Hey Reader,

When I sat down with YouTube expert Aprilynne Alter on The HeyCreator Show, she dropped some serious knowledge about making videos that actually keep people watching. Let me break down the most important parts for you.

Those crucial first 5 seconds

Here’s something wild: you only have 5 seconds to deliver on what your title and thumbnail promised. That’s it!

The simple hack? Repeat your title in your opening line. If your video is “How I Made $10K From My Newsletter,” start with exactly that. Viewers will instantly know they’re in the right place.

Here are some other effective 5-second YouTube intros following Aprilynne’s formula:

🥶 “This is the exact cold email template that helped me land 5 brand deals in 30 days.”

☀️ “This morning routine doubled my productivity as a creator, and it only takes 20 minutes.”

🎙️ “So you want to start a podcast but feel overwhelmed by the tech? Here’s my simple 3-step setup.”

Notice how each:

• Starts with "So" or "This"
• Restates the title/promise
• Hints at the solution
• Uses personal experience

Your new video structure playbook

Aprilynne shared her “5 P’s” formula that’s been working like crazy:

• Problem: What issue are you solving?
• Proof: Why should they trust you?
• Purpose: What's in it for them?
• Promise: What will they learn?
• Progress: How will you get them there?

Keep your intro under 20 seconds and structure each section like a mini-story: promise → progress → payoff. It’s like leaving breadcrumbs that keep viewers hooked.

The authenticity advantage

With AI-generated content flooding YouTube in 2024, being real is your superpower. Aprilynne sees creators winning big by:

• Getting personal (share your actual experiences)
• Keeping the bloopers (yes, really!)
• Taking viewers behind the scenes

Pro tip: Film your B-roll wearing the same outfit. You’ll build a footage library you can use across multiple videos without anything looking out of place.

What’s working in 2024 (and beyond)

The YouTube game is shifting. Two major trends Aprilynne’s seeing:

• Story-first content is crushing it
• Slower, more cinematic pacing is making a comeback

Remember this: What got you your first 1,000 subscribers won’t get you to 100,000. You’ve got to level up your titles, thumbnails, and video structure as you grow.

Watch the full conversation

Click below to watch (and subscribe) on YouTube, or listen on Spotify, or Apple Podcasts. If you like the show, please leave a 5 star review!

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As a new perk for HeyCreator members, I started putting together course-level lesson plans from our expert interviews.

In this guide, I break down the essential lessons from my conversation with Aprilynne, helping you build a successful and sustainable YouTube channel. Click here to view!

Thanks for reading, listening, and watching!

Matt Ragland