If you are a person that loves decorative planning, you have most likely watched a “Plan With Me” format video or two, or maybe a thousand. The planner community is such an inspiring and positive place to be! If you feel ready to start recording and posting your own “Plan With Me” videos on YouTube, you can achieve that in 5 steps! This guide takes you through the steps from brainstorming a video idea to posting on the YouTube platform. You will also learn about helpful tools that make the process even easier.
And if you don’t feel ready, what are you waiting for? DO NOT WAIT until you feel your planning style is “perfect”. It never really is… You see these people online and they have very elaborate planner spreads, and you feel that you wouldn’t be able to achieve that level of perfection. But truth is, there is never a good time. You just have to get started.
What Is A Plan With Me Video?
It is a video format where a person takes you through their whole planning process from start to finish. This is normally done over a tabletop and the planner shares the planning supplies (planner stickers, washi tape, pens, stencils, etc.) they use to create their spreads. There are so many different planning styles out there that I am sure you can find a plan with me video for whichever planner you use. Whether you use an Erin Condren planner, a Hobonichi planner, a Happy Planner, a Bullet Journal, or other, I am sure you can find a video for you.
As a viewer it is a relaxing experience as you get to view the process from beginning to end. It can also be very insightful because you learn tips on how to use a certain type of stickers or different layouts you want to try. Some people will discuss their process, or the materials they are using. Sometimes they may even share stories about their life intertwined with what they are using to plan out their spread.
5 Steps to Create A “Plan With Me” Video:
1. Have a Workflow In Place
If you are reading this, I know you love to stay organized! Posting regular videos on YouTube is no exception. If you want to be successful you must have a workflow in place. You can use a tool such as Airtable to keep all the information in one spot. And you must be very organized with your footage files. You can store your video footage in folders on your computer or in a cloud service such as Google Drive. This workflow should include the following:
- A spot where you log ideas. Inspiration strikes in a second so be sure to log your video ideas somewhere and easily reference it back.
- A note section where you log in inspiration notes, SEO keywords, headlines, and more.
- Links to your footage files whether they are on a cloud service or your computer files. Include a link directly to your video folder. You will record a lot of footage! Having a direct link to each video file, will help keep your process more efficient.
- A calendar of your posting schedule.
Luckily, you can grab my YouTube Workflow Airtable Template Here! Use it to stay organized.
2. Do Your Keyword Research
Consequently, it doesn’t matter how good your video quality is, if you do not use the proper keywords people will not be able to find it. You need to research what people are looking for online. You have to see if it is relevant and it applies to your content. Lastly, you need to make your headlines interesting, while using keywords. You need to research what people are looking for online. You have to see if it is relevant and it applies to your content. Lastly, you need to make your headlines interesting, while using keywords.
- Right off the YouTube Creator Studio analytics. YouTube gives you a tool for you to research what your audience is looking for on the platform. You can also find what people in general are searching for on YouTube.
- KeySearch.co is a the best keyword research tool I have used. It helps you analyze the competition as well as the must-use keywords in your content. It also helps you identify how many words are in top-ranking blog posts.
- Keywords Everywhere is a free extension that helps you analyze keywords and tags your competitors are using in their videos.
- TubeBuddy is an amazing tool that will help you find tags that you can use in your videos. You can also get suggestions on keywords but that is available through the paid version. It is so worth it, though!
3. Record Your “Plan With Me” Video
The beauty of plan with me videos is that you don’t have to show your face. You can simply point a camera to your planner and get recording. If you want to show your face that is great if you want to give an explanation of what you are doing.
You can also just use your phone to record, you don’t need a fancy camera unless you have one and would like to use it. Now, recording is not as simple as just holding your phone up, you will need to use a stand. My favorite stand that I use to hold my phone to record my videos is this stand.
4. Edit Your Video
There are so many different editing software out there. We use a free editing software called ClipChamp to edit but be sure to use your software of choice. You can simply talk through your video and pop some music over it or you can edit out clips and do a voiceover. Whatever you do, make sure that you do add a bit of music in the background. If you just stick to talking on the video, you may lose the interest of the viewer.
You can download free royalty-free tracks directly through the YouTube Creator Studio. However, my favorite way to get music tracks is through Epidemic Sounds. They have a wide library of tracks and you will not get any copyright strikes. Please keep in mind that if you use music from your video editor, even if it says “royalty-free” you are still not allowed to use it in your videos and you will get a copyright strike.
5. Upload Your Video
Now that your video is ready to go, you can start uploading! Follow this upload checklist to make sure you are not missing anything:
- A high-quality thumbnail will help you have a higher CTR (click-through rate on YouTube). You can create it via Canva.
- A description that contains keywords, hashtags, and links to the products you used in your videos. A lot of products will give you referral links or affiliate links. Adding those will help you get a few extra shop credits or extra income.
- Add your tags for YouTube.
- Don’t forget to add your social links if you have other social media platforms
Actually, TubeBuddy also gives you a quick review once you upload to make sure you are not missing anything and to make sure you have enough tags.
Promoting Your YouTube Video
If you have a social media following in a platform such as Instagram or Facebook, you can promote your video there but the issue is that if you past the YouTube link directly, the video link will take you to a browser rather than opening up directly through the app. A great way to circumvent this is to use a site such as Linktw.in. This site allows you to paste your YouTube channel link and creates a link that you can use in other sites to help promote your video. This can help increase your subscribers because you are making it so easy for them to subscribe!
Benefits Of Having A Planning YouTube Channel
Decorative planning can turn out to be a very addictive hobby and it can turn out to be pretty expensive too. If you go all in and buy sticker kits for every week that you plan, these sticker 6-8 page sticker kits can range from $10.00 USD to $30.00 USD and that is not including all the icon stickers, the planner itself, and all the other essential planning supplies. So yes, this hobby can really put a dent in your wallet…
The beautiful part of this is that you are helping small sticker shops grow. The sticker shops are generally owned by people who are truly passionate about the craft and they create a micro-economy around themselves to support their friends and families. I love being able to participate in someone’s journey to financial freedom. Learn about my favorite sticker shops here.
How To Monetize Your Planner Hobby
But what about you? You are spending all this money and of course it is because you enjoy it. However, it would be nice to find a way to support your hobby, wouldn’t it? Although getting monetized on YouTube can sometimes take years and requires a lot of hard work, in the long run, it can be a path to help you fund your hobby. But this is not the only answer, there are other ways you can monetize your planning channel:
- Become part of a PR Team for a planner sticker shop you love and use. You can receive free items from the brand or possibly a commission.
- Become an affiliate for a larger planner brand. If there is a planner brand you love and use sometimes they will have affiliate programs where you do earn a commission and free gifts if people use your links.
- Sell your own planner goodies! Starting a channel will open you up to an audience and you can start introducing your own products.
Furthermore, creating a Planning YouTube Channel is also a very fun process because you are recording yourself doing what you love to do! In order to reap the benefits, you will need to work hard but it is worth it and the process is very enjoyable!
Um Sources Please?
But of course! I am not a YouTube expert by any means. My YouTube journey started in October 2022 but since then I have learned a lot from some amazing people out there.
♥ HeyDanieJay is my first source for YouTube advice! She has a bubbly personality, some very solid and value-packed advice and simply a joy to watch. I could binge-watch her videos all day long (and possibly even have…). She is actually a dedicated YouTube coach. Check out her website and her YouTube Channel.
♥ VanessaLau teaches social media strategy in general on YouTube and has some great practical tips for growing your channel and social media following. She also has an amazing personality and offers bunch of free resources. I know you will thoroughly enjoy her content!
♥ SarahMarieBlog is a smaller channel but due to this, she is so relatable. Plus, although she is newer to the game than other YouTube personalities out there, her channel is packed with incredible information not just for YouTube but also for blogging and more.
If you have any questions, be sure to let me know in the comments. I love to hear from you!
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*This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission at no cost to you. I will only recommend products I love and use. Thank you for your support!
