Lao Gao's Financial Freedom Group: One Year Later and a Short Video Experiment
Lao Gao reflects on the first year of the Financial Freedom Group content and questions the effectiveness of his advice, particularly regarding short videos. He shares his experiences experimenting with short-form content creation.
Questioning the Effectiveness of Short Video Advice
Lao Gao admits that he has been recommending short videos as a starting point for content creators, highlighting their benefits. However, he acknowledges that he lacks practical experience in creating them, as he primarily produces long-form content. He questions whether his advice is truly effective for a short-form video audience and whether his existing knowledge remains relevant given YouTube's evolving algorithms.
The Short Video Experiment: A Hands-On Approach
To address these concerns, Lao Gao decided to create his own short video channel. He emphasizes the importance of practical experience, stating that one must "try it" to truly understand the nuances and challenges involved. This allows him to provide more informed advice and validate his existing beliefs.
Setting Up the Experiment: Minimizing Bias
To ensure objectivity, Lao Gao took several steps to isolate the experiment:
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New Email and YouTube Account: He created a brand new email address and used it to register a new YouTube account.
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New Computer: He purchased a new Apple Mini computer specifically for editing and uploading videos for the new channel.
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Concealing Channel Information: He chose not to reveal the channel's name or address to avoid influencing its performance, drawing a parallel to a double-blind test in medicine.
Unexpected Success: Going Viral
Lao Gao launched the new channel at the end of May. Initially, he planned a month-long trial to understand the difficulties of short video creation. However, after uploading only five videos, one unexpectedly went viral.
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Rapid Growth: The fifth video experienced a rapid surge in views and subscribers.
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Viewership Explosion: Within a week, the video garnered over 200 million views and attracted more than 180,000 subscribers.
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Motivation for Other Videos: While not as explosive, subsequent uploads also benefited from increased viewership due to the viral video.
Implications and Validation
While the rapid success disrupted his initial testing plans, Lao Gao believes it validates many of his previously shared insights, particularly regarding streaming channel strategies and understanding YouTube's mechanics. This includes the importance of consistent updates, audience understanding, and providing desired content.
The Importance of Audience and Content Type
Lao Gao stresses the significance of targeting a large audience. He notes that short videos are better suited for broad categories like singing, dancing, comedy, and music. He suggests considering the annuality of the content. Content that is not time-sensitive should be longer and contain content that will keep viewers engaged.
Action and Diligence: Key to Success
Lao Gao emphasizes the importance of taking action and being diligent. He notes the slow update pace of some members of the Financial Freedom Group. He encourages them to be more proactive in creating and uploading content. This allows for more trial and error and, ultimately, a better understanding of what works. He notes that the goal is to test a successful sample that can be copied.
Embrace the "Dark Period" of Trial and Error
Lao Gao acknowledges the "dark period" of trial and error that precedes success. He encourages viewers to embrace this phase and learn from their mistakes. While his viral video was successful, his experience in long-form videos paved the way.
Luck and Bravery
He attributes the success partly to luck. However, he also emphasizes the importance of being brave and taking the first step, even if it feels daunting. He draws an analogy to learning to ride a bike, stating that practical experience is essential. The more one is willing to take chances, the luckier one will be.
New Channels and Algorithm Changes
Lao Gao revises his previous advice about new channels needing time to "prove themselves" to YouTube. He believes that recent changes to YouTube's profit conditions make it easier for new channels to gain traction. The YouTube algorithm may not be as biased against newer content creators.
Ongoing Testing and Future Updates
Lao Gao concludes by reiterating that he cannot yet reveal the channel to allow for continued testing. He assures viewers that he will share any interesting findings from his ongoing experiment.
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