9 Tools I Use to Streamline My YouTube Video Production Process
It takes a LOT to make a YouTube channel run, I won’t lie. There are a ton of moving pieces that need to work together simultaneously to make for one epic video (or, at least, a video that will connect with your audience and bring you leads).
While I know this can seem overwhelming to start, try not to sweat it too much. I’ve been using YouTube in my business for almost eight years, and when I got a system down to stay in a consistent rhythm of posting videos, I started reaping the rewards without all the stress.
What I’m saying is…you need a system for your YouTube video production process.
And in this post, I’m showing you some of the tools I use to make this system run like a well-oiled machine! Read on if you want to see how to simplify the content creation process and get consistent with posting YouTube videos!
#1: Google Drive
Every small business owner needs Google Drive. To start, it’s free (unless you want to change the @ on your email and create an ‘official’ workspace, but, that’s up to you!). And two, it’s easy to use..
Here’s how we make it work over at TLHQ:
Google Drive folders: Each video has its own folder, with the raw footage, Broll, edited content, etc.
Google Docs: This is where I write out my scripts and where my content team writes weekly content like blogs, social captions, and emails.
Google Sheets: My team and I keep track of all the important analytics in here, whether that’s specifically for videos, or for business in general. I’m not much of a math person, but this really helps me get a bird’s eye view and easily calculates things for me. BOO YA!
Ultimately, Google Drive keeps everything nice and neat, ready to go at a moment’s notice. Even when I’m bringing new clients into the mix, it helps me keep all of their content organized too. Google, if you see this…I love you.
#2: Asana
Is it possible for someone to have two ride or dies? Because…I love Asana as much as I love Google Drive. Google is great for keeping documents organized, but Asana helps me keep my ideas and processes organized.
I keep future content ideas in there too — it kind of acts like my own personal notebook. And when I’m ready to bring those ideas to life, I can easily turn them into tasks.
Plus, it makes for great teamwork. Everyone can see what they need to do and when, making sure no checkpoints in the YouTube video production process are missed.
#3: VidIQ
You may as well just call this my research assistant.
VidIQ is a YouTube tool I use to help me research video ideas, keywords, and titles. Sure, I do know my target audience pretty well, but things adjust so fast online that it can be hard to keep up if you don’t have your finger on the pulse. Slight variations in that SEO juice can mean the difference between getting found on the first page and not!
#4-6: What I use to create thumbnails
If you’ve been around my channel for long enough, then you know that creating quality thumbnails is so important to the overall success of your YouTube videos. I actually have a few different tools I used to get this done!
Custom Thumbnails: A graphic design agency that specifically creates Youtube thumbnails. Not having to worry about designing them has been a huge help in my business!
Adobe Lightroom: Before I send my photos for the thumbnails over to Custom Thumbnails, I edit them in Lightroom to keep everything looking visually consistent.
Canva: When it comes to thumbnails, I really only use Canva for the end screen thumbnails, but I do use it for a lot of other things in my biz too!
#7: Loom
Ever wondered how I screen record and show you my processes? It’s all in the power of Loom! I just have to press record, and then I’m able to walk you through anything because not only does it show my screen, but it shows my face too, which I feel helps explain things a bit more.
Then I just hit download and add them to the content inside my Youtube videos, my courses, and I can even send them over to my team when we have questions (which saves hours of phone calls and emails).
#8: FG Funnels
I use FG Funnels for a lot, but I also use them as my email service provider. I like how everything is easily connected and how I can send out gorgeous, intentional emails in a snap!
Staying on top of your email list is especially important as a YouTube creator because I want to make sure people see the videos I create. This email list ensures that even if people don’t see the video across their feed, they can still get notified of it in their inboxes.
#9: YouTube Studio
This is already built into YouTube people! No subscriptions required. And let me tell you…you want to be using this tool. You can easily see all of the most important analytics — like overall click-through rates, audience retention, and end-screen click-through rates.
Having this info on hand is important because it helps you see the whole story of the content you’re producing. Are people actually watching? Are your videos converting like you’d hoped they would? It helps you see the gaps and pinpoint where things are falling off, then create a game plan to move forward.
Get even more tips and tricks inside of Going Video!
If reading this got you pumped up to go make some videos, then you’re going to love Going Video! This is the proven blueprint for service providers and course creators who want a consistent strategy to help them find and build leads through…you guessed it…YouTube!
No more putting money into ads that only work sometimes, or wasting time creating content that isn’t driving sales. With a few tried and true tricks, I’ll show you how to actually drive more organic traffic to your offers with strategic viral videos!
