I tried Faceless YouTube Automation for 200 days

Summary

The speaker shares a candid account of their 200-day journey into YouTube automation, highlighting the challenges, misconceptions, and realities of creating a successful faceless channel. They emphasize the importance of industry credibility, strategic content creation, and the long-term value of building a loyal audience over chasing virality. The narrative is a mix of trials, errors, and lessons learned, ultimately revealing that YouTube's true potential lies beyond AdSense revenue, in the realm of audience-based distribution and brand building.

Takeaways

• 🚀 The allure of YouTube automation lies in the promise of easy, passive income, but it requires significant effort and investment.
• 📈 Initial success with YouTube videos can be misleading; sustainable growth and audience building take time and strategic content.
• 🤝 Collaboration with a like-minded partner can be beneficial, but it's crucial to share a common vision and work ethic.
• 🎯 Identifying and focusing on a niche (white space) with demand and little competition is key to establishing a successful channel.
• 💡 Quality content is essential, but sometimes a great idea with mediocre execution can outperform a mediocre idea with excellent execution.
• 🛠️ It's better to release good-enough content quickly for market feedback than to perfect a video at the expense of testing and learning.
• 🔍 Market dynamics and audience nurturing are more important than chasing viral hits for short-term gains.
• 💸 Investing in the right resources, like a reliable editor, can save time and frustration in the long run.
• 📊 Setting clear deadlines and holding the team accountable is crucial for maintaining momentum and achieving goals.
• 🌐 Building a loyal audience should be the primary focus, as it offers long-term value beyond immediate views and AdSense revenue.

Q & A

What was the initial motivation behind trying out YouTube automation?

The initial motivation was to find an easy and automated way to earn money online, as the individual was looking for ways to earn a bag and had tried various methods like Dropshipping, affiliate marketing, and Forex trading without success.

What did the term 'automation' promise in the context of YouTube channels?

The term 'automation' promised an effortless way to make money with minimal work, where one could earn income passively through a faceless YouTube channel that doesn't require personal appearance on camera and outsources all the work.

What was the first mistake made in the YouTube automation journey?

The first mistake was hastily choosing a YouTube channel idea without proper research or planning, leading to potential issues down the line.

Why did the collaboration with a friend prove to be beneficial in the YouTube automation process?

Collaborating with a friend was beneficial because it aligns with the saying 'if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together,' indicating that teamwork can lead to better results and shared responsibilities.

What was the reality of the 'automated' YouTube channel in terms of workload?

The reality was that the YouTube channel was far from automated; it required significant input and management, essentially making the role more of a project manager rather than a passive earner.

How did the initial videos perform in terms of views and monetization?

The first two videos performed exceptionally well, going viral within a short period and bringing in significant views and decent money, leading to a false sense of success and expectations.

What were the two main reasons for the subsequent videos not performing as well as the first two?

The two main reasons were not nurturing the initial audience they had built and instead chasing new viewers, and not understanding market dynamics, specifically the difference between aiming for viral hits and building a long-term, recurring audience.

What did the individual learn from the Twitter thread that changed their perspective on YouTube automation?

The individual learned that focusing on building a long-term audience is more valuable than chasing viral hits, and that targeting a broad audience is equivalent to targeting no one specifically.

What is a 'white space' on YouTube and why is it important to identify one?

A 'white space' on YouTube is a segment or niche with high demand and low supply. Identifying such a niche is crucial as it allows for easier growth and success of the channel, as there is less competition and a ready audience for the content.

What was the impact of 'shiny object syndrome' on the YouTube automation project?

The impact of 'shiny object syndrome' was a loss of focus on the original plan, leading to the creation of a gaming channel that, while successful, did not align with the long-term economic goals and eventually led to losing interest in the project.

What are the six key lessons the individual wishes they knew when starting faceless YouTube automation?

The six key lessons are: 1) Move faster and not be afraid of putting out subpar content for market testing; 2) Focus on one thing from the start; 3) Be stricter with deadlines; 4) Invest more money from the beginning; 5) Focus on building an audience from the start; 6) Avoid going into YouTube with false expectations.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 The Journey Begins: Discovering YouTube Automation

The speaker embarks on a 200-day exploration of YouTube automation, sharing their initial skepticism and the various online ventures they tried before, such as dropshipping, affiliate marketing, and Forex trading. They stumbled upon YouTube automation, intrigued by the promise of effortless income. The speaker documents their preparation, including brainstorming channel ideas, partnering with a friend, hiring an editor, and the initial challenges they faced in creating their first video. They emphasize the gap between the automated process promised by gurus and the reality of being a project manager, setting the stage for the lessons to come.

05:00

📈 Ups and Downs: Navigating YouTube's Unpredictable Terrain

The speaker recounts the rollercoaster experience of their first two videos going viral, bringing in significant views and revenue within a short period. However, this success was not sustainable as subsequent videos failed to attract the same attention. The speaker reflects on their mistakes, such as neglecting their initial audience and chasing viral content without understanding market dynamics. They discovered the importance of building a long-term audience and the pitfalls of focusing on short-term gains. The speaker also highlights the value of industry experience and the need to invest time and money wisely in the YouTube ecosystem.

10:00

💡 Learning from Mistakes: Refining the YouTube Strategy

After facing setbacks, the speaker shifts their focus to identifying a niche 'white space' on YouTube, aiming to create content that caters to a specific audience with high demand and low competition. They discuss the process of finding a reliable editor and the challenges of producing high-quality videos. The speaker emphasizes the importance of sticking to a plan and avoiding distractions, such as chasing trends that do not align with long-term goals. They also stress the need for effective communication and collaboration within the team, and the lessons learned from their experiences, including the critical nature of a strong work ethic and the value of a well-executed idea over a poorly executed one.

Keywords

💡YouTube automation

YouTube automation refers to the process of using automated tools and outsourcing to create and manage YouTube content, potentially minimizing the creator's direct involvement. In the script, the narrator experiments with this model to generate income through 'faceless' channels that don't require his physical presence on camera. The concept of automation initially attracts him because it promises easy money with minimal effort, aligning with the broader theme of exploring and debunking online money-making schemes.

💡Faceless channels

Faceless channels on YouTube are those that do not feature the creator's physical appearance, often relying on voiceovers, animations, or curated footage. The script discusses the potential of faceless channels as a less personal, yet potentially lucrative, YouTube strategy. These channels allow creators to maintain privacy while outsourcing much of the production process, which is central to the narrator's venture into YouTube automation.

💡Outsource

Outsourcing in the context of the script refers to hiring external contractors or services to handle aspects of YouTube content creation, such as editing or scriptwriting. The narrator opts to outsource work to optimize the channel's operation and minimize personal workload, which reflects his initial belief in a hands-off approach to YouTube success, only to later realize the complexity and challenges involved.

💡Monetization

Monetization in the video script refers to the process of earning revenue from YouTube videos, primarily through ads. The narrator mentions getting 'monetized' as a significant milestone where his videos start generating income. This concept is key to understanding the financial motivations behind YouTube channels and the importance of sustained viewer engagement to maintain revenue streams.

💡Viral

The term 'viral' describes content that quickly gains widespread popularity through sharing on the internet. In the script, the narrator experiences initial viral success with his videos, which brings significant views and monetization potential. However, the inability to consistently replicate this viral success leads to reflections on the unsustainable nature of relying solely on viral hits for long-term channel growth.

💡Audience

Audience refers to the viewership that a YouTube channel attracts and retains. The script emphasizes the importance of nurturing an existing audience rather than constantly seeking new viewers. Failing to maintain audience engagement is portrayed as a critical oversight in the narrator's strategy, underscoring the theme that sustainable success on platforms like YouTube depends on building and maintaining a loyal viewer base.

💡Market dynamics

Market dynamics in the script refer to the forces influencing the popularity and competitiveness within the YouTube content ecosystem. The narrator learns that understanding these dynamics—such as viewer preferences and saturation—is crucial for sustaining channel growth. His failure to adhere to these principles initially leads to fluctuating viewership and the need to reassess his approach.

💡White space

White space, as used in the script, refers to market segments on YouTube with high demand but low supply of content. Identifying and targeting these white spaces is portrayed as a strategic move for successful channel creation, as it implies less competition and a higher potential for growth, aligning with the narrator's refined approach to YouTube entrepreneurship.

💡Avatar

In the script, an 'Avatar' represents the ideal viewer or customer profile that the YouTube content is specifically designed to attract. By defining and targeting videos towards this avatar, the narrator aims to cultivate a dedicated and engaged audience, which is crucial for long-term channel sustainability and effectiveness in marketing.

💡Attention rush

The 'attention rush' mentioned in the script refers to the contemporary rush to capture and monetize human attention through digital media, likened to historical rushes for gold or oil. This concept underlines the video's broader theme that building an audience is a valuable endeavor in today's economy, where attention is a scarce and highly sought-after commodity.

Highlights

The author's 200-day journey into YouTube automation revealed the truth behind the promises of easy money and the reality of hard work.

Dropshipping was seen as e-commerce for lazy people, but YouTube automation was initially perceived as an easy, passive income opportunity.

The initial excitement of YouTube automation was dampened by the realization that it requires active project management rather than being fully automated.

The first video took four times longer than expected, highlighting the underestimated effort in video production.

The strategy of hiring an editor through Upwork led to a mix of experienced and underdog candidates, showing the importance of team selection.

The first two videos went viral unexpectedly, bringing in significant views and revenue, which was a stark contrast to the subsequent videos' performance.

The realization that profit, not revenue, should be the focus when considering the success of a faceless YouTube channel.

The author's experience with Twitter led to a pivotal learning moment about audience nurturing and market dynamics, which were crucial for long-term success.

The concept of 'white spaces' on YouTube was introduced as a strategy for identifying profitable niches with high demand and low competition.

The importance of aligning the YouTube channel's content with a long-term economic goal was emphasized over chasing viral hits.

The author's struggle with 'shiny metal object syndrome' and the lesson of focusing on one's plan without getting distracted by trends.

The critical role of a reliable editor in the success of a faceless YouTube channel and the challenges faced in finding and retaining such talent.

The costly mistake of perfecting a video at the expense of testing the market, emphasizing the need for rapid prototyping and iteration.

The importance of setting and adhering to strict deadlines to maintain momentum and productivity in the face of challenges.

The author's regret over not focusing on building an audience from the start and the resulting lessons learned about long-term value.

The unexpected shift in perspective from seeing YouTube as a source of AdSense revenue to recognizing its potential for building a valuable audience.

The conclusion that YouTube automation is a long-term investment of time and money, with the potential for significant returns in audience building and brand trust.

Transcripts

I tried face this YouTube automation for

200 days and I think it's about time

somebody tells you the truth let's go

back to day

one I sat at my computer I was looking

at ways to earn a bag I try Drop

Shipping realized it's e-commerce for

lazy people I try affiliate marketing

realized it's litered with false

expectations I try Forex Trading even

pay the guru to trade for me but then I

realized my dog performed better then I

saw a YouTube automation pop up on my

homepage the word automation caught my

eye it screamed easy no work make money

in your sleep I checked out some videos

about it I saw these guys claiming to be

making hundreds of thousands of dollars

with these faceless channels channels

where you don't need to be on camera and

apparently you Outsource all of the work

you have a team that does everything for

you that's enough for me I was in if

only I knew what I was getting myself

into this is an unfiltered story of

what happened for the next 200 days and

we're not hiding anything here how much

money we've spent how much money we've

made and our biggest mistakes I made a

list of YouTube channel ideas then I

picked one I liked 5 minutes later later

I had my channel idea a mistake we'll

get to that later I asked my friend John

if he wanted to do this with me together

not a mistake if you want to go fast go

alone if you want to go Fair go together

he said yes we put up a jaob post on

upor for an editor this was the jaw post

we narrowed it down to one experienced

guy who had loads clients and another

guy who had barely any experience but

was very bought into our vision I never

bet against and motivated Underdog with

a point of proof we went with the

underdog we made our first video we

expected it to take a week it took four

notice out make video guidelines for the

editor before we start our next Channel

between video ideas scripting editing

and packaging I realized this was far

from automated not like software anyway

the gurus pitched this as a well-oiled

machine that required barely any input

in reality I realized that in this job

you're just a glorified project manager

damn we went ahead and launched our

first video got no views damn launched

our second video got eight views damn

damn again but we weren't worried from

experience I knew that YouTube growth

took a long time so I was prepared to

strap in for a long ride of earning my

stripes that was my next mistake 2 weeks

later both videos BW up we got monetized

in the space of 10 days brought in

millions of views and started making

some decent money these were our total

costs at the time so we were already on

track to make good profit here's a tip

when you do faceless YouTube think in

profit not revenue revenue is Vanity

profit is sanity with this extra profit

I made space in my wall for my gold play

button I also started looking up how

much a Bugatti cost then everything fell

apart we launched another video it got

no views then we launched six more again

they got no views not in comparison to

the first two videos that went viral we

couldn't replicate the success and I

didn't understand the new videos were

higher quality how could they be getting

less views I didn't know why but what I

did know was that I had to cancel my

Bugatti order we were feeling pretty

dejected so I went to the one place that

always makes me feel better

Twitter anyway I was scrolling through

my home feed found wano's page read his

tweets my mind was blown turns out I

learned more from one tweet Storm from

this guy than I did hours of watching

so-called YouTube gurus on YouTube I

consumed all of his content and realize

why we stopped getting views there were

two reasons reason number one instead of

nurturing the audience of 10,000 Subs we

had just built we chased new ones as a

result we ended up losing our initial

audience targeting everyone is the same

as targeting no one reason number two we

didn't understand market dynamics our

Channel chased viral hits which is like

trying to catch smoke with your bare

hands there was no long-term value in

going viral the value is in recurring

viewers and after understanding this we

realized this channel we started was

nothing more than a cash crab one that

used Trends face jacking and shock to

get views great for going viral terrible

for building an audience what a shame I

like that channel maybe we'll come back

to it someday it was time to reassess

equipped with some industry credit we

were now taking this very seriously more

seriously because fa's YouTube turned

out to be a much bigger opportunity than

we thought bigger than the gurus were

letting on with their sneaky tricks to

make money earned on YouTube much

greater than what it actually is I fell

for it too don't worry turns out they

were actually thinking about faces

YouTube all wrong the opportunity does

not lie in AdSense it lies in something

else but we'll get to that later now

it's important to to note that these

results that we got for the first two

videos are quite unrealistic for

beginners between all of us working on

the team we had about five years of

YouTube between us so we already had

some industry credit built up the more

you work in an industry the more credits

you get you understand what actually

works and what to avoid so if you're

starting this with zero industry credit

you're either going to take a lot of

time and a lot of sacrifice to earn

those credits or you can pay somebody to

teach you and help you get up to speed I

recommend the latter it's much quicker

and more effective anyway let's get back

to my Quinton Tarantino esque Montage we

began looking for markets on YouTube

that we could launch a channel in we

call it a whit space a segment on

YouTube with lots of demand and little

Supply launching a channel in a whit

space is like teaching a duck to quack

it's easy we developed a system for

identifying these white spaces we did

this by benchmarking ratios of various

Channel figures looking for outliers and

focusing on its economic viability if we

found a white space that aligned with

our end goal like converting this

audience to a product we wanted to sell

we were in business we even launched a

newsletter telling other people about

these ideas we're finding if you're one

of the first 100 people to subscribe to

this newsletter down below you'll get 10

ideas instantly we eventually found an

idea we liked it very much aligned with

our end goal it also passed our YouTube

scorecard test so we went about to

finding our Avatar our theory was that

if every video was made specifically for

our Avatar we would build a long-term

audience we made a list of 100 video

ideas we compiled a strategy and decided

to execute on a plan we were ready to go

but unfortunately I got diagnosed with

something called shiny metal object

syndrome I got distracted you see I saw

a trend that was taken over YouTube

president go gaming it was definitely a

white space but it failed my scorecard

test against my principles we did it

anyway that was a mistake we launched

our competitor called false faces it

worked quite well actually but

inevitably we completely lost interest

we lost interest because it had no

long-term economic viability IR ronic

competition gave the channel away to

this nice guy called Gareth not toelf

avoid shiny metalogic syndrome focus on

one thing you like stick to your plan

and do it well but we did learn

something something the videos we

created for this channel were for a

better word bad but the idea was good

and it still performed really well it

hammered home that a great idea and poor

execution will do better than a poor

idea with great execution remember this

for later back to our original idea we

had a strategy we now needed to execute

we went back to upwork to find a

suitable editor we made a video

guidelines dock that I promised myself I

would before we got a bit of a shock

when we realized how much animation cost

it eventually we found a suitable

candidate it took 1 month and €350 to

develop a prototype video it took some

time to get it right but eventually we

made it perfect when we asked her to

send the high quality version she didn't

reply ever that was the last time we

heard from her she disappeared like

completely agenia if you're out there I

hope you're okay she had all the video

assets so no one else could replicate

the work that she did our perfect video

was rendered useless so now we were back

to square one and a few months down the

line with no progress frustration ensued

listen if you're testing something it

doesn't have to be perfect it has to be

done we spent 1 month making a video

Perfect instead of making something good

enough to test releasing it and seeing

how the market reacts time to learn from

that lesson time to go hell for Lether

we needed a reliable editor luckily we

were still talking to the same guy we

worked with on our first channel he was

talented he was reliable and now he was

in take care of your editors and they'll

take care of you recruiting is the

hardest part of faceless YouTube when

you find someone you like and they like

you make sure you hold on the team set

deadlines we put ourselves under

pressure and held each other accountable

everybody on the team was incentivized

for the channel to do well and we

managed to push things out quickly

eventually we released one video then

two videos and then three videos and now

we're at today no virality yet no four

fig earning days just slowly picking up

Impressions on our videos the channel is

picking up and I will continue to give

you updates on that channel but truth be

told given this amazing start we had to

face this YouTube automation I thought

we'd be a lot further along now than we

actually are but this is the truth it's

the reality a reality that a lot of

people don't show you here are six

things I wish I knew when I started

faces YouTube number one I wish we moved

faster and broke things I wouldn't be

afraid to put out subpar content in the

spirit of testing the market if anything

if you post subpar content and it

performs well it's more of a signal that

there is demand for it lesson number two

I wish we picked one thing to focus on

and just focused on that from the very

start because in any game I've ever

played in the realm of business YouTube

is the easiest to get distracted number

three I wish we were stricter on

ourselves with regard to deadlines you

were too lenient and deadlines are

really effective number four I wish we

spent more money earlier up until this

point we've spent upwards of 7 to 10K

and made back less than a fifth of that

and initially we barely spent at all and

in this game you really do get what you

pay for if you are very stingy with your

money from the start you will spend way

more time hiring dealing with subir

Freelancers and worrying about the wrong

things hire once and hire well number

five I wish we were more focused on

building an audience from the start not

chasing one time views and finally I

wish I didn't go into YouTube stupid

false expectations here are the

expectations I recommend you going to

face this YouTube with it's going to

require lots of investment either time

money or likely both regardless of how

much money you have it's going to take a

lot of failing until you figure out what

works and what doesn't definitely going

to test your resilience and finally it's

going to be worth it let me tell you why

it's going to be worth it and it's not

AdSense Revenue which is what all the

YouTube gurus are talking to about it's

much bigger and it would last much

longer 100 years ago we had a gold rush

50 years ago we had an oil rush 10 years

ago we had a data rush and today there

is an attention rush and that's not

changing anytime soon with the recent

advancements in AI Industries are only

going to become more and more

commoditized meaning tasks that require

10 people today might only require one

person in 5 years time and that means

distribution is going to become

everything and by distribution I'm

talking about getting a product into the

hands of a customer via communication

it's marketing it's sales and by far the

most effective way to do this in the

modern day is through an audience and an

audience can't be bought it can only be

earned and those that put in the hair

graph now to build their audiences will

have all of the Power later the plan

over the coming years is to create a

multitude of brands that an audience can

value and Trust that's why faces YouTube

automation is going to be worth it if

you're looking to do it from my

experience the hardest step in this

entire process is finding the right idea

it's pivotal towards success that's why

subscribing to my news whes space is

going to be probably the best thing

you're going to do today I hope that's

all for me we'll see you in the next one

Salam