Do you need VidIQ or TubeBuddy to grow on YouTube?

Summary

In this video, YouTube creators Eddie from Field Guide to DIY and Kevin Colby discuss the necessity of tools like TubeBuddy and VidIQ for YouTube growth. They share their experiences with these tools, highlighting features like keyword research, AI-generated titles, and thumbnail A/B testing. While acknowledging the benefits, they question if these tools are essential for channel growth, suggesting that similar information can be found elsewhere for free. The video also features a sponsored segment on Riverside, a platform for easy video recording and editing.

Takeaways

• 😀 TubeBuddy and VidIQ are two popular YouTube growth and optimization tools discussed in the video.
• 🔍 VidIQ offers keyword suggestions and the ability to drill down for more specific recommendations, which can be both helpful and overwhelming with data.
• 📊 TubeBuddy provides search volume and competition data, including a bar graph for keyword success, though some find the weighted search volume feature gimmicky.
• 🛑 Both tools have features that can be useful for YouTube growth, but they may not be essential for everyone, as similar information can be found elsewhere for free.
• 🎨 TubeBuddy's A/B testing for thumbnails is a premium feature that has shown surprising results, sometimes favoring thumbnails different from the creator's initial choice.
• 🔄 TubeBuddy's find and replace feature is a time-saver for updating links or mentions across multiple videos.
• 📝 VidIQ's daily video ideas can be hit or miss, sometimes suggesting topics that are irrelevant or already covered by the channel.
• 📉 VidIQ's coaching service, which involves being assigned a coach, was met with skepticism due to concerns about the value and relevance of the coaching provided.
• 💡 Both tools offer features that can streamline the video creation process, such as custom description defaults in TubeBuddy.
• 📉 The speaker believes that while the tools have useful features, they are not a must-have for growing a YouTube channel, emphasizing that content quality is paramount.
• 🔗 Links to both TubeBuddy and VidIQ are provided for viewers to explore and decide for themselves if the tools are worth the investment.

Q & A

What are the two main YouTube growth and optimization tools discussed in the script?

The two main YouTube growth and optimization tools discussed are TubeBuddy and vidIQ.

What is one feature of vidIQ that allows users to find video ideas related to their search?

vidIQ has a feature that provides recommended video ideas when users start typing a topic, such as 'cordless drill', and it gives a list of related ideas to choose from.

How does TubeBuddy's search volume and competition feature work?

TubeBuddy's search volume and competition feature provides a bar graph indicating the potential success of a keyword or phrase based on its search volume and competition level.

What is the 'speedometer' feature in TubeBuddy and what does it represent?

The 'speedometer' in TubeBuddy represents the balance between search volume and competition for a keyword or phrase, with the goal of finding keywords that are highly searched but have low competition.

What does the speaker find overwhelming about vidIQ?

The speaker finds vidIQ overwhelming due to the amount of data and options available, making it difficult to know where to start.

What is the issue the speaker has with the daily ideas feature on vidIQ?

The issue is that the daily ideas feature sometimes suggests topics that are not relevant to the speaker's channel or are not well-suited, leading to 'false positives'.

What is the AB testing feature on TubeBuddy and which version includes it?

The AB testing feature on TubeBuddy allows users to test different thumbnails to see which one performs better in terms of clicks and watch time. This feature is only available in the premium version.

What is the 'find and replace' feature in TubeBuddy and how does it save time?

The 'find and replace' feature in TubeBuddy allows users to quickly update links or text across multiple videos, such as changing a newsletter hosting platform, which saves time by avoiding manual updates.

What is the purpose of the 'multiple custom description defaults' feature in TubeBuddy?

The 'multiple custom description defaults' feature allows users to create different default descriptions for different types of content, making it easier to upload videos with consistent and relevant descriptions.

What is Riverside and how was it used in the creation of the video?

Riverside is a platform for recording, editing, and publishing videos. It was used to conduct the interview between Eddie and Kevin in the script.

What is the speaker's opinion on the necessity of vidIQ and TubeBuddy for growing a YouTube channel?

The speaker believes that while vidIQ and TubeBuddy have useful features, they are not must-have tools for growing a YouTube channel, as the same information can be found elsewhere for less money or for free.

Outlines

00:00

🤔 Debating the Necessity of YouTube Growth Tools

The script introduces a discussion on the utility of YouTube growth and optimization tools, specifically TubeBuddy and vidIQ. The speaker shares their friend Eddie's perspective and their own on whether these tools are essential for YouTube growth. They mention a sponsored segment by Riverside and plan to share their experiences with the tools, including both positive and negative aspects, to help viewers decide if they are necessary for success on YouTube.

05:00

📊 Analyzing Features of vidIQ and TubeBuddy

This paragraph delves into the features of vidIQ and TubeBuddy, comparing their capabilities in keyword research and video optimization. The speaker discusses vidIQ's ability to provide daily video ideas and its overwhelming amount of data, which can be both a strength and a weakness. TubeBuddy's search volume and competition analysis is highlighted, along with its 'speedometer' feature that suggests video topics based on search volume and competition. The speaker expresses skepticism about certain features, finding some gimmicky or not personally beneficial.

10:00

🎨 TubeBuddy's Thumbnail Testing and Other Features

The speaker focuses on TubeBuddy's features, particularly the A/B testing for thumbnails available only in the premium version. They share personal experiences where the winning thumbnail was not their initial choice, emphasizing the value of data-driven decisions. Additionally, they mention the find and replace feature, which has saved them significant time when updating links or changing platforms. The paragraph also touches on the ability to set multiple custom description defaults, which is a time-saving feature for those with specific video themes or series.

15:01

🛠️ vidIQ's Coaching Service and the Value of YouTube Tools

The script discusses vidIQ's new coaching service, which was introduced after vidIQ acquired Tim Schmoyer's 'Video Creators' brand. The speaker expresses reservations about the service, particularly the lack of choice in coaches and concerns about the quality of advice provided. They compare the coaching service to other sources of information available for free or through personal networks. The speaker also addresses the broader question of whether tools like vidIQ and TubeBuddy are essential, suggesting that while they offer valuable features, they may not be necessary for channel growth, which ultimately depends on the creator's content and strategy.

📈 The Impact of Titles and Thumbnails on Video Performance

In the final paragraph, the speaker reflects on the role of titles and thumbnails in video performance, using a specific example of a successful video titled 'The Ultimate Guide for changing the Rii circular saw blade.' They argue that while these elements are important, the content itself and the creator's ability to engage the audience are more critical for long-term growth. The speaker encourages viewers to try out both vidIQ and TubeBuddy through their free trials and decide for themselves if the tools are worth the investment, emphasizing that the tools are not the sole determinants of success on YouTube.

Keywords

💡YouTube Growth

YouTube Growth refers to the process of increasing a channel's visibility, subscribers, and overall engagement on the YouTube platform. In the video, the concept is central as the creators discuss whether specific tools are necessary for achieving growth. For instance, they mention that using tools like TubeBuddy and VidIQ can aid in optimizing content for better visibility and engagement.

💡TubeBuddy

TubeBuddy is a browser extension designed to enhance YouTube channel management and video optimization. The script discusses TubeBuddy's features, such as search volume analysis and competition metrics, which help creators understand the potential reach of their keywords. The video also touches on the tool's AB testing feature for thumbnails, which is part of its premium service.

💡VidIQ

VidIQ is another tool mentioned in the video that offers services similar to TubeBuddy, including keyword suggestions and channel analytics. The script highlights VidIQ's overwhelming amount of data and its daily video idea suggestions, which can be hit or miss in terms of relevance to a creator's channel.

💡Keyword Research

Keyword research is a critical aspect of video optimization discussed in the video. It involves finding the right words and phrases that people use when searching for content on YouTube. The script mentions how both TubeBuddy and VidIQ provide insights into keyword search volume and competition, which can guide creators in selecting the best keywords for their videos.

💡AB Testing

AB Testing, as mentioned in the video, is a method of comparing two versions of an element, such as a thumbnail, to determine which performs better. TubeBuddy's premium version offers this feature, allowing creators to test different thumbnails and analyze the impact on click-through rates and watch time, as illustrated in the script.

💡Thumbnail

A thumbnail is the small preview image that represents a video on YouTube. The video script discusses the importance of thumbnails in attracting viewers and how TubeBuddy's AB testing can help optimize them. The video creators share their experiences with testing different thumbnails to increase engagement.

💡Content Optimization

Content optimization refers to the process of refining video content to perform better in search results and increase viewer engagement. The video talks about how tools like TubeBuddy and VidIQ can assist with this by providing data on keywords, search volume, and viewer behavior.

💡Sponsored Content

The term 'sponsored content' in the script refers to the video being partially funded or supported by an advertiser, in this case, Riverside. The mention of sponsored content indicates that while the creators are discussing the tools, there is a commercial interest involved in the presentation.

💡Riverside

Riverside is a platform for recording, editing, and publishing videos, which is mentioned in the script as the tool used by the creators to make the video. The platform is highlighted as user-friendly and efficient, and the script includes a promotional offer for viewers to try Riverside using a discount code.

💡Coaching

In the context of the video, coaching refers to the service offered by VidIQ, where creators can receive personalized guidance from an assigned coach. The script discusses the concept of coaching as an additional feature of VidIQ, which aims to provide creators with professional advice and support for their YouTube channels.

💡False Positives

False positives in the video script refer to irrelevant or inaccurate suggestions made by VidIQ's AI, such as recommending topics that do not align with the creator's channel or expertise. The creators express their skepticism about the usefulness of such suggestions in the context of their content strategy.

Highlights

Discussion on the necessity of YouTube growth and optimization tools TubeBuddy and vidIQ for channel growth.

Comparison of features between TubeBuddy and vidIQ, including keyword search volume and competition analysis.

VidIQ's ability to provide recommended video topics and its potential overwhelm due to data and numbers.

TubeBuddy's search volume and competition visualization with a bar graph for keyword success.

The feature of weighted and unweighted search volume in TubeBuddy and its perceived gimmickry.

The speedometer feature in TubeBuddy that indicates the balance between search volume and competition.

Eddie's experience with vidIQ's overwhelming interface and the contrast with TubeBuddy's features.

VidIQ's daily video ideas feature and its limitations with false positives.

The AI title suggestion feature of vidIQ and its hit-or-miss results.

TubeBuddy's A/B testing for thumbnails and its impact on video performance.

The upcoming native YouTube feature for thumbnail testing set for January 2024.

TubeBuddy's find and replace feature as a time-saving tool for video descriptions.

Custom description defaults in TubeBuddy for different video types as a productivity booster.

VidIQ's coaching service and its value proposition compared to self-research.

The importance of packaging and content quality over optimization tools for channel growth.

Personal experiences and recommendations on using both vidIQ and TubeBuddy for free features.

The argument against the necessity of these tools for channel growth and the importance of creator input.

Invitation for viewers to share their experiences with vidIQ and TubeBuddy in the comments.

Information on Riverside as a recording, editing, and publishing platform used for the video.

Transcripts

when it comes to YouTube growth and

optimization tools there's really only

two tools there's tubebuddy and there's

vid IQ now chances are you've heard of

those maybe you've even used one or both

of those but the question remains do you

really need them to grow on YouTube now

A friend of mine who's also another

YouTube Creator Eddie field with Field

Guide to DIY he and I talk about this

all the time about Tu buddy and vid IQ

so I said hey why don't we record a

video and we share our experiences good

bad and just see what you think about do

you really need tuddy or vid IQ to grow

on YouTube and by the way this video is

sponsored by Riverside more about them a

little bit later let's start with vid IQ

what do you like about vid IQ and what

do you not like about vid IQ vid IQ you

can drill down and they'll actually be

recommended so if I'm looking for I want

to do my next video on the ri cordless

drill okay so then I start typing r

Corless drill let's look for it and

it'll give me another five links that I

can click on that are recommended yobi

18vt Corless drill

RI

troubleshooting cordless drill many

times it'll tell you RI cordless drill

RI cordless

drill it's like so yeah okay I that's

what I'm asking about but um and then we

then we can contrast that with tu budy

tubebuddy has this um search

volume and competition you you can get a

a bar graph of how successful that

particular keyword or keyword phrase

will be and there's this whole weighted

against your search

volume and unweighted against as if you

take yourself and your browser out of

the mix I think it's sort of gimmicky

yeah but that's just me

but uh they really folks who talk about

that weight the the scale there yeah

really push that oh and you you have a a

speedometer here yeah and you so if you

get like really in in the Red Zone make

this video because there's low

competition and it's really searched

those that's the balance that you're

looking for and that's what they're

recommending I think they've got some

cool features I don't know that they

necessarily growth features and not for

me and I'll talk about that in a second

vid IQ one of the things and I and I

think I said this in a video I did quite

a while back one of the things that I

think I don't like about tubebuddy is

that I mean I'm a vid IQ it can be

extremely overwhelming when you get

there I've been doing YouTube a while

Eddie's been doing YouTube a while I've

been creating

content for most of my life so you can

get overwhelmed with data and numbers

and stuff like that but when you get to

vid IQ it's just like holy crap where do

I even start you know oh I got this and

I got this and I got this and I got this

I think I think all of these are good

with kind of a little it's not a bait

and switch but you know they pull you in

with like the daily ideas which I I

think is kind of okay on vid IQ um I

tell you I tell you what I think is

interesting about vid IQ so when I was

paying for it so I think on the free

version of VI IQ you get three daily

ideas and then if you pay you get 100

right and you can go through and you can

rank them and it's it's kind of cool but

I would get these like for they thought

for my channel it would be good to talk

about like Minecraft and I'm like what

you done a video on Minecraft I se a

long time oh and but then it would come

up with some like editing graphic

software that's a PC I'm MAC vid IQ you

should know this if you scanned my

channel and and something I've never

heard of but it was like you know we

really think this would work in what

universe so there are things like that

it was always these false positives um

what I think is interesting and We've

joked about this the um the AI title

thing what I would find most of the time

with vid

IQ of the five titles I think it would

recommend one inevitably would be the

title I'd already come up with right the

other thing that was like ultimate the

word

ultimate almost always to be in one of

your titles it yes it doesn't matter it

doesn't matter fact we were just talking

about that the other day you were you

were saying and I want I want to talk

about that in just a second so that's

the thing about vid IQ there's some

things in there that I think are cool uh

I the AI thing is kind of interesting

there's parts of it that are cool there

are not and then tubebuddy um what's

interesting the things I really like

about tubebuddy I like the AB testing on

the thumbnails and I've used that quite

a bit and several times I've been huh

caveat what do you mean there are three

levels of that is true there's the free

version yep the yep pro version and the

premium version you only get AB testing

with the premium version yeah which I'm

on yeah I don't pay for that yeah and I

will say there's been several times that

the the thumbnail that tested higher was

not the one I would have thought not the

one I would have gone with and this is

not them guessing this is them testing

and you get all the data about the

clicks and the the watch time and how it

how how the two compare and then you

have the option of using or not um now

the irony is with this is YouTube keeps

telling us that we're all getting ABC

thumbnail testing beginning in January

2024 uh yes yeah which and we're

recording this in in May um same year

and it's it's been coming for quite some

time the last I heard is that they were

still testing it and they're going to

roll it out and stuff like that you know

I I think it's a good tool to have so to

me that's one of the things that I think

tubebuddy has that's pretty strong that

won't have anymore I also like a couple

of things that I've used quite a bit the

find and replace feature to me has been

has been a huge timesaver if I change a

link on something I can just use that uh

as well and and I may just like if I've

changed who's hosting my newsletter

I can just take out have it find the the

platform of the software I'm using and

change it with the new software and it

keeps everything else that's huge remind

everybody where it searches for and

replaces what do you mean in your title

and your description yeah so you can

actually tell it so if I know like let's

say I'm I'm switching from well I did

this recently I'm switching I I I dumped

canva and went with Adobe Express for my

Graphics so if I had a anything in my

description that said um you know what I

use for graphics and I had canva then I

can tell it to go in and search in all

those places and replace canva affiliate

link with my Adobe Express affiliate

link and it'll it'll just search

everything typically if I know I didn't

use it in my title I just unclick that

it's just less it's got a filter through

but it's never missed one I I will have

to say it's never missed one and it's

really nice the other thing I've used a

lot is the um it gives you again I think

this is one of the pay plans I'm not

sure you can do

multiple custom uh description defaults

YouTube gives you one so you can go into

your settings I think it's settings and

you can create a a custom default

description and so anytime you upload a

video all of that will already be there

you can go in and change it all day long

yes a ton of time Tu buy allows you to

do multiple so I could do one for like

you know the only thing that changes is

if I want to mention the gear at my desk

or I do one about you know certain

videos I want to point you to or

something like that and then you can

just go in and say use that one and it

just replaces the description I think

that's really cool that's for the

premium I don't have that yes yeah and

and by the way you'll get the point that

Eddie is very bitter that I have the the

premi but no to his credit um I will say

I did a video once and I talked about

one of the features and in in the the

most um Godly way you called me out and

said bro you need you need to always

tell us and I'm like you know I didn't

think about that because I was so used

to just having it so it was it was was

good you want me to comment on your

videos right you just maybe not all caps

next time yeah yeah yeah it's like

shouting through the keyboard I could

see how that would be be helpful because

in my genre um I could I could actually

save a template for projects I could

save a template for products and I could

save a product for comparisons oh yeah

and in fact you do a lot of things with

Ryobi on your channel yes so you could

actually have a description Ryobi T yes

and it it is a huge timesaver now yeah

could you copy and paste sure it's just

it's one less Step Beyond that you know

I have found I mean you know Tu budy now

has a I titles I have found even if even

if and I've tested them both where you

know I don't take the title I've come up

with and have it suggest I actually will

throw some keywords in or something like

that and it's just none of the titles I

feel like are ever really that good hey

I wanted to break in here and tell you a

little about Riverside Riverside is one

of the easiest platforms I've ever used

to record even edit and publish a video

in fact I used Riverside to do this

video you're watching the interview with

Eddie and me and it was very simple sent

him the link he popped in we recorded

everything did some editing in the

background so if you want to check out

Riverside for yourself hit the link down

in the description use the code Kevin

Colby and save 15% off your subscription

now back to the video you were talking

about the vid IQ t s three suggestions a

day yeah the daily ideas yeah yes the

daily ideas um one was recommended to me

last night

that I make a video on how to crack a

safe there you go okay thank you yeah

that might be good for the guys that

you'll be bunking with after you do that

exactly vid IQ has launched

coaching and this is something Eddie and

I talked quite a bit about when they

launched that and and just give you this

much of a backstory vid IQ bought

there's a there's a guy named Tim

schmoyer he's one of these OG creators

he's a super nice guy he's a Christian

dude family man and I mean he knows

YouTube and he he had a brand called

video creators and he actually sold that

to vid IQ and so part of that was just

so they could roll in coaching and so I

think he became their you know CEO of

coaching or something you and they took

his coaching plan that he had developed

Y and they've rolled that into this

independent coaching so it's basically

like 99 bucks a month or something like

that and you're assigned a coach full

disclosure when they first rolled that

out there was like a an introductory

price and and Eddie and I talked about

it back and forth they don't tell you

who your coach is going to be you're

kind of assigned a coach and I want to

make sure this comes across as as loving

and clear I know a lot but there's a lot

I don't know and there's a lot of people

that know a lot more than me but if and

I have hired coaches before and I I've

been mentored by some really really good

creators who you know going into that

yes engagement yeah yeah I mean three

come to mind four come to mind and I

know these people what I resist though

is being assigned somebody who I don't

know anything about them and and what

makes them a coach what makes them know

anything and am I going to just kind of

get

regurgitated information I mean it was

like I used to work in television and we

we'd pay a buttload of money for

Consultants who would just pretty much

tell you the same information that they

told the last station they would just

kind of adapt it I'm not implying they

do that I'm just saying to me it's a lot

of money to pay and then you start

looking at the access and it wasn't

really a lot of access and and every

time I have either been into a a

mastermind group or something like that

there was a lot of access with the

person I wanted to have access to you

you said to me and I think this is fair

that vid iq's response would be and

probably two buddies as well is that you

know a lot of the things you can find

you can but you know they make it easy

to do kind of a One-Stop shop it's kind

of like the the Walmart or the target of

you know I can go and buy sock socks

milk and lawnmower in one trip because

who doesn't do that a lot of what you're

getting is is not

necessarily proprietary to you I mean to

Vin iq's full disclosure when they

launched the AI stuff it said in there

that it was using chat GPT three or four

well you can use chat

gpt3 and I assume as they keep doing

higher numbers because it's kind of like

apple you know the iPhone 22 coming out

one year that you can use chat gpt3 you

can train it you can actually give it

something you've done and I've done this

before and taken transcripts from my

videos and said hey can you look at this

and can you you know give me five ideas

for whatever Google uh what's it uh

Gemini yes same thing you can do that

there's Google Trends if you've never

used it you can go in and search what's

trending and you can even zero that down

to YouTube you know even in the back end

of Tu buddy when you get there it giv

you the you know you can let's say you

type in something about Final Cut Pro

since we both edit on Final Cut Pro

tubudy will tell you also searches on

Google and it'll tell you how the

searches have gone over time the

trending well all that's doing is

pulling from Google and Google Trends

you can do that as well you may decide

it's worth the money to go one place you

said to me that there was there was a

title and I can't remember the title

that vid IQ had recommended you went

with that title

and that video was doing really well do

you remember what the title was or the

what the video was about yes the

ultimate guide for changing the rii

circular saw blade I'm sorry what word

was in there the the ultimate ultimate

The Ultimate Guide for

changing the ropi circular saw blade

it's doing well do you believe though

that you could have come up with a title

as well that would have worked yes and

in fact I didn't

I went with that title because I went

and asked it to come up with a title for

me because it started out flat ah okay

okay and then I said okay so this is

underperforming what LC you got for me

the ultimate guide and I went with that

why not guess what it picked up my

comment back to Eddie on that title is

while titles are important and

thumbnails are important it's your

packaging I would argue that maybe it

got a few more people interested but it

was Eddie's content for that specific

video for that specific topic that has

that has continued to grow over time so

I I think where I was kind of picking

back at you I think you were giving vid

IQ As I understood too much credit

because of the title and the and it

growing and I was and I was saying I

think it kind of diminishes your role as

picking the topic and going with it and

letting it letting it find the audience

so do you believe vid IQ or two buddy

are must have tools

for video creators I don't think so I

think I think you can get the same

information in other sources for Less

the price but will you continue to use

certain parts of both of them at least

on the free yes I will there are some

benefits of both a lot of what you what

they sell you can find Elsewhere for

free hopefully I've never said on this

channel that you have to have one or the

other to grow your channel if I did I'd

like to set the record straight now I

don't think you do but I do believe that

there are things in vid IQ and things

into bu that are good are they worth

paying for you have to make that

decision I think the people that work

there on both of them are good people I

actually like Rob Wilson I don't know

him at vid IQ I think he's a hoot

you know and I've known people that work

at tube buddy so it's not about that

it's just about are the tools really

going to grow your channel ultimately I

think it comes down to you now if you've

used vid IQ or two buddy what do you

think let me know down in the comments

and if you want to decide for yourself

I've put links to both of those down

there they both have free trials check

them out you may decide that hey I

completely disagree and I like this tool

because they do have some good features

I'm Kevin Colby check out the videos

coming up next and as always thank you

so much for watching