Do you need VidIQ or TubeBuddy to grow on YouTube?
Summary
TLDRIn 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
- π TubeBuddy and VidIQ are two popular YouTube growth and optimization tools discussed in the video.
- π VidIQ offers keyword suggestions and the ability to drill down for more specific recommendations, which can be both helpful and overwhelming with data.
- π TubeBuddy provides search volume and competition data, including a bar graph for keyword success, though some find the weighted search volume feature gimmicky.
- π 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.
- π¨ 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.
- π TubeBuddy's find and replace feature is a time-saver for updating links or mentions across multiple videos.
- π VidIQ's daily video ideas can be hit or miss, sometimes suggesting topics that are irrelevant or already covered by the channel.
- π 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.
- π‘ Both tools offer features that can streamline the video creation process, such as custom description defaults in TubeBuddy.
- π 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.
- π 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
π€ 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.
π 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.
π¨ 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.
π οΈ 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.
π 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.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘YouTube Growth
π‘TubeBuddy
π‘VidIQ
π‘Keyword Research
π‘AB Testing
π‘Thumbnail
π‘Content Optimization
π‘Sponsored Content
π‘Riverside
π‘Coaching
π‘False Positives
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
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