If you have ever googled “how to fix a hole in my sweater” and subsequently scrolled your social media feed, you have probably seen a video by 5-Minute Crafts because, well, algorithms. This highly successful channel posts videos that cover everything under the sun. Many of these little projects can be done in just a few minutes with basic household items.

With engaging content and polished videos, they have accumulated more than 67.5 million subscribers on YouTube. Over 86 million people follow their Facebook page along with 42 million on Instagram and nearly 80 million on Twitter. It is safe to say that whatever they are doing to create 5-Minute Crafts works really well.

To create your own clever videos full of quick art projects, tasty foods, helpful life-hacks and a wide array of odd little things to do around the house, take some tips straight from their channel. The creators at 5-Minute Crafts have perfected a formula for compilation videos that you can easily emulate. So what is the formula?

First, bring in lots and lots of creative content

Most of their videos are actually about 15 minutes long, and each has a specific theme. The titles are very clear about what the content will be and exactly how many ideas are crammed into it. 24 incredible egg cooking tricks. 31 brilliant art ideas for everyone. 26 easy clothes repair hacks to save your day. 28 miniature food ideas. Home decor crafts. Barbie accessories. Sweet treats. Beauty hacks. What to do with throw-aways like shampoo bottles and toilet paper rolls. It is endless and hard to stop watching.

Basically, you want to cover ideas that can help people solve everyday frustrations, fix broken things, save time, save money, create something weird, or occupy themselves (or a child!) for an afternoon. Make a habit of scrolling through websites like WikiHow. The site has around 200,000 how-to articles that have been created and updated by their user community. Not everything there will be a five-minute idea, but there will be enough for inspiration. Collect additional ideas by researching common pet-peeves, disposable items that can be upcycled or things to do on a rainy day. 

Second, be sure to cover all of the bases

There are lots of little things that 5-Minute Crafts is doing right. It adds up to a marketable channel that works on all platforms. Start with consistent artwork for profile images and backgrounds across social media and websites. Doing this helps to create brand awareness and build loyalty. Add a simple channel name that clearly informs the audience. Then, dive deeper:

  • Skip the narrative. Doing this allows users to view your videos without sound if they are watching it where audio might not be ideal. Implement catchy music, though, so that when the audio is on, it is entertaining. Give credit to your music sources. 5-Minute Crafts links to Epidemic Music in the text body of their videos.
  • Employ excellent editing. If you are not an expert in this area, it will be worth your while to hire an expert. When you’re creating short quick videos that convey instructions without any voices, skilled editing will ensure your video makes sense for the viewer.
  • Don’t skimp on the text. Each video created by 5-Minute Crafts has a full description of what you will see in the video, what frustrations it will solve and what you will learn. Plus, there is a section in each description with linked timestamps for some of the most interesting segments.
  • Be artsy in your content. Use bright, saturated colors and clean, simple images. Avoid busy backgrounds and gather footage from multiple angles so that different views can be cut together. Titles and graphics can be fun and even cheesy in how-to videos, so let your editor ham it up.
  • Create strong discoverability. No one wants to be an underrated channel. Make sure potential viewers can find you and become followers. From SEO keywords to cross-promoting, there are things you can do to optimize your discoverability and keep your audience growing.

Lastly, stay true to your channel’s purpose.

Have you ever watched a beauty channel for a while and then they throw in a food episode? It doesn’t really work unless the channel is actually a variety channel. If you are creating a how-to channel about crafts and life-hacks, your audience should be able to count on finding that every time they tune in.

Likewise, stay true to your other decisions, too. Upbeat music and saturated colors make sense and add impact. Colorful graphics and animations make sense here, as well. Create a schedule and stick to it so that your viewers can anticipate how often you will add new content. At the end of the day, if your videos have quality content, consistent messaging, smart editing and clear discoverability, you will be on your way to hosting a successful channel like 5-Minute Crafts.

Image courtesy: “3D PEN VS GLUE GUN! 17 Cool Hacks And Crafts For You” – 5-Minute Crafts