The Content Polymath Podcast

Listen this isn’t a revolutionary topic, and honestly if this blog is about advanced creator education. Then why is something so simple being the topic of this week’s episode?

Well simply because of how fundamental this concept is, and the lack of awareness by so many creators of all levels.

Setting Up Your Recording

This really is regardless of the tool you use, but I would assume something like OBS would be even easier. Although Meld Studio and Ecamm probably still give you pretty decent configurability.

It does play out a bit different with Riverside or other Podcast Recording tools, which I get into a bit in the video. Although its more how you export from the tool itself in that case!

There seems to be THREE options for how you record your sources separately. Mind you this is for ONE orientation, and not necessarily helping as much for the other (horizontal vs vertical).

* You can orient your scene as a double wide 1080p canvas. Meaning two 1080 screens side by side into one recording file.

* Use the plugin source record (which I could never get to work, let alone get it off my pc so I don’t suggest it).

* Open up a second OBS instance, or a second recording tool, to record while you do your main recording/streaming in the first tool.

All three have their caveats, setup, and methodology of how you can USE the file afterwards. If you do the double wide you only have one file, so might be easier to manipulate, but you have split the recordings in the editor.

If you do the other two methods, then you’ll have TWO* (+/- however many sources you are recording) files that you would then have to merge for your output file. Whether that is vertical or horizontal.

In any case you have the POWER to choose how the final output looks, and you can change things how you like.

Setting Up Your Streaming

This is an important aspect that Streamers will obviously think about when they set up OBS, but a lot of people set and forget it.

Then later they realize oh I need to make clips from my stream, but the only recording is the VOD on Twitch or YouTube (be careful cause Twitch deletes your stuff after 7/30/60 days depending on your partner/non-partner status).

The problem is now that their VOD is the only file, the facecam is now only 360x180 resolution in the corner of their 1080p stream. Meaning their face is blurry, and if you try to stretch it out for a tiktok clip it will look garbage.

Thus the best action at that point is to ignore the facecam, and simply focus on the gameplay for the clip. However that loses the appeal of having a face, and a lot of viewers want that.

The solution is to change how you are recording during your stream. Set up a second instance where you have your facecam separately, or depending on your stream scene setup change how it outputs.

The same situation from the recording section above applies, but it gets more complicated as you also need a SCENE for streaming that includes your facecam. Thus the final result is a facecam footage, gameplay footage, and presumably a combined footage from the stream. Now you don’t need to keep the latter, as you can always get it from the aforementioned streaming site’s VOD if needed (and if it is still around). However it may be useful in other cases too. Perhaps if you just want to cut a 10min segment from the stream, without having to readd the facecam.

Most of the videos that talk about how to record your facecam and gameplay separate are 2-5 years old. I’ll make a tutorial video if enough people request it, but really you can find videos already of the methods I mentioned earlier.

What you really need to figure out right now is which method will work best for you and your computer specs.

Feel free to leave a comment if you have an alternative method that we haven’t thought of yet!!

This is HUGE!

I’ve been talking about multistreaming for two years now, at least, and in particular an angle I thought was crucial. That being doing it both vertically and horizontally.

You have the vertical platforms:

* Tiktok

* Instagram

* YouTube Shorts

Then you have the horizontal platforms:

* Twitch

* Kick

* Trovo

* Twitter/Linkedin/Facebook

* YouTube

All of which have their own reasoning for being used/streamed to, but the act of acting streaming to multiple platforms was tedious. Still sort of it, especially if you have to use a syndication service.

However now YouTube at least is going to make it a lot easier.

Link to Tweet - From what people are saying it is coming within the next few months!

Straight from the mouth of the platform: https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/live-updates/

First, we’re adding a way to reach viewers on every screen by streaming across formats. Soon, creators will be able to broadcast in both horizontal and vertical formats simultaneously, with a single unified chat room to bring the entire community together in one seamless experience.

Here is video that is even more of an explainer of what’s coming. In my video I solely focused on the streaming feature, but there are dozens of new features coming. I always love Nick Nimmin’s videos, as he was one of the people I learned from when I started. I still do.

BigE also explained things in a great way, so I thought I’d shout him out too.

Now that you’ve seen what all is coming what are you most excited to try?

Now if you like these types of quick news posts…

Please leave a comment below, as I would really like to know. This Substack is being built in front of you, and so your feedback is very important.

If you would like to receive the posts via email, then I suggest subscribing to getting posts for sure! My next post that is coming out is literally about vertical and horizontal livestreaming, which I might add I made that post before this announcement came out! Haha

P.S. I think I’ll be doing a video here soon about the Auto-Dubbing feature, as that too I think is a really interesting growth mechanism.

The rise of AI, the explosion of repurposing tools, and the aging up of social media. They all contribute to this unique position we are in with this digital world.

I used to think something was wrong with me, that maybe I wasn’t executing enough, or that I was being too picky with the tools at hand at the time. However looking back it was like I was trying to use a screw driver instead of a power drill.

Yes sure, I could turn the screw with my hands but the screwdriver is better. In reality though I needed a power drill to achieve what I was wanting to do.

Why is it different now?

More and more companies have cropped up due to the rise of content creators since covid. I can’t say that it is all because of quarantine, but it certainly accelerated the development in a lot of areas.

ChatGPT popularized using AI, and now that there are even better tools and AI out there it is even more widespread.

While I have my gripes with Substack’s technical problems, it still does showcase what COULD be in the age of individual journalism. Tools like Nuelink or OpusClip allow you to produce and reach a much greater audience.

The strategies are also more refined now. While the platforms are more picky, and it is harder to carve out your place on them. The strategic approach is that of years and years of practice. Meaning that the lessons you can learn now, are after people have spent ages learning them.

Social media was new, and that meant you literally had to discover and create strategies for them. Now that there has been a few generations of social media. The lessons are already passed on.

How does this newsletter help you in this renaissance?

Look I can’t be the one size fits all for everyone, that would just lead me to trying to get everyone. What I felt was my persona was that person like me that was trying to find growth hacks, new ways of creating, and new tools that gave you an edge.

What tools did things better than others, and what strategies were other people too afraid/lazy to do. That kind of thing.

I have been saying this more and more now, this isn’t a get huge quick scheme. I’m not saying you won’t get huge, and more than likely if you do it right you probably will (*depending on your niche and personality). However I want to give you the advanced calculations that it takes to grow.

What is the Creator Equation, and how it gets you from point A to point B.

Highlighted Tool of the Week: Nuelink

One of my favorite tools, and I mention it often. I have been looking for a social media management tool for over a decade to do what I wanted. Some like Nelio Content got close, but it just wasn’t good enough. Same with others I came across too, and I looked at quite literally EVERY SINGLE SMM tool on the market.

Nuelink had both of the deep needs: RSS to Social / Automations in general, and Bulk Schedule Tiktok/Shorts/Reels.

http://nuelink.com/

Not only has it improved since I started using it, but it also seems to have helped me reach hundreds of thousands of views because it helped me go more widespread.

🥡 Takeaways

What should you take from this post? That you should keep an eye out on what comes next in this series and subscribe.

I don’t like pushing for subs, but in true purpose of what this newsletter is for: I want to show you the path to exponential content creator growth. I can’t do that if you don’t follow along with the posts!

Shoutout to The Nuesletter as well for very informative posts!

The top 3 tools I use are OpusClip, Videobolt’s free resize tool, and crossclip.

I should note that I am looking into as well.

https://thatwas.pro/

Here are the rest of the tools I came across:

In no particular order.

https://crossclip.com/

https://fusionclips.pro/

https://clipbot.tv/

https://opusclip.com

https://streamladder.com/

https://eklipse.gg/

https://www.framedrop.ai/

https://gameshot.ai/

https://hypetrigger.io/

https://go.overwolf.com/outplayed/

https://powder.gg/

https://app.videobolt.net/simple-video-tools/resize

https://medal.tv/premium

I’ve talked about my Creator Equation quite a lot, and I’ll make some dedicated posts to that soon. However the main premise is simply have the right strategy, have the right tools, and have ENOUGH execution to out work your peers.

Someone said on Reddit “how do I grow my channel fast?”, and I commented:

If you want to grow fast then you need to create content FAST. On my content I talk about the scale of what you need to do. https://polyinnovator.substack.com/p/first-100-reps-to-100-posts-a-day

The more posts you put out, then most likely you'll be growing ten times faster than your peers. Some people might come on here and disagree thats fine. But if you're streaming 3x a week, in each stream you create 3 yt videos. Then from that 1-3 hour stream you create 20-40 clips (posting 5x per day, or imo 10x per day across tiktok/insta/fb/yt/pinterest). Then you're going to grow.

Look it is THAT simple. As they say in the business world “money in, money out”, and in content it is the same thing. The more you put out, the more you get back. Will it be instant? Maybe not, but will you actually have a chance for it to be so? Now you will, as most people put out so little content that they have NO chance to grow fast.

I’m writing this post because I need you to realize you are not doing enough, and really it isn’t even close. Mind you I probably sound like Gary Vee or Alex Hormozi, but they really are right in this case.

Okay let’s talk Strategy

You first make a 100 posts of a content type you want to be known for: video, written, or audio. Then you work on making the other 2. The sooner you get good at all 3 the better, but for some of you audio may be able to wait.

The next is 100 reps at a certain format: long, short, or LIVE.

Granted if you do Long and LIVE, then you’ll have more clips to pull from. Conversely, short form content is easier and quicker to make, and you can always compile them together later.

There are six content types and formats, and you want to accelerate your leveling of each as quickly as possible. There are some that you can skip, AT FIRST, but you should never think you’ll ignore them completely.

Let’s go back to the streamer at the beginning.

What I would tell this person is to stream 3 times a week for an hour. Just to be more sustainable in the long run. Now depending on the person’s schedule I would have them consider, are they able to do longer streams? I.e. 3 hours instead, which means more content to pull from for repurposing. Or can they do 5 days a week at 1-2 hours?

In either case you get more clips, more yt videos, etc.

In each of the streams you have 3-4 planned out videos you can make within the streams. Which also gives you entertaining goals to work towards, and the viewers will enjoy that.

Then you can toss the whole stream into OpusClip in order to find your short form videos. Or if you have the replay buffer in your streaming tool make clips too!

From there I would post the videos out spaced out each week, ideally the same time every week. Then you can schedule 10 shorts out every day.

What are the Tools you need?

I would argue a social media management tool is key, I use Nuelink as it has the best automations, but there are some other good ones out there too.

As I mentioned OpusClip is the tool I would recommend to find your clips.

I also use Davinci Resolve as my editing software, and for the most part I use either Meld Studio or Streamlabs for my recording/streaming software.

How do you execute at such a high volume?

I can’t stress this enough, this isn’t some get rich quick scheme. I am literally telling you what to do the HARD WAY. I was thinking about this the other day when someone commented on one of my posts. People want instant gratification, and I want to give you that as a creator… if I can.

However I can’t really, and honestly no one is out there giving you the details you need for the advanced creators. The ones looking for the edge, or the thing they are missing. Thus this is why I started out so broad in my posts on this Content Polymath substack, as I wanted to make sure if you were missing something trivial you found out quickly.

Think of it like fitness, if you are working out and you are tired, and lacking the energy to do the reps. You might think oh I need protein, or this supplement, or “X”. However more than likely you are just DEHYDRATED. In either water or electrolytes, and it could very well be THAT SIMPLE. Yet it has a dramatic impact on you doing any sort of exercise.

I am trying to find out what simple issue like dehydration is happening to you as a creator.

If you want to execute at a high volume like Hormozi or others like him, but you are a solo-creator (like myself) then I am telling you how.

Truly it comes down to skill in each Content Type and Format.

Hence why I shared the first 100 reps post at the beginning of this post. You need your first 100 reps in video, lives, audio (if that’s your goal), and short form video. Those in particular I think, and if you’re a writer then exchange that out.

You can just start making all of them, and I might suggest doing that. Play around with the platforms, learn your mannerisms, and the trends.

However the sooner you get experience, then the sooner you can get used to the strategy shared today, and then the sooner you can consistently post at a high volume.

This isn’t get rich quick

I cannot stress this enough. You will fail over and over again, and that is okay. If anything it is good for your learning and improvement.

However if you want to grow quick, and you have the time and patience to do it. Then the stuff I shared today is HOW.

If you can spend a ton of time in the short term, i.e. you’re a teenager without work, and you have all the time you need after school. If you’re an adult with a flexible job, or something like that. You have the time basically, then you can do more in a shorter period.

It is your decision to post it all at once, or schedule over time. Probably better to do the latter. I’m literally giving you the advice I would give you in a paid coaching call, for free, and this is how I plan on growing.

I want you to grow, and by doing so you’ll be able to say hey it is because I read this guy’s blog or watched his videos. We both win then.

I’ve been off and on this platform for many years now, and there is a reason for that. I consistently see the potential here, but get so frustrated by the lack of development on the team’s part.

That’s the reason I often rank Ghost CMS over Substack, as my top two platforms for creators building websites. I go into my history a bit in the video above, but if you want to dig more into each of my Substack endeavors I talk about them more in the link here. This is a sequel post to: https://polyinnovator.space/my-experience-with-substack/

A lack of communication?

Given that this company has been around for eight years, tons of funding, tons of 10% cuts from creators, etc. There is no reason why the customer service for it is so abysmal. Let alone a complete and utter lack of content from the company themselves. The youtube channel is filled with mostly product showcases, and all comments are turned off.

The social media platforms are barely active, and don’t respond to @ or comments.

I talked more about it in a livestream today. As you can tell I’m quite passionate about this project “The Content Polymath”, and I don’t want to stop using Substack.

In fact I even created a publication for both of my podcasts each, so that in the case I decide to move I can transfer my podcasts over to this hosting platform.

Why can’t I just use what it has?

Look the writing element is great, and besides some quirks here and there I like it. For example the heading for this section. I tried highlighting it, which in ghost would bring up a menu to let me make into a heading. Instead I either have to do ### or go to the top bar and select style.

My point is that writing and content managing is just superior in Ghost. The reason why I am here, and why I would like to stay here more is because of their other features.

Those being the livestreaming (I’m a bit iffy about), the video posting (very useful if it worked), and the podcast hosting (something I might take advantage of no matter what).

How can it improve?

The stability first and foremost on video posts, clipping, and most importantly IMO the substack video post to youtube automation.

The podcast hosting is pretty spot on, but the connections to other platforms i.e. spotify or apple, is a bit tedious. Compared to traditional podcast hosts, where you can just link them, and then get access on their end pretty easy. Here there are more steps. There also just isn’t many ways of embedding or sharing your podcast more either here.

Communication with creators, not just the big ones, is a must! Something a guest said to me on the PolyTools Creator Spotlight is that just because I don’t have a big audience, doesn’t mean that I am not a big creator.

There are a lot of people like me, who know what they are doing, but just haven’t hit a big subscriber number… YET. Substack needs to connecting with those people before they blow up. Else that 10% cost they charge might start looking far too much.

🥡 Takeaways

What to do from here?

Well this last week I had planned on making content every day going forward on here. At least livestreaming, then doing my posts like this 1-3x a week. However it seems like now I need to stop focusing on this platform for a bit.

Partially because my frustration, and partially because I have a lot of content planned for https://polyinnovator.space which in the long run is more important as a personal brand. If Substack reaches out, and we can figure out these user experience issues together. Then I’ll probably focus more on this publication, let alone bring over my other two podcasts as well.

Putting this out there, but probably wont do it: I have been considering bringing back my swimming newsletter to here. To give it a chance to thrive again, and perhaps make it into audio so you can listen while in the water.

Already this platform is a farcry from what it was the last time I put real effort into it. That I can say is amazing, I just wish there was a bit more elbow grease into making it work properly!

Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.

Please note that this is a more visual heavy episode, so it may be wise to watch it.

Here is an exhaustive list of all of the multistream - simulcasting tools, so that you can choose the best one for you. I give my opinion to help you make a decision too!

Given that is a challenge I myself am facing at this moment, it seemed like a great time to get around to making this video. I am both streaming to substack, as well as to twitch, for my creator and gaming brands respectively.

Both of which would do better if I was simulcasting them across platforms.

Not only that but taking the opportunity that vertical livestreaming platforms like YouTube Shorts offers us!

You WILL regret not livestreaming sooner, and taking advantage of the opportunity in front of us in this moment.

Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.

Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.

The 300 Reps Rule for Content Creators

As it has been said a lot, you should try to get to your first 100 reps as soon as possible. However I want to expand that philosophy a bit, as I think you really start to get good after 300 reps.

That’s when the posts really start to accumulate, your skills improve drastically, and you have had enough history for platforms to know.

While you can somewhat do it faster, it is more about you and your skills in particular.

After your first 100 reps, you’ll have enough bandwidth to start the next content type as well. Then you can do both alongside. 200 reps with your first, when you hit 100 reps with the second. Then you can start the 3rd, and so forth.

Don't Delete—Your Content History Matters

This is just something important I wanted to quickly share. I cannot wrap my head around people deleting their own content.

It does not matter if your previous niche encompassed your last 100 videos, and now you’re switching. Who cares? The SEO is not going to change that much if you delete and restart. Meaning you are only shooting yourself in the foot.

Every piece of content or micro-content is a doorway to your content ecosystem. If you delete your post, or even unlist it, then it closes that doorway forever.

Master Every Format: Keys to Content Growth

Before I start getting into more strategies and tools in these upcoming posts here on the Content Polymath. I have been really driving home the fact that you need to improve your skills as quickly as possible. Sustainably.

If you are interested in those upcoming posts, then I encourage you to subscribe!

The point of this post isn’t to give you an exact strategy. Even though I did give an example in the video. It is to guide you into figuring out what is sustainable for you.

When you create content for the first time you don’t know what you don’t know. Over time when you put in the reps, it allows you to establish a brand. A consistency in your media content, and how you present yourself. How certain skills proliferate, and how your expression comes through.

Why do you need to do all three?

Each content type, let alone format, creates a different kind of connection with the viewer. If they like one type, then they’ll more than likely find you on other platforms as well. Reaching that person across many different places is key for building up your connection to them.

Once they hit a certain level they will be more inclined towards paying for your content as well. Hence the journey for success as a creator.

The studies shows that it takes over half a dozen, maybe closer to a dozen, of times for a person to see you. Before they ever consider buying anything from you, or subscribing, or whatever call to action you are asking for.

How you go about reaching 100 posts

I mention in the video the idea of taking 3 months of intense daily content production. However you could expand that out to a year.

I really don’t think you can do less than 3 months, as you would just burn out too quick, or worse overwhelm your audience and lose them.

There is a fine balance you need to thread, and that is key to pushing the limit of your production. If you can put in the reps, then you’ll be closer to a 100 posts a day, and once you get to that point you’ll be even closer to growth and monetization.

Highlighted Tool of the Week: Substack

Okay okay hear me out!

Substack has proven to me over the last two weeks to be a lot more than I initially thought it was. Mind you have been on here for the last five years, and I have known about a lot of the features already for a while.

Meaning you do too probably.

However I don’t think you fully grasp the extent of what they’re going for as a tool. Normally I wouldn’t write so much in this section of the blog post, BUT this tool actually goes hand in hand with my topic of today. By making use of the features here on Substack it will help you get closer to the 100x a day ideal.

You go live first (basically making a video), then cut out the audio, and then write a blog post underneath it (don’t just use AI, actually write one). From there Substack gives you clips. The reframing into vertical is pretty subpar, so I’d suggest using Opusclip, but let’s say for now you use it.

It automatically posts 2 shorts for you from your video, and you can download more (or make more). You should post a couple horizontal clips from the video too to substack notes.

The livestream would have also made a post already as well when you went live.

You can create an instagram post from their picture creator.

Already there you have TEN posts, all from ONE episode. That is honestly a conservative calculation too. As you could make a lot of clips, and if you made pictures on your own in Canva too that would help.

🥡 Takeaways

What should you leave with today? Really it is a matter of measuring how far you have come at this point, and how much farther you need to go.

Creating an established content ecosystem that feeds into itself, and reaching a far greater width of audience!