In this video and blog post, I want to talk about some of the lessons I have learned from working online for over 20 years. I also want to look at something that is very important when building a YouTube channel or an online business, and that is clarity.
Over the past few videos, I have been talking about Sean Cannell’s Video Ranking Academy from Think Media. I have been a member of Video Ranking Academy for around five and a half years, and it is a course that I still refer to. One thing I appreciate about Sean’s teaching is that he does not just focus on making videos for the sake of making videos. He encourages people to think things through properly before they press record.
That is where clarity questions come in.
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Before starting a YouTube channel, creating content, or building an online business, it is important to ask some honest questions. Who is the channel for? What problem does it solve? Why should anyone subscribe? How will the channel make money? What do you want to be known for?
These may sound like simple questions, but they can make a huge difference.
Who Is My Channel For?
My channel, roybrettononline, is mainly for people who want to build an online business, create additional income streams, work from home, and learn from someone who has been earning money online for more than 20 years.
Of course, every channel will be different. If you are in a different niche, your answer will not be the same as mine. However, the principle is the same. You need to know who you are talking to.
If you try to reach everyone, you often end up reaching no one. The clearer you are about your audience, the easier it becomes to create videos, blog posts, emails, and offers that are actually useful to them.
What Problem Does My Channel Solve?
Many people want to earn money online, but they do not know where to start. That was my problem when I first started. There were tools, websites, courses, platforms, and opinions everywhere, but it was not always easy to know what to do first.
My channel helps simplify the process by sharing practical advice, real-world experience, and tools that can help people build an online income.
I use various types of software, website tools, YouTube tools, and online platforms, and I like to demonstrate them where possible. I think this is one of the best ways to teach. Rather than just talking about theory, I can show people what I use, how I use it, and where it may fit into an online business.
I have also written before about how to simplify the process of internet marketing, because I believe many people overcomplicate it before they even get started.
What Is The Purpose Of My Channel?
The purpose of my channel is to teach people how to build websites, create content, use YouTube effectively, and generate income online through affiliate marketing and other online business models.
One thing I try to do is speak from experience. I do not use every product I mention, but in many cases, I do use the tools, platforms, or methods I talk about. That makes it easier to give practical advice rather than just repeating what someone else has said.
There is a big difference between theory and experience. When you have actually built websites, created videos, joined platforms, promoted affiliate products, and made mistakes along the way, you have something more useful to share.
What Is The Purpose Of This Video?
The purpose of this video is to explain why clarity is so important when building a YouTube channel and online business.
It is very easy to create content without a clear plan. You can make videos, write blog posts, publish social media updates, and still not really know where you are going. That can lead to frustration because you are working hard, but not necessarily building something focused.
Asking the right questions helps you stay focused on your goals. It also helps you decide what content to create, what products to promote, and what kind of audience you want to serve.
Who Is My Ideal Viewer?
My ideal viewer is someone who wants more freedom, would like to work from home, and is interested in affiliate marketing, websites, YouTube, and building a long-term online income.
This could be someone who is completely new to online business, or someone who has already started but feels a bit stuck. It could also be someone who has tried different things online but has not yet found a clear direction.
I believe there are many ordinary people who could build something online if they had the right guidance, the right tools, and realistic expectations.
What Value Do I Offer?
I offer advice based on real experience.
I have built websites, created YouTube channels, worked online for many years, and learned plenty of lessons along the way. Some things have worked well, and some things have not. Both are useful because the mistakes often teach us just as much as the successes.
One of the reasons I like YouTube is that it allows me to explain things in a more natural way. I can demonstrate tools, talk through ideas, and share what I have learned. I have also written about why YouTube can sometimes feel easier than blogging, especially when you are comfortable talking through your subject.
What Do I Want To Be Known For?
I want to be known for helping ordinary people build an online business honestly and realistically, without hype or unrealistic promises.
There is a lot of hype in the online business world. Some people make it sound as if you can press a button and instantly make money. In my experience, that is not how it works.
Building an online business takes time. Building websites takes time. Growing a YouTube channel takes time. Creating useful content takes time. But if you are consistent and you keep learning, progress can happen.
There is also something good about helping people. Yes, we all need to earn money, and there is nothing wrong with building an income. But business should not just be about grabbing money. It should also be about providing value and helping people move forward.
What Can I Become An Authority On?
I believe I can become an authority on online business, affiliate marketing, website creation, YouTube content creation, WordPress, and building digital assets that generate income over time.
These are subjects I have been involved with for many years. My first website that made money took me around three years to build. Today, things can often be done much faster because there are better tools, more training, and more examples to follow.
However, the basics are still the same. You need to create useful content, build trust, help people, and keep going long enough to see results.
If you are interested in building websites, I have also shared content around WordPress, which is still one of the best platforms for building an online presence that you control.
Why Do I Want To Succeed On YouTube?
I want to succeed on YouTube because it gives me the opportunity to reach more people, help others build an online income, create additional sources of revenue, and continue building a business that offers greater freedom and flexibility.
I have been self-employed for virtually all my working life. Even before I left school, I was doing jobs and earning money. I have always liked the freedom that comes with being self-employed and not being under someone else’s control.
YouTube can be a powerful part of an online business because a video can keep working long after it has been published. Some videos may not do much, but others can continue receiving views for months or even years.
I have seen this myself. I have a video about a small generator that a friend of mine made, and that video has received well over a quarter of a million views. It was not something I expected to take off, but it shows that you never quite know what a video may do over time.
Why Should Someone Subscribe?
Someone should subscribe to my channel if they want practical online business advice, YouTube growth strategies, website-building tips, product reviews, and lessons learned from over two decades of working online.
I want my content to be useful, realistic, and based on experience. I am still learning, and I believe that is important to say. Even after more than 20 years online, there is always something new to learn.
That is one of the reasons my tagline is:
20+ Years Online, Still Learning, Still Earning.
I think that sums up the online journey very well. You can have years of experience and still be learning every week.
How Do I Plan To Make Money?
There are several ways I plan to make money through my online business. These include affiliate marketing, YouTube revenue, website income, product recommendations, online courses, and promoting tools that I personally use and trust.
Affiliate marketing has been a major part of my online journey. It allows you to recommend products, services, courses, and tools to your audience, and earn a commission if someone purchases through your link.
One example is Video Ranking Academy. I have been a member for several years, I use the training, and I can share my honest experience with it. I have also written about how to get more from Video Ranking Academy, as I believe it is important to actually use the training you buy.
Another example is Wealthy Affiliate, which I have been part of for many years. I have shared more about that in my post on why I have stayed at Wealthy Affiliate for 11 years.
What Makes My Channel Different?
I believe each of us has something unique to bring. There may be many people teaching online business, but no one has exactly the same background, experience, personality, mistakes, lessons, and perspective.
There are many channels teaching affiliate marketing, YouTube, and websites. However, not everyone has over 20 years of real-world experience. I share both successes and mistakes, giving viewers an honest picture of what building an online business is really like.
I do not want to present online business as a get-rich-quick scheme. I want to show that it is possible, but it takes patience, consistency, and a willingness to keep learning.
What Are My Long-Term Goals?
My long-term goals are to continue growing my online income, help more people succeed online, expand my websites and YouTube channels, and eventually work entirely from digital assets that continue generating income for years to come.
That is one of the powerful things about building online assets. A blog post can be found through Google. A YouTube video can be found through search, suggested videos, and recommendations. A website can become a home base for your business.
This is why I believe it is so important not to build everything on borrowed land. Social media platforms are useful, but your own website gives you something more stable to build around.
Why Clarity Questions Matter
These questions are not just a one-time exercise. They are worth coming back to regularly.
As your channel grows, your answers may become clearer. Your audience may change slightly. Your products may change. Your income streams may develop. Your experience will grow.
Clarity is not always instant. Sometimes you have to take action before everything becomes clear. But asking the right questions can help you avoid drifting from one idea to another without a proper direction.
Some of the most useful clarity questions include:
- Who is my channel for?
- What problem does my channel solve?
- What is the purpose of my channel?
- What is the purpose of this specific video?
- Who is my ideal viewer?
- What value do I offer?
- What do I want to be known for?
- What can I become an authority on?
- Why do I want to succeed on YouTube?
- How do I plan to make money?
These questions can help you create better videos, better blog posts, and a stronger online business.
A Few Thoughts On Video Ranking Academy
As I mentioned in the video, Video Ranking Academy is the course I joined around five and a half years ago. Since then, many of the videos have been updated, and new tools and bonuses have been added.
That is one thing I like about the course. It is not something you buy once and then find it becomes outdated. The training has continued to develop, especially as YouTube changes and new tools become available.
Sean Cannell and the Think Media team have built a very large YouTube presence, and they clearly understand what works on the platform. I also listen to many of their free videos and podcasts, and I often find their teaching practical and straightforward.
If you are serious about growing on YouTube, it is worth looking at structured training rather than trying to work everything out by guesswork. YouTube is a powerful platform, but it helps to have a system.
Final Thoughts
After more than 20 years of working online, one thing I know for sure is that we never stop learning.
Whether you are building a YouTube channel, creating a website, writing blog posts, promoting affiliate products, or building digital assets, clarity matters. The clearer you are about who you serve, what problem you solve, and where you are going, the easier it becomes to create focused content.
You do not need to have everything perfect before you start. In fact, you probably will not. But you do need to keep asking the right questions, keep taking action, and keep learning as you go.
If you have any questions about building an online business, YouTube, affiliate marketing, or Video Ranking Academy, please feel free to leave a comment. I am always happy to help where I can.