Konnected Minds Podcast
Konnected Minds: Success, Wealth & Mindset. This show helps ambitious people crush limiting beliefs and build unstoppable confidence.
Created and Hosted by Derrick Abaitey
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Konnected Minds Podcast
How to Make SERIOUS Money on YouTube (No Expensive Gear) - Frederick Mattey
"Attention is the biggest currency," says Frederick Mattey, formerly known as the mysterious "Headless YouTuber" who built a thriving content empire without showing his face. In this masterclass on content creation, Frederick opens up about his unexpected journey from struggling musician to successful digital creator.
With refreshing candor, Frederick admits he came to YouTube for one reason: money. "I found the money," he laughs, explaining how his original plan to fund his music career evolved when he discovered content creation was both more profitable and less stressful. But his success didn't happen overnight. Frederick shares the reality of recording with just a mobile phone for four years, even after monetization, emphasizing that aspiring creators should "start with what you have" rather than breaking the bank on expensive equipment.
The conversation dives deep into practical strategies that transformed Frederick's life financially and personally. He breaks down the three key elements every successful video needs, explains how to hook viewers in the critical first few seconds, and reveals why diversifying across platforms like TikTok and Instagram amplified his reach. Perhaps most surprisingly, Frederick discloses that revealing his identity after years of anonymity cost him over 200,000 Ghanaian Cedis – a massive investment in office space, equipment, and production capabilities that ultimately propelled his brand forward.
Whether you're considering content creation as a side hustle or full-time career, Frederick's journey offers invaluable wisdom on finding your niche, building credibility, and creating sustainable success. His most powerful advice? "Don't compare yourself to anyone. Make your comparison within yourself." Ready to transform your own digital presence? This conversation might be the push you need to start creating today.
Watch the video episode of this on YouTube - https://linktr.ee/konnectedminds
Attention is the biggest currency. I came on YouTube to look for money. I found the money. The main purpose was to look for the money and go back to music. After finding the money, I realized music is stressful, so let me just continue doing the content. It has changed my life economically, financially, internally. What does it take?
Speaker 2:to be a YouTuber.
Speaker 1:Your content needs to have three key elements. It needs to be I started with a mobile phone, a microphone, a tripod, a ring light, set my lights and everything and record with my phone. I recorded with my phone for four years. Don't think of starting big if you can't afford it, because before you get to that point where YouTube starts paying you, you need to make sure you have enough to sustain yourself. It cost me over 200,000 CDs to reveal my identity.
Speaker 2:What was your first paycheck?
Speaker 1:First, paycheck, I think it was. I set my target 100 videos. If I don't create 100 videos, I'm not going to ask myself why am I not being monetized? By the time I got to like my 40 something video, that was when I got monetized.
Speaker 2:As a brand. What are you doing beyond YouTube, tiktok, facebook?
Speaker 1:Let me tell you something I've never said anywhere.
Speaker 2:Hello and welcome to Connected Minds Podcast. My name is Derek Abaite and I've said it several times that if you do make it to the end, please let me know in the comments. We want to know who our champions are. And again, on the 29th of August at the British Council, we are hosting our first live event. We're going to be talking about money mindset what should you do to change your life financially and it's packed with guests and people who are going to not just tell you about their life script but actually give you the tips and tricks on exactly how they did it. If you've been listening to this podcast, you know exactly what we do here and on that day we're going to be teaching you.
Speaker 2:So if you want to be there at the event, I'm going to put it in the description and then you can get yourself a seat, or you can go to wwwconnectedmindslivecom to wwwconnectedmindslivecom. Today's conversation is for those that see content as a way of climbing the financial ladder. I'm speaking to a man who has been in the industry longer than I have. He studied marketing in school. Look, this dude understands how it works in school. Look, this dude understands how it works.
Speaker 2:He first came into the industry without his face, but he's revealed it and we're going to sit and talk about tips and tricks and what he did. How did he? Was he able to do it even without his face? As a matter of fact, the reason why this conversation is important is because I've got a lot, a lot of young people who ask me yeah, I want to create content, but I don't want to show my face. Sit down and watch this conversation with Frederick Mate. This guy is called Frederick and he's also a Gemini and he was also born in June. The synergy is too much. I connected with him so much online before we even met, because I love what he does. You're welcome to my studio.
Speaker 1:Thank you very much, bro. I love what you do too, you're great, thank you, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 2:I think you're one of those people that I'm sure your audience will tell you that you have a. You have a lovely personality on the internet. Yeah. They can probably tell who you are straight. Yeah. Whereas me, I'm quite different. You have to get to know me. Yeah, you know I'm like a hard nut to crack, yeah, but you're welcome to my studio and thank you so much for your time.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much. It's great to be here. I watch your podcast. I learned a lot from your channel. I've watched a lot of videos. I love the way you ask questions and also the kind of guests you bring on. It's an honor being here because I know great men have been on this seat and women have been on this seat, so it's a great honor being here.
Speaker 2:Thanks a lot, thanks a lot, thanks a lot, bro. Okay, so today is is basically a master class for those that want to get into content now. My first question to you is why content creation?
Speaker 1:a friend of mine gave me an advice that I should get into content creation because there's money there. He works with a company that manages the YouTube channel of a lot of musicians, so he looks at, he sees their back end and everything. He knows how much the musicians are making from YouTube. So he contacted me and told me yo, they used to manage my YouTube channel also as a musician I was doing poor, I think. I wasn't even monetized. And he told me the way your channel is going, it will be very difficult to get you monetized.
Speaker 1:Try and find other things to do on YouTube, because there's money on YouTube. And even if you're shy, find a way to do it anonymously. And that was what gave me that idea that, okay, let me try YouTube. But then I didn't want to show my face because I knew it would come with a lot of backlash and stigma that this is a musician, a radio broadcaster, who is now getting into content creation. What are you going to do? What are you doing on YouTube? So I thought of being anonymous. So once I got the idea the clear cut path of how to achieve my brand as an anonymous content creator, I went straight to it.
Speaker 2:But how did you relate to that brand? Headless YouTuber? How did you relate to that?
Speaker 1:Yeah, my marketing lecturer in uni would tell you I'm a phlegmatic sanguine. That's my character trait. Phlegmatics are very, you know, calm introverts and then sanguins are the extroverts. But then being a phlegmatic sanguin means you have both an introvert personality and also an extrovert personality. My extrovert personality comes out when I'm very comfortable around you. So if you see me for the first time, you might think I'm a very shy person, I don't talk, I'm anti-so or something like that. But then once I get comfortable around you, the sanguine in me comes out and you start seeing that I'm a very lively person, like people see online on my youtube channel. So once I started, the mask or being anonymous took away that phlegmatic side of me, right. So now it was left with the sanguine creating the content behind the mask. So I just I felt free to be a sanguine and to be out there, and that's how I related to the brand.
Speaker 2:Okay, Frederick, what does it take to be a YouTuber A?
Speaker 1:lot of courage. You need to learn a lot of hours, because you need to put in a lot of hours. Even to get monetized, you need to build credibility and trust for your community and, yeah, that's, that's it. It takes. It takes a lot, but then, once you get everything right, you will start making it. If you don't get things right, if you don't move.
Speaker 1:Let me just take it one by one for hours on youtube, even to get to that point of joining the youtube partner program, which is what they they call monetization, where they will start paying you for running ads on your videos, you need to get 4 000 watch hours and a thousand subscribers. I think I think they've updated it, if I'm not wrong thousand subscribers. So, from you starting your youtube channel to getting to that point takes a lot of work, a lot of hours. You need to create People, need to watch your content for 4,000 hours of your content for YouTube to say that, okay, you're doing something good. We need to start paying you for your efforts. You need to be genuine. Your content needs to have three key elements. It needs to be educative, informative, entertaining At least two of these.
Speaker 1:If you have all three, it's a plus, but at least your content needs to be entertaining, or entertaining and educative entertaining or informative, or educative and informative. And once you have all these three, people will start loving your content and they will subscribe and you'll get to that 1,000 subscriber mark. And that's when YouTube will say, okay, now you've reached, you're good to go, let's add you to our program and start paying you. Being a YouTuber is not easy. You also need to be credible. Don't just come and lie to people, don't come and create just any kind of content, because everybody uses their time to watch videos, their data to watch videos. If you waste their time, they are not going to subscribe, they're not going to stick around to watch your content. So you need to make sure you have all these things in check before you can even be successful on YouTube. It's not easy.
Speaker 2:So let's talk about before you get to be part of the YouTube partnership program.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:How do you pay for production time yourself? What you need? Editors, you know how do you take care of all of that before you get accepted for me.
Speaker 1:I started on my own, so I did everything on my own right. What did it take? I did a lot of research to learn how youtube works, to learn the importance of thumbnail, importance of description, titling and everything, the the youtube community guidelines and everything after, because you need to learn the rules of the game so that you know how to play the game. After that, I create content, edit it, post it, type my thumbnail, my description and stuff, design my thumbnail, put it out and then go back and create another content. And I kept doing it, kept doing it. It wasn't easy.
Speaker 1:One advice I usually give people is don't start, don't think of starting big if you can't afford it, because before you get to that point where YouTube starts paying you, you need to make sure you have enough to sustain yourself, especially if you have nothing doing apart from YouTube. If you have other sources of income, fine. If you're rich enough to employ a production team and start YouTube from scratch, fine. But if you don't start with what you have, I started with a mobile phone and a microphone, a tripod, a ring light. I used to put my tripod on an ironing board, set my lights and everything and record with my phone.
Speaker 1:I recorded with my phone for four years. Even after being monetized, I kept recording my phone. Now that I've even revealed my identity, I still record with my phone. It's only interviews that I record with a camera. So don't break the bank before you you even get there. Otherwise you would give up because you're paying production. You're paying for production and stuff and you're not. You're not earning that much. You might give up. So just start with what you have, take it slow, do the right thing and then you'll make it.
Speaker 2:There's a young guy that I usually see at my events and he tells me you know I'm not monetized yet, but the biggest problem I'm seeing is that sometimes I'm getting 1,000 views on a a video and then another time I'm getting 500. What causes that disparity between the views?
Speaker 1:it's usually interest-based, because the video that got thousand, what was it about? Was it the same topic and everything about the like, like the video that got 500? I'm very sure it's not. If people are interested in the video and they keep watching the video, youtube will keep suggesting the video to more people, because every platform wants you to be on their platform. Right Right now. Attention is the biggest currency and people are. All these algorithms are designed to keep you on that platform Because they need. They have 24 hours in a day. If you come on their app, they need you there.
Speaker 1:So once there's a content that drives people off that platform, they stop suggesting it. And if there's a content that people are watching for longer, people are enjoying and it's keeping them on that platform, they keep suggesting to more people, because that's what they want for people to be on the platform. So if your content is good and they show it to, let's say, the first hundred people and they see that, okay, out of a hundred people, 90 people actually watched more than 70% of the video. That means this video is good. Let's show it to 200 more people and they show it to 200 more people. It performs well. Now you see that you're going viral because that video is good. But if you post a video and it's not really that interesting and people will just skip after watching five seconds or seven seconds, the algorithm knows now this video will not keep people on this channel or on this platform. So let's suggest it less. So it's a whole lot of things involved.
Speaker 2:But then you know how do you really know whether you should carry on creating more of this video or to stop?
Speaker 1:Once it works, you know that people are interested in that. You keep creating more of that. If you find out what works, you double down.
Speaker 2:What does that mean? What works?
Speaker 1:Let's just say you do a video about, let's say, how to cook, let's say, a Ghanaian meal in five minutes, and you see that it's doing well. Your video was about how to cook banku within five minutes, and it did well. The next thing to do is maybe how to cook eto'o or how to cook jollof rice in five minutes how to cook something like that. You do a video about cooking a meal with one dollar. Let's just say one dollar is 10, 10 cds, uh, 20 pesos or so, or 12 cds or whatever, and you make a video about cooking a meal with $1, and that video gets a lot of attention. Now you can try other things, maybe traveling with $1, taking a road trip with $1 in my pocket, buying an expensive car with $1 dollar at least you're trying to find around that side, because anyone who watches the first video and likes it would most likely go back to your channel to see if you have more of those kind of videos. And if you have more to watch more, and that would suggest to the algorithm that these videos are good, suggest it to more people. So once you find what works for you, you just keep doing it, and also even in your presentation style. If you try something different and you find out that the audience like it the people in the comment section like it just give them more of that.
Speaker 1:When I started my journey, I didn't used to say oja, oja. I started my journey. I didn't used to say I didn't used to say those things. I didn't used to say those things. Yeah, I said it once and people liked it. People were like hey, who is alatiari? You like alatiari? I said yeah, there's an alatiari there. But you know, I was just talking to that person, that Yanko, and someone said I like the way you said that. You said you told Alatiare that Yanko, but can you make it a bit more lively? It was a suggestion from the audience Can you make it more lively? And then I did it and they liked it more lively. Now their children are even learning it. They watch my video and when it gets to that point they say it with me Alatiari, yanko. So you just try something. If it works and you find out that your audience like it, just do more. That's it.
Speaker 2:For you. What strikes me the most is how you remained anonymous to amass such an amount of following, and then you finally decided I want to review. But before we even talk about that, how did you choose that? This is the type of content that I want to do.
Speaker 1:To be very honest with you, I came on YouTube. I started creating content because I wanted money. That was the main reason why I was on YouTube Because I needed money to fund my music, my music career, and my friend had told me there's money on YouTube, so my main aim is to make money. So when I did my research, I saw the type of content that people like Entertaining content. Entertainment has a lot of attention. So, okay, let me do something entertaining. On YouTube, I saw that people are interested in trending stuff. I started not doing. I started by even not doing trending stuff. I was doing entertaining stuff picking comments, funny comments on Twitter and reading them and making jokes around them and laughing. That was the first content I created. It was called Epic Replies. I did about just three or four episodes and that was it. Only the first few people who subscribed to my channel know this okay a lot of people don't know about epic replies because it's gone.
Speaker 1:But then I did a story about a murder in kaswa and that story gave me 14 000 views in one day. Okay, at a moment where I didn't even have 100 subscribers, and I was like, yo, people are very interested in trending stuff, so then I kept giving them more of that. Okay, there's an update, we found the person, the people who did the the thing. Okay, they've been taken to a police station. Okay, this. So just like the doubling down, you're just following the story. Yes, just following the story.
Speaker 1:So the 14,000 people who watched the first video came back for updates and they kept coming back for updates. And then in the comment section, I kept seeing other stuff. I know you're talking about this, but have you heard about this? Give us updates on this, give us updates on this. Then I started digging and giving them updates on this, on that, and that was how I started growing and I realized, okay, they like trending stuff, let me give it to them.
Speaker 1:And what made me even grow faster was the fact that I added my own personality to it. So if it's not a tragic news and it's an entertaining news, I talk about it like I'm talking to a friend alone in a room, jesting with all the funny details and the mannerisms and everything. And so when you're watching my video, you feel like I'm talking to you. You feel like I'm having a conversation with you and I'm jesting you on stuff that happened and I'm cracking jokes you. You feel like I'm having a conversation with you and I'm gisting you on stuff that happened and I'm cracking jokes about it and stuff, and you would watch and laugh. So you would definitely subscribe and watch more and it made me just blow up quickly.
Speaker 2:I don't know whether I should call you a headless YouTuber, I should call you Kula or I should call you Frederick, but all I want to say you cooler once you go here, frederick. But all I want to say what the question I've got here is the journey to that first paycheck. How did it look like?
Speaker 1:it was. It looked long like a long journey when I started I had a plan. My plan was create 100 videos. Before you even think about I'm not getting monetized, I'm not getting 4,000 watch hours. My aim was creating 100 videos and if you set your target that long, if you set the finish line far, when you cross it like they say in 100 meters every good coach will tell you that the finish line, think about the finish line being further, because most of the people running, when they are getting to the finish line, they start slowing down because they think that's the finish line. So you see that in athletics it gets to close to the finish line. Someone can use speed to come and win there is yeah I set my targets very, very far hundred videos.
Speaker 1:if I don't create hundred videos, I'm not going to ask myself why am I not getting thousand subscribers? Why am I not getting four thousand watch hours? Why am I not being monetized? That was it and tunnel vision by the time I got to like my 40 something video. That was when I got monetized. So it felt like my expectations were way higher than what I actually did, like I expected to finish at 100 100 and I finished at 40 40 something. So that means I feel I I'm happy. But if I expect to get monetized after 10 videos, you get disappointed and I'll get disappointed. So my target was 100 and I made sure every video was an improvement of the last. Huh, talk to me about that.
Speaker 1:If you watch my video, you watch the next video, you see that there's there's something improved. Right now on channel people are talking about how I run ads, because I used to run ads the normal way. This video is sponsored by this, this, this, this and then you just talk. People skip it. Right now I put the ads in the conversation, so you can't even skip. I talk about the thing in a way that is part of the conversation. Okay, so when I was talking to Derek and Derek was wondering how about I tell these people to send money through this app and this this? And so Derek said you're listening to an ad and enjoying it at the same time. It's an improvement of the first.
Speaker 1:When I revealed myself, my first reveal video, I looked shy. People thought I wasn't the actual headless YouTuber and that headless YouTuber had employed somebody to come and be a front. Because they saw that disconnect, because my first video was my phlegmatic side, because that was now me in front. So I was talking very gently and stuff. And they were like nah, the headless YouTuber we know is very bubbly and stuff, so why are you talking like this? But now, if you watch my recent video as compared to the earlier ones when I revealed freshly in January, you'll see that there's a big difference.
Speaker 2:The confidence is more, the playfulness is more, everything is more so we'll talk more about confidence and you know all those things right there there that you need, but at the point you've been monetized now what was your first paycheck?
Speaker 1:my first paycheck. I think it was 120 dollars, but I didn't get that money because my channel was terminated before the 21st of that month, so I didn't get that money the channel was terminated yeah, in in 2021.
Speaker 1:Why august 2021? I don't really know, as at this moment they they just. I did a lot of stories and then, all of a sudden, they said I had violated YouTube's guidelines severely, and usually what they do is, when you violate, they give you a strike, then they give you two strikes and then on your third strike, within 90 days, that's when your channel gets terminated. But then they didn't even give me a strike, it just went off at once. So that was in 2021 when I started.
Speaker 1:Five months after I started, I got my first paycheck. I got. I saw it in the YouTube, saw the money there. You couldn't take it, but the money was supposed to come on 21st, as it always comes. But then on 18th I lost the channel. So I lost that money.
Speaker 1:How did you feel Felt broken? I felt money. How did you feel felt broken? I felt shattered because I came on youtube to make money and I saw the first money there and I couldn't touch it and, per my research, if your channel gets terminated, you can't create another channel. So I was devastated, but then I created another one and it worked. I think I know why, but I don't know. Maybe, if I say it, they will come and cancel. So I created another channel. I was shattered, but then, when I created the other channel the creator community they spoke about it. Wodemaya Magraheb Niy. A lot of people spoke about my channel being terminated because they felt like I was doing something very unique so I didn't deserve that. So they gave me more support and then people came back to the new channel and within 12 days I got monetized again. Wow yeah, and then my okay. So that one after that one, I think my first paycheck after that that I really received was like $720.
Speaker 2:That's from how many views.
Speaker 1:I don't know, but that was a month. I don't know how many, I don't remember, but that was a month.
Speaker 2:Let me stop it here. This show. I want you to subscribe and become part of the family. We are on a journey of changing the lives of people on this channel and we appreciate you for being here, but if you haven't become part of the family, connect with us. Hit the subscribe button Now. Let's carry on the conversation. You know, at a time when you started the first channel, how old were you.
Speaker 1:I was 31.
Speaker 2:good. So from that time up until the channel got terminated, yeah you had you already into music yeah, and you were looking for means to support the music yeah, you studied marketing in school.
Speaker 1:Yes, I did.
Speaker 2:Why did you not work with the marketing for a source of income, rather than relying on YouTube?
Speaker 1:I have an interesting story. I applied for a job in a corporate firm. I went for the interview. I got accepted. They gave me the day to start.
Speaker 1:When the day on the day, I dressed up with my long sleeve and my trousers, got my bag, went to work, I got to the gate, stood there for like five minutes reflecting in myself, minutes reflecting in my, in myself. Do I really want to do this? Do I really want to do a nine to five? Am I really built for office? I stood there for like five minutes and then I called a cousin of mine are you home? I'm coming to play video game and I left. I just went to play video game because I didn't see myself working in a corporate firm.
Speaker 1:That's just because I didn't see myself working in a corporate firm. That's just me. I don't see myself working in a corporate firm where you have to put your suit and tie or your shirt and tie sitting down in a cubicle working KPIs. I didn't see myself doing that. I saw myself being more free, working in a firm where you can feel free like a creative space, because I've always been a creative. So I felt like I'll be depressed in such an environment. So I didn't apply my marketing in the corporate world.
Speaker 2:Did you feel like people knew you as an artist and you had not met your personal expectation of the finances. So if people see you and you're not living up to that expectation, then you know they will look at you differently.
Speaker 1:I've never seen myself that high. I usually see myself lower than I actually am and that has always been the complaints from some like very close people. They say I always underestimate myself, I underestimate my relevance, underestimate my popularity and everything. So even when I was doing music and my music was all over radio and stuff I was still sitting in public transport, I was still doing normal things. So I didn't really think anyone would see me and say it's low, you're low and stuff like no, I didn't see it like that I mean, there are still artists that you know when they are starting up, they still maintain a job.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Right to try to, you know, take care of themselves. I did it, yeah, Back in college. So I really just want to understand that why you did not take the path of you've gone to school for it yeah you know you've studied for it and even if you did, maybe a year or two, but you said nah I wasn't interested in corporates.
Speaker 1:It's not like I wasn't interested in working, I just wasn't interested in working in a corporate firm, a strict corporate firm. Because of that I went to a radio school and then I learned I just wanted to polish my. I had a passion for radio from childhood. When I was in uni I worked at the radio station in the uni Volta Premier FM in Hull. I used to work there when I was in uni. So I just went to school to polish up and then get a certificate. I went for a radio course and from there I got a job at yfm. So I was I, I worked. That place is a creative right environment where you can feel free and stuff.
Speaker 2:So I worked there for like five years I still think your analytical mind, your marketing, you know background has really helped you with your YouTube channel, because I can see you're very statistical with the way you look at the numbers, and I certainly think that is important as a creator, especially you know if you're doing it for the internet. I mean you need to understand your numbers and then know the direction things are going and then you know double up on it. Yeah, but let's step the conversation down a bit, okay? Um, now let's talk about how people can use content to boost their business there's this guy on in china lc science.
Speaker 1:He has used content creation to boost their business the LC Science business so much that now when people go to China, they go there it's like a tourist attraction. Yeah, all he does is to create content on social media LC Science. His name is Tony. He just does videos upon videos. What's up, homie? I'm Tony. You can get your LC signs, no MOQ. And he does funny videos and through that he's advertising his signs. So recently a very big streamer called iShowSpeed. He went to China to stream. Everyone told him to go and meet that guy and that guy just creates content for his company. You can use content creation to market yourself big time, right.
Speaker 2:How do you think Auntie Julie, who has a shop in Makola, can do that?
Speaker 1:Your shop in Makola is a fixed place. People can only see that shop when they pass by Makola. So that means if there's someone in Achimota or there's someone in Nyankbanduri or someone in Australia, that person doesn't know will never see Auntie Julie at Makola, unless Auntie Julie gets on the internet, because the internet has no walls. Someone can create a content in Bangladesh and you watch it in Ghana the moment it is posted. Auntie Julie can start talking about her business. If she sells cloth, this is Holland, this is this, this is this GTP, this is this, this is this. She can start creating content like that. If you want the best quality, the whole Ghana, auntie Julie Start by saying that, and once one video goes viral, it becomes an anthem. It gets to a point where I'm looking for somewhere to buy cloth in Ghana. Oh, auntie Julie, the whole Ghana, auntie Julie. And then you do it so you can use content creation. Oh, auntie Julie, the whole Ghana, auntie Julie. And then you do it so you can use content creation, the attention you get from the internet, to boost your business, no matter what business it is.
Speaker 1:There are certain eateries that it's just by the roadside. If you see them on social media, you wouldn't know that. It's just by the roadside. Because they have social media presence. They create nice, nice content about their food. You call them. I want to order this, this. What do you want? I want rice, put thalia on it, put salad, add egg, add willy, and then they'll put all those things together. They'll put all those things together and send a dispatch rider to give it to you. How did that person find you? On social media? So you can just just do something. Everyone has a phone at this moment. Everyone has a camera phone. Take a video of what you're doing, talk about what you're doing, whatever you're selling, and just put it out. You don't know who will be interested.
Speaker 2:There's this lady that's been doing it for years. It's not working.
Speaker 1:So she wants to give up. She's been trying to use content.
Speaker 2:Content is just not working.
Speaker 1:Maybe she should change her approach. She should ask herself what am I doing wrong? How are my videos even starting? Because attention span is getting smaller and smaller. Right now on TikTok, if the first three seconds of your video is not catchy enough, they are gone. They are swiping. So the first three seconds, what is there? Are you now going to say hello guys? Please, my name is if you, or please, don't scroll yet, look. No, but as soon as you say Majwa they are gone they are gone.
Speaker 1:They need something that will hook them, something. And to you, what does a hook look like? My hook is for my type of content if, if, sa.
Speaker 1:Akwadie has done a diss song to somebody. As soon as you click my video, you see the title Sa Akwadie drops diss song to Shatawali. Let's just say, as soon as you click the video, the first five seconds of that video is a clip of the part where Sa Akwadie is giving it to Shatawali. That's the first five seconds. So as soon as you click the video okay, sir Akwadiyah has insulted Shatawali. Let me check you click no. You start seeing Jaya illumination, right right, right. Then from there I come on the screen with my oja, oja, oja and you're like oh, he's coming to talk about it.
Speaker 2:okay, so this is the video very similar to anytime I'm watching a movie. I remember this happened recently, so we're watching a movie. And then the first one my wife put on somebody punch somebody and I said right immediately. The sleep went, I was focused. My wife put on Somebody punch somebody and I said right, immediately the sleep went.
Speaker 1:Yes, I was focused.
Speaker 2:Yes, Then after some time it died down the bed and then I started getting sleepy and then I was like, oh, can you change it? Then the next one, she changed and I was like, ah, so now that's the hook. Yeah, that it hooked me so much that I didn't want to sleep anymore. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Until it started dying down again. But you see, the issue that creates this is good, but the issue that creates is that a lot of the time you have to be so creative, you've got to keep trying so many things to make sure it works, especially for my content. It's so difficult, you know. That's why we do the introduction, yeah, but even with the introduction, you find that people are dropping off here and there. Yeah. You know, so it's difficult.
Speaker 1:It's difficult. But then you see, if you start like that, the movie that started with the punch, you turn on the movie, boom, yeah, yep, that's me. You're wondering how I go into this position. Right then, you're not coming to tell the story. That story should also be interesting from where. After the hook, whatever happens next should be as interesting as the hook. The energy level should be the same.
Speaker 1:Do you think content should be scripted? It can be, you can script your content. It's the delivery that matters. I don't script, I don't script. I just jot down the key facts and then I just do everything freestyle. I don't script.
Speaker 1:But then, even if you script, make sure your delivery is such that it will be difficult for someone to think you're scripting. Okay, you get it. So, even if you don't have a teleprompter, that you'll just be reading and you have to be looking on your tablet or whatever before you come up. Even if you're taking it one line after the other, you get your line right. You look up, you deliver. You get to the next line, you look up, you deliver. So when they're editing and they cut out the mistakes and they put all together, the energy is just there, constant. But you don't drop the energy and then make it look like you're now learning, you're unsure of what you're doing, because once someone watches your content and they feel like you're unsure of what you're doing, they might go off.
Speaker 1:Everyone wants someone who is smarter than them so that they learn from. Everyone is looking for someone better than them. So if I need business advice and I'm on YouTube and I'm watching your video and you're talking with so much like humility timidity, that's the word. You're talking with so much timidity and very confused. You're unsure and you're using words like I think, I think, I think, probably, probably. It's like you don't know what you're saying. If it's a news content and you're using purportedly allegedly, it's like you are not sure of what you're saying. I'm here to learn about business. How do I make money in life? If I come to your channel, you need to be speaking a lot of motivational speakers. They speak with so much authority.
Speaker 1:There's, I think, vossi also yeah, vossi Tempequayo very if you watch him, even if he's unsure of what he's saying you would.
Speaker 2:Well, you know the funny thing my one of my mentors told me. He says if you can't convince them, confuse them when he said that I was pretty young, I was working under him. I laughed to bits. Yeah, you know, find the words, find a way to carry yourself and then deliver. Yeah, I agree when we're speaking earlier. You agree to the fact that content has changed your life yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1:How I came on YouTube to look for money. I found the money. The main purpose was to look for the money and go back to music. After finding the money I realized music is stressful. So let me just continue doing the content. And it has changed my life economically. It has changed my life financially. Also, internally, I'm happier.
Speaker 1:I'm a very happy person and I feel fulfilled anytime I create content and I see people enjoying the content. The same kind of fulfillment I get from music when I perform on stage and people are happy about it and cheering and singing along. I get that music when I create. I perform on stage and people are happy about it and cheering and singing along. I get that same level of fulfillment from content creation. So, aside the financial incentive and stuff, I'm happier now because now I'm satisfying my introvert side and also my extrovert side.
Speaker 1:I don't need to be running around going from show to show, place to place and stuff, meeting new people and introducing myself to them. I can create content in the comfort of my home. So the phlegmatic in me is happy and I can also be a sanguine. In the comfort of my home and create the content and be happy and you'll watch it at home and you too, you'll be excited. So I feel fulfilled and I feel happy. It's like this is what I'm made to do. It's just like radio how I feel doing radio, so it's just the same. So it really changed my life.
Speaker 2:How can some of your words and your advice also change somebody else's life?
Speaker 1:The best. Your best advisor is yourself. That's something I think my dad told me that you can take advice from a lot of people, but you are the final stop. If someone advises you, it's up to you to either decide to take the advice, act on it or not. If I tell you, quit doing this podcast, get into something else, it's up to you to take that decision or not.
Speaker 1:If you've watched my life story, I've shared my knowledge. I've told you what I did. If you're willing to do that, put in the hours like I put in the hours. It got to a point I wasn't even eating creating four videos, five videos a day. I didn't even have time for food and me. As soon as I start doing something, I forget about food. If I don't eat early in the morning before I start working, unless I close or unless I'm done or I have nothing to do. So if you hear all these words and you're not willing to also put in the work and you want things to come easy for you, you're not going to make it.
Speaker 1:There are a lot of motivational speakers out there, a lot of knowledge out there. People put out a lot of knowledge, even on your channel. A lot of knowledge out there. People put out a lot of knowledge, even on your channel a lot of knowledge. But then what are you doing with that information? Are you just listening to go, sit down and then expect things to happen to you? Or are you going out to go and happen to things? Just if you listen to the thing, act on it and it might change your life, just like it changed mine.
Speaker 2:So you see, there are a lot of young people in this country that are looking for jobs. They're looking to what's the word? To go out of the country. There's a word for it Jackpot. There you go, would you say. The path you chose. Should they be willing to do it? Should they?
Speaker 1:do it too. Yeah, but it's not for everyone. Why? Fingers are not the same. They are not equal. Not everyone was born equal.
Speaker 1:I might not be as business inclined as you, but then I might be more creative in like freestyle creating stuff than you. Everyone has their strengths and their weaknesses. Find out what your strengths are and use that. Don't go copying someone. I'm not good at public speaking Like I try.
Speaker 1:Even as a musician I used to be nervous before going on stage all the time. That's not my thing. I'm not the type that meets someone instantly and then sparks a friendship and start talking to strangers and you would think we've known each other a long time. I'm not that type. So I can't get into sales. I can't get into you know that's not me.
Speaker 1:But my strength is storytelling. I know how to tell stories and I think I'm funny. I know how to say things in funny ways. I know how to act to make people laugh. That's my strength. So I built on my strength. If your strength is business and analyzing things, you can use that to your advantage. But if you're a business-minded person and you try to copy a creative person I'm not a dancer it will be very difficult for me to do what DWP is doing, or Dance, god Lloyd, it will be very difficult for me to do so I will not even go there. This is my field. Once you know what you can do and you try, you act on it, develop that skill, you will make it. There's a high probability of you making it.
Speaker 2:Then you transition to Instagram, facebook TikTok. I think you even built. You built your one TikTok from scratch.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Okay, talk to me about all of that. Why is it? Important for a creator to not just have one platform.
Speaker 1:Recently, when I go out, I realized a lot of people now recognize me. I go to random places. Random people just see me and hi, it's you. I know you from TikTok. It's you, I know you. Random places, random people just see me and hi, it's you. I know you from TikTok. It's you, I know you from TikTok. And most of them know me from TikTok, even though I'm a YouTuber. I create content on YouTube and I just post part of that content on TikTok. A lot more people are discovering me on TikTok than even on YouTube. Okay, just recently I started a TikTok account. I have 118,000 followers. That's a shorter period of time than I built my YouTube channel.
Speaker 1:There are so many platforms out there. There are people who spend their entire day on TikTok. They hardly go on YouTube. That's their app. And then there are people who are usually on TikTok. They hardly go on YouTube. That's their app. And then there are people who are usually on YouTube. They don't want to see TikTok because they're not excited by what's going on there.
Speaker 1:Everyone has their favorite platform, so it's good to build yourself on different platforms. There's actually a LinkedIn community. Linkedin is like another world that people don't even know. But that side to this pressure going on there there are people building up themselves on LinkedIn. So if you have different platforms and you understand how each platform works and you cater to the kind of audience on those platforms, you grow bigger. Because now more people know me on on TikTok so I can use my numbers on TikTok to get a deal and get more money on TikTok. And the same way I'm doing on YouTube, I'm building a Facebook, I'm building Instagram. Once those platforms also get the numbers, I can use those numbers to also make more money and more people can even discover me on those platforms and then I can redirect them to YouTube, which is the highest paying platform for creators. So now all of them, they see me on TikTok and other platforms, they come on YouTube, they see my thumbnail. Oh, I know this guy. I saw him on TikTok. Let me watch his videos on YouTube.
Speaker 2:Let me stop it here for a minute. If you've been watching this show, I want you to subscribe and become part of the family. We are on a journey of changing the lives of people on this channel and we appreciate you for being here, but if you haven't become part of the family, connect with us, hit the subscribe button and let's carry on the conversation. As a creator, what does that mean? Does it mean that I need to create content on YouTube, create another one for TikTok and keep creating it for different platforms? How does it work?
Speaker 1:Just create a short form of your YouTube video. Post it on TikTok this podcast. There are a lot of gems in this podcast. People just drop nuggets upon nuggets upon nuggets, can just cut one post on TikTok. Cut another post on TikTok In one podcast. You can actually get over 100 short clips in one podcast session. Just post them on TikTok and leave them there. Sometimes, just post and forget your TikTok After some time. Open your TikTok. You'll be surprised Because once someone watches one video and they like it, they watch. And on TikTok if someone spends 10 seconds, if you spend 10 seconds on a video, tiktok will just see that. Okay, you like that video. So after two or three scrolls you'll see another video like that. And when they keep suggesting like that, you're gone. You don't need to create different, different, different for every. You can just create one and then cut some based on the format of tiktok. Youtube is like this. This format yep, 16 by 9. Tiktok is, uh, vertical. Youtube is horizontal. So just cut your videos vertical for tiktok or oriented vertically for tiktok're gone.
Speaker 2:As a brand? What are you doing beyond YouTube, tiktok, facebook, for brand continuity?
Speaker 1:There's also an image. You need to. That's why you build yourself, so that, if all these platforms are not there, who are you? Can you enter certain rooms? Or is it just because of the content? There are lots of people who have even more numbers than, let's say, wodemaya. Wodemaya has millions of subscribers. There are people who have more than that, ghanaians who have more than that, but do you have that influence your brand image? Can you walk into rooms that the Maya will walk into? You need to build yourself also so that, aside your content, you as a person can be in demand too.
Speaker 1:I've recently been invited to come for some seminars and stuff, to be a speaker and stuff. This is a way of branching out, because I have a lot of knowledge and experience in what I do as a content creator, I can branch out and start teaching, doing masterclasses and stuff, associating myself or communicating, connecting with other people in my field or in higher levels than that. I want to get to Build your brand, build yourself. It's not so that you can diversify. Some people know you as a YouTuber, others can know you as a businessman, others can know you as an entrepreneur, as a motivational speaker, just so. It's like you know, like different nets.
Speaker 2:Honorable Kennedy Japon walked into the studio and he said nothing All the way from downstairs and then, when we got him in, he stood right behind you. He looked around and said na sa dia mui yetiwa mokapa. That was the statement he made. You know, the man is tall and I was like half his size and I stood and I looked at him and I said honorable, you know, I'm not, this is exactly, I'm not doing this exactly for the money right now, it's just to too impactful. I know, I know, I know, but how you know, this is a generation like our parents.
Speaker 2:Yeah, how did your parents look at you being a creator, whether you're going to be able to afford you know a few things. How was their perception about the whole thing?
Speaker 1:You know, those that generation. They don't know. Most of them don't know. Like the computer age, they don't know what really happens. My parents didn't even know I was into content creation so they used to force me to get a job, to get a job, to get a job, even as a musician?
Speaker 1:they didn't. They didn't think the music was paying that much. So they kept trying to get me to get a job. And that was how come I got that corporate job that I didn't even go and later went to radio. So when I was working on radio, they they were just happy that okay, even if the music is not working, at least you're working, you're making some money. And then now to content creation. All parents care about is whether their children are working, are happy and also making money. So if they think what you're doing doesn't make money, they will be concerned, but once they know it's making money, they're okay with it. So when Honorable Ken said that to you, if you had showed him how much you made and he saw the numbers and it made sense to him he would be like wow, I didn't know you guys make this much on the internet. Because, honestly, that generation they don't know.
Speaker 2:I promise you something. Yeah, and this is our conversation. If I had shown this man the back end, he would have been like you need to stop this right now. Oh yes, oh yes. I remember, even in our conversation, there were times where I said Honorable, no amount of money will I make today that it will make sense to you, because the numbers are different.
Speaker 1:There are levels, different levels, but I'm sure if Mr Beast shows Honorable Ken his numbers it will make sense to him.
Speaker 2:Yes, it will make sense. Yeah, yes, it will make sense. Yeah, it will make sense.
Speaker 1:And it's the same content creation. Yes, so that should let you know that everyone has a level you can't in Ghana. There are some people who are so rich that this content creation wouldn't make sense to them, but then there are also others who are so poor that content creation is like their savior.
Speaker 2:I posted how much we made. I think when I checked it was about $2,000, $9,000 or $3,000 one of the months I posted it and then I wrote something about it. The reason I posted that was because I wanted people to know that what I've invested in this and what I still invest in it, the amount we made that month and even subsequent months, does not make sense. Somebody came to comment hey this is good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you're right. Let me tell you something I've never said anywhere. It cost me over 200,000 CDs to reveal my identity. Wow, why? Yeah, because I was always doing it minimal effort, phone, everything. But then, once I decided to reveal my identity, within three months, building up to the reveal, I invested over 200 000 ghana cds because I needed to get an office space, I needed to get equipment, I needed to get a podcast space, furniture, equipment not easy cameras, laptops for editing, laptops that are powerful enough to edit, you know and I had to buy or, you know, cough out like do, all these investments just because I decided to reveal my identity. Someone might listen to this and say, nassif, 200,000 is no money, but then, from where I come from, it's big money. For most people it's life-changing money, and that I just invested because I wanted to show my face to people.
Speaker 1:If you don't take such risks, if you don't invest in yourself, how do you expect to grow? Because I wasn't growing. I got to a point where I wasn't growing as a content creator. There were a lot of things I wanted to do that I wasn't doing, so I had to invest that much. So don't look, there's always someone richer than you. That's right. Don't compare yourself to anyone At all. Make your comparison within yourself. That's right. If you compare your progress now to last year, have you made progress? Is there an improvement? If there's an improvement, you're winning. You're winning. Yeah, if you compare yourself to somebody, you will never be happy. Yes, I can't compare my numbers to Ude Maya, I'll never be happy. But then if I compare my numbers now to when I, when I was anonymous just last December, when I was anonymous just last December, if I compare my numbers now to last December, big gap, right. So I'm winning, there's an improvement, wow.
Speaker 2:This is beautiful. I'm going to call you cooler. Is there anything we can still discuss that we haven't?
Speaker 1:We can go on and on, but then it depends on the length of. But this has been a very interesting conversation I think we can talk about still. On content creation and stuff, we can talk about the do's and don'ts of content creation. Don't copy anyone. Make sure you're trustworthy. Be solid, be a solid brand as a person. Let someone see you and trust you. Right now, I see your channel. I trust your channel because I know you're going to have proper guests on the show. You're going to have people who will impact my life, who will give me knowledge. So anytime I see a Derek Abayete video, I want to watch. You should get to that point.
Speaker 1:Don't just be hungry for the numbers. If you're hungry for the numbers, you do just anything and you would be scattered all around. Today, you hear this one is trending, you are there. Tomorrow, you hear this one is trending, you are there. We don't know you for anything. Wow, and you're just so. No one will even take you seriously.
Speaker 1:And if, if you don't build your foundation at one place and you keep running around people, it's like you're chasing a butterfly People. By the time that trend has come and you're going there, there are people already there who were building on that before the trend started, so they are the ones going to get the numbers. By the time you run there, the trend has left and moved to another place, and then you'll run to that side too. But then, if you build your channel is about business, it's about impact, it's about knowledge. Once you build it like that, even if you bring a five-year-old here, people know that that five-year-old has something that can impact people. That's why they are there. So you need to be a solid person as a content creator and also generally as a human being. Just be solid that's beautiful.
Speaker 2:Do you think creators in Ghana are united?
Speaker 1:yes and no, it's just cliques. There are cliques, there are people, groups of creators, and then yes and no. Okay, it's just clicks, there are clicks, there are people, groups of creators, and then the rest, I think, is a Ghanian thing. Ghanians like competing. Okay.
Speaker 1:That's how come, even at the marketplace, if one person starts selling tomatoes and is doing very well, you see that the one selling cloth next to the hair has started selling tomatoes too, and there's always that kind of competition internally. So even if the person will not tell you, I'm competing with you, low-key, there's that kind of thing there. But then there are people who are cool with everyone. It's just clicks, clicks, clicks. I don't think there's general unity, but then I think there are factions and those factions are united.
Speaker 1:You think we need it? Yeah, with unity you can build something even bigger. Someone like MrBeast can put 50 creators together, collaborate with them at once to create one kind of content. Wodemaya tried to bring all Ghanaian creators together, did a, meet and create. We created a Telegram channel where we could learn from each other. If anyone has a problem, put it there. Someone might help you with it, and stuff like that. But then right now that channel, too, has become kind of dormant. So I don't, I don't really know.
Speaker 2:It's some way motivation or discipline, discipline okay, what's the best advice you've ever received?
Speaker 1:I've said it already don't compare yourself to anyone. Make your comparison within yourself amazing Kula.
Speaker 2:Can you recommend a book for my audience?
Speaker 1:I don't like reading. Okay, I'm a listener okay, so recommend something.
Speaker 2:You've listened to Connected Minds Podcast. Thank you very much. I think you are one of my favorite guests I've had one of my favorite creators and one of my favorite guests I've had.
Speaker 2:I think it's you and then there's another guy my god, look. The rest of the conversation is for me. Thank you so much, um, and everybody should say to say thank you to him. I'm gonna put his um this um channel as well in the description. Usually when a guest come here and you're asking me the details of the guest, but I always put it in the description. So please check in the description and you can find all details about the headless YouTuber. He's on Instagram as well, he's on Facebook, he's on TikTok, he's on X, so you can find his content anywhere and you would enjoy as much as I do. If you made it to the end, please let me know in the comments. My name is Derek Abayite and stay connected. I'm out.