Building a Youtube strategy that drives business success with Melissa Mitchell

Akua: The biggest lesson from today’s episode is that success is never linear. Melissa Mitchell, who is owner of a YouTube video marketing agency and coaching business, joins us on the show to share with us her unique journey of becoming a full time business owner and then eventually returning back to corporate only to become a full time business owner again.

And how was she able to do it? Well, it was all through YouTube. Melissa also will share with us YouTube strategies that business owners can start implementing today to start seeing growth in their business and channel. This is a conversation I know you will enjoy. So let’s get into the episode. Hey everyone.

This is your host Akua Kanadu and you’re listening to the independent business podcast. More people than ever are working for themselves and building profitable businesses in the process. So on this show, I get to sit down with some of the most influential authors, entrepreneurs. and creators to break down the science of self made success so that you can achieve it too.

Hello, Melissa. How are we doing today?

Melissa: Good. Thanks. How are you?

Akua: Good. So excited to have you here because like we just said earlier, before we started recording, I feel like we, you have a very interesting story and I feel like business owners can relate to it. So I’m just excited just to learn more about you for our audience, learn more about you and just kind of just dive into all the things.

So thank you for being here.

Melissa: Awesome. I’m excited. Thank you so much for having me.

Akua: Yes, of course. Okay. So you have a very interesting story. So you first started your business, then went back into corporate, then shifted back outside, out to your business. And I feel like, I feel like that’s just such a key thing that I think business owners need to hear right now, because I know like inflation, a lot of people have been seeing, Um, are kind of in a rough patch with their business.

A lot of the conversations that I have been seeing and some people are even making that shift back into corporate. And I know that can be like a really, some people can feel very frustrated or very defeated. And I just love that it just shows like your journey just shows that entrepreneurship isn’t linear.

So just take us back to like when you first started your business and when you finally decided to make that leap back to corporate.

Melissa: Yeah. So I came out of college, got a corporate job as you know, we all do. Um, climbed up the corporate ladder and then I was frustrated with all of Corporateness, I guess you can say within the organization that I was in.

And so I quit cold Turkey from that business at a pretty young age. I think I was about 20 or 21 when I first quit the very first corporate job and was like, I can do this business thing. Like I have a graphic design degree. Like I can do this on my own. I was going to do websites and branding and all the things.

So I went off on my own and I was. Uh, for about I would like to say like eight months and then all the mindset stuff started coming in right of like, I don’t know if I can do this, my family and friends were talking to me about you’re not making money, I don’t think you should do this, I think you need to go back into corporate.

And I honestly just let the pressure of all of that really get to me and so, I did. I kind of gave up, gave up, if you will, on my business for a certain period of time and started looking for another corporate job. So anyone listening to this who has like all those mindset things or maybe feeling external pressure from their family and friends, I totally understand.

Been there. And so I did. I actually kind of got headhunted on LinkedIn, funny enough, at about the same time for a marketing position. For another corporate job. And so I decided, okay, I’m going to do that. And then I can just work on my business on the side. It can just become a side hustle project. And, and now I can feel secure if you will, with this consistent income.

And so then I was at that corporate job for about two and a half years ish, and then COVID happened. And COVID kind of forced me back into. Entrepreneurship, which was the best decision that could ever happen to me or the best thing that could ever happen to me. And now

Akua: here you are still a business.

Oh my gosh. I love that though. I think, like I said, I’ve seen like people who have made the shift back into corporate right now, you know, they’re putting their business on pause and whatever that could be, it could be from pressure or whatever, but I think that’s just a really good reminder of not allowing.

other external figures, like, especially if you know that this business is on your heart and this is something that you really want to do. And despite the fact that things aren’t the greatest, it is okay to take a break and try something different, but also come back to it. And your circumstances as well is such a unique one where it’s like, the cards just aligned where it was like, all right, this is the time.

And I love that you just seized that opportunity and was like, all right, let’s go with it. And so for you, when you finally, you said like, I think a lot of business owners, right? Like The COVID just really forced people to have to pivot. And so what did that pivot look like for you? Like, what was your business when you had to essentially try something different?

Melissa: Yeah. So I was kind of, like I said, working on the business while it was working corporate. So that kind of helped because it wasn’t like I was starting from scratch again. Like I was building it up and it was slowly becoming something where I was like, maybe I should. You know, drop the corporate, maybe I should go into this full time, but I still had that like uneasiness in the back of my mind.

And so, yeah, I was just kind of like the stars aligning when it was forced upon me almost. But during that time of working on it on the side, I kind of had pivoted my business into more social media. And that was when the video was becoming a really big thing in the marketplace. Every platform was starting to utilize video more.

And I realized that this is something that. I should pivot into. And that’s when I discovered YouTube for myself and started to post there to see if I could get clients. And I was actually able to sell out my one on one services from my YouTube leads alone, just doing it for myself. And so that’s when I was like something, there’s something here I need to pivot.

And so when the stars aligned and I left corporate, I pivoted everything into YouTube. And I went all in on YouTube and I am now a YouTube strategist and coach and I teach other people how to basically do what I did and and sell their one on one services or their group coaching programs or Whatever offer they have

Akua: from their YouTube leads.

Oh my gosh That is amazing and like I love how again like you were And that’s my apologies for missing that part where you said in your story of just like where you were working on your business while you were in corporate and I think again, that’s just such a um I think a lot of the times too, like business owners where they’re having that side hustle and they’re like wanting to take it full time, like it’s, it’s not an overnight process.

Like even if you’re able to work on something, even 10 minutes a day in your business, like it’s not an easy thing, especially me now being back in that space and like having my business now on the side, I’m like, even if I can do five minutes, today. It’s going to take me a little bit further than I was yesterday.

And I think I just wanted to add to that of just like having that mindset of just like, especially as you’re working in the corporate space for your business. And so I’m really, I’m so curious with YouTube, right? Because I think a lot of us as business owners are not utilizing YouTube enough. And so the fact that you were able to sell out your one on one service, and I’m so curious because in my mind, I’m like, YouTube is a long game.

Right? Like it takes a while to grow. So for you, how long did you, were you growing and what strategies did you implement where you’re like, all right, this is it.

Melissa: Yeah, I mean you’re definitely not wrong that YouTube is a longer game than you know some of the other social media aspects But the ROI and the payoff of it is so much higher So when you actually balance out the time versus the ROI, it’s not as much of a long game.

I know that sounds Um, I don’t know if that’s kind of counterintuitive maybe, but for me, it was about, I started from scratch and it was about six to eight months ish before I really had basically sold out my one on one services. And that was from a really small subscriber base. Like I’m talking less than 200 subscribers.

And the whole realization that I had, Is that you do not need to be a YouTuber or you don’t need to have 10,000 subscribers to make a profit off of YouTube, especially when you’re a CEO or as a business owner. Like you can create incredible wealth from your YouTube channel with less than 500 subscribers, less than a thousand subscribers.

Like those vanity metrics really don’t matter. It’s who is my ideal client? Are they the ones watching my videos? And then are they coming off of YouTube and actually paying you money? That’s what’s important.

Akua: Yes, I love that. I think that’s just such a great reminder. And I feel like a lot of us as business owners, we’re not utilizing, I feel like YouTube has always kind of been that other platform.

That’s just like kind of there. I think a lot of us are still really emphasizing, I think obviously video. So I feel like a lot of people want to leverage YouTube more, but just don’t know how, but like, I still feel like a lot of us are relying on Instagram, right? Like, I feel like that’s still the number one platform, but it’s exhausting.

And so what strategies do you have? that you implemented as just starting out with creating your YouTube content.

Melissa: Yeah. I think the biggest thing is we overcomplicate it in our heads. Like we do everything I feel like sometimes. Yeah. And really when you’re first starting out is So really, really go back to the basics, like that foundation of marketing is, you know, who is your ideal client and what are like the really specific questions they would be asking you.

Like when you’re on social media or you’re being interviewed by someone, what are the specific questions they’re asking you about your niche? And don’t think about it from your perspective and like the words or the techno jargon that you might be using, but think about it from the terms of your ideal client and what they would be searching for.

And just brain dump that on a piece of paper, like really, really specific questions. And then go to Google or go to Google or YouTube really, cause they’re owned by the same people. Google owns YouTube and start to search at the search bar, those terms and YouTube will auto populate. Right there for you.

If that’s being searched by your ideal client or not. So that is the very first place I want you to start. Like let’s not overcomplicate it. That’s not put all the strategies in it, do that. And that can feed your video content for the first three months, at least. Like usually. When I do this with clients, they can brain dump so many ideas and that that’s where I want you to start.

Akua: Yeah, I think that’s such, that is such a good point and I feel like we do overcomplicate it and so just really finding a simplified way. What are some of the common misconceptions, I think you already just mentioned when we’re like we overcomplicate it, but what are some other misconceptions that business owners have in regards to YouTube and video in general?

Melissa: Yeah, definitely the overcomplicating is a, is a big Is a big portion of that. And that kind of trickles down to like everything when it comes to video. It’s, you know, I need to have fancy video equipment. You definitely do not, right? You can use your iPhones. They shoot in 4k video now, right? You can get a simple ring light or a softbox light off Amazon or use your window light if that’s all you have.

Like start with what you have. Don’t overcomplicate the tech. That’s a big, big one that holds people back. Um, the other big one is. It’s editing people like, Oh, I don’t have time to edit or editing is too complicated. Or it’s, you know, I don’t know what systems to use. I don’t have time to learn X, Y, Z program.

There is so much you can do now, especially with AI being introduced to the business world is you can edit videos in 15, 20 minutes. And inside of my programs, my YouTube programs, I actually teach you how to do this. But also if you’re just starting out, head over to my YouTube channel, Wandermade Creative.

And I have tutorials there that basically walk you through. Editing. So that’s another big misconception is that it takes too much time. And then it takes too much time to create videos in general is another misconception, which if you have the right systems and Workflows in place. Um, my big promise to my clients inside of my programs is you can create a month’s worth of content in two hours or less, which is a hundred percent possible when you have the templates and the systems and the workflows in place to make it happen.

Akua: Yeah, I love that. And I think that’s just a key thing. Cause I was going to ask, like, are you guys batching? Like I’m assuming you’re batching your content and stuff like that. And I think, I think we don’t realize too how easy it can be, especially if you are doing YouTube content on your expertise. Cause like for me, I can just go off the riff, whatever I, you know what I mean?

Especially like on storytelling and marketing. I think that’s something too that we forget where, to your point where we’re overcomplicating it. And I’m like, it’s not that complicated. If you’re talking about the things that you love to talk about, you’re going to be able to easily create the videos a lot more.

So HoneyBook too, like we’re like really leaning into YouTube now. And one thing that I’ve learned is I have noticed that scripting plays such a heavy role in that content prep. Like, I mean, the script can really just. I feel like it just sets the narrative for the whole video. Do you use scripts? Are you not?

Like, how are you, what are really great best scripting practices? Because I feel like people too also get caught up with the script. If they’re like, if they’re not someone that can just go off the cuff, they instantly get caught up on the scripting and you can literally see it on, in the videos, I feel like.

Melissa: Yeah, I love that you brought this up. It really What I first want you to determine is what style of person are you? Like, what is your personality? Is your personality more that you can riff on a subject and you just need bullet points? kind of laid out on a piece of paper in front of you, or are you the kind of person that needs a teleprompter and you need to be able to read every single word?

Like what is going to make you feel more comfortable? And sometimes at the beginning, we don’t know. And so I always recommend like try both kind of options out to see which one you feel more comfortable with, because then you can set up the process in place that matches you instead of What you think is gonna be the best or trying to force yourself into a box because if you don’t love creating content You’re gonna stop and it’s gonna become this like thing that you have to do and you’re eventually gonna give up on YouTube So first start with what your personality is and what you like to do And if you determine that it’s a script then what I recommend is to use I have a scripting formula that I actually teach but the basis of it is You know, create that initial hook because that first 30 seconds of your video is going to be the most important, right?

If people click onto your video and they don’t immediately Aren’t immediately interested. They aren’t immediately like, oh, she’s going to answer whatever the video title is about and they know they want to stick around. They’re gonna pop off. So that’s the first most important thing. And then I always like to do like an introduce.

Introduce yourself really quickly. Tell them why they should stay till the end of the video and maybe tease something that you have, whether that’s a webinar or a master class or maybe a free quiz or a lead magnet, whatever it may be. To again, get those people off of YouTube. On to your email list so you can sell to them, right?

And then, of course, the body of your structure and then the call to action at the end. And the call to action can be whatever it is that’s going to help you reach your goal, whatever that may be on YouTube. If it’s to book a call with you, to subscribe, to join your Facebook group, like whatever that may be at the end.

So that’s like a really, really broad overview of the scripting outline. But that’s what I recommend is that, you know, if If it needs to be bullet points in the middle there, make them bullet points. If it needs to be a fully outlined script, do that, practice, and see which one kind of works better for you.

Akua: Yeah, I think that’s a really good point of, I feel like we forget sometimes as business owners we’re creating content because we’re so caught up in our head of like, we feel like we should be this way, that we realize like, oh, like, if you’re scripting, And you’re reading it word for word that doesn’t work for you or if an outline, but you’re never going to know unless you actually experiment and try it.

And so if you’re a business owner, that’s like, I’m not really sure. It’s like, there’s no wrong way for you to produce the content. You just need to produce it. Right? So like, what works with you and your personality? What aligns to where this actually makes it an enjoyable process? Because to your point, I feel like a lot of us, we have that momentum and then, Something just knocks us off and then all of a sudden we just stop creating content.

And it’s not definitely to be shameful, like to be shady or anything like that. It’s just, it’s hard. Like creating content is a lot of work. And so really having those systems in place, like what you shared is just so key. And I think even just, uh, scripting. And so what are your thoughts on using AI? Cause I’ve been guilty of it.

I use it.

Melissa: Yeah. Don’t put shade on that. I think it’s great. I mean, it saves a lot of time.

Akua: Yeah.

Melissa: 100%. It’s the world we’re going into. And so it’s, how can you use AI? As a CEO, right? Like you’re the thought leader, you’re the expert. Use it as your partner, not as the CEO. Right. So that is a big differentiator.

I’ve seen so many things going out online these days where you can tell it’s AI and it’s just like regurgitated information. And so it’s like, what makes you different? Like, what are your processes? What are your strengths? Stories, what are all those things that make you, you, and how can you infuse that into what AI is giving you as a rough draft?

So think of it like as your copywriter partner, not as the one making the decisions. You’re the one making the decisions. And I think that’s the way to win with AI.

Akua: Oh, 1000%. And I’m not going to lie. I should have conversations with my chat to be teeth. I finally upgraded and like bought the 20 one and somebody helped me put specific prompts to where I could say.

I’d be like, Hey friend, are you up for another challenge? And then it’s like, yeah. And then I would like say, they told me what prompts to ask of it. And it was able to create me a YouTube script where it literally sounded like me. And so then I didn’t have to edit much. Like, of course I still edited because I just was like, This, like it was the closest I’ve ever gotten in chat GPT where I finally feel like I made a breakthrough and I think that’s a huge thing with business owners is that we don’t know how to fully use it, but once you use it, it can absolutely be like a superpower that you need to create faster content.

And then it gave me such great content ideas that I then leverage to make more additional content. And I was like, Oh my gosh, like this was just. Sometimes I don’t even use the ideas it gives me. I just see what it gives me and then it uses, literally that is all I need to create something completely different and completely new and saves me a lot of time.

And so I love that you are like encouraging us to use that because I’ve seen it where it’s built me scripts where again, it just saves me so much time and not saying it word for word. Like it sounds like me, but I’m still like, ah, like let’s change this language here. Let’s maybe like redo this step and like stuff like that.

But yeah. It, it makes me feel a lot more comfortable and a lot more confident. And like, I don’t, I usually go off the rift, so like, it’ll give me a script, but like, I just need the bullet points and I just go and I’m like, Oh yeah, this is great. And so like, again, to your point of just really making it work for you and your business and just taking that time to.

Explore the tools that can really help save you that time, even with editing and all those different types of things. I feel like there’s all heavily a solution to what you’re looking for. If you’re wanting to expand more into YouTube.

Melissa: A hundred percent. Yeah. I even have a whole chat, CBT script writing masterclass inside of my program, because it can save you so much time and why struggle looking at a blank piece of paper in front of you with this ID on it, when you can just go somewhere.

Get the shell of it to then get that inspiration to sometimes just cue you. Like you said, you don’t even go off the ideas. It gives you half the time, but it just sparks something. It starts something and builds momentum. And we all know that once we have momentum, things go 10 times faster. So just use it as that tool.

And yeah, like lean in because it’s not going nowhere.

Akua: Yes. And I’m so curious, you know, just backtracking a little bit because you had said, you know, obviously you used YouTube to build your one on one service. And so were you essentially like doing email marketing, like building your list or was it just like book a call and then you would do like your sales call?

Like what did that strategy really look like for you?

Melissa: Yeah, back in the beginning. Great question. Um, back in the beginning, I had some lead magnets, but back then I was kind of doing social media management and that kind of thing. So the one video that actually worked really, really well for me, and I probably got most of my clients from this one video, to be honest, maybe two videos was, should you hire a social media manager?

And It basically outlined like what I talked about on discovery calls with clients at that time. And it was just like, this is what you should look for in a social media manager, how to determine what you do need and what you don’t need. And at the end of it, I said, book a call with me. And I also had a lead magnet for, I think it was like my Instagram bundle at the time.

And Either people came onto my Instagram bundle or they immediately booked a call. And anyone who booked a call from that video usually always closed. And so that was a huge video for me at that time, um, to really book out my services for sure. And then the other one that really brought a lot of attention, it’s still probably one of my largest watched videos on my channel was comparing.

The software Planoly versus later, the Instagram schedulers, those were, those videos did also extremely, extremely well. So that’s a fun little bonus tip for, for everyone watching and listening as well versus videos. If you’re comparing one thing to another, do really well on YouTube.

Akua: Yes. Oh my gosh, I love that.

And so now here we are in 2024, what strategies are you currently leaning in where you’re like, that’s different from the past that you’re leaning into that you’re like, Oh, Okay. This is, this is what’s going to help business owners propel forward in their YouTube strategy.

Melissa: Yeah. So now obviously there’s a little bit more, um, structure around the types of content I create and we get a little bit more experimental in terms of what works and what doesn’t work in the content types.

So like video podcasting, like what we’re doing right now works really well. Um, that’s something that I lean into with a bunch of clients as well. Um, also extremely easy content to create because you’re just jumping on with another expert and talking. So low lift there and a really good reward. The other thing that I really concentrate on now is the sales funnel on the back end of your So not just necessarily a, you know, checklist PDF that seemed to work really well a couple of years ago, but now our buyers are a little bit more sophisticated.

They need a little bit more information, um, and a little bit more expertise, I guess you could say. So what’s been really working well for me right now is the. Video into my masterclass, which goes into my three phase framework of kind of what I teach and what all of my programs are based around and what I do for my one on one clients as well.

And then once they watch that masterclass, it deploys them into a longer email kind of funnel that they can use. Yeah, brings them into whatever, um, program they need to kind of go into based on what they click on and things like that. So it is a little bit more sophisticated than what it was in the, in the beginning, but it doesn’t need to be that when you’re first starting out.

That’s one thing I want to highlight for people listening. They’re like, that sounds crazy. I don’t, I don’t want to do all that. You don’t have to. I have on my agency side clients who, one is a real estate agent, for example. So very, very simple. All he wants is booked calls. You Right. He wants booked calls on his, on his calendar.

And so that’s as simple as it is. His videos are talking about his market and we go through it. And at the end, it’s like, book a call for me with me. If you want to learn how to buy or sell your house, if you’re looking to buy or sell in this market, and it’s working extremely well. So it doesn’t have to be complicated.

It just depends on your niche, your goals. What your offer is, and then from there we can build out a strategy that works for you.

Akua: Oh, I love that. Those are just like really, just really key and important reminders for business owners. You just don’t have to overcomplicate it at all. That’s something that you just shared earlier.

And I just want to really reemphasize that. Is that okay? Like that’s because you’ve been in the game using YouTube for years now. Right? So of course, like You’ve evolved, your audience has evolved, but if you’re just starting out, you’re starting out from square zero, right? Like step one. And so that’s where it’s like, you don’t, in order to get going, you don’t have to open over complicated, just take one step forward, keep it simple.

And I love that you said the versus do really well. That’s a really, really great tip. Cause already in my mind I was like, Oh yeah, there’s already like some, you know, some Like content ideas that just literally came to where I can easily do a versus one. And so I think this is a really great way of just for business owners to really just start getting that creative juices flowing.

So as you like, just go back and reflect on your business journey, you know, where you went corporate, started your business, went back to corporate, and now here you are as a successful YouTube strategist. What advice do you have to independent business owners that are in the thick of it right now?

Melissa: Oh my goodness.

Such a good question. I probably have so much advice. I think the biggest thing is, you know, entrepreneurship is a roller coaster. And like when you decide that you want to start something for yourself, it’s going to be times, there’s going to be times where you’re like, this is amazing. I love this. This is great.

And then there’s going to be times where you’re like, oh my gosh. I don’t think I could do this. I need to go find another job. And so it’s really working through those emotions. And I think that’s like a huge piece of advice is that on those low times, like find someone that you can talk to, whether that’s a coach, um, a mentor, a business, best friend, someone else in your niche, Anyone really that is kind of in the same boat as you, that you can talk to about those feelings and like work through them because you’re constantly going to feel like there’s days where you want to give up and it’s really the ones who are successful are the ones that don’t give up when things are really bad or they fail forward, if you will.

So that’s one really, really big one. And I think that if I would have given up, I wouldn’t be here today. And I’d probably still be stuck in that cubicle that I was miserable at. And so don’t let the bad days. And then the second really big piece of advice is that, and it’s a quote I’m like staring at, at my computer, it’s pinned to my computer, is that hard isn’t difficult, it’s just new.

And it’s one of my favorite quotes whenever I’m trying something new in my business or something feels frustrating or I’m learning something new. I always remind myself like hard isn’t difficult, it’s just new. Like you can learn it. You have the skills to do whatever you want, have whatever you want, be whoever you want.

You just have to work through sometimes that quote unquote hard.

Akua: Yes. Oh my gosh. I love that. And I just think of what my therapist has said in the past of like, choose your heart because everything in life is hard. And so, um, just choose your heart. And so I think that’s just like, just to add to that, I think that’s just, It’s such a good reminder is that everything we’re walking through, we’re learning.

And it’s like, you have the skills, you have everything that you need today to be able to move forward. And so in whatever that is, like whatever direction you want to go into. And I just love that you going back to corporate just wasn’t the end of your story. And I think sometimes we always think of. the decisions that we make in our life are very definite and it’s like, no, that’s just a page in a chapter of your story, right?

Like you can still, you’re not finished writing it out, right? So it’s like, this is just a season. This is temporary. And once you’re ready, then you can go into that new season. And so, That’s what I love about entrepreneurship. It just ebbs and flows and you truly make it, you make the most of it. You make what it is, what you make of it.

And so I love that. Like, yeah, maybe I took a step back, but if anything, I think that was the step that you needed to be able to really propel yourself forward. So, um, thank you so much for this conversation. And even to have just like, Just even YouTube. I think that’s just such a great, great aspect of like, I feel like so many of us as business owners are not leveraging YouTube.

And it’s been really cool just to hear somebody. I’m like, no, I am seeing success off this, off of it. Like it’s growing my business. It has grown my business more than any other platform. And so a question that we love to end with is what do you think is the biggest differentiator between the businesses that succeed and the ones that fail?

Melissa: Honestly, I think it’s just continuing and not giving up because like I said before, if you give up, you’re not gonna have a business. Right? So I think that’s the biggest thing is just always continuing forward and not being afraid to fail because the fear of failure will keep you stuck.

Akua: Yes. Oh my gosh.

I love how you said earlier too, like failing forward. I think that’s just such a, like, I’m not failing. I mean, if you’re failing, you’re one step closer to where it is that you want to get to. So absolutely love that. And Melissa, thank you so much for coming on the show. For people that want to connect you, how can we support you?

Melissa: Yeah, you can find me on all social media platforms at Wanderment Creative. And obviously my YouTube channel, you can go and check out Lots of tutorials about YouTube over there. And then if you listen to this episode and you want to connect, Instagram DM is probably the best way for me to chat back and forth.

And, uh, I would love to hear what you thought of this episode.

Akua: Yes. Well, thank you. Thank you so much, Melissa. This has been an amazing conversation and for everybody listening until next time, that ends our episode of the independent business. Everything we’ve discussed today can be found at podcast.

honeybook. com. Head to our website to access for show notes, relevant links, and all of the resources that you need to level up. And if you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, be sure to subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss our future content. Drop us a review and leave our guests some love on social.

And thank you again for listening.