Julie Broad (founder of Book Launchers) encourages authors—especially introverts—to create YouTube channels and lists five reasons to do so: (1) video is growing and essential for discovery; (2) YouTube is a powerful search engine owned by Google that can quickly improve discoverability; (3) YouTube enables multiple income streams (ads, affiliate links, sponsorships, client leads) though ad revenue may be small unless views are very large; (4) regular video practice prepares authors for media interviews; (5) YouTube viewers are often actively seeking solutions, increasing discoverability. A closing CTA asks viewers to comment, like, and subscribe; a bonus tip notes video helps introverts become recognizable at events.
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YouTube is a powerful platform for being discovered and connecting with potential book readers. Hey, we connected here, didn't we? But as an author and maybe even an introvert, you might be thinking, there's no freaking way you're getting in front of a camera and shooting a video. The reason you write, you might be thinking, is to stay behind the screen, not get in front of it. Well, stick around. This video is for you. Hey there. I'm Julie the Book Brian, founder of Book Launchers, an award winning author and a massive introvert. True story. I totally understand the fear of getting in front of that camera. Something about that lens staring at you can really make you clam up, say stupid things, and maybe even make you sweat in weird places. I sometimes sweat out of my eyeball better than butt sweat. But there are five reasons I think you should get over it and start creating video content on a regular basis and build up your own YouTube channel. Reason number one, video is not going away. In fact, it's the opposite. Instagram TV, Facebook Live, YouTube Live. What you're seeing everywhere is video expanding, not shrinking. So get comfy in front of that camera because folks, people are finding their next mentor, their next doctor, their next chiropractor, financial coach, their next self publishing book company. I'm such a good winker, aren't I? Through YouTube searches. Number two, YouTube is a gigantic search engine where you are not getting found right now. I personally have solved some of my biggest business challenges via YouTube. And I even learned a cool trick of how to peel a mango from YouTube. I've purchased dozens of books, hired coaches, hired mentors, all as a result of YouTube videos. So people are searching for the problem you can solve in YouTube. You need to be there. And by the way, who owns YouTube? Google. So you've got an already gigantic search engine being owned by an even bigger search engine. You gotta get on there if you want to rank for your keywords on Google. Really fast. Blog posts take forever. Now, shooting a video or two on that subject and posting it on YouTube can get you to the top of the search engine really fast. Check this out. Number three, YouTube supports you creating multiple streams of income. If you're running a business, the best businesses are making money in many, many ways. Your videos can help you do that. So you're selling books. Yay. That's one way to make money. Promote your book in your videos for sure. Then when you get 1,000 subscribers, you can enable monetization. So every person watching your video will make you a little money. But that's really little. Seriously, ads running on my videos generate roughly $1,000 a year at the most. I read a book called YouTube Secrets and you need at least half a million video views to make a thousand a month. But it's still another source of income. You can promote other people's stuff with affiliate links, and that can also get pretty lucrative if you have a message to market match. Finally, you can also get sponsorships and connect with potential clients for your greater business or your podcast or your blog. YouTube is totally cool with you doing all of those things. Number four, Media prep. Believe me, media interviews are the craziest thing you'll experience. If it's a live TV interview, there are cameras and bright lights and, and the cameras move. And the worst part is the interviewer doesn't even look at you while you talk. In most situations, they're planning their next question. So, Julie Brod, tell me about your first book. Well, I wrote it because I was trying. I wanted to help other people. Mm. Shooting a bunch of YouTube videos isn't the same thing, but it will get you comfortable in front of a camera and get you used to saying your material. Or that will make you a lot better in your TV interview. Number five. YouTube is where people are actively. That's a really important word. They're actively seeking to solve problems. When I'm on Facebook or Instagram, I'm probably mindlessly scrolling for something that catches my attention or I'm posting for business or personal purposes. When I go to YouTube, I'm usually searching for a solution to a problem or looking up Bob the Train episodes for my son. Unlike social media, where you practically have to pay to be shown, YouTube is going to show your content. If you do a few things right to show the YouTube algorithm that people like your content, here is a hint as to what YouTube looks for. If you post a comment below this video on the day this video is released, you'll be entered to win a prize. Yeah, and hit that thumbs up button and make sure you've subscribed to the channel and then head over and watch another fantastic video. Video might be over here or over here. Those are things YouTube loves to see and it makes my day. So the discoverability is really high if you do some of those things right and get engagement from your audience. So please go ahead, comment below and if you have started a YouTube channel for your author business, post that below. Let's all be YouTube friends. On the next video. I'm going to share tips for building that channel as an authority. See you on the next one. Bonus tip if you are an introvert like me, video helps folks recognize you in real life. And being recognizable means life as an introvert is easier. You don't have to work so hard to meet people. People will come to you because they feel like they know you already. It makes conferences and events and networking so much easier for you. You're welcome.
