How to Make a (SUPER) Boring Topic Interesting and Fun on YouTube with Gabby Wallace of Go Natural English: The YouTube Power Hour Podcast 231
“If I can do this with English lessons, any topic can be successful on YouTube.”
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I love having a diverse group of guests on my show, but this episode features another YouTube Power Hour first! I have never had anyone on my podcast whose channel is totally devoted to teaching languages! Gabby Wallace is a TEDx speaker, self-development junkie, life-long entrepreneur and founder of Go Natural English, an online language training company that she started while teaching English abroad in Japan in 2011. She loves helping people from all around the world transform into fearless, confident communicators.
Gabby has been on YouTube for 9 years, and was previously an ESL teacher with a passion for traveling, learning new languages and cultures, and teaching English. She turned those passions into a YouTube channel, and that channel now has nearly 2 million followers. When she started her channel, she wanted to have more flexibility in her schedule, and she wanted to reach more students and help more people (which is why most people start a Youtube channel). Gabby quickly realized that she could reach more people than she could ever teach in a classroom or with one-on-one tutoring by creating video content. By 2014, she was able to replace her teaching income with her Youtube channel and online business. She had no idea that her hobby could turn into a full-time business, and was initially afraid to leave the safety, security, and stable paycheck of her teaching job, but ultimately, she was glad she did, because she was able to achieve the freedom she wanted. When she started, she didn’t know anything about business, but she continued to learn as she went along. As a lifelong, passionate learner, Gabby enjoyed learning more about Youtube and about business.
“Working online is not necessarily a steady paycheck, but it’s so much better than a steady paycheck.”
Gabby has about three streams of income: AdSense, her online course for English learners, and the partnerships she has with brands that complement her course (such as language learning apps). It’s smart to have multiple streams of income, because AdSense can be so unpredictable. She also recycles the audio of many of her YouTube videos into her podcasts, because the entertainment and quality standards for Youtube are already set pretty high, and they translate nicely into other platforms. How does Gabby make a boring topic like language learning interesting? She gets straight to the point and keeps the pace moving, (most people are looking for information, not how her day was), she speaks clearly (especially since she is looking to reach an international audience), and most of all, she is engaging and entertaining. By putting energy into your delivery, you can make even the most boring of topics exciting!
“If you have an expertise or an interest in something, I think it naturally lends itself to creating content about it.”
3 Key Interview Takeaways
- Pick one platform to focus on. Trying to do everything all at once will just make you feel overwhelmed, and then you’ll end up doing nothing. Pick ONE platform, focus on it until you get momentum, and when you feel like you can breathe a little, then try another.
- Be engaging. Gabby is proof that even a boring niche can be successful or interesting, but you have to be intentional in your delivery. Put your energy and personality into your videos. No amount of SEO or keyword research can make up for YOU, who you are, and what you can bring to the table. You have to be aligned with who you are.
- Content creation strategies: use your comment section, emails, and DMs for content ideas. What are some of the common questions people are asking? Ask yourself: would other people be interested in this? What will people search for?
Mentioned in the Episode:
9 Ways to Think in English and Stop Translating in Your Head
Connect with Gabby
Gabby Wallace’s Personal Website
Gabby Wallace: GoNaturalEnglish
Resources
Add your name to the Zero to Influence YouTube Bootcamp waitlist so you are notified when space becomes available!
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!
FACEBOOK GROUP
Podcast Music Credit: Boop by x50 @x50music
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**Disclaimers: all opinions are my own, sponsors are acknowledged. Links in the description are typically affiliate links that let you help support the podcast at no extra cost.
