Hi! Hello! Welcome to the very first issue of Off Script.

I’ll be honest, I’m not entirely sure how this thing is going to go. Will you love it? Hate it? Will you find this valuable? Will you find it pointless?

Only time will tell.

I won’t promise that Off Script will be the best newsletter you’ve ever subscribed to. And frankly, this first issue might be a bit of a mess.

But I don’t think the goal is to become the best newsletter ever.

The creator space is quite lonely. Especially when you’re just starting out, you often don’t have other creator friends. You often don’t know others who are going through the same problems you have. You often don’t have a group of people to bounce ideas off of or brainstorm with.

That’s one of the reasons so many people stop creating after a few weeks.

They begin their creator journey with a burst of inspiration that carries them through the first video or two, or three, or five! But soon, the momentum dies down. Whatever stimulus that triggered that first spark of inspiration goes away, and there’s nothing to replace it. Content creation is hard, and when you’re creating in a lonely bubble, you’re lucky if you last 2 months.

It sucks.

But hopefully, this newsletter will make it a little bit easier.

We’ll see how it goes.

And while I can’t promise that Off Script is going to knock your socks off from day 1, I can promise that I’ll continue iterating and improving with each and every issue. I’m wide open to feedback. Love a section? Let me know. Want me to add a section? Let me know. Find a section boring? Let me know.

I want to create something special here. And I hope you’ll join me.

And with that, let’s launch into the very first issue.

🎓 YouTube Academy

Video Format Matters More Than You Think

Most people start their YouTube channels by making talking head videos. It’s just you, sitting in front of your camera, talking about your area of expertise. Maybe you share a couple of tips. Maybe you even whip up a tutorial or two.

It seems reasonable enough, right?

But if that sounds like you, you’re already making a huge mistake, a mistake that may be setting you back from the very start.

That mistake? Not being intentional about your video format.

Different video formats can dramatically affect viewer engagement and video format. Talking head videos have the most competition, and they also have the lowest view multiplier.

What does that mean?

Well, the same topic, delivered in a talking head format versus other formats, will often yield fewer views.

You can still be fantastically successful on YouTube with talking head videos, and there are plenty of examples of people who have. BUT depending on your niche, skills, resources, and style, other video formats may be a much better fit.

There are 8 major video formats to consider:

Those are a lot of formats. How do choose the right one for your channel?

Here’s a simplified framework to guide your decision:

This is a summarized lesson. You can find the full lesson on YouTube here.

What video format, or formats, are you currently creating? Are you considering any new formats now? Let me know!

🔎 Content Close-Up

In this week’s Content Close-Up, we’re taking a deep dive into an exceptional video by Peter Su:

This video isn’t just engaging and informative - it also single-handedly propelled Peter to reach the monetization threshold on YouTube, a goal he’d ben pursuing for two years

Why did this video do so well?

Ultimately, it boils down to format, hook, visuals, pacing, and language.

Format

Pete’s achievement didn’t happen by accident - it was the result of identifying a gap in the YouTube content market. Despite the popularity of “day in the life” videos on YouTube, this genre was relatively unexplored within the investment banking niche. When Peter filled that gap with this video, the response was remarkable.

Hook

Another key to success of this video is the compelling hook. In the very first seconds of the video, Peter delivers on what viewers expected from his title and thumbnail. Additionally, the hook depicts a very familiar face in the first few seconds of the video (Leonardo DiCaprio in “The Wolf of Wall Street”, a movie known for its depiction of the finance industry.) This instantly recognizable image creates a connection with the viewer, keeping them engaged.

Visuals

A standout feature of Peter’s video is its effective use of B-roll and text. The video is packed with movement, making it visually stimulating and maintaining viewer interest throughout. Peter doesn’t just rely on static talking-head shots; instead, he uses dynamic B-roll footage to illustrate his day or add to the mood and text to emphasize key points or add extra information.

Pacing

The video hits the sweet spot with pacing - it moves quickly enough to keep viewers engaged, but not so fast that you lose track of what’s happening. It transitions smoothly yet quickly from one segment to the next, maintaining a steady rhythm that doesn’t give viewers the opportunity to break or get bored.

Language

The last key to Peter’s success is his ability to make the world of investment banking understandable for anyone. Most videos in this space rely heavily on technical language or corporate jargon, which can be off-putting for viewers who are not already deeply familiar in the field. Peter, however, takes a different approach. He uses easy-to-understand language, such as comparing a VP in the investment banking world to a quarterback on a football team. The use of everyday language is refreshing for viewers and makes the video more accessible, inclusive, and inviting.

Find a video you want me to analyze? Reply to this email with the link!

🫰 First Impression Fixes

In this week’s First Impression Fixes, we’re looking at RoxCodes’ video: “I made $3785 in January”.

(Thanks so much Rox for volunteering to get critiqued in this first Off Script issue!)

Let’s take a look at the title first.

✍️Title

The current title leaves some room for improvement. Remember, viewers aren’t typically concerned with you per se, but rather with what they can learn or gain. As a result, specificity and relatability are key.

Instead of “How I made $3785 in January”, try “How I Made $3785 in ONE MONTH as a SOLO ENTREPRENEUR", or "How I made $3875 in ONE MONTH as a NEW TWITCH STREAMER”. These alternatives tie in the viewer’s potential situation or goal, making the video more personally relevant.

🖼️Thumbnail

Props for including a whiteboard with a screenshot and numbers! That’s interesting. However, the visual isn’t visible enough.

A good rule of thumb for thumbnails is the “squint test”. If you squint at your thumbnail on a phone screen, can you still identify each individual component? If not, the thumbnail is too cluttered or unclear. In this case, all of the elements blur together during the test, and the blue next all but disappears.

Another point to improve is the use of faces. If you search hard enough for it, you can find a tiny face in the bottom right corner of Rox’s thumbnail, but it’s actually hidden by the timestamp. Faces are crucial for connecting with viewers and grabbing attention in thumbnails, so make sure they’re visible.

An excellent example to draw inspiration from is the thumbnail from this video from Ali Abdaal.

Ali’s face is clear, the text is easily readable, and the flowchart suggests a deep dive into a specific plan. A thumbnail that follows this structure, balancing a clear, visible face with the technical specifics on the notepad, will grab more attention.

(Make sure to check out Rox’s YouTube channel here! Thanks again for being the guinea pig for this first Off Script issue!)

🎭 Subscriber’s Stage

For this week’s Subscriber’s Stage, we’re featuring the incredible Arvid Kahl from The Bootstrapped Founder.

Arvid’s channel is a treasure trove of resources for anyone interested in bootstrapping their business. With over 150 videos on his channel, Arvid has been remarkably consistent in sharing his wealth of knowledge on entrepreneurship, startups, and the art of bootstrapping.

The specificity of his niche - helping founders bootstrap their business from the ground up - makes his channel a must-visit resource for aspiring entrepreneurs.

But Arvid’s influence doesn’t stop at his videos. He was one of my biggest inspirations to start Off Script! It all started with this tweet of his.

After reading it, I half-joked that I needed him to DM me that message every day, and to my complete surprise, he did!

So, for delivering valuable YouTube content, for his personal influence on this newsletter, and for his overall immaculate vibes and support of the creator and indie hacker communities as a whole, Arvid absolutely deserves the first Subscriber’s Stage spotlight.

Check out his channel to learn from one of the best in the business

🤔 Off The Record

Holy moly, this first newsletter issue is much longer than I originally thought it would be. It’s 12:30AM on a Thursday night (or I guess Friday morning?) and I’m wrapping up writing this issue

I’m exhausted

As I look through how long this is, I’m wondering if it’s worth it. Will anyone actually read this all the way through? Is this much too long for a weekly newsletter? Are there certain sections that I should cut?

Is it potentially worth breaking down the issue into smaller daily emails? Mondays can be YouTube Academy, Tuesdays can be Content Close-Up, Wednesdays can be First Impression Fixes, Thursdays can be Subscriber’s Stage, and Fridays could be Off The Record

I’m brand new to the newsletter game. And truly, I have no idea.

But I do know this:

My future self is going to thank me for getting Off Script off the ground.

I’ve been telling myself for a full YEAR that I should start a newsletter, and I kept putting it off. I never prioritized it. There was always something more pressing, always something more important.

I’m sure I could get super deep with this, but I’m fading and this issue is long enough as is.

So instead, all I’m going to say is this:

If you’ve been meaning to start your own newsletter but just haven’t yet, now’s the time. Do it. Launch it this weekend.

As Arvid Kahl puts it:

With love,

Aprilynne

(P.S. Thank you so, so much for reading! Please let me know if you have any feedback or suggestions. I’ll see you next week!)