How to make YouTube Friends

I did break my publishing streak last week and I think I’m ok with that. It actually made me think I should fully commit to making season with a clear beginning and end.

On the same hand the more I post the more chance I have to grow. Right?

It’s a tricky balance to find.
For now the goal is still to publish a video every week until the end of the year.
Simply to say I’ve done it.

What comes after that we’ll see.

💛 Valentin

New in Orbit:
📺 Nino answers the age old question: What’s the best camera (Clip)
📝 What if there was an app like tiktok dedicated to vetted news?

The Power of YouTube Friends

Having the ability to send a video you are working to a friend is the biggest cheat code I’ve discovered yet. It enables you to get high quality feedback from someone you trust who understands the challenges you face. That’s why I constantly share work in progress with a someone who I know will point out flaws and help me make it better.

But I didn’t realize how hard it is for people to make these connection until watching Aprilynne Alter’s 3h YouTube masterclass. The last segment of which is dedicated to that challenge.

To help you with that I want to share with you five ways I’ve been able to start these relationships

Courses & Workshops

One of the easiest ways to meet like-minded creators is through online courses, although they can be pricey. It’s where I first met others who as excited about making videos for the internet. Because every course or workshop brings people together who have similar goals.

As you might know already almost the whole cast of Orbit’s first season came out of the Master YouTube Course. And those five guys are to this day my closest YouTube friends. In fact I just had a call with Wojtek this week which helped me unlock the theme for the next series of videos.

Embrace the Social Nature of Media

This might sound simple, but reaching out to new creators can be one of the hardest things to do. But trust me, it works. If you find a creator you admire, just send them a message.

For example here is the exact message I sent Tom

That message was unanswered for a long time because if fell through the cracks but I kept reacting to his stories and eventually a conversation started. That feeling I had that we would be good friends come true and I honestly could not imagine doing any of what I do with him.

Tom has become the spiritual co-founder of Orbit and is in part responsible for me becoming so committed to creating content that helps people become better creators.

Events & Conferences

Like online courses, events, meetups, and conferences bring people together over shared interests. So it’s very likely for you to find someone who also wants to share their passion online.

I bet you could find a networking event, industry conference or people who like X meetup in your area. Even if you live in the middle of nowhere you can join online meetups. If you want to an extra challenge you could also host one yourself which has the added benefit of making you know as someone who gets things done.

For me in person events might have been the biggest unlock this year. Because when you meet in person you get an instant sense of if you vibe with that other person. It’s how I connected with MrAlexTech, Nino and Maqaroon.
Ultimately leading to my most viewed video so far.

Existing Communities

Most of us are part of some Reddit or Discord community dedicated to a very specific interest. These places are full of potential connections if you know how to engage. The key to connecting with people in that setting is to be extremely active. By commenting on every relevant post you get to know the who are on a similar wavelength to you and people will start to recognize you for someone who delivers value and can be trusted.Than it’s just about messaging someone for a particular reason.

It’s how I connected with Sascha who runs a similar channel to mine in German.

Get Introduced

If people you already know start connecting you to new people you’re in a really good position. That means you have clearly communicated what you are about which makes it easy for you co-worker, sibling or acquaintance to introduce you to someone they just met.

These instances are often very serendipitous and might not instantly lead to anything tangible but the built in trust that come with a recommendation like this can lead to some very unexpected doors to open.

It’s how I met Bartek, who is the first guy I ever met who is as passionate about community as I am.

As an introvert myself I know all of this can sound daunting and exhausting but once you get over that resistance you will see how rewarding it is to make the first step and be the person who starts a conversation.

If you pick the right people to chat with it’s also completely effortless and fun.

As I see this as a core problem many creators face I will actually dedicate a few videos to the people I met online even if they don’t no audience at all. More on that soon.

My favorite things this week

Spotter Studio is now available with a 60 day free trial

Theory of One sharing why you need an enemy

Josh Howard explaining how to test hooks on YouTube

Do you have a video podcast?
If so I’d love to compare notes. So hit reply 😅