We hear it all the time: Creating video content takes up too much time.

But, just like in your business, there are ways to make the process more efficient. 

The YouTube video formula I’m sharing below has helped me build a YouTube channel approaching 10,000 subscribers. Even better, it helped me sell $350,000 in commissions in 2022 (on top of my repeat/referral business)—with a goal of doing over 500K from YouTube in 2023.

Here’s the key: consistency is everything. That’s why I use this formula—to help me produce a high volume of videos quickly and efficiently. In fact, I’ve streamlined the process to the point where I can shoot, edit, and publish a video in just one hour.

So, if you’re ready to take your YouTube channel to the next level and generate more leads from your videos, read on for the Perfect YouTube Video Formula.

Before Recording: Prep Your Title and Thumbnail

Before I start filming, I want to know the title of the video and create a thumbnail. 

More than half the battle on YouTube is getting people to click on your video. So if you can’t think of a title and thumbnail that people will want to click on, it may not be worth your time to film. 

Start with a searchable YouTube title:

  • If you are sharing local news about your market, source articles on Google and use the exact headline of the article you discuss—this strategy alone can boost your views by 70%. 
  • If you are filming a complete guide for buyers or sellers in your market, include the name of your market and the year. For example, “The Ultimate Toronto Condo Buyers Guide (2023)” is a title that consumers who are thinking about buying will search for and watch. And the best part—it converts appointments. 
  • If you are sharing local neighborhood information, include destinations and frequently asked questions as part of your title. 

Next, think about and create your thumbnail. Of course, this can be done after you film, but having the background or a basic idea of what you want it to look like can be very helpful as you prepare your talking points. 

During Recording: Use an Outline that Works

When creating YouTube videos, I use the same outline every time. It keeps things consistent, streamlines my filming sessions, and most importantly, converts. 

Here’s the outline:

Start with a hook

In your hook, let viewers know exactly what they can expect from your video. For example, “In today’s video, we’re going to talk about the top three things all buyers need to know before they buy their first condo.” 

By telling people what they will learn, they’re more likely to stick around for the entire video. 

Bonus tip: Use dynamic, quick subtitles during your hook and intro (you know the kind – one word appears on the screen for each word you say). 

Call To Action

After the hook, give a casual CTA to gain likes and subscribers. 

“If you like this video, please subscribe to this channel and hit the like button if you find anything in this video valuable.” 

A big piece here—and this is what books appointments—is to guide them to the description, where they can find your appointment-setting link. 

“If you watch this video and have more questions about the Toronto real estate market, go to the first link in the description and book a call with me at a time that works for you.” 

To ramp up engagement and comments, you can also use this time to ask a question that starts a conversation.

“Before we go any further, let me know down below how you feel about the Toronto real estate market.”

3 Main Points

Break your video talking points down into three main points. Instead of writing an entire script, I write my main points on a sticky note and use it as a reference when filming. 

If you prefer to write a script, feel free to keep it on your computer—just make sure you are looking at the camera when speaking.

Film in One Long Shot

A mistake a lot of agents make when recording is to start, stop, and start again—and that only leads to frustration. 

Instead, record in one long take. Most of my videos end up being a 15-minute file, which is cut down and edited to a 6-8 minute video. 

To learn my exact video editing process, with step-by-step directions and examples, check out my BAMx course: Lights, Camera, Leads: How to Attract Clients with Video Content.

End Abruptly

I used to play outro music while wrapping up my video, but I found that viewers will click out early because they know the video is about to end. Now my videos end pretty abruptly. I finish my last sentence, share my name, and end the video. 

Watch time is an important analytic on YouTube, so play around with how to get your viewers to watch all the way through. 

Final takeaways

Consider this video formula the fundamentals for creating content for YouTube. You still need to source topics that are interesting, know what you are talking about, and edit in a way that is visually appealing.

But if you start with this, and continue to create videos every week, you’ll level up your skills and be able to make a lot of videos in a short amount of time.