How Jordan Shrinks Grew 50k Subscribers in One Day: The YouTube Power Hour Podcast 222
“I think it was just a space that needed to be filled on YouTube where people can transparently talk about the downsides to losing weight so quickly.”
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Jordan is a health and lifestyle YouTuber and Instagrammer who gained popularity following the documentation of her 135lb weight loss journey. Her content mainly focuses on healthy living, with video topics ranging from food and exercise advice to mental health, as well as the occasional fashion or makeup video. She hopes to use her influence to encourage her following to live as healthily as possible by sharing her own experiences in an honest and unfiltered way.
Jordan’s YouTube journey is a bit unconventional, as she began as an instagrammer. She gained a large following on instagram after losing 130 pounds, and made her first YouTube video in December of 2016 as a way to answer the many repeat questions she got on instagram. This was long before instagram stories, so YouTube was a platform for her to engage with her audience on a different and deeper level. At first, she didn’t really anticipate doing YouTube seriously, but she got so much positive feedback that she began posting on YouTube more and more, and by 2018, she really started to take her channel seriously. Jordan’s YouTube was a hit right from the beginning. Her very first video went viral at 500k views in the first week!
“I find thumbnails and titles to be the most stressful part of youtube. You can have a phenomenal video, something you’re super proud of, and if it’s not titled right or doesn’t have the right thumbnail, it could flop.”
Most of Jordan’s most popular videos have to do with her weight loss transformation, and she attributes that to the shock value of her transformation, but also how relatable weight loss is to so many. Her most popular video was about her loose skin, and many even clicked on it because they thought the thumbnail was fake. Jordan and her family watched this video literally explode at 100k views every 20 or so minutes. YouTube eventually demonetized it and put an age restriction on it, which totally stunted its growth. It got 5.5 million views in one week, and helped her grow from 30k-100k subscribers. This video was the first time she shared the realities of loose skin, even on her instagram. This video was a total game changer for Jordan, and it was the first time she opened up, was totally vulnerable, and came forward to show the downsides of drastic, fast weight loss. That’s when she made it her mission to be more honest and more authentic going forward. Today, Jordan continues to vlog about healthy living so that she doesn’t alienate her audience, and she is totally strategic in how she names them, specifically so she doesn’t lose the subscribers that specifically follow her for health-related content. Jordan’s style is very casual, filming mostly on her phone and doing the editing herself as a creative outlet.
“You can’t really conceptualize how big your influence is.”
3 Key Interview Takeaways
- Titles and thumbnails are so important! Jordan has often found that she works hard on a video, is incredibly proud of the value and content she is putting out, excited to see how it will do, only to be disappointed when it flops because it wasn’t titled right or the thumbnail didn’t catch on. You can have GREAT content, but if your titles and thumbnails aren’t on point, your video may not catch on.
- Vulnerability. So often we consume so much content that paints the perfect picture of a perfect life. And why not? Everyone wants to show the good things and not the bad. But being vulnerable and honest is so important, especially when you have a large following. Jordan is continuing to work on being more transparent and honest, showing her audience the good things and the bad when it comes to drastic weight loss, even if that includes loose skin, and disordered thinking and habits, and that has helped given her positive feedback and develop a community in the comments of people who can relate to her and to each other.
- Sponsors and ads. You don’t get a say on what ads play on your channel. For whatever reason, Jordan has had Burger King ads in her videos about binge eating and fast food addictions and it frustrates her to no end. There is also a delay in the time it takes to get paid, and that could be stressful for those relying on this for income.
Mentioned in the episode:
Videos:
MY 130LBS WEIGHT LOSS TRANSFORMATION (Before & After)
MY LOOSE SKIN AFTER LOSING 130LBS
Connect with Jordan
Resources
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Watch my replay of my FREE Zero to 100k Subscribers Masterclass
FREE GUIDES:
Creating Content During Crisis: How to Create Impactful Content During COVID-19 Pandemic
Getting Started on YouTube: YouTube Niche Workbook
How to get onto PR lists and receive a TON of free product even if you have a small following: PR List
YOUTUBE OPTIMIZATION PLUG-IN I RECOMMEND
TubeBuddy [Use the code ErikasBuddy to get 20% off]
MY FAVORITE BUSINESS TOOLS
Course Creation: Looking to create a course? Kajabi is the BEST platform hands down. I use this for my course after extensive research on all the other platforms.
Live Calls and Interviews: I use Ecamm for my podcast interviews, both audio and for YouTube that you see here on YouTube. It makes it super easy to share my screen and create the split-screen with my guest. I’m not super techie and this software is really easy to use!
Webinars and Live calls: I use Zoom.us for my group coaching calls in my private membership group for female YouTube creators. It’s also the software I use to record my Road to 100k YouTube Subscribers Masterclass!
THE BEST YOUTUBE/PODCASTING EQUIPMENT
After interviewing HUNDREDS of successful YouTube creators, these are the pieces of equipment that hands down get mentioned time and time again. You can’t go wrong with anything on this list!
- 4k Camera: Great for starting out and vlogging
- Lens: This lens is recommended highly by many of my podcast guests, it gives the blurry “YouTuber” background look.
- Audio: If you want to upgrade your set-up, audio should be one of the first investments (after a good camera). This microphone is unanimously the favorite amongst my podcast guests.
- Podcast/Voiceover Microphone: If you are looking for a great microphone for a podcast or video voiceover, this is it! This is the one that you see in all of my videos and the one I’ve recorded my podcast on for years.
- Webcam: For my interviews, that you see in my videos, this is the webcam that I use. Super inexpensive and easy to set up!
- Inexpensive Lighting Kit: Need to pick up some lights but don’t want to spend a ton? This is a great set that will get you started and help improve the look of your videos.
- Ring light: Looking for that beauty look? Invest in a ring light! This is an inexpensive light that does that trick!
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