---
title: 'Tom Scott Answers Content Creator Questions | Tech Support | WIRED'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=bx6_jj9RxhI'
video_id: 'bx6_jj9RxhI'
date: 2026-08-04
duration_sec: 1462
---

# Tom Scott Answers Content Creator Questions | Tech Support | WIRED

> Source: [Tom Scott Answers Content Creator Questions | Tech Support | WIRED](https://youtube.com/watch?v=bx6_jj9RxhI)

## Summary

In this video, Tom Scott answers a series of questions from content creators, offering practical advice on topics such as thumbnails, audio quality, content planning, and dealing with burnout. He emphasizes the importance of making stuff, understanding your audience, and maintaining a buffer of pre-recorded content.

### Key Points

- **The only way to get better is to make stuff** [00:00] — Tom Scott emphasizes that the only way to improve as a creator is to actually create content. He advises against overthinking and instead encourages making things, as every skill improves through practice.
- **Upgrade your microphone** [00:53] — Bad audio is a major turn-off for viewers. Tom notes that 30% of his YouTube viewers watch without sound, but if audio is bad, people will leave immediately. He recommends getting the microphone closer to your face, even a simple plug-in mic held in front of you.
- **Thumbnails matter enormously** [01:35] — Thumbnails are the packaging of your video and are crucial for attracting viewers. Tom shares an example of using AI to generate thumbnails, but warns against using AI-generated images that misrepresent the content, as it can attract the wrong audience.
- **Plan content with a buffer** [04:02] — Tom used to plan weeks in advance but now records 41 videos ahead for his new series. Having a buffer allows for references and callbacks between videos, improving quality. He advises creators to have some buffer to avoid last-minute stress.
- **Three types of content: Hub, Hero, Help** [05:43] — YouTube's advice is to have three types of content: Hub (episodic, regular content), Hero (big splashy stuff that goes viral), and Help (searchable content). This mix helps attract different traffic sources.
- **Replace 'algorithm' with 'audience'** [06:39] — Tom met Todd, the guy in charge of the YouTube algorithm, who said to replace the word 'algorithm' with 'audience' in any sentence. This means every video is recommended based on what the audience engages with.
- **First 10-15 seconds are critical** [07:17] — Viewers judge a video by its cover within the first 10-15 seconds. If the intro doesn't hook them, they'll leave. The algorithm reflects this by not recommending videos that lose viewers early.
- **Realistic time to wait for success** [07:33] — It depends on the platform. On YouTube, you'll likely know within a couple of hours if a video is a winner. On Instagram, it can feel random. If a video doesn't perform, you can change the title and thumbnail to try again.
- **Best intros set up questions** [08:18] — The best introductions, like those from 'Top Gear', set up expectations and questions that are resolved later. This keeps viewers engaged. Avoid long intros with 3D animation and dubstep; even prestige TV has a skip intro button.
- **Clickbait: curiosity bait vs lying** [09:18] — Clickbait that is curiosity bait (not lying) is acceptable. But if you lie in the title and thumbnail, viewers will feel betrayed and won't come back. Packaging your content to fit the medium is part of the job.
- **Ikigai: find your niche** [10:13] — The best content comes from the intersection of what you're good at, what you enjoy, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. Tom's successful videos hit all four. If you're just ticking a box, it won't resonate.
- **Changing niche is hard** [11:07] — You can't just change your niche; you need to find a continuation of your old content. Tom's new series is a continuation, and while some old viewers may not like it, the new audience is sticking around. Subscribers are a useless metric.
- **Brand deals: know your line** [12:50] — Everyone draws the line of what is selling out just below what they're doing. Tom won't take deals from gambling companies or those with loot boxes. Brand deals can pay 10 times more than other platforms, but you have to be selective.
- **Skills needed: just make stuff** [14:04] — The most important skill is making stuff. Every other skill improves by actually creating. Don't worry about every detail; just make things and learn from the process.
- **Collaborations and networking** [14:33] — To grow, collaborate with other creators. Forced collaborations with big names like MrBeast may bring temporary views but won't convert to loyal fans. Make genuine connections and try many collaborations to see what works.
- **Dealing with burnout** [16:06] — If you're just starting out and burned out, it's not working; consider stopping. If it's your job, you have to suck it up and do it. But be careful: the more you tear off pieces of your soul, the more you risk running out of fuel.
- **Viewers, not fans** [17:49] — Tom wants viewers, not fans. He plays a character online but is lovely in person. Pleasing the audience is part of the job, but you can maintain a wall to protect yourself.
- **Attention spans are not shortening** [18:36] — People are taking in more information now, not less. Tom watches scripted content at up to 3x speed, but that's because he's a fast reader. It's not necessarily a bad thing; ask in 100 years.
- **Content evolution** [19:17] — Tom kept throwing ideas out until one worked, then evolved. He hates his past work but is proud of his 10-year series. Listen to your audience in comments and messages, but manage expectations.
- **Don't quit your day job** [20:40] — Tom met someone with 5,000 TikTok followers who was considering quitting their job. He advises against it. It's financially reckless unless you have savings and a buffer. He was lucky to have that when he started.
- **Never have a hobby that turns into a job** [22:19] — Tom says it's infuriating when a hobby becomes a job. If you can do it because you're passionate, please tell him how.
- **What happens to influencers after fame** [22:46] — Like TV presenters, influencers may fade. Some find other jobs, like Michael Underwood who is now a teacher and on TikTok. Don't frame it as a loss; it's a chapter in your life with good memories.

### Conclusion

Tom Scott's advice boils down to: make stuff, understand your audience, and be authentic. Success comes from consistent creation, smart packaging, and maintaining a healthy balance between passion and practicality.

## Transcript

that's the only way to get better. [Tom gasps] This is "Creator Support."
[upbeat music] so I can exit the workforce with everyone else?" Every single project that you make
What you want is to steadily grow, to build up your skills And then when you're in a position to make good stuff,
because then people could come and go, That's what you actually wanna do. Make stuff.
Upgrading your microphone is worth it. Bad audio is really difficult. if you don't have subtitles on your videos,
I think it's 30% of my viewers on YouTube But if you have bad audio, immediately people are like, And if you're on short-form, you're gone in a second.
is get the microphone closer to your face. that plugs in and just hold it in front of your face. or something like that.
Any-Lingonberry asks, "Do you think thumbnails matter 100%. Thumbnails on YouTube matter so much. The packaging of a video for whichever platform you are on
I would much, much rather be doing with a half-hour running length isn't something people would generally choose to watch,
Now, And I really dislike that every single thing But time after time after time, is really important.
think about what audience that's going to attract I'm kind of old school in this YouTube's AI features in their studio
If you are a YouTube creator "Generate some thumbnails from my most recent video," As I record this, my most recent video,
a rock shop for the British people watching. like molten sugar flowing out of a cauldron. And what it generated was this giant cauldron
And it generated this shot of me with an uncanny valley version of my face. if I'd have, like, photographed myself for it,
That's okay for some audiences, I guess. The kettle wasn't that big. So yeah, I could have put that up
first, for using generative AI, and second, for lying. who aren't really gonna like the video in the end. but it wouldn't have been the people
So yes, thumbnails matter an enormous amount, I also now hate that I have to generate three titles and YouTube will automatically A/B/C test them.
It's constant work. I do miss just uploading a video. Sarah Mann asks, "How far in advance do you plan content? For me, I used to have weeks in advance
I was making videos that now My old format, the one that ended in 2023, They're short and they're scripted,
I had like eight weeks of videos And then COVID hit and I used up all that buffer
Like maybe I'd get up to two weeks For the new series, for the stuff I started in 2026, I recorded 41 videos in advance
And they're all longer and they're, but they are so good because they were able And I can put references in video one
that will pay off in video 23 or 36. If it turns out that something I filmed months ago but I have to work out, how am I gonna deal with that?
that already has references from months ago. please, please, please try and have some buffer. Okay, this is a little inside baseball.
a good traffic source is gonna differ for each creator, YouTube's advice is to have three types of content: Hub is your episodic, your regular content
That's building up the audience slowly over time and they can watch that too. That's the big splashy stuff that draws in people,
that goes viral, that makes big waves, gets shared around, That's the stuff that people search for. they type in the keywords, or type in the keywords
you're gonna get a mix of traffic sources Okay, Rob asks, "How important Very important but not for the reason you'd expect.
with the guy in charge of the YouTube algorithm, His name is Todd, and I cannot remember his last name. I'm not breaching any confidences or NDAs here.
replace it with the word audience. And it's generally what the other platforms In any sentence, just replace algorithm with audience.
That means that every single video you are recommended How important are the first 10 to 15 seconds of a video Really, really important because after 10, 15 seconds,
they are gonna judge a book by its cover, are that cover and the algorithm will just reflect Ecstatic asks, "What is a realistic amount of time to wait
Depends on the platform. It's unusual for something to go slow for a while you change the title, the thumbnail,
After a while you go, "Okay, well that was not a winner." The stories I've heard from people who use Instagram it's completely random.
and it really feels like it's not reflecting the audience. from god on high and going, "You, you shall, But for YouTube you'll probably know in a couple of hours.
or is it just a waste of time?" The best ever introductions were the ones from "Top Gear." So if you are just setting up expectations, great, do it,
and you can see people do this, is never conclude a question until the next one is set up. you set up expectation A and B, you resolve B.
and then at the end you resolve D and A. if you're subtle about it. "Oh, but you won't believe what happened when we did that."
is 10 seconds of 3D animation with dubstep over it and even prestige television has a skip intro button A Reddit user asks, "Is clickbait in your title
I would direct you to Veritasium's excellent video on this but as curiosity bait. If you are lying in the title and thumbnail, absolutely not.
and they won't come back. part of getting your stuff out to the world is packaging it Back when DVRs and TiVo came along in the,
the titles of shows got shorter and simpler. and "Ancient Aliens." rather than the more abstract titles that came before,
because they needed to fit in the slot on a DVR guide. on your television, on your channels to just see two words You have to package your content to fit the medium.
ThenAdvice asks, "Is it true the better for audience growth and retention?" If you are just sending out stuff
the audience isn't gonna care about it either. What you want is something summed up by the word ikigai, what you are good at, what the world needs
The stuff that took off for me had all those four things. that I was interested in and that I really did enjoy doing. It was something that the world was interested in and watch.
Like how many people are lucky enough put out as much of it as you can. if you're just doing it to tick a box,
A Quora user asks, "I want to change my YouTube niche You can't. That's the bad news. that is a continuation of my old content,
like viewing numbers are down a bit. 'cause I know from the statistics, they're sticking around and the feedback I'm getting is
some of the old audience who don't like this. of novelty and familiarity, try and make it have a connection to the other,
even if you're just changing a bit of the format, It is still a stab in the heart and the new thing is getting lower view count.
Think of it as starting from scratch You have such a start compared to everyone Subscribers are a useless metric.
Controversial opinion, YouTube should take away like there's too much cultural cachet in it, which is a number that only ever goes up.
But subscribers is meaningless because it just means and now they're not interested anymore. If you are starting in a completely new niche,
Puzzleheaded asks, "What have you learned from brand deals?" is one of those ads that is incorporated into the video. For Instagram, it may be an entire short-form video
but what I've learned is that everyone draws the line of what is selling out just below what they're doing. I will never take one from a gambling company.
that uses loot boxes and gacha mechanics I won't do that. I don't think those are acceptable. "Oh yeah, sure, I take those, but I don't take
who are gonna be looking down on me or have to take those brand deals. obviously, but a brand deal on YouTube will get you,
about 10 times what you would get And I certainly couldn't resist that. that when an up-and-coming creator
You got a sponsor! Like, get the bag." Roberto Blake asks, "What skills do you personally need Make stuff. Just make stuff.
every single thing is improved by actually making things. just worrying about every detail, worrying, Just make stuff, and every other skill
Simplyherefornow asks, "What more can I do Or do I just have to wait?" out to the audience, other than repackaging it,
Don't go wildly and post it But it is like many things about who you know, If you can collaborate with people,
if you can make those connections to other people, There is the method of doing a forced collaboration and make a video like the number of people
because that will get MrBeast's fans Are they gonna be interested in your video They're not gonna come back.
who are then not going to like what you do next. You try as many as possible and you see what you like
But that question feels like it comes from someone a YouTuber, a TikToker, and isn't sure
Like they, yeah, absolutely. What about it feels like someone who's like, What genre of music?
are you gonna stick around and do that? Try a lot of different instruments Beneficial_List asks, 'how do you deal with burnout
[exhales] I'm not a therapist. If you are just starting out and you're burned out and it's not working,
If it is your job and you have this schedule, like if you have this schedule that you have to hit you suck it up and you do it because it's your job
as you go. that is not advice for YouTube, I know folks who make content for platforms like that,
there because it is, by necessity, intimate. and for Instagram or for anything the more you tear off pieces of your soul,
into the fire of the engine, the more you do that often, And there are only so many pieces of your soul
and so many memories that you can fuel the engine with. if you can do this and still maintain a wall there's just something there, that's gonna help a lot.
without being a people pleaser?" who kind of plays the heel online like lovely in person, like actively seems to dislike the audience,
but the audience like that and he plays this character but that's still pleasing the audience. I've always said I want viewers, not fans.
and to come back and enjoy that. but ultimately part of the job is pleasing the audience Lonelylupine asks, "Are attention spans shortening
I think we are getting used to taking in more data that isn't like comedy or drama or something
If it's scripted, I'm up to three times speed. If it's just someone reading a monologue because if you're reading and you're a fast reader,
I think that people are taking in more information now Is that a bad thing? Ask us in 100 years. of this year's social scientists and neurologists,
Noele asks, "How has your content evolved and what lessons have you learned along the way?" technically in the 20th century,
I think, in that I was writing HTML for a GeoCities page. So the answer is I just kept throwing ideas out there until one worked, and then once it did that kept evolving.
I generally hate anything I've done in the past. 10-year series that I'm really proud of and would say, I'm like, "I could have done that better."
Absolutely. what content your audience likes?" They'll tell you, they will tell you so much in comments,
like you will get so many messages, but whether you pay attention to them is up to you, but maybe that's not what you want to do anymore.
The audience would like four albums to the one album they really like of yours, You have to manage those expectations and accept
what you put out and maybe that's okay. you used to be doing in the past and brings in some people Trustnobody asks, "Is the idea
and financially reckless?" I met someone a few weeks ago, and apologies who has just got 5,000 TikTok followers
I tried to suggest politely, because it was just someone I will say that explicitly now in the hope Don't do that. That's a really bad idea.
I was very, very lucky when I started that. 15 years of throwing stuff at the internet, I had kind of, "Oh, okay, this might be working,
when I had a bit of savings and the place I was working at, So I was lucky enough and that was luck. But bear in mind that I had that,
There are so many people out there who don't have that luck If you have spare time, you are in such a better position. If you have spare time and spare money, congratulations,
It is financially reckless to jump out of a job That is massively unfair. But unfortunately, capitalism.
on content creation?" Never have a hobby that turns into a job, It's infuriating.
because I can do, because I'm passionate about it please do tell me how to do it. Bbll asks, "What happens to influencers and content creators
which I will note is from the subreddit, So I get the feeling there's a bit of cynicism The answer is the same as for a TV presenter
If they had a couple of hits and then nothing else, maybe money from old views and things like that, They'll go and find a job somewhere else,
Michael Underwood is a kids' TV presenter when I was sort of in college. Kids remember him, but he's a teacher now and he's on TikTok
"Oh yeah, I remember you off the TV. He's reaching an audience, "Oh yeah, I remember you. I've got good memories of you.
What a wonderful thing to have. Again, like starting from zero, don't frame it as a loss. you have this chapter in your life
have good memories of and get good things from. Pop culture is ephemeral. Relevancy is ephemeral. and the comedown sucks.
And there are still some good ripple effects Please go watch my videos as well. [upbeat music]