The YouTube Formula: How Anyone Can Unlock the Algorithm to Drive Views, Build an Audience, and Grow Revenue

I’m so impressed by the comprehensiveness of this book! Unlike a lot of other YouTube books out there, The YouTube Formula is both broad in scope AND deep in the information it gives. I’ve watched tons of Derral’s videos online, and he gives so many new secrets in this book that just aren’t shown in his public videos!Whether you already have a huge YouTube channel or you’re just starting out, if you want to learn how to sustainably grow your YouTube channel - providing your viewers with better and more engaging content that will keep them coming back for more - then this is the book for you.This isn’t just a handful of YouTube “hacks.” Derral does a great job explaining how to execute on both the strategic and tactical aspects of starting and/or growing a YouTube channel, and he does it all in an easy-to-read and entertaining style that gives plenty of actionable suggestions.It’s all here: understanding my audience; researching my niche; structuring my channel; creating engaging videos; making clickable titles and thumbnails; actually understanding YouTube’s crazy analytics; and using that data to analyze and adjust for continued growth.And like any great coach, he starts by giving us a solid foundation from which to build, and then give real-life case studies about how these techniques have ACTUALLY worked for his clients’ channels. There are so many case studies that some are sure to resonate with you.PART ITHE PLATFORM - goes into a lot of foundational detail about the YouTube platform itself, how the AI and algorithm work, and how we can use that to create content in a way that helps the AI to suggest our videos. This information is critical to understanding the more complex chapters later in the book, and was both educational and entertaining.That this information is given alongside a right-sized recounting of the colorful history of YouTube itself, and how the platform has changed over the years, is an added bonus that helps us see WHY the platform works the way that it does.PART IITHE OPPORTUNITY - speaks in detail about the massive opportunities for revenue, profit, personal growth, and social impact that YouTube provides to all of us. Derral talks about several ways of leveraging YouTube for financial and social success - beyond just making money from YouTube ads. Most importantly, Part II goes into the things that so many creators do that cause them to fail, and it details how we can avoid those pitfalls and learn from them.PART IIITHE FORMULA - details the data-driven, human-centered strategies that Derral has himself used to help his and others’ channels gain billions of views over the last 15+ years. This forms the meat of the book (12 out of 21 chapters), and gives so much useful information, from planning and starting a channel, to creating engaging content, to analyzing and adjusting by focusing on the important analytics.This section covers overall channel strategy: aligning my channel with my greater purpose; identifying who my audience really is and what motivates them; researching not just what is working in my niche, but how to replicate that in my own way; how to organize and structure my channel to both engage my viewers and help the AI suggest my content.It also delves into more tactical video creation, like: how to create videos that keep people watching and maximize watch time and retention; how to create great thumbnails and titles; how to engage viewers and build a community of rabid fans.And then it talks about how to understand and use YouTube’s massive analytics to analyze and adjust: what YouTube analytics are truly important (and what aren’t!); how best to launch and promote a video; and how to tweak my content based on what the data is telling me.As I said, there is SO much great information in this book! Whether you already have a huge YouTube channel or are just starting out, Derral has actionable suggestions and best practices to help you sustainably grow over the long term. What makes Derral so unique is that he’s able to cut through the noise and focus on the geeky data that truly matters, while also being uncannily tuned-in to what motivates real people to view and consume media.These insights are what make his data-driven, human-centered approach so powerful, and it’s awesome to have it all packaged into a book that is easy and fun to read. I’m giving 5 stars to The YouTube Formula because it’s by far the most comprehensive YouTube book I’ve ever read. Even having taken other YouTube training programs, I know I’ll be referring back to this book for a long time to come!

It gives the energy of a classic textbook... but for YouTube. Packed with info, learning activities, examples & free resources you can find online to go along with it. I haven't started my channel yet, but can see this will easily be something I reference all throughout my journey once I've started.

For context, I have been following and consuming Derral Eves' free content for years. I know his material, have watched TONS of his videos, and attended a live training in Orlando. I'm also a traditional media veteran, having spent over 15 years working in TV newsrooms including CNN. My YouTube journey started in 2015, and I was able to go full-time in late 2017 with the help of educators such as Derral and Sean & Benji of Video Influencers.Derral has a paid course called Channel Jumpstart that wasn't in my budget, so I was thrilled he was putting out a book for a more affordable option. Read the entire book over three days and it's like an entire college course full of knowledge. The material includes a history of YouTube and the algorithm, going over case studies of successful channels and the potential on the platform, then the last section explains the "formula" on what strategy Derral uses to grow YouTube channels.Although I am very familiar with Derral's free content on YouTube, I absolutely learned many new and fresh aspects in the book. His breakdown on the separate algorithms for Browse, Suggested, Trending, Notification, and Search was very helpful for me to understand. This was also the first time I've seen insight on the AdSense tiers like Google Preferred and YouTube Selects.Chapter 13 Content is King - as a television producer, I appreciated this section with a roadmap of how storytelling works. This is something many video creators have a difficult time nailing, and Derral explains the concepts well.One of the most inspiring chapters was 8 The Real Power of Your Influence: Making a Difference. It's easy to just think about dollar signs and an inflated ego from being a YouTuber, but as evidenced by people like MrBeast, we can use YouTube to do good, help others, and change the world.I've only owned this book for a week, and I've already recommended it to quite a few people and bought a second copy as a gift. It's a must-read for anyone interested in YouTube or for seasoned creators with a big following. It is 1,000% worth investing the time to consume.One thing to note: The YouTube Formula does *NOT* cover technical aspects of production like cameras or editing, and I get asked about that a lot from people who don't know much about it. You can easily find answers to those questions on YouTube, but you need to realize that those things don't matter nearly as much as you think. First, you need to make an effort to understand the platform and develop a winning mindset for YouTube. Don't spend too much time worrying about getting the perfect set-up, it won't matter if you can't get anyone to watch your videos. Derral Eves gives you all the tools in this book to accomplish that.

This book has so much information and value. I recommended to everybody.

It's a good book. I'll be trying the advice on my YouTube channel joezcode.Pro tip for reading this book. If you want the meat first read part 3 first. The read parts 2 and 1Good bookGood adviceMore of a ready fire aim strategy but I'll see how it helps

The book hits its target: sharing valuable insights into the workings of YouTube and how to maximize your chances of success at building a channel. Not just about "algorithms", this is a formula for sensible steps that can make your content, keywords, thumbnails, descriptions and other details work. Hardbound at a very reasonable price, this book is a must reference. Thanks much, Derral!