Mastering the art of YouTube can be the key to unlocking incredible growth for your business. But with millions of videos vying for attention, how do you garner enough views on your videos to make it worthwhile producing them? The answer lies in using the ‘Clickbait Balancing Technique’… Clickbait balancing: part one The key to fostering more views on your YouTube videos is through click-worthy titles and thumbnails. However, it’s crucial to strike the right balance between being enticing while remaining authentic. Clickbait will lure viewers in, but misleading them will ultimately damage your channel’s reputation and trust. In a nutshell, the title should spark curiosity and reveal just enough to get the potential viewer interested to click, i.e. “hook” them, but without giving away the entire story or inaccurately representing the content.  Consider a company that manufactures computers. They have just launched a new laptop and want to create a video about it to explain its features. They could go down the boring route of just putting the product name as the video title – e.g. “AP4000 Laptop” and, as a result, end up with very few views. Or, they could use the Clickbait Balancing Technique and title the same video as: “This Could Completely Change The Computer Industry” The fact that the “This” is not revealed, means someone must watch the video to find out what the “This” is (the laptop). With a title like this you create intrigue that encourages people to click. Furthermore, this title is impactful – whatever the topic is could, apparently, “completely change” the industry, which adds further mystery to the video and requires someone to watch it to find out why it’s a game-changer, because the ‘why’ isn’t given away in the title. And that’s step one of the Clickbait Balancing Technique. We have created the clickbait aspect. Clickbait balancing: part two Part two is the ‘balancing’ aspect. The word “clickbait” has negative connotations as it is typically associated with misleading content, so while this technique will result in videos that are highly clickable, it’s the ‘balancing’ aspect that removes any form of misrepresentation and helps to retain credibility. In this example of the computer company and their new laptop, the product needs to genuinely be different enough to other laptops to potentially change the industry, as the title claims, else you would be misleading viewers. As mentioned, if your titles are deceptive, you will damage your reputation and discourage people from watching other videos on your channel. That’s why it is such an art form trying to balance your title to be intriguing yet not misleading. You need to focus on what is really interesting about your product and how you can create mystery around that, which will make clicking the video irresistible. You can dramatically reduce the chance of any title being disingenuous by planning the title in advance of filming, to ensure that the video content actually aligns with and even mentions your carefully crafted title. This way, the title does not seem like a misleading after-thought designed merely to get views. Instead, your title will feel authentic as the video content actually addresses and correlates with it. Local video production company, Glowfrog, started managing one of their client’s YouTube channels a few years ago. The client manufactured fishing tackle products and had been struggling to achieve more than 1,000 views on any video. They were using titles such as “XT Fishing Rod Review” which were not enticing or click-worthy. The most impactful change was to, in these examples, find out what was really compelling about the particular product, and title the video accordingly well before the filming took place – for example “World First: The Only Rod That Does THIS!”  That is so much more intriguing. What is the “THIS” that the rod does? Why is it a “World First”? You haven’t given away the answers to these questions in the title – so to find out, someone must watch the video. They also filmed the video with this title in mind, ensuring that the person speaking in the video actually mentioned that the product is a world first and what it does differently to all others. In doing this, they created a video with a title that had enough intrigue to be highly clickable, yet also was not misleading whatsoever as the video was very deliberate and addressed the chosen title.    The final step: thumbnail choice Another key difference was the choice of thumbnail image used. This fishing tackle client would previously just show a picture of the product in the video thumbnail on YouTube, which again did not create any mystery or intrigue. Instead, they started enhancing click-worthiness by tying in the thumbnail picture with the new ‘clickbait but not misleading’ title – for example, showing the fisherman looking at the camera with a shocked expression. The implication being that this fishing rod is so shocking in terms of what it can do that other rods can’t, that you should watch the video and discover why he is so shocked. Marrying up this new style of title and thumbnail was the secret recipe to massively increasing their YouTube views, growing from around 1,000 per video to up to 40,000 per video. That is the power of the Clickbait Balancing Technique.  Ultimately, while the final choice of title and thumbnail should be clickworthy, by applying the above steps you won’t end up with the classic and hated “clickbait.” Glowfrog are the leading video production company in the Midlands and work with all kinds of businesses across the region, providing high quality YouTube video production and YouTube channel management, from as little as £250 per video. To arrange your free consultation and find out how they could help with your YouTube channel growth, click the link below. Visit: www.glowfrogvideo.com/youtube-video-production Email: hello@glowfrogvideo.com Phone: 01332 492 465

Optimism and confidence are at their highest recorded by the Mazars C-suite barometer. 96% of UK C-suites say that their company grew in 2023, up from 87% the previous year, and in contrast to 89% globally. Furthermore, almost all (98%) predict growth in 2024, and 60% of these say this growth will come organically.

The major topic on the leadership agenda is transformation through IT and new technology as a top strategic priority. 87% of UK C-suite executives believe that generative AI will have an impact on their organisation, with more than half saying this will be a major impact.

More than two thirds say their organisation already uses AI for internal processes and/or products/services – although this is slightly lower than the three quarters globally. However, over half (57%) of UK C-suite executives express ethical concerns over AI, (although globally it’s 74%) and 92% are seeking more regulatory guidance.

Elisabeth Maxwell, Deputy CEO, said: “It is very encouraging to see such optimism among our UK clients for the year ahead despite the uncertain conditions that all businesses are facing. Companies are willing to put investment in again and there are exciting developments on the horizon for AI.

“The feedback that Mazars C-suite barometer has highlighted is that more clarity is needed from regulators to enable businesses to make the best of the opportunities provided by potentially transformational technology and to enable companies to quantify success in sustainability practices.”

Key areas of investment for the UK are customer acquisition and brand strategy/positioning, followed by sustainability initiatives. Compared to other leaders globally, those in the UK have a stronger focus on engaging government/regulators, and less on external growth opportunities. An overwhelming seven in ten thinks more government regulation is important.

Over half (56%) of UK C-suite executives say their organisation produces a sustainability report compared to 71% globally, and furthermore, the proportion of leaders in the UK who are budgeting for sustainability implementation and reporting is also down from 75% last year.

The reason for this is believed to be that for those in the UK producing or planning a report, understanding regulation is now twice as big a challenge than last year, making it the equal biggest challenge alongside data capture/quality. Many UK leaders feel they lack in-house expertise to tackle sustainability properly, compared to leaders globally, who are more concerned about coverage on climate and carbon.

Partner and member of the Mazars Group Executive Board, Mark Kennedy, said: “The high levels of optimism and renewed confidence among our respondents provide a good indicator of how businesses are likely to progress this year.

“In the face of volatility, the C-suite has demonstrated resilience and agility enabling them to continue investment and transform business while addressing the challenges and opportunities of emerging technology, expansion plans and the ESG agenda, setting their businesses up for sustainable growth.

“In what may be a bounce forward year for businesses, there will still be tough decisions to make, yet we can see an increasing consciousness and confidence in the priority areas that will secure sustainable economic growth in the global economy.”

International expansion is also a rising business priority both in the UK and globally. Many UK firms looking at international expansion in the year ahead said that the USA would be their top destination.

Tapton Park Golf Course could have a new operator by this summer now that Chesterfield Borough Council has selected Link Golf UK as its preferred bidder, and has started detailed negotiations. Councillor Jonathan Davies, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “Tapton Park Golf Course is an important facility with fantastic potential in beautiful parkland. “In seeking a new operator to look after the courses and clubhouse, we set out several long-term objectives with the intention of retaining it as a pay-and-play course that is open to all. “Link Golf UK has proven expertise and experience of operating municipal golf courses. It has funding to invest in Tapton’s courses and clubhouse to maintain them to a high standard. It also offers a strong community outreach programme – and a commitment to work closely with the resident members’ club, which I know the members have welcomed. “We will now begin detailed negotiations to finalise the terms of the lease. If and when Link Golf UK is formally appointed, we will work with it to announce the change-over date and address any issues that may affect customers. We anticipate that this will happen this summer.” Tapton Park Golf Course has a full 18-hole course, 9-hole course, 6-hole pitch and putt course, a practice area, driving range, outbuildings, and a clubhouse. The course is built on parkland which was formerly part of the Tapton House estate. In a joint statement, Andrew Terry and Joe Jackson, Directors of Link Golf UK, said: “We’re incredibly excited about the opportunity to breathe new life into Tapton Park Golf Course, including the driving range and clubhouse. “Recognising its rich legacy we’re committed to maintaining its accessibility as a family-friendly venue. Our vision is to transform Tapton Park into a dynamic hub for family engagement, offering a range of activities that cater to all ages and skill levels. By incorporating the latest technology into the driving range and enhancing the overall experience, we aim to create a vibrant atmosphere where families can come together and enjoy quality time. We look forward to working closely with Chesterfield Borough Council and the resident members club to ensure a bright and prosperous future for this community asset.” John Pearson, Chair of Tapton Park Golf Club, said: “Based on our initial discussions with Link Golf UK I am very optimistic for the future of Tapton Park Golf Club. We are really looking forward to working with Andrew and Joe to preserve and enhance the existing golf facilities for the benefit of the club’s members, local residents and visitors.”