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The No-Bull**** YouTube Handbook: Part 2

More Honest Advice for Aspiring YouTubers from the Creator Hive

By Emlyn Addison

December 7, 2024 Category: Episode planning

1. It’s Who Has the Best, Not the Most

Ignore the algo's siren song—posting once a week is a grind. And let’s be real, it’s often unnecessary.

One standout video can outperform five so-so ones. Take your time, explore the content, and leave viewers wanting more. Quality vs quantity.

2. Get Weird. Safe is Boring.

Owning a niche is essential, but don't become a prisoner of your formula. The top creators didn't get there by coloring inside the lines. Experiment with formats, topics, and styles.

Every mistake is intel—take risks.

3. Dig Your Content Rabbit Hole

Start with a few videos ready to play. If someone stumbles onto your channel and likes what they see, give them more to binge. Viewers subscribe when they get more of what they like. Give them a rabbit hole so deep they forget what daylight looks like.

4. Don't Overspend: MacGyver Your Setup

Avoid Gear Acquisition Syndrome. Gear doesn’t make great content—you do. Use what you have. Make it work. Some of the most viral content was shot on smartphones.

Invest in your content and your creativity.

5. Don’t Be a Clone

Sure, study the landscape. Look at what works. But copying is lazy, and stealing—well do we need to tell you that it's a channel-ender? Put your own spin on it.

What makes your video different?
Steve Wright, Learn Online Video

Do the work to make it your own–nobody remembers a carbon copy.

6. Adopt a Smarter Workflow

All channels start the same—chaos, caffeine, and a few bad takes. ShowShaper is for the content creator who knows the grind and wants a lifeline—to create smarter. You bring the passion, we’ll help with prep. Our pre-launch deal starts now—jump on.

7. Set Your Own Pace

Impostor syndrome is a creativity killer. You know things that even the big shots don’t. So run your own race.

Focus on your own metrics and milestones. Be your toughest critic, but keep it constructive. If you’re not always improving, you’re coasting—and coasting doesn’t cut it.

8. Get to the POINT

No one cares about your animated logo or long-winded intros. Hook them immediately: "Today, we'll show you three techniques that’ll make you the next [insert pop superstar]." Look at how the pros do it—they get right to the good stuff.

9. Cut the Crap

Your viewers aren’t hostages—they can leave. So lose the bull****.

Rambling tangents, repetitive explanations, and dead air kill momentum. Edit like a maniac. Good content respects the audience’s time by being lean, punchy, and laser-focused.

People are paying for watching your videos with their time and attention.
Ali Abdaal

10. Slow TF Down

Here's some pure algo heresy: Try posting just once a month. It’s way less stressful and it could make literally no difference to your stats—if the content slaps. Deep breath.

11. “Productivity Apps” are Not Creator Tools

ShowShaper’s Episode Builder is made for content creators. Craft episodes like recipes—add ideas, move, tweak, remix, and play with new formats. Preview in the script visualizer and nail your shoot.

Pre-launch deal: 50% off for 2 years.

12. Don’t Make Your Hobby Your Job—Unless You Want To

Door #1: If you treat your YouTube channel like a hobby, it’ll stay a hobby.
Door #2: If you treat it like a professional mission, it could change your life.

The creators making revenue are the ones who take it seriously and go all in. Passion vs dedication. Choose your own adventure.

Well what are you waiting for? Take the world by storm.

content creation, making YouTube videos, video tips, creator mindset, start a YouTube channel