Transcription
Everybody loves to blame the algorithm, but honestly, it's not the reason why your videos aren't getting any views. I've broken it down into the three most common reasons I see over and over again. And I've learned this firsthand after spending over 15 years behind the camera as a professional, as well as making over 2,000 videos as a content creator myself. And for context here, I started from zero and built an audience that's reached millions across platforms all within a couple of years. And that's not because I cracked some algorithmic code. In fact, I tested a lot of different formats of content that goes completely against what the algorithm is supposed to like and it still worked. I stopped blaming the algorithm and I started being honest with myself about the content that I create.
This is the Creators Desk, a show about the process, strategy, and day-to-day reality of building a career as a creator. I've lived it, and now I'm sharing everything I've learned. So, why aren't people watching your videos?
Number one, your hook isn't strong enough. And look, that doesn't mean your content is bad. Most of the times, that's not the reason why it's falling flat. But if you don't literally hook somebody in within the first 3 seconds, they're gone. You haven't earned their time. And that's just the unfortunate game that we're playing. Tik Tok actually studied millions of videos and found that the top performers grab attention within the first 3 seconds. And Instagram is the same exact story. Think about how we all scroll, right? We're half paying attention. We're bored with a TV show that we're watching or we're in bed. It's usually kind of mindless. So, if you don't give people a reason to stop, they won't. It's not personal. It's not the algorithm. It's attention.
And here is where most creators slip up. They open up with a nice cinematic looking shot, but no reason to stay. Cool cinematics, I'm sorry, this doesn't give enough context. A cool visual isn't a hook on its own. It needs meaning. It needs to spark curiosity to the audience. And lastly, just like the title of this video, they assume the algorithm owes them attention. Because whether you've built a following already or not or follow some of the nonsense that some of these algorithm hacking gurus out there tell you, the platform doesn't owe you anything. The algorithm changes all the time. But you know what doesn't? People's attention. So if you capture that, you capture viewership. And that starts with immediate clarity in the content you're going to present. And even you as a consumer of content, you know this. If it doesn't catch your attention immediately, you scroll. What makes you think strangers owe you more attention than you give to other creators? They don't.
And I've tested this a lot. Here's a screenshot of a post that was a hit. Over 70% of the people stayed past the first 3 seconds. And the result, it got shared, saved, and pushed out to followers and non-followers. And now, here's another one. Same platform, same day, same time, but a different week. The first few seconds weren't strong. The drop off is clear. My hook wasn't strong enough to keep people viewing. But now this is where it gets exciting. Here is that same video with the same context. Pretty much the same exact content just with a different hook and reposted. It is a night and day difference.
This is actually how I structure my hooks now and why they work. I've broken it down into three main elements. I say exactly what the video is about right away. There's no time to build up, no time to be mysterious or overly cinematic. You need to be direct. For example, like this. Today, we're going to talk about how I frame my vertical videos. Your viewer needs to know if this is relevant to them fast. Two, use a text hook, but make it slightly different than what you're saying. So, for example, if I'm saying to the camera, "This is why your content isn't getting viewed." My on-screen text might say three mistakes that are killing your views. These are two different ways into the same topic. It gives your audience clarity and surprisingly enough, a lot of folks watch content on mute. So, this will help that audience as well. Three, match your visual hook to your topic. This one is huge. If you're talking about cameras, maybe hold a camera. If it's a workout video, don't film it sitting on your couch. The visual needs to support the message. We need proper context. Visual dissonance won't help gain trust with the audience. And sure, this sounds obvious, right? But I actually see this happen more often than not. When all three hook elements line up, direct voice, supporting text, matching visuals, you don't just grab attention, you've now earned it. Because people don't skip boring content or content that might interest them. They skip content that doesn't clearly tell them why they should care right away.
Number two, you're quitting too early. And honestly, most people do. And not because they're not talented. It's because they don't stick around long enough to actually get good. Everybody sucks when they start. Let's address the elephant in the room. If you would have seen my first videos, you would laugh the entire way through. Everybody is comparing themselves. You know, they all want good results or followers or views from their first 5 to 10 posts or even their first year or two. That's not long enough. In 2023, a creator report from Linkree actually found that only 12% of creators are still posting consistently after their first year. That's that is so small. Everybody else either burns out or disappears. So, if you're frustrated after 20 uploads, that's not failure. That's completely normal. This is all part of the process. I've made thousands of videos and not all of them are great. Still, the people who win are just the folks who stay around long enough. Because let's be for real, imagine walking to the gym for a week and you're upset that you're not shredded. That's how a lot of people treat content. You can't compare yourself to these creators that you look up to because they have been grinding for a long time. What makes you think you're immune to it?
And here's where most creators fall off. They post inconsistently. Posting something perfect once every two months or twice or it doesn't matter. or going ghost to make something amazing then bring it out to the world. Yeah, that doesn't build routine. That doesn't build improvement. You need to start building this as a habit whether it's every 2 weeks or every 3 weeks or even better once a week and then eventually you'll build yourself up to multiple times a week. Rhythm helps so much. And the consistency doesn't just help an audience find you, it helps you find your own voice through the repetition of it all. And lastly, they wait for inspiration to strike again. Creativity doesn't come from waiting. It comes from working on the days you're not motivated. When you're posting consistently, you stay warmed up. You don't get cold. You stay in rhythm. Your ideas start to flow more. You know how to handle it. You know how to note. You know how to throw ideas on the board and experiment. Whereas the other way, you're stacking ideas up and waiting for the perfect time to execute. Yeah, that's backwards.
Because when I started posting consistently, I wasn't trying to go viral. You know, I set out to post 365 videos straight in 2023 knowing most of it was going to be complete garbage, right? I simply just committed to showing up. But those 80% of videos I learned so much from more than the analytics could ever tell me because I actually really got to figure out what I like, how to make my edit tighter, how to revise my process so that I can actually convey my story as concisely and as effectively as possible. And that growth didn't come from waiting for the perfect idea or the perfect time or inspiration. It came from staying in the game long enough to figure this all out. And by that time, I'd already had a camera in my hand for 13 years as a professional. Yet, I was still figuring it out. And I still am currently to this day. You need to understand that you are the one who's in control because all of that clarity comes from doing and not waiting.
Now, before we get to number three, here is a word from our sponsor. If you are enjoying this so far and you want to go even deeper and build the foundational systems that make this all possible, I built an online academy called Content College. Inside, you'll learn how to plan, write, film, edit, and post with a creative system designed to help you grow without burning out. And it's more than just courses. You'll also be getting my color grading preset, my sound effects pack, my templates, worksheets, and how I film and edit my videos from start to finish. And it just starts there because there is so much more inside. And I'm not just showing you how I make my videos. We'll be working on your videos together every step of the process. The skills you need that won't be affected by an algorithm. If you're serious about taking your content to the next level, check out Content College. The link is in the description below.
Now, let's get back to number three. So, we've talked about attention and we've also talked about consistency. But here is a part that most people overlook. Even if you hook somebody or even if you post regularly, none of this matters if your content doesn't make people feel something. That's what the algorithm is really looking for. It's a social connection platform. It's not just looking for completion rates or saves, but resonance with people. Because when people feel something, they stay. And that's when your content starts to spread. Which brings us to the third reason. You need to make people feel something. We rarely share content because it's good or it's perfect or cinematic. We share something because it moved us. We're humans. We're emotionally driven. And that's not because the algorithm told people to, but because somebody else wanted to feel what we felt or what they felt when watching the content.
And this is where this falls apart with most creators. They only focus on delivery, not connection. They could say the right things, but if it doesn't land because maybe it feels like they're reading a script or they have used AI to write it, don't do that. You need to speak from the soul. People can see that right away when they feel like it's a robot speaking to them. Which leads us to this. They forget the audience is human. Your content shouldn't feel like a billboard for yourself. It should feel like a mirror. People want to see themselves in what you make. And lastly, they chase trends instead of emotion. You can follow the viral format, use the trendy music, all of it, whatever. But if there's no feeling behind it, and if this isn't authentically you, people will feel that immediately. Like I said earlier, you should only be speaking about what you truly have knowledge about or what you're passionate about. And it's not just a topic or a niche that's currently popular. You can make anything interesting when you speak passionately about something.
And some of the best performing videos of mine weren't the fanciest. They weren't technically perfect, but they hit emotionally. And most viral content will tap into one of these. Relatability. It makes people feel like, yo, that is so me. Aspirational. It makes people feel like I want to be like that. Inspirational. This makes me want to try that. Educational. Wow, that helped me a lot. When your content hits even one of those, it will resonate with people. If you hit two or or more, you got a hit on your hands. So, at the end of the day, people remember your content by how you made them feel, not how perfect your lighting was or how cinematic your shots were. So, if you want your videos to get saves, shares, views, whatever it is, you want to make sure you have people feel something through your content.
Let's bring it back to where we all started. Everybody loves to blame the algorithm, but as we broke down, most of the time it's not that. It's your hook didn't catch their attention. Your consistency didn't give your content a chance. And your content may not make people feel anything. The algorithm doesn't have opinions. It follows the viewers, you know. And Tik Tok and Instagram say the same thing. Your video gets shown to small batches of people first and if they watch and if they share that whatever it may be, it scales. So the algorithm isn't your enemy. It's a mirror. It reflects whether or not your content connects with people.
All right, that is everything on today's topic. And now it is your turn. Every episode I answer a handful of questions submitted by y'all for a rapid fire Q&A. And all of this was sorted and picked through by my team. So, I'm seeing them for the first time right now.
There's times where I lack creativity. What are some ways you nurture your creativity? I go live life. You can't make things without living life or having experience life. And whether that is going down to the corner store or taking a walk or a hike somewhere or hanging out with your dog, life is the biggest inspiration for me. And that's honestly where a lot of my best ideas come from when I'm completely disconnected.
What's your shoot, edit, and export format? Yeah, I guess it just depends on the camera. Right now, I'm shooting with a Nikon ZR and I'm shooting R3D. If I'm shooting with a Sony, I'm shooting 10 bit. If I shoot with the Osmo, I'm shooting in the DLOG. And what do I export in? It depends on what the camera is. If I'm using a higher quality camera, I'll export in ProRes. And if I'm using DJI or phone footage, more than likely I'm exporting H.264.
What hire was the biggest unlock for you? Wow, that's a great one. having representation, having a manager, that has actually helped me just stay a creative because the more you create, the more opportunities and looks that will come your way. And dealing with the administrative h just thinking about it right now, like emailing back and forth on opportunities and what kind of product you might get or what you might get paid or all of those things just kind of they kind of just ick me out. I'm not going to lie. Like so finding a manager has helped me immensely to just be the creative.
Last one. A couple of people asked me where I'm from. I'm born and raised in San Francisco. Like actual San Francisco, not greater Bay Area. I actually have it tatted on me right here. 14th and Guerrero is where I grew up at. And then I moved to a few different places in the Bay. I love the entire Bay Area. But if you're ask me where I'm from ethnicity-wise, I'm Filipino. Full Filipino. Both. my mom and my dad. And here I am representing for the people as you could uh see it on my tattoos as well. Yeah.
Well, that about wraps up the Q&A. And if you've made it this far, let's think of an inside joke comment. Comment Boba down below so I know you made it this far and who I I know who the real ones are. And also before you go, make sure you subscribe to the free APCC newsletter for digestible content creating tips sent to you weekly, as well as highlighting some of our community's creators. And be sure to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell. And come back here in two weeks. Same time, same place.