To easily make a great YouTube video, one of the things you need to have is an outline. Whether you are a creator of vlogs, how-to guides, or live streams, an outline can improve the performance of the video and is a key element of creating a high-retention YouTube video from scratch. However, for it to effectively serve its purpose, you should understand the major elements of an outline.
What is a YouTube Video Outline?
A YT video outline refers to a simple plan that lists the main points, hook, and CTA to add to your video. It helps to make the narrative flow in a YouTube video and organizes your ideas and thoughts for clear messaging.
An outline is, therefore, essential for providing your YouTube video with direction and making it possible for viewers to follow. It ensures that you don't struggle to put across your message, resulting in a disinterested audience or low engagement level.
Why is it Important to Outline YouTube Videos?
When creating a YouTube video, you can choose to either create a script or an outline. A script refers to what you will be discussing in the video, word for word. On the other hand, an outline provides a general idea of the main point and the bullet points of your discussion in the video.
When someone reads a YouTube video from a script, it can end up feeling less relaxed and more forced. If you don't want such a scenario for your channel, you can simply get the idea of your ideas without having to read from a script. Therefore, an outline provides the YouTube video with a conversational feel.
A clear YouTube video outline can therefore ensure:
- Your audience remains engaged in the video.
- A seamless transition between topics and ideas.
- You have a clear and concise message.
- A good flow of ideas to guide your viewers through the story.
- You can highlight the key ideas and points of the video.
Creating an Outstanding YouTube Video Outline
Now, let us look at the actual steps to follow when creating an outstanding video outline. These are:
Determine Your Aim and Topic
Determine the lessons to teach your audience or what you want them to do or feel after they have watched the video. After understanding the goal, you can use your audience's needs and desires to structure the video.
You will need to begin by determining the topic for your video. After that, define the main point you will need to include in the video. When doing that, remember to add the key takeaway for viewers.
Plan for the Introduction
After your viewer has clicked on the hook, you should convince them that they made the right decision to click on the video. Your introduction will help you do that. It will also help to set the expectations for what is coming, or rather, confirm the click.
For instance, if your hook was on "How I renovated my patio for $50", your introduction can be something like, "In this video, I take you through where I bought everything and the process I used to renovate my patio on a tight budget".
Plan for the Hook
According to YouTube, the first fifteen seconds will determine whether your audience views the YouTube video or leaves. Therefore, you should include a hook that will encourage people to view the video.
There are different kinds of hooks to consider, such as:
- A brief video summary.
- An attention-grabbing line.
- An outstanding visual.
- A teaser of what will be coming up later in the YouTube video.
Consider the Value in the Main Content
This refers to the video's body that you will use to deliver on the promise you made in the introduction and hook. As a beginner, you can consider using an outline in bullet points rather than writing everything down.
You can imagine a situation where you create a video only to realize that you forgot to mention your main point. This is why you should list your primary arguments in the order you want them to appear in the video. For instance, when creating a short, cheerful video, it should include:
- A list of some top money-saving tips.
- A detailed guide to a DIY project.
- A comparison of budget-friendly items.
For every main point, include 3 to 5 subpoints as your discussion prompt. Add production cues such as the area to point to, graphics, or B-roll. Also, consider structuring the outline of your YouTube video in a format that highlights what you will be saying and what you will be showing.
Add an Outstanding CTA
An important part of a video outline is the CTA. After providing your viewer with great value, consider what action to encourage them to take, which is the CTA goal. This should involve asking your viewers to take a particular action, such as downloading a video, sharing the video with their friends, or even subscribing.
A good idea would be to think of the CTA before you even start writing down the outline. Before working backward, ensure that everything else supports the goal you are trying to achieve.
Make the CTA simple and clear, such as:
- If you love our video, check out part two by subscribing and clicking on the notification button.
- Share your favorite home workout tips in the comments section.
- To see more videos like this, be sure to like and subscribe.
Best Practices When Adding an Outline
For the best result with your outline, use these best practices:
Create the Ideal Length
When creating your outline, ensure it covers the ideal video length based on the amount of information to include. According to many reports, the YouTube algorithm prefers videos that are over 5 minutes long. However, this can only work when you ensure that each minute in the YouTube video is relevant.
Otherwise, if the 9-minute video consists of fluff and irrelevant content, people will no longer show interest in what your YT video is leading to, resulting in early drop-off. Therefore, while the length is important, ensure that each video is valuable to the target audience.
Determine How to Drive Engagement
We are living in an era when engagement level is an important factor that determines the reach of posts. Therefore, you will need to include a plan on how you will increase engagement on social media. For instance, when creating an outline, plan how you will be asking questions every 2 to 3 minutes to drive viewers' engagement.
Asking questions in your YT video will also help you get feedback from viewers. If the video is already performing better than expected, take this opportunity to ask them to share it with their friends. Add a CTA asking viewers to engage with your video by subscribing, liking, commenting, and sharing. A good idea would be to remind them twice, as early engagement matters after publishing.
Leverage YouTube features such as cards and playlists to drive engagement. For instance, you can use cards to encourage them to subscribe, while playlists can bump up your views by promoting your other videos to them. Include an image in your YT video reminding viewers to always feel free to rewatch, particularly useful for educational videos and detailed instructions.
Add Value in Your Script
Consider what value your YouTube video will be providing to your audience. You may need to consider the topics and subtopics you will be covering. For instance, to make a video tutorial, you can add some easy-to-follow steps for your viewers to follow. After having a video outline of the topic, add the key points outline of your YouTube video. This is an important step, as it is what determines if the video will be helpful to viewers or not.
Ensure that all the words you speak are relevant and meaningful. If any part of the script doesn't feel relevant, remove it from the script. Also, your video information should be provided in an easy-to-follow and logical way.
Have Someone Review the Script
You can ask a friend to read the script and provide feedback. A third party might be best suited to check the flow of the script and make it easily understandable. The words should come out well from your mouth, and you will not have any problem pronouncing them. Get rid of any words that don't help in the development of the outline.
In Conclusion
If you just pick up the microphone and start talking without a plan for what to say and when, you are likely to fail with your YT videos. On the other hand, having a YouTube outline can act as the compass that dictates the direction your videos take. Therefore, use the above steps in creating your YT video outline. You can read our guide on spotting content gaps on YouTube.
