I got sick this week, so it's just a quick one from me today! 😅

One question...

I want to create content that really matters to you.

Something you can take action on or be inspired by every single week.

So, with that in mind...

What kind of content would you like to see from me in future?

As a reminder, I've:

• Written for Ali Abdaal, Mike Shake, Creator Booth, Noah Kagan and more.
• Consulted with 10,000,000+ subscriber channels.
• Hired writers, been hired as a writer, and have been let go!

Not only am I trying to make this newsletter the cream of the crop, but I'm also finally going to start making my own YouTube videos this year.

(Even getting 3.7k views on a 20-minute, unscripted ramble got me SO excited to start making videos again 😁👇)

I'm excited to see which direction we end up going in 😁

Have an awesome week!

Speak soon,
George 👋

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Imagine a car that has no windscreen.

As you drive around, you get frustrated as the seat upholstery gets covered in muck.

After all, there’s no windscreen to protect the interior.

So, being the fast-thinking genius that you are…

You replace the seat upholstery.

Good move. Windscreen aside, your car looks brand new again.

But, as soon as you take the car out for another spin…

…the seats get covered in muck again.

Because, with no windscreen, your car has a chronic problem.

And, sooner or later, you’ve probably got to ask yourself:

“Should I just buy a windscreen?”

Structural Problems

When we rely on a retention graph to identify problems with our video…

It’s like replacing the upholstery in a car that has no windscreen.

Yes, it’s going to help in the short term…

…but it doesn’t account for critical, structural problems with our content.

“But wait a sec, George. Didn’t this newsletter used to be all about retention graphs?”

Firstly, there's no need to call me out like that!

But secondly - yes it did. And it made me realise something.

It’s usually pretty easy to figure out what happened at moments like this in your video...

• You started a new topic which the audience wasn’t interested in.
• You rambled for too long about something and people got bored.
• You introduced the video’s sponsor.

(Or any number of things.)

But, for graphs like this, it’s not always so simple.

Sometimes, we can’t rely on big dips and obvious clues.

Mindset Shift

That's why my goal across everything I write is to create a mindset shift among YouTubers.

Rather than troubleshooting individual problems after you've made the video…

…I want to bake in strong “retention awareness” before you make it.

Because, sometimes, it’s not as simple as reupholstering the seats.

It might be the problem with your windshield...

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“All I'm trying to do is get people to a point where they're CLOSER to scripting, even if they’re just planning more and really thinking about the structure ahead of time.
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It's why every single YouTuber under the sun starts out a video like ‘here are the objectives’ or ‘in this video we're going to talk about boom boom boom’ or ‘here's the game plan’. It just makes it easier for us to digest.”​

- Me, on the Scriptwriting For Newbs Podcast.

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When your retention graph is slowly declining for no clear reason, it's nearly always a problem with:

• Confusing structure.
• Lack of payoffs
• Payoffs given too early.

That's why you can't think of your videos as a series of moments that can be corrected with quick "retention fixes".

You need to zoom out and view your video as a whole.

That's why, when scripting a video, I encourage YouTubers to:

1. Break the script down into segments.
2. Identify the payoff for each segment.
3. Ensure each payoff is properly set up.

(There's lots more to talk about here, so check out my full scriptwriting system if you're interested.)

And look, I get it.

For some folks, word-for-word scripting will never be enjoyable.

In fact, for some niches, it doesn’t make sense at all.

But, by encouraging creators to “script everything”, I’m not actually saying that you should.

I’m just trying to make you think about the structure a little more.

Because a clear structure keeps the viewer oriented within the video.

And when we feel oriented, we’re less likely to get overwhelmed and click away.

So keep reviewing your retention graphs, but remember they only tell half the story.

They’ll help you troubleshoot the little things over time.

But if you want to make your videos better, faster…

Spend more time plotting the structure.

Wanna hear more?

This newsletter was inspired a longer conversation I had on the Scriptwriting For Newbs Podcast, where we also discussed:

• How I learned lots about scriptwriting in a short period of time.
• Scriptwriting workflow for entertainment channels.
• Imposter syndrome when working with 10m subscriber creators.

​Watch Now

Miko’s questions were different to the usual stuff I get asked, and it was one of the most fun podcast experiences I’ve had.

(Ed from Film Booth went on the week after me too, so there will be plenty of amazing guests to come.)

That's all for this week!

Speak soon,
George 👋

Last year, I made a pretty wild claim.

I said that my end-screen call-to-action (CTA) formula could boost your end-screen click-through rate (CTR) by as much as 3-4x.

It turns out I was wrong.

Today, I found out that when Jay Clouse took my advice…

...his end-screen CTR increased by 5x:

"This ONE change made a huge difference for our channel…

‍@GeorgeBlackman_ gave us the secret to improving the end screen click rate on our videos.

After implementing this, our end screen click rate went from ~3% in our videos up to 15%+ for some videos."

‍Need a refresher on why this matters for your channel? Check out my original article here.

Can we take this further?

I’ve had a lot of people asking how to apply this formula to a different type of CTA.

One where, instead of promoting another video, you're encouraging the viewer to sign up to or download something.

It could be a free resource, a template pack, or even a paid course.

These types of CTA usually occur mid-video, rather than at the end.

So, my question is this:

Can the same CTA formula be used halfway through a video to promote products and services, as it can to promote another video?

To find out, let’s talk about the subtle difference between an end-of-video CTA (”End-CTA”) and a mid-video CTA (”Mid-CTA”) so you can drive more downloads of your products and services.

(Worth noting, I’m not talking about integrating paid sponsorships here. I may do in future, but the number of variables involved in a sponsorship makes it tricky to distil into a simple formula.)

(1/3) Recap

For an End-CTA, this is the formula I use:

• Link - refer back to something covered in the video.
• Curiosity - open a new curiosity gap around that topic.
• Promise/CTA - outline the transformation they’ll experience by clicking your next video and closing that curiosity gap.

So, let's adapt this to create a Mid-CTA…

(2/3) Theory

The biggest difference between an End-CTA and a Mid-CTA is the level of subtlety we can apply.

During an End-CTA, we’re being super subtle.

Because, when well-executed, the viewer thinks we’re simply setting up the next talking point of the video.

Yes, they have to click to keep watching…

But we create the effect that it’s all part of the same information flow.

During a Mid-CTA, there’s no escaping the inevitable “plug”.

One way or another, you're going to have to tell them to “download my thing”.

This feels different for the viewer because we can’t apply the same level of subtlety.

So, to combat the “ick” they (or we) get from the plug, we need to:

1. Keep it brief.
2. Illustrate clear benefits to the audience.

With that in mind, here’s how I think about adapting the formula for a Mid-CTA:

LINK becomes “TRANSITION”.

Rather than calling back to something else that happened earlier, the information is integrated in a way that would still make sense even if the "Plug" (see below) was removed.

Check out this example from Pick Up Limes. You wouldn’t know it in isolation, but this is actually the start of her Mid-CTA…

"So I just checked and this soup is super nutritious… I think because of the legumes and all the different greens in there. There's over 25 g of protein and over 7 G of iron per serving…"

CURIOSITY becomes “PLUG”:

There’s no escaping it: you’re gonna have to straight-up say what the product/service is.

But think about it from an audience-first perspective - what do they want and why does your thing make it easier?

Pick Up Limes continues as such...

"…and this is also going to be a shameless plug for our app. But if you are interested in more high-iron and high-protein recipes, we've got a filter for that!"

PROMISE becomes “DETAIL”:

Briefly provide additional information for the viewer.

That could mean listing a couple of additional benefits of your product, or getting them excited with the promise of a free trial.

Pick Up Limes concludes...

"If you want to try out one week for free check out the link in the description box below."

So, thats... Transition > Plug > Detail

Here's another example from Bass Buzz, this time without interruption:

"You just start one scale note below, and then bask maniacally in the glory of your superior theoretical knowledge.

​

[Transition] If you don't have the theory chops to bask maniacally and know the right scale…

​

[Plug]…maybe it's time to take my Beginner to Badass course where I'll cover all this essential theory in a way you can actually understand…

​

[Detail]…plus everything else you're working in this exercise, including muting, accuracy and basic slap technique."

(3/3) Experiment

So, here’s our formula:

• Transition - subtly set up the reason the audience might need your product.
• Plug - tell them what it is and be explicit about the benefits.
• Detail - provide any extra info (and get out of there!)

But remember... the audience will be on to you almost immediately.

The moment you reach the "Plug", you start a ticking timer in the viewer's mind.

While you can take your time with an End-CTA, carefully widening the curiosity gap and getting them excited for the next video...

...the Mid-CTA needs to be snappy.

You haven't delivered the Grand Payoff yet, so don't spend more than 10-15s promoting your product.

An admission...

So, here’s the thing…

This is the first “piece of advice” newsletter I’ve ever written without prior evidence of success.

Yes, you heard right…

I have no idea if this will work.

We have strong evidence from the End-CTA that this type of formula has a good chance of affecting audience behaviour.

BUT…

To test this formula, I need you.

So…

If you promote your own products/services inside your content, I’d love you to try this:

1. Record your average conversion rate across the last 3-5 videos.
2. Implement this formula.
3. Compare conversions over the following 3-5 videos.

If enough folks come back to me on this, I’ll write a follow-up in a month or so with the results.

If you don’t… let’s just pretend this never happened and move on with our lives 👌😎

That's all for this week!

If you have any questions, you can always reply :)

Speak soon,
George 👋

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