a little bit of a template and then you start shifting perspectives.
Speaker1: [00:12:39] I love that, and when you said when you said you can make it University of YouTube, I think I think I've heard that before, it's like, how would you do this? I went to the University of YouTube, so it's it's 100 percent a fact. It's not just about the video, but how it, you know, it's part of your larger funnel. So there's so many ways to build a funnel, right? And some people, you can test it and hack it for your entire life. What are some types of funnels like? Can you give me an example of like a wellness or a beauty entrepreneur and then kind of walk me through an actual example of the funnel and the results that it's achieved through this strategy that you talk about?
Speaker2: [00:13:11] Yeah. So I'll talk about one that actually came from my social media content calendar in Excel VIDEO. So this one one is just one of the many type of funnels that can happen, and I'll probably give one more, if you don't mind. So one is where you make this anchor VIDEO My social media content calendar and excel template, right? I literally just walk them through the template and then said, Hey, you can download the template. Click down below in the description. Ok, when they click on that, on that freebie or that lead magnet, it takes them to some type of tripwire, which is like a limited time offer that they can opt into. And I believe it was like some kind of caption writing training masterclass that was like, maybe like twenty seven dollars. And then after that, they get an email sequence talking about, you know, how are things going a little bit more nurturing about like my my positioning, my authority, all that good stuff. And then after a few days, I received an email from that person, the same person that bought the bot, the training, saying, You know what? I think, I think I'm ready to work with you. Let's go. I'm ready to pay in full, right? And so that's really how it happens because that person has been watching the videos over and over like like he just found the social media kind of calendar one, right? But he's been watching all the other ones along with opting into the email list and giving my other my other messages of like where I'm really positioning myself as the expert there.
Speaker2: [00:14:44] And then here's another funnel as well, where this one is more so. I think one of my Instagram videos, I don't really know which one, but they found me on one Instagram search. Some kind of thing about IGTV, and then they found me on Instagram. So after they have binge watched my YouTube videos, they find me up on Instagram and then they dmu up on Instagram and they said, Oh my God, I just love your content. I can't wait to work with you. I said, Thank you so much, you know, just suggest a nice little light conversation. And then like around that same that that same week, or maybe in a two or three weeks, I launched one of my group coaching programs and they were the first people to sign up, right? And so literally, that's kind of how it works. So when we think about like a funnel, it really is just what it is for you to be. It really is just the traffic source, and there's different ways to where it can branch off. You may get people from your email list or you may get people that end up wanting to know more about you on a personal level or in like a a real time kind of capacity. And they just want to see what you do. And then whenever they're ready to pull the trigger or when you're ready to launch something, they're ready to sign up.
Speaker1: [00:15:54] I love that. I mean, it definitely seems like it is probably a little bit more involved than posting an Instagram video, but it's something you can reap the rewards from for years and years and years. Kind of just like PR, honestly, because you're leveraging that new source which is going to be index and ranked on Google. So it's a lot of I see a lot of similarities between between what we do. I guess another question is like if we're just getting started, what about the captions? What about the the actual like ins and outs of making the video? Like how long should it be? What if a lot of people one of the objections is I'm not a video editor, and it just seems too overwhelming for me. So what are the tactical things that people should know so that they can actually get started and not not trip themselves up, if you will?
Speaker2: [00:16:36] Yes. So one of the things that I always recommend is to ignore everything you see on YouTube, right? As you're looking at these people, people that are already in your industry that are probably already up on YouTube and you're like, because what happens is that we probably ask ourselves, Well, I wonder if anyone is on YouTube doing the same thing that I'm doing and then you find out that they are because it's YouTube and then you're like, Oh my gosh, they have so many videos. Oh my gosh, they have so many subscribers. Oh my gosh, the videos are so nice and you just start going into a spiral. And so what I recommend is to stop there and understand where that person is in their YouTube journey and where you are in yours and understand that you that you may not have the same client or you may not even need to do the same stuff. So I always say that your video needs to be as long as what it needs to be, if you need to, if you can do three to five minutes cool. If you want to do 10 minutes, great if you want to do 15, OK, have at it. But. Don't be pressured about how long it has to be when it comes to editing. All you have to do is literally learn how to copy and paste things there are.
Speaker2: [00:17:47] I actually have a training training myself to where I teach how to just do very basic editing to where you don't have to worry about it being like all the bells and whistles. You can use something as simple as iMovie to just to just go through your video and just cut out the places where you mess up. It's very, very simple. That's kind of really what I recommend. Like, don't overthink it. When you overthink it, you start. You start just not producing, you start getting stuck. And so that's what I don't want want people to do. Literally use iMovie use in shot app, whatever you have your hands on because the video file is just what it is. If you have an easy way to film your videos, like if you just just sit somewhere and have a script and just say what you want to say and just pause whenever you mess up. You'll know exactly where you need to cut it out. That's the beauty of editing. You can. You seem like you are just this confident piece of like, amazing entrepreneur when it's all said and done, but you could be just messing up till the cows come home on the back end, but no one ever sees that. So it's OK.
Speaker1: [00:18:56] Yeah, I love that. And also, I think we're such multitaskers. So is it true that lots of people play the YouTube videos, but they're just listening to the sound? Or you think they're actually like watching every frame?
Speaker2: [00:19:05] That's true. A lot of people are just listening.
Speaker1: [00:19:08] Yeah. Yeah. So that's good. So it's it's it's it's all right. We don't have to be perfect. So in terms of the video length, I want to I want to get like a concrete answer from you because obviously there's videos that deserve 30 minutes, like a TEDx talk, and then there's videos that really don't need to be 30 minutes. I always say, like the shorter your pitches, the better it means that you really clearly defined and worked on your messaging. So do you agree that for a lot of service providers like what's the sweet spot? Is it like three minutes, five minutes? Is it like
Speaker2: [00:19:35] So I would? Ok, so this is where I'm a little bit different than all the other YouTube experts out there, right? Because if you ask, ask any other YouTube expert, they will tell you 10 minutes and they'll say ten minutes, because that's what you need in order in order to be to be monetized, right? You can put an ad break on a video that has 10 minutes, but because that isn't the nature of my clients like work. We're not here to be influencers. We're here to be CEOs, right? So what I recommend is doing a video that is between three to five minutes when you're first starting out. Very, very easy. So that's like my thing, like three to five minutes, it can be three minutes or it can be five minutes. That's what I recommend because that gives them just enough time to to do their intro, give a nice little tidbit and then close it out right confidently. When we feel pressured to do a 10 minute video. When we're just starting out, we start rambling, we start just doing silly stuff and then the video becomes diluted in the value and the quality. And I don't want that, that to happen because if we're doing that, then that's going to also affect our average watch time whenever it comes to to YouTube and it drops on the audience retention, right? And these are also social signals that we send to YouTube. And so if the watch time goes down because we're over here just rambling or something, trying to get to 10 minutes, YouTube is going to say, Oh, people are leaving this video. Maybe this video is not good. Maybe I shouldn't show it to to to anyone, right? And so that's my perspective from the business owner perspective. If I were an influencer coach or something like that, I would say 10 minutes. Just just just entertain them for 10 minutes. And then you're good to go. But for us, because we're educating, sometimes things don't need to be ten minutes.
Speaker1: [00:21:22] Yeah, I agree. And honestly, like we have attention span of a two year old. And so I always say that in my masterclass, too. It's like if your pitch is like five paragraphs and you put the attachment of your unpublished autobiography is going straight to the trash honey. Right? So I really do love that it's bite sized. So do you recommend at a three minute video like should we do the intros and outros like to correspond to the call to action? Kind of like the way a podcast is like you always have the same intro, but then the Altruis might be different depending on what you're selling or what are kind of hacks about the intro and outro.
Speaker2: [00:21:54] Yeah. So I so I change up my my intro a little bit, and so I'm going to let you in on to my hit framework whenever it comes to the to to the YouTube intros. Because really, the only thing that stays the same is like the eye in the hit. Ok, so so it stands for a hook intro and and transformation. And so the hook is going to be the thing that is kind of going to get people to when they click on that video for the first, like five 10 minutes. What are you saying that makes them want to like, stay and listen to you, right? We want to make sure that we that they know that they're in the right place, right? So if I am, this is going to be like such a bad. Example, but like if I am doing a if I'm a wellness coach and I am literally talking about a calorie deficit, like how to achieve one, right, my hook is going to be something like, I know you're probably looking on like, what the heck is a calorie deficit and how do I achieve it, right? Like something like that, right? Just to make them know that, OK, I'm listening.
Speaker2: [00:22:59] Like, we're on the same page here, right? Instead of it being like, Hey, guys, I went to my channel, blah blah blah. It was like, No girl, we got to get to the point here, right? And so that's the hook, right? Letting them know that they're in the right spot. And then the intro is just a few seconds of you saying who you are and who you help write. Just like that. They they know that you are an expert at this right? And then the key, which is the transformation, is what you need to let them know what happens by the end of this video, right? Because that is going to make sure that they watch the video all the way through because they know what they're going to get out of it. So by the end of this video, I'm going to walk you through my framework of how to make sure that that you're always eating a calorie deficit or something like that, right? So they know that this video is quality, and that should only take about 30 seconds.
Speaker1: [00:23:47] Ok, so the hit framework is kind of your first 30 seconds. Yep, and then and then do you have something for the middle? And then the ending part that's like you should always have like a call to action or drop your Instagram. What's the trick there?
Speaker2: [00:24:00] Yeah. So when? So after? So after that, you can give your your like your meat and potatoes there. I always do recommend like I like to structure them like a little bit like kind of give people action items or like just think like what sections to focus on, right? So whether it's like step one or tip one or just topic one, right, we don't want it to feel like it's just ever going. So say like the first thing that I want to talk to you about is X, Y and Z, right? And then you kind of explain it a little bit more. And then maybe if it makes sense, maybe add in a little action items that they have something to do right. And then the next thing is X, Y and Z. This is why this is important. Blah blah. And then if you are so well inclined, I like to add in like a little engagement question or something, right? I like to kind of like kind of stop things and just say, Hey, if like, I want to ask you your question, put it down in the comments down below your your answer, whatever the question was.
Speaker2: [00:24:59] And then I continue. And then I quickly close what like after my call to action, right? So or depending on whatever the topic of the video is, you may be able to insert your your call to action a little bit sooner. But let's just say that you don't. Then after your tips are over, you have a nice quick call to action. Tell them where to go, and then you quickly close, right? Because if you end up saying, All right, guys, I really hope that you that that this was very helpful for you, but will block if you drag it out, they're going to just end it right there. That's going to leave the video. And then that also affects your watch time because they're not watching the video all the way through. So, yeah, that's kind of like the framework of like how I structure my my videos. Most people can really get good at like the middle, but they really get hung up on the beginning for some reason because they probably just don't know what to say
Speaker1: [00:25:52] That that's the truth. You know, it's it's always like whether you're writing a blog or giving a speech, it's always the first few sentences. You feel like everyone's watching you. But once you get in the flow, you know, like, you know yourself more than anyone, it's just a matter of packaging it in a no B.S. way. I love what you said about getting to the end and not being like, Oh, I hope this was helpful and all that fluff, because same with pitching. It's like, we know what you're here to do, so just tell us what we need to hear, you know? So what about the actual so there's a video component. What about like captions, titles, banners? Do you need all kinds of sound effects? What about that?
Speaker2: [00:26:28] Yeah. So when it comes to the sound effects, you don't really have to have all that. But but there are a few components to the channel to where I do recommend having consistent branding whenever it comes to your thumbnails, right? So my goal for my clients is to make sure that people can see your can see your, your, your video and your thumbnails, and can spot you out among all the other people, right? So when you are consistent, it makes it very easy for that to happen. Right. When you change up your thumbnails every every two days or whatever, it makes it kind of hard now and then and then your thumbnail should be the text that the the whole thumbnail should be big enough so that people can can read it up on mobile. Maybe keep it around like four to five words up up there and include your face. Now when it comes to like the titles and the tags and all this other stuff. I highly recommend using like a tool like tube buddy that kind of helps you figure out like, what are some of those search keywords? I have a training inside my shop, all all about that. But really, what what I love using it for is to make sure that I'm not using making sure that I am not using a too competitive word, right? I want to make sure that I find that sweet spot to where the word is has a high search volume, but it's also not as competitive like to where I'm like, I make this video and then it's just going down inside like the abyss.
Speaker1: [00:27:59] So give me an example of something that's very competitive and that once one layer beneath that.
Speaker2: [00:28:04] Yeah. So the term Instagram is crazy competitive, right? And so what you need to do is kind of make it a little bit more specific. And so what you probably need to do is talk more about maybe it should be tools you need for Instagram Live. Right. That that makes it very much so specific and a little bit more at least competitive, right? Or maybe you're talking about like what I did was how to schedule IGTV or how to schedule Instagram TV like videos and and that did very well, right? Or just anything like that. So that's kind of like something that that would be really good. Or let's just say that you want it to make something or I don't know, Instagram Reels, right? You just need it. It just can't be like Instagram Reels one on one. It needs to be something that is a little bit more specific so that it can be a little bit less competitive.
Speaker1: [00:28:54] Yeah, that's that's really interesting that you said that as well, because it's like, we're not trying to swim in the biggest pond, we're just trying to swim in the pond. That's just big enough so people can find us, and there's a lot of noise out there. Another question is about subtitles and captions Do we need to do that? Does YouTube auto generate that? This might be a silly question, but it's something I always think about for my videos.
Speaker2: [00:29:13] No, this is so perfect. I'm so happy that you like the nerd in me is like going off right now because yes, you should totally be making your own subtitles or at least checking them them over what YouTube is auto generating for you, because they use that to help figure out what your video is about as well. And just recently, those subtitles, like those captions, are what they use and show in the search results, too. So say that I'm searching for something. You can see the videos that YouTube will pull up, and they will also show you where that term has been said in the video by using the captions
Speaker1: [00:29:58] That is a that is a genius capability in hack. That is awesome. So what? So what about the actual cap? Like, what about the actual description? Do you have any hacks about that? Should it be bullet points? I don't think you can hyperlink, right? Or you can't.
Speaker2: [00:30:12] Oh, no, you can't. So you can add links there. Yes. You just won't. You just can't hyperlink it yourself. Like when the video is published, it'll show off as like a link. Just just add the I believe all you have to do is just make sure that you're adding the HTTPS to it, and it will hyperlink. Now, when it comes to your video description, I recommend making sure that you are including as many relevant keywords as possible because again, your description and your tags and your transcript is what YouTube is kind of using in order to figure out if this video is worth going to a certain person like based upon their query. So making sure that you have any type, any type of relevant keywords that relate to that video to that primary keyword. So for example, if our primary keyword was the whole Instagram Reels, right, and my video is about tools I use to make Instagram Reels, which if you're an Instagram expert, you're welcome, right? But you would be able to include certain keywords inside that description that relate to Instagram, Reels, Instagram. Maybe like the tools that that you mentioned inside the video, right? Making sure like how to film, edit and record Instagram Reels, things like that. You want to make sure that you include that keyword as many times inside that video description.
Speaker1: [00:31:35] So, so is is there a format for that? Or you can write like as long of a description as you want? Is it OK to overstuffed it with everything just to rank? Or does that follow the natural SEO kind of guidance?
Speaker2: [00:31:46] Well, I so I would recommend that keyword stuffing, but making it as human as possible, especially the first two lines, like because the first two lines is what people can see in the search results, too. So when you are searching for something on YouTube, you see the title, you see the thumbnail and then you also see a little bit of the description. And then what also happens is that if you're using the keywords correctly, if you're using like your primary keyword inside that first line of the description, it will become bold right for that user. So that is another way for for you, for them to signal to the user saying, Hey, this is probably what what you're looking for, right? So I always like to have like the first line, maybe like a hook that is actually intriguing, but also using the actual keyword that you want to rank for or that you or that you think the person is searching for in order to find that. Video And then the rest of it is just making it not crazy keyword stuff, but to be honest, the rest of it is really just for the algorithm. It's just for the search engine. So don't keyword stuff make it as readable that a human could read it without it being like a just a bunch of just mumbo jumbo and keywords everywhere.
Speaker1: [00:33:04] Yeah, I see a lot of like do emojis and stuff too. Can you do emojis?
Speaker2: [00:33:07] Yeah, yeah. Yeah, you can totally do emojis now. I just want to give you some more context text around like like the link because I feel like I don't want people to feel like that. They have the write essays down there either. Like, I would keep the rest of it. Maybe like about five five to.
Speaker1: [00:33:20] Sentences five to six sentence, got it. Ok, so so so that's that, you know, it's amazing how YouTube has evolved and how now they actually like you said they show you the minute mark where the keyword that you're searching comes up and Instagram doesn't have that, obviously. So now you've been working with YouTube for a while, where do you feel like it's it's going to go like, how has it evolved like in the last five years? And where do you think it's going to go in the next five years?
Speaker2: [00:33:45] Oh my gosh. So I am seeing it. So when I first started using YouTube, I was watching. Just like these tutorials, I don't know why I was watching makeup to like makeup tutorials. I have no idea, but I just love them. They're just so funny. But but it has been seen that it's like more than just an entertainment platform. So it's moved over from just from from just entertainment to people being able to to search for things like we now have YouTube Anniversary Anniversary, YouTube anniversary and and also like people have like a habit of searching for things that that they need the information to. So now there is becoming a trend in us learning, how can we take advantage of the the trend that is happening right now with people searching for things to find answers to things right from a business owner perspective, right? So now people people already have heard that SEO is important for your website, right? But now we're getting into this, this area to where we're like, Oh, wait, SEO also works for a social media site to tell me more. Right? This is why Instagram is introducing certain search components to their platform to right, because that's how you keep people engaged by showing them the right type of information. Right now, it's just isn't as sophisticated as YouTube's. So I really think there is a trend of people trying to learn and understand how to create passive traffic in a way that makes it easy for them to not get burnt out by having to manually do something all the time. So I really do see a trend in like an even higher trend in like passive type of action from their content.
Speaker1: [00:35:32] Yeah. And you know, the algorithm with like Instagram and TikTok, it's always evolving, but it seems like YouTube's pretty stable. And as long as you keep creating content, it might not get a lot of views in the first hour, but it can keep compounding right? Is it true because I know on Instagram and on LinkedIn they measure the first hour of engagement? What about YouTube? Do you need to get as much engagement in the first hour or it doesn't really matter?
Speaker2: [00:35:54] Yeah. So the first twenty four hours is the most important for a YouTube video. That was a great question. So the first 24 hours are are so important. And that's where I recommend you using your other community based platforms to drive people there, right? Use your Instagram account, use your your, your email list, your other social media channels to send people to that YouTube video. Because that is going to help you realize that this video is valuable. People are watching it. They're watching it all the way through. They're engaging with it. And that's going to going to help you at the on the next day and the next day of whenever YouTube is having to serve that video up to other people, right? So it just really helps you kind of like start off on the right foot whenever it comes to YouTube ranking that VIDEO
Speaker1: [00:36:46] So you know, you've given us so many actionable, tangible tips from the lengths to the captions to to the description. Now I want to get into the mindset, right, because we can talk all day about how to actually do it. But if your mind is not there yet, if you still are stuck in the eye, don't look a certain way or whatever. What do you have to say about people who don't feel like they don't look a certain way and they don't feel confident to be on camera?
Speaker2: [00:37:08] I would tell them to look at my very first YouTube video. No, but but I think that we have to understand that the more that we work at something that better, that it is right, even from whenever we used our used Instagram right, when when Instagram was the first thing that came out right, we're like over here posting these very filtered pictures of our food or or we're just doing these things. Or like when Instagram Stories came out, we were all kind of like, OK, well, what do we really do up there? When Instagram Live came out, we didn't really know. But now some of us are OK on live, right? Like, some of us are not. But if you are passionate about sticking to something, if you really want to take advantage of a platform like YouTube, I think practice makes perfect. One of the reasons why people get so worried about like, you know, how they look and also stuff is, is, is because it's the only thing that they can really control, right? And so what I like to do is find other things that you can control, like, what can you control? Well, I can totally control my script. I can control what I say on the platform, right? And. So most people that get that way, they don't think about scripting their videos, they don't think about outlining it, right, so I like to take control of all the things that I possibly can so that I can get confident, right? Because if I have a plan in place, I know that I'm going to kill this video, right? And so and so that's just like one tip that I really recommend. It's like, be prepared. Just be prepared and just understand that your first video is not going to be exactly the way that you want it. No one's ever is. But what I do want to tell them about, like like I want to commend them on, like at least posting the video, because after you do that first one, your next one is going to be much, much, much better than the previous one and then so on and so on.
Speaker1: [00:39:02] Yeah. Done is better, but done is way better than perfect. And honestly, one of the reasons why I asked you to come on this podcast is, listen, there are so many marketing pros out there who are doing YouTube videos, and they've been doing YouTube tutorials for years. And I want it to have you on there because I feel like you don't represent necessarily like what the usual marketing bro like stereotype. And I really, and I feel like that really is your strength because your business has not suffered. It's actually really exponentially increase since you've launched it during COVID, and you're like enjoying amazing success. So there's something to be said about, like not fitting in. And that really is your strength because we're all about that's how you actually can find your tribe is not by doing what everyone else is doing.
Speaker2: [00:39:45] Oh my gosh, yes, I have been so, so, so much more like happier that I can just be 100 percent authentic like me is. So it's so funny that you say that because when I was in corporate, you know, I not that I couldn't be be myself, but you were always, you know, you always had something dangling over you, right? You always had to kind of make sure that like you don't like, rub someone the wrong way, like make sure that you're always like doing things the right way. And so when I had decided to actually go full on in my business, I said, You know what? I am doing exactly what I want to do. I am going to be one hundred percent me. I'm going to dance in front of this mirror. I am going to hop on live and do all the crazy things that are really, really fun and show people all of my energy because it is true. I am like exactly how I am in my stories, but and it's only attracted the right people ever since. So I'm just so happy about that.
Speaker1: [00:40:48] I'm I'm so happy for you and I can definitely relate as well coming from working in the government industry. Tell us where we can get more of this GMR energy, this radiant energy that has made me find you and you know your energy is just very infectious. How can people find you? How can people learn more about you?
Speaker2: [00:41:06] Yeah. So everyone can totally go to my YouTube channel. You can easily find it by going to jamardiggs.com. That's YouTube. And if you want more real-time energy from me, follow me up on Instagram at Jamar Diggs.
Speaker1: [00:41:21] Yeah, your Instagram is off the chain, so it's it's interesting to see how you use both platforms like YouTube and Instagram, and you need both. But I think having a YouTube strategy is going to have longevity and and we're all about doing more with less so. Yes. Thank you so much for being on the show. I really loved this discussion. It was equal parts fun and also actionable, and I learned so much. So I look forward to catching up with you next time. Thank you. Thank you. Hey, small business hero, did you know that you can get featured for free on outlets like Forbes, The New York Times, Marie Claire, PopSugar and so many more, even if you're not yet launched or if you don't have any connections? That's right. That's why I invite you to watch my PR secrets masterclass where I reveal the exact methods thousands of bootstrapping small businesses used to hack their own PR and go from unknown to being incredible and sought after industry expert. Now, if you want to land your first press feature, get on a podcast, secure a VIP speaking gig or just reach out to that very intimidating editor. This class will show you exactly how to do it. Register now at gloriachoupr.com/masterclass. That's Gloria Chou, CHOU pr masterclass dot com, so you can get featured in 30 days without spending a penny on ads or agencies. Best of all, this is completely free, so get in there and let's get you featured.