How we made this 6.8x outlier (copy my process)

I recently worked on this video for a client:

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It's a 6.8x outlier for this relatively small channel, and is still growing nicely.

The funny thing is... this was the video that made me want to pitch working with the channel in the first place.

The idea came to me in a dingy New York hotel room back in September, and I was just convinced that if we could work together and make it... it would do well.

So, having been proven right (yay!), let's talk about:

1. How to ideate and package a “big swing” idea for a channel of any size.
2. Why it’s (sometimes) ok to break one of the most fundamental rules of scriptwriting.

Full Video Explainer (19 min)

I talk about the process of ideating, packaging and writing the hook for this video here:

Click to watch!

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However, if you don’t have time, here’s the written summary…

What is a Big Swing idea?

• A standout piece of content that you don't want to remake for at least 2-3 years.
• It should represent your core beliefs, on a topic that is fundamental to your brand or philosophy.
• It should have a higher view ceiling and act as a vehicle for growing your channel.
• It might require more time or resources.
• However, it's riskier. You need to be confident in the idea and its packaging before taking a big swing.

So let's talk about how to feel confident your big swing idea will perform well...

1/ Find your spikey POV

• This is a unique, strongly held opinion that challenges conventional wisdom.
• It must be a sincerely held POV - not controversial for the sake of it.
• It should provoke thought and discussion because it goes against the norm.
• Paddy Galloway spoke about using this approach with Ramit Sethi - his spikey POV is that owning a house is not the right choice for a lot of people:

• I took the same approach with ‘Notion Failed You’ - I knew that my client genuinely didn’t use (or like) Notion, contrary to the glowing endorsements of most productivity influencers.

So... what's your spikey POV?

2/ Framing inspiration

• The idea needs to be framed, i.e. given a specific "direction". It's a video about Notion, yes - but what's our specific angle?
• Start by noticing the framing of videos you see on YouTube. Ask yourself: what sticks out to me?
• For example, the framing of this Bryan Johnson video stuck out to me. It's a video about AG1, but the specific framing is "[X] Failed. Here's Why." I just loved it the moment I heard it. (And this video was also an outlier!)

• I use 1of10 to keep track of videos that inspire me - whether that's the framing, the topic, or the packaging (which we'll come on to next).
• I also have playlists on YouTube so I can easily add inspiration to a list when I'm scrolling.

So keep an eye out while on YouTube - ask yourself "why did the 'framing' of that video make me want to click it?"

3/ Find packaging inspiration

• This is where today’s sponsor, 1of10, was essential to the process. It filters for the best-performing content in literally any niche to help you decide what to make, and how to package it.

• In my case, I literally searched the word "Notion", and filtered for videos with over 200K views. I wanted to know what type of packaging in this niche had a high view ceiling.

• If you find a video you like, you can filter by similar topics, thumbnails or channels for endless inspiration (in this case, I filtered by similar thumbnails).
• You absolutely don't have to use 1of10 for this - it's just a lot faster and 1of10 has been an integral part of my workflow for well over a year.

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So, find your thumbnail inspiration, and prepare to create your own...

3.5/ Packaging creation

Step 1: By Hand

It's a lot easier for me to draw ideas on paper first:

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Step 2: Mockup

Then mock it up in Canva, Photoshop, etc:

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Step 3. Designer

If you have the desire/budget, hand it over to the professionals:

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Now, we come to the hook... and it's time for a bit of rule breaking.

4/ Packaging → Hook Flow

• While it's important for a hook to convey information efficiently... it's also about creating the mood viewers are expecting upon clicking.
• Having framed and packaged our spikey POV... I felt like this video needed to feel like a Netflix Trailer when you clicked it.

• So, while the usual advice is that hooks should be under 30 seconds…
• …this “conspiracy” style packaging inspired a very different type of hook - which was 100 seconds long.
• Awkward Amy (our editor) elevated this concept even further. For example - notice how, because we had the packaging first, she was able to include the key thumbnail asset in the hook itself.

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So, while rules and frameworks are super helpful for making YouTube videos (I mean, I literally spend my life coming up with them)...

...sometimes, it's ok to break a rule if the video demands it.

Summary: Why was I convinced this video would do well?

1. Spikey POV.
2. Proven framing.
3. Proven packaging.
4. Packaging-hook flow.

Keep these in mind, and you're safe to take a big swing 🏏

Huge thanks to Efficient App for letting me go behind-the-scenes with this video.

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That's all for this week.

Any questions, just let me know!

Speak soon,
George 👋