I've recently made a bold move that I'm excited to share with you. Remember that productivity course I created back in 2022? Well, I've decided to make it entirely free and available on YouTube. But here's the twist – I'm experimenting with video length and YouTube's algorithm. Let me take you through my journey and why I believe this could be a game-changer for both content creators and learners alike.
When I first launched the course, it was a paid product. I poured 20 years of corporate experience into a concise 2 hours and 20 minutes of valuable content. Initially, sales were promising, but as time went on, I found myself caught in the endless cycle of marketing and promotion. It was becoming more work than I had bargained for.
As years passed, I realized that the course had served its purpose financially. I no longer wanted to invest time and energy into marketing efforts. After all, I'm not some famous productivity guru with automatic traffic to my website. So, I made the decision to give it away for free.
The YouTube Experiment
Here's where things get interesting. I initially uploaded the course as a series of short, bite-sized lessons. But after a month or two, I noticed something alarming – these short videos were performing terribly. YouTube's algorithm seemed to dislike them, and viewership was abysmal.
So, I did something drastic. I scrapped everything, deleted all the short videos, and started from scratch. This time, I combined all the lessons into one very long video, neatly divided into chapters. Why? I have a hypothesis that I'm eager to test.
I believe that long-form content, videos over an hour in length, might perform better on YouTube than shorter videos. I'm not talking about YouTube Shorts here, but rather videos in the 1-3 minute range, like my original lesson format.
The Power of Free Content
By making this course free, I'm hoping to reach a wider audience and help more people improve their productivity. If you know someone who could benefit from productivity advice, please share the link to this course with them. It would be fantastic to see it get more than just a handful of views.
This move isn't just about generosity – it's also a strategic experiment. I want to see how a long-form video performs compared to the shorter lessons. Some of my original videos got 30-40 views, with one surprisingly reaching 250 views. Now, I'm curious to see how many views this comprehensive video will attract.
I'll be keeping a close eye on the performance and will report back on whether my hypothesis about YouTube favoring longer videos holds true. This could potentially change the way we approach content creation on the platform.
A Call to Action
So, here's where you come in. If you've been struggling with productivity or know someone who has, why not give this free course a try? It's packed with two decades of corporate wisdom, distilled into an easily digestible format.
By watching and sharing, you're not only potentially improving your own productivity but also helping me gather valuable data on content performance. It's a win-win situation that could lead to more free, high-quality content in the future.
Remember, knowledge is power, and now it's freely available at your fingertips. Don't let this opportunity slip by. Check out the course, apply the strategies, and let me know how it impacts your work life.
Together, we can unravel the mysteries of YouTube's algorithm while boosting productivity across the board. So, what are you waiting for? Dive in, learn, and let's revolutionize the way we work and create content. The future of productivity and content creation is in our hands – let's make it count!
I published my online course for free on Youtube (and it did not change my life after 40)