The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 39 with Online Video Producer Steve Dotto

Steve Dotto (@DottoTech) publishes a variety of videos on YouTube, mainly on the subject of personal productivity and software. Following a career in traditional broadcasting, he’s strategically moved into self-publishing and has since built a business with video, coaching, & speaking under his brand DottoTech.

In this conversation, Steve shares his strategies for online community-building, his preferred sites and software, and his personal productivity habits.

Below are some examples of videos that Steve produces:

Show Notes & Links

Steve calls himself a YouTube Content Creator. His channel is DottoTech
“YouTube is not a broadcast network, it’s a social network.” ← Click to Tweet
Steve had the business acumen to create a profitable show from his time in television
Personal Branding, by whatever name, has to do with authenticity
The MasterCaster, part of Steve’s business that focuses on content creation for video & podcasts
“It’s not a broadcast; it’s a conversation” ← Click to Tweet
TV/Radio networks, as well as Facebook, tend to hold your audience hostage
iTunes doesn’t tell podcasters much about their audiences
Google forces YouTube commenters to use their Google+ identities; controversial but beneficial in the long run
YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world, the de facto place to search for “how-to”
Stephen Colbert’s final episode, viewed online rather than on TV
Some claim “Facebook video is going to be more viable than YouTube within 6 mos.“
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
“Search results on YouTube are based on merit, not Voodoo.” ← Click to Tweet
40% of Steve’s viewers aren’t subscribers, but instead find him through search terms
YouTube > Facebook for community engagement and overall social interaction
Prescott says Facebook is a “bizarro Hong Kong marketplace” of distraction
Mashable
Google+ hasn’t quite taken shape as a social network. But perhaps it’s not supposed to be a social network.
Martin Shervington‘s Google+ for Business
A Song of Ice and Fire (The Game of Thrones series) by George RR Martin, on Audible
The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling, on Audio CD (narrated by Jim Dale)
Stephen Fry
Ed Norton
“Present the type of content you would like to receive.” ← Click to Tweet
Green Screen effects
“People will not watch good video with bad audio.” ← Click to Tweet
Gary Vaynerchuk, high energy
Mari Smith, warm and fuzzy
The WayBack Machine
Tom Merritt, of Daily Tech News Show, earns massive income from Patreon
Chris Prillo
The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod

Tools

Evernote
Dropbox
Google+
Full Contact
Reportive
Patreon
Screenflow
Electro Voice RE-20
AWeber
Mailchimp
InfusionSoft
KickStarter

Techniques

Get your crew to laugh; it’s a good indicator for your audience
Create a personality that is a slightly amplified version of yourself, not a fictional character
Ensure no one is holding your audience “hostage”; keep in touch with them on our terms
Tweet or Text Message your audience prior to a live broadcast/webinar
“Shine a light on your content” aka actively promote your own stuff; no one will find it naturally
Use [paid] Facebook ads to promote a webinar or other paid event
Use your community — perhaps a forum or Facebook group — to answer tough questions
Poke around with software and look for “a story” to share in a video
Push hard for a new video (within the first four hours); take advantage of YouTube’s algorithm which “honors momentum”
Honor Your Content, Steve’s term for abiding by best practices in promotion
Create a Photoshop template which you can quickly update
Build your mailing list! Change your CRM system if you outgrow the first one.
Before you post your Patreon effort, get friends and family to chip in.
Offer your Patrons access to your digital products as a bonus

Habits

Listen to podcasts/audiobooks while walking the dog.
Research an SEO-friendly title
Edit video to include calls-to-action, annotate thoroughly
Learn to predict problems with sound & lighting, so you can solve them early
Steal colors from other content creators (keep them in Evernote)
Wake up early, do community engagement first; reply to comments
Avoid email first thing in the morning
Read and respond to every comment on YouTube (even if it’s only a Thumbs-up/Plus)
Drink Smoothies