How would you like to spend three minutes of your time watching a video tour of a stranger’s apartment? It’s not exactly an amazing apartment that contains a slide or a haunted bathtub or even a C-list celebrity. Still, more than 300,000 people watched Matt D’Avella’s video titled “My Minimalist Apartment“.
How did D’Avella attract so many eyeballs? His video features spot music, but that’s only part of the reason for this video’s success. If you want to seriously up your YouTube game and start attracting six-figure views – hey, let’s shoot for seven – here are the five essentials you need to know and embrace it like a new BFF!
A Quick Side Note About the Power of YouTube
If you’re involved in video creation, you already know that YouTube is the single largest video platform around. For most video content creators – whether you’re reviewing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or trying to gain greater visibility for your business – YouTube is your best chance to be seen, shared, and admired.
These metrics are worth repeating here.
- YouTube has over 1 billion users
- These users watch over 1 billion hours of video every day
- YouTube draws more eyes from the 18-34 demographic than any U.S. cable network.
In other words, YouTube is where the eyeballs are. Many people already realize this, which is why you’re competing with 300 hours of video uploaded to YouTube every minute! How can you possibly stand out?
How can you possibly stand out? Matt D’Avella’s video “My Minimalist Apartment” has some important clues. While the video isn’t the hottest thing on YouTube, D’Avella has a good sense of his audience and style. His videos regularly get six-figure views, along with tons of shares and lovey-dovey thumbs-ups. By following his lead, you too can get those numbers and his tight-knit group of loyal followers.
Who you are & What you want in making quality YouTube videos
Before you even think about turning on your camera, you should know exactly what topics and spaces you want to conquer on YouTube. This will allow you to identify your audience, guide your choice of subject matter, and help you figure out how to present your content.
Many of Matt D’Avella’s videos focus on the theme of living a minimalist lifestyle, but to say that his theme is “minimalism” would be too simplistic. Matt’s theme is about getting more out of life, usually by implementing minimalist habits. In addition, his videos showcase his playful personality, making minimalism seem like a fun and rewarding way to live.
It is easy to see what type of person would be attracted to this video. It appeals to people who are curious about minimalism, people who are already practicing minimalism and want to be a part of the minimalist community, and those who want to simplify their lives.
If you are new to the video creation party, spend a lot of time developing your theme. If you’re showcasing a business or product, think in terms of your brand.
Come up with a good idea
Next, come up with a concept for your video. A lot of great ideas should come naturally when you consider your subject matter. One of Matt D’Avella’s biggest themes is the minimalist lifestyle in life. Creating a video tour of his minimalist apartment was exactly what his audience was hoping for.
Coming up with a great idea doesn’t mean you have to come up with something completely new. That’s almost impossible. (How about playing the underwater theme song from Super Mario Bros. on the harmonica? That’s been done. More than once.)
Instead, come up with an idea that fits your theme, then make it fresh in your own way. matt d’avella certainly wasn’t the first to show off his home (who remembers mtv’s cribs), or even the first to make a minimalist home video. His videos are successful because he’s someone his fans love and because his videos have a humorous and upbeat personality.
4 Key Elements to Making Quality YouTube Videos
Start with a Solid Intro
We all know that attention spans can be a bit lacking these days. (Totally irrelevant – thanks for mentioning it so much in the article!) This is true for both content and video. When your audience clicks on your video, a large chunk of the audience will be in skimming mode. If you don’t impress them and get to the point right away, they’ll click on the next interesting thumbnail in their video.
Grab your audience’s attention by clearly explaining the purpose of your video from the beginning. This may include introducing yourself and clarifying the benefits they will get from the video. You also want your topic and brand to be obvious from the start.
In his “My Minimalist Apartment” video, Matt D’Avella introduces himself, explains his background, and clearly states what the video is about in the first seven seconds of the video. His introduction is quick, clear, and effective.
Adding great music
We’re a music company, so of course, we think music is a key component to making quality YouTube videos. Music regulates the mood of a video, engages the viewer, creates an emotional connection, and adds a layer of professionalism to the video. Watch Matt D’Avella’s “My Minimalist Apartment” again and listen to the music.
Matt makes a great music choice here, picking music that is jazzy and a little quirky, just like him. The music doesn’t dominate or distract from the video, but rather supports it and gives viewers a nice listening treat as they tour Matt’s home.
Finding the right music for your video will take time, but it’s worth the effort. Start with a library of high-quality music, then pick a tune that enhances the emotional vibe you want to present and matches your brand, personality, and/or video theme. (At Soundstripe, we make it easy by allowing you to filter our music library by theme.
Ending with a powerful call to action
Even creating a two-minute video can take hours of shooting, editing, and polishing. It’s serious work, so do it for nothing. Before you start production, make sure you have a clear purpose and include a call to action in your video.
The specific call to action you choose will depend on your goals. It may be as simple as subscribing to your YouTube channel so viewers will be notified when you post new content. Other calls to action might include.
Purchase a product
Request a consultation
Download an eBook
Donate to a good cause
Smile at a stranger today
Because many people will only watch a short video, some experts recommend placing the call to action directly in the video’s introduction. Others suggest creating an out-and-out bumper scene or clickable annotation at the end of the video.
Matt D’Avella doesn’t make his call to action until the end of his video, asking viewers to subscribe to his channel with an outro bumper scene, and then highlighting his website and podcast. But wait, if you look closely, you’ll see a slick little subscribe button hanging from the bottom right of the video from start to finish.
Test different call-to-action options and use YouTube’s built-in analytics to determine which configuration will get the best results for your viewers.
Start filming
There is no single recipe that will help you create the perfect YouTube video that will be universally loved and shared by all. However, you should note a theme that runs through every piece of advice in this article. Great videos require thought, planning, attention to detail, and a willingness to put in the hard work.
Matt D’Avella didn’t record his “My Minimalist Apartment” video in 10 minutes and then shoot it on YouTube. Despite its fun and lighthearted feel, this is a well-planned, well-crafted and polished production. It feels carefree, which is a testament to the skills Matt and his team have developed, and his comfort with his subject matter and audience.
That’s all for making quality YouTube videos. If you have any questions or something unclear, welcome to email us [email protected]
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