Welcome to the YouTube section of your Front Runners Social Media Strategy Workbook! 🎥✨
Let’s be real: YouTube is where casual creators become powerhouse brands. But spoiler — success doesn’t come from just hitting “upload” and praying for views. It comes from strategy.
In this guide, you’re going to learn how to research, analyze, and reverse-engineer what’s working for others — so you can craft a YouTube channel that’s engaging, binge-worthy, and primed for growth.
Ready? Lights, camera, strategy.
🕵️♀️ Step 1: Build Your Inspiration List
Start by heading over to YouTube and searching for channels similar to yours — same niche, audience, or content style.
👉 On the first two workbook pages, brain dump:
- Channel name / handle (e.g., BestBakeryEver)
- Quick description of what they do
- Subscriber count
- This gives you a solid research pool packed with creators to study and draw inspiration from.
✂️ Step 2: Narrow It Down to 5 Key Channels
From your list, pick 5 standout channels to analyze.
✅ One with under 500 subscribers (small but promising)
✅ One with 25k–100k subscribers (mid-level, growing)
✅ One with 1M+ subscribers (viral juggernaut)
This mix gives you a layered view of content strategy across audience sizes.
🔍 Step 3: Audit Their Channel Like an Expert
For each channel, take note of:
- Profile picture — Logo, face, or something else?
- Channel description keywords — What do they call out? Niche, value, vibe?
- Total videos + total subscribers
- Overall channel vibe — Fun, educational, edgy, personal?
- Channel membership? — Do they offer paid perks? How much?
- Playlists — How do they organize content? What are the playlist themes?
This gives you insight into how they position and package their brand.
📊 Step 4: Analyze Posting Habits
Scroll back 30 days and count:
- Videos (V)
- Shorts (S)
- Posts (P) — Community posts, polls, updates
👉 Log the total in your Total Posts (Last 30 Days) box.
This shows you how active they are and where they’re focusing efforts.
🌟 Step 5: Deep Dive Into Top-Performing Videos
Sort their videos by Most Popular and focus on the top 4.
For each, take notes:
- Thumbnail — Upload? Screen grab? Text overlay?
- Title — Full title and keywords
- Video length — Short, medium, or long-form?
- Content type — Educational, entertainment, news, or other
- Hook — How do they grab attention in the first 10 seconds?
- Subscribe CTA — When and how do they ask (graphic overlay, verbal cue, pinned comment)?
- Description length + keywords
- Editing notes — How many cuts? Background music? Visual effects?
- Call-to-action (CTA) — Are they pushing to like, comment, subscribe, or click a link?
This reveals exactly what’s pulling in views and engagement.
📝 Step 6: Fill Out the Overview Page
Once you’ve completed all 5 audits, head to your Workbook Overview Page and summarize:
- Total posts (30 days)
- Total Videos, Shorts, Posts
- Channel membership plans
- Channel vibe
- Biggest takeaways
Boom — you now have a cheat sheet on what’s working in your niche.
🚀 Step 7: Shape YOUR Channel Strategy
Now flip the focus.
👉 Write down your 5 biggest takeaways — maybe it’s:
- Launching a YouTube series
- Mixing Shorts + long-form videos
- Testing storytelling hooks
- Adding a channel membership
- Introducing a signature editing style
For visual thinkers, the workbook has blank post templates where you can sketch thumbnails, series concepts, or even intro scenes.
✅ Step 8: Hit the Checkpoint
Get specific:
- What’s your 30-day posting goal? (Videos, Shorts, Posts)
- What’s your channel vibe?
- What will your channel description say?
- What content programs or series will you test?
And don’t forget the four blank boxes for updates to:
- Brand identity
- Tone
- Voice
- Target audience
Because smart creators don’t just make content — they refine their brand as they grow.
💡 Final Word
YouTube success isn’t luck — it’s a mix of strategy, creativity, consistency, and learning from the best.
With this workbook section, you’re not just another channel uploading into the void — you’re a front runner, armed with insights, ready to captivate and grow your audience.
So go ahead: plan smart, post smart, and let your videos shine. 🎥✨🚀