Andrew Schulz, a stand-up comedian from New York City, has climbed the ranks to the top of the comedic pyramid in recent years. He’s earned a place alongside big names like Bill Burr and Chris Rock. He was also the most-watched comedian on YouTube from 2018 to 2020.
His success, however, was not handed to him on a silver platter. He worked hard to get where he is today and left a blueprint for other comedians to follow. And now the same networks that once rejected him are trying to sign him on.
So, how did Schulz do it?
Four words: marketing powered by video.
We can all agree that video is ruling over social. According to our survey, 6 out of 10 people said that they felt more connected to brands that used videos on social media. So there’s definitely potential, and there’s a lot you can learn from people like Schulz who are killing it online.
Let’s find out how the comedian uses video marketing to his benefit. Take note, everybody. These lessons will come in handy.
1. Create consistent video content
There’s no doubt that video marketing has become one of the most prominent forms of media. HubSpot notes that video has surpassed blogs and infographics as the most popular content type.
Nevertheless, you need to be consistent in creating content to execute a successful video marketing plan. Consistency is important to establish an image and stay top of mind.
Andrew Schulz acknowledged the importance of consistency.
He wrote and produced hundreds of podcast episodes, comedic bits, stand-up specials, original YouTube content in less than two years.
Schulz often posts clips of the most hilarious interactions from his live shows on his social media.
He also started recording his shows hoping to get consistent content for YouTube.
According to Marketing Examples, he uploaded 125 short videos between 2018 and 2019. And his channel grew from 140k to 840k in just two years (it’s currently at 1.74M).
Schulz used 52 weeks of standup comedy material from his live performances; extracted 2- to 5-minute snippets and uploaded them on YouTube for people to watch for free.
This grew his audience, increased his popularity, and got him praise from others in the comedy sphere. Andrew was soon entertaining audiences at sold-out shows.
So what did we learn? No matter what frequency you choose, it can be once a week or twice a month, just be consistent.
Read more: 50 YouTube Video Ideas for Your Business
2. Analyze your audience
Another thing Schulz nailed was understanding his audience. Knowing what your audience wants and identifying how their expectations differ across different social platforms is essential in video marketing.
When Schulz’s special wasn’t picked up, he understood he’d have to do it himself.
He decided to analyze how people watch comedy and what they’d prefer.
First, he narrowed down the platforms. He picked YouTube as his comedy launch pad and decided to post shorter clips on other socials, such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, too.
Before going full speed ahead with YouTube, Schulz asked all his friends about their thoughts on different comedy specials. They all had one point in common: they liked a certain special but did not finish it.
This led him to conclude that 16-minute comedy specials were the sweet spot and would work well for his viewers on YouTube. The ideal video length for platforms often changes, so as a marketer, keep an eye on these sorts of trends.
3. Develop a distribution strategy
An effective distribution strategy can go a long way. Without it, you won’t get the maximum visibility possible.
To select your channels for distribution, you need to align your content with each platform. And remember, it’s more than just cropping your main video and sharing them everywhere.
We mentioned before that YouTube was Schulz’s main focus, but if you look at his Instagram, you’ll find that he often posts video clips that are quite customized.
In this one, Andrew asks viewers to turn their phones so they can focus more on the video and not scroll past it.
Credits: @andrewschulz
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4. Be authentic
Schulz’s success is due to his ability to evolve and push the boundaries of what’s possible for comedians in a digital age.
A lot of his content is edgier than what you’d see on a network. Just look at some of these titles!
It’s a great lesson for video marketers, too. Ask yourself these questions: is the stuff you put out remarkable? Is it entertaining? Is it digestible? Does it add value? And, most importantly, is it authentic?
5. Use content to increase visibility
As Schulz utilized social media, he reaped the rewards.
On an episode of The Premium Pete Show, he talked about how taking advantage of social media empowers creators; this way, they don’t get held back by industry gatekeepers and can build a following independently. Watch the full episode here.
Credits: The Premium Pete Show
According to Schulz, 100 short clips are 100 ways of getting discovered. And if someone shared a clip with a friend, they’re more likely to watch the full thing and look you up later.
The shareability factor is important here and is something marketers should consider, especially for awareness campaigns.
Wrapping up
Video marketing on social media is ultimately a long game. That’s why we covered consistency first. Just have faith that your efforts will pay off eventually.
After almost 2 years of building his fan base online and in real life, Netflix picked up Schulz’s special Schulz saves America which premiered on 17 December 2020.
His YouTube stand-up comedy clips have received over 252 million views. While his special, The Crowd Work Special, received over 4 million views.
Schulz’s debut comedy album 551 made it to number one on iTunes, Billboard, Apple Music, Google Play, Spotify, and Amazon Music.
His two podcasts, The Brilliant Idiots and Flagrant 2 have a weekly audience of nearly 2 million people. Most of his content is available for free.
Networks that did not care about him a while ago are eager to have him aboard, but since he’s built up his own platform, he doesn’t need them at this point.
Schulz also has an in-house production team and a creative studio where he and his fellow creators have creative freedom and control. Social media has given creators this opportunity and almost anyone who’s trying to establish themselves can gain an advantage.
If you’d like to push out more video content but don’t have the resources to do it all yourself, you can get in touch with us.
Our video production team specializes in animation and we’d love to hear your ideas and goals.
Talk with a video strategist
Read more: How Can a Business Take Advantage of Video