Hey friends,
This week, I want to discuss a phenomenon I’ve seen more and more in the past few years.
Especially with YouTubers who focus on entertainment-first type videos.
I call it ‘‘inauthentic goalsetting.’’
Let’s dive into what I mean by this.
Over the years, YouTube competition has gotten significantly better. Creators are now making mini movies that have you on the edge of your seat.
From people screaming into their 480p webcam to cinematic storytelling over the past 12+ years. Oh, how far we’ve come!
But in this new era of capturing attention, there have been some.. eh.. ‘‘interesting’’ side-effects.
In the broader aspect, nothing major has changed in how to become a successful creator on YouTube.
You come up with a great idea, you find three thumbnail concepts to package it with, you create the video, you upload it, and you wait for the algorithm to pick it up.
But in the creating part, something has changed. And it has been very interesting to observe this over the past few years.
Creators like Ryan Trahan introduced a new layer into their videos over the past few years. A layer that helped, on average, carry more viewers from beginning to end.
Goal setting.
It’s great that you fly around the world in First Class seats, but nowadays, people want a why. Every travel YouTuber has done it, so why are you doing it when it’s not necessarily your niche? GIVE ME A REASON TO CARE!
That’s what I imagined going through the heads of creators like Ryan a few years ago, at least.
Anyhow. It worked. Not necessarily just because he set goals or a mission in the video. But it definitely helped.
And this is where the side effects started showing. I am not going to name names, as I don’t write this newsletter to 💩 on YouTubers. But I’ll tell you the problem.
In storytelling, a vital reason for a viewer, reader, or listener to stick around is the unfinished business throughout the story. Once they are invested, they want to know how it ends.
In potential, authentic goals within the concept of a video can help massively with this. The issue is that many creators took a very wrong approach to this.
Let’s take an example of one of the few YouTubers who does this well and who I’ve named above:
Based on the packaging, you have an expectation as a viewer. You expect Ryan to survive in an abandoned mall, and the thumbnail sells it as a serious challenge.
But once you are in the video, you realize it is a lot more than you first expected.
I asked AskStudio to summarize the overarching goals that Ryan introduces in the video for you:
So, to conclude, as a viewer, you come for the survival aspect. You stay for the authentic goals that unfold throughout the story.
Ryan is not trying to fit a triangle in a square hole here. All the goals FIT the environment, have a direct impact on his adventure, and give spice to an otherwise pretty flat idea.
So, how do creators screw this up?
Well, first and foremost, you must know that even Ryan doesn’t nail this every time.
If you want to see a significant effect on viewer retention, your goals need to align flawlessly with the video's premise.
And this is where many creators go wrong.
For many creators, the overarching goal in the video seems mandatory but is treated as an afterthought.
Here's what that looks like in practice.
You see a travel vlog packaged around some exotic destination, and three minutes in, the creator declares they will "try 10 local foods before they leave." Except the video is actually about them visiting a friend, exploring a temple, and getting lost in traffic.
The 10-food thing shows up again around minute 11 when they remember it exists. They eat two more. Nobody's counting. The video ends.
That's an afterthought goal. And it does the opposite of what the creator hoped.
When the goal doesn't tie into the core of the video, the viewer's brain quietly registers it as filler. They don't consciously think "this is inauthentic." They just feel the video sag.
Retention dips where the goal gets forced in. And when it doesn't resolve cleanly, you teach your audience that your "missions" are window dressing. In the next video, they won't care what you promise. You've burned a retention tool that once worked.
The fix isn't complicated, but it is uncomfortable, because it usually means cutting goals you've already written.
Before you lock a goal into your story, run it through three questions:
Does the goal fit the premise? If you pulled it entirely from the video, would the concept collapse, or would nothing really change? If nothing changes, the goal is decoration. Kill it, or replace it with one that actually shapes the story.
Are there real stakes? A goal without a consequence is a to-do list. What happens if you fail? If the answer is "nothing," you haven't set a goal; you've set a chore.
Does it pay off? Win, lose, or pivot mid-video, the goal needs a clear resolution. Viewers are keeping score even when they don't realize it. A goal that quietly disappears is worse than no goal at all.
If your goal can't survive those three questions, it shouldn't be in the video.
Ryan nails the mall video because every goal he introduces meets all three criteria. Remove them, and there's no video. Fail them, and the story changes. Each one resolves on screen.
Get rid of the inauthentic goals. I promise you’ll become a better storyteller and get more views as a result.
Talk soon,
- Leroy