One of the ways that I make filming YouTube videos super easy for myself is to create outlines to record off of. When I’m filming for my channel, I’m recording at least 3-4 videos in one sitting. It’s important that I’m prepared so I can make the most of my filming time. The best way to maximize my time is not to come up with content on the fly, but instead to create an outline that I can reference while I’m filming. Today I’m sharing my exact formula for writing scripts to make filming YouTube videos easy! 

Why I Outline

When you record YouTube videos, you can write a script or an outline. A script will be word-for-word what you want to say during filming. An outline is looser – it’s going to be main ideas and a few bullet points you want to hit while filming. But, it’s not necessarily outlining everything you want to say. When I think about YouTube videos, I want my videos to feel casual – as if we were sitting down for coffee. As someone who watches videos, too, I can tell when someone is reading from a script. It feels a bit more forced and less relaxed. That’s not the vibe I want for my channel – and it’s why I use outlines instead. I have an idea of what I want to say without reading from a script so I can stay conversational. Now, obviously – if that’s the method you want, go for it. But if you want a conversational feel, you’ll want to work with outlines. Filming gets way easier over time, so don’t stress! 

Now, onto how to create outlines for YouTube videos. 

Research the Video Idea

The first step to writing an outline for your YouTube videos is to research the video that you want to create. It’s important to create content that you want to create, but you should also be creating content that’s going to perform well. We use TubeBuddy to check out topics. I like to look at other accounts that are doing content similar to mine and what topics work well. We’ve talked about this before – I don’t want to copy them – I want them to inspire me. I don’t watch a lot of the films so I can maintain the integrity of my own content. But, it can be helpful to see what’s going well on YouTube. 

A quick bonus tip – one of the reasons I like looking at other content is to get an idea of what their thumbnails look like! This can help me create something that’s going to grab people’s attention and stand out in my own brand, too. 

Plan My Video

Once I know the topic I want to do a video about, it’s time to plan my video. I lay out my entire outline on Trello. We sell our content creation templates in our shop. With the Content Creation templates ,you can see my exact workflow for YouTube videos. Don’t forget to use “YOUTUBE10” for 10% off! I like writing them on Trello because it’s super easy to work with my team members on Trello and I can easily pull it up while filming. I write the outline in the description of the Trello card. While I’m filming, I have my laptop nearby so I can reference the tips I laid out. 

Focus on 3-5 Tips 

The third step to writing outlines is to focus on 3-5 tips. YouTube videos are bite-sized pieces of content that help people get quick wins. If they want the full story or more in depth resources, they should join one of my courses or paid products because that’s where I have the space to get in depth. If people want to grow on Instagram with more help, they join the Instagram Growth Course. Or, if students need more help with reels, they find me in the Reels Mini Course. YouTube is about those quick wins. 

When I’m filming YouTube videos, I want to have about 8 minutes (at least) of content (no more than 20). Choosing 3-5 tips or main points really get us in the sweet spot for video length. I’ve found if there’s more than 5 points I want to hit, it needs to be more than one video. 

Now, when I’m outlining, I write out a number and the main tip and then put some bullet points of what I want to include under each tip. Remember, I want these videos to be quick and to the point because that’s what viewers want. 

If you’re interested in my strategy around YouTube videos – more information about picking topics, filming and more – make sure to check out My Formula to Making Money on YouTube. This freebie will help you understand how I’m turning these videos into money in the bank!