How YouTube Helped Katie Devlin Fill in a Gap Within the Crafting Community
I don’t think Youtube gets enough credit for the power it has to teach.
On social media, we see a lot of written text or short-form video tutorials, but when you’re trying to go in-depth with something that requires visual training, Reels and social media posts fall short.
That’s what Katie Devlin, a student inside Video Strategy Academy, discovered, and it’s a problem she faced often…that is until she started using YouTube!
With it, she was able to grow a channel, teach nearly 1,000 people how to craft using a Glowforge, lock down partnerships, and more importantly — fill a gap that’s been present within the crafting community for years!
Meet Katie
Katie started crafting with a Glowforge at the start of 2021, though she’d been a crafter for many, many years before. She loved what she did, but realized that finding the right resources in a way that didn’t require scattered Google searches was tough. There were lots of great ways to learn, but only if you had the time to sift through pages of search results.
Not only that, but most of them were listed in text-only format — something that was difficult to learn from since so much of what she needed to know was visual and hands-on.
So even without a design background, social media presence, or existing customer base, she decided to wield her lineup of resources to make it easier, and quicker, to learn how to craft using a Glowforge.
Through blog posts, downloadable/printable guides, and even one-on-one coaching sessions, she teaches you everything you need to know in a fun, go at your own pace kind of way!
Why Katie decided to start focusing on YouTube
Katie’s YouTube journey has only been in the works since 2021, but it’s already been a huge success. When we asked Katie about what got her started, she said:
“I had been playing on Instagram for a while but wasn’t happy with the results. It was frustrating in terms of growing my audience and reaching more people.
I like to teach, I’m a laser maker, so I was using stories to do that. But I found that I struggled with short-form videos, so even Reels weren’t working for my audience. What I do is something you need to see to be able to grasp, and that’s just not something you can do with the kind of video Instagram offers.
So, YouTube felt like the right next step. It offered me a way to share my content and teach from my experience in a way that Instagram hadn’t. And learning from Trena taught me about the evergreen content concept of it all. It was definitely appealing to me to think that a year after I create a video, someone could still come and connect with me and see what I’m up to now. It opens the door for so many possibilities.”
But she wasn’t always open to YouTube
Like many out there, Katie was not sure if YouTube was right for her.
“For the longest time, I was hesitant to get on YouTube. I wasn’t sure about the logistics — filming, thinking about what content to create, knowing what materials and technology you need to create long-form video…that stuff.
I had heard a lot about just using your phone as a camera, but like, where do you look when it’s filming? What content is interesting to my audience? I didn’t know any of the smaller stuff like that. I didn’t want to post just to post. How would I know if what I was doing was working — not as a full-time YouTuber, but as someone who was trying to grow an audience for my business?
Of course, Video Strategy Academy really helped with that and Trena was great about walking us through the entire process from start to finish, including all the little details. It definitely eased some of those concerns and made things more clear and concise.”
What surprised Katie about YouTube
After going through Video Strategy Academy, Katie says she was surprised that YouTube was so easy.
“It's not as intimidating as I thought! Again, having things like the live demo inside of the course helped. I got to see how Trena filmed, and she stopped and talked through it all. That helped so much because it taught me not to be afraid to make mistakes and feel like I needed to re-record everything if it wasn’t perfect.
I also learned a lot about editing videos from start to finish. Instead of theoretical it was all very practical. Now, creating YouTube content does take me a lot of time (because I’m still relatively new to it), but It’s not nearly as overwhelming. I don’t find myself overthinking it as much.”
Contributing growth directly to YouTube
Luckily, Katie dove right in — and saw some direct results.
“I started my channel in March of 2022, and I’ve seen growth that I’m more than happy with. I didn’t have any subscribers when I started, and I had no idea about what needed to be produced to start working toward delivering digital content for laser makers. And now, I’ve got around 700 subscribers.
I've even had some great opportunities because of my YouTube channel, like partnerships, even though I have under 1,000 subscribers. I’ve done sponsored content, and gifted items, and I'm still growing my audience enough to have additional content.
I’ll see anywhere from 100-125 new subscribers a month, even though I may not be the best when it comes to consistency. And I know it’s because my content follows the formula Trena taught. It targets what my audience wants, doubles down on what does well, and identifies ways to keep making content that people want.
I’ve also been able to grow my email list, which is a plus because I hadn’t done much with it before!”
And as for her most successful videos…
They’re still pretty new. But don’t be fooled, they’re already doing big things.
“The two most successful videos for me have been relatively new, seeing results within the last few months of the original post date.
The first would be my “5 Beginner Projects to Make First With Your Glowforge” video. I think it’s because it follows a searchable formula. It’s even on the first page on Google when you search “Glowforge beginner projects” and has over 4,000 views — which for me, with only 700 subscribers feels huge!
And the other would be “Starting a Profitable Glowforge Laser Business - a conversation with Sarah Heep of Heep Design Co.” I think it’s because of the community aspect in it. I wanted to talk and initiate a conversation to break up the kind of content I release. And it was my #1 video right out of the gate, and still gets views every day.”
How YouTube fits into her overall business strategy
While she was hesitant to start her YouTube channel, we’re happy to report that YouTube has become one of the pillars of Katie’s marketing strategy:
“It’s now my primary social media marketing engine. I want to build a community because I can deliver content in a way that gives them a steady flow of resources.
People who want to learn what I do can find better answers through YouTube. And I enjoy interacting in the comments. It feels great to help people do what I do without having to do it in person. They can watch what I walk through and use it at their leisure.”
What more people should know about YouTube
When asked what she wishes more small business owners knew about starting a YouTube channel, Katie said:
“It’s much easier than you think it is. If you watch YouTube gurus, they're teaching what it takes to become a YouTuber. And that looks overwhelming (at least to me it does). But what Trena teaches is how to find your audience, how to find your people. People want to learn more about what you’re doing, about what you’re teaching. No matter what it is they do for business — and even if they’re product owners.
You don’t have to be the #1 person on YouTube or have a huge audience to do this either. The algorithm feeds you back the right people for your content if used properly. You get better leads. People who are actually interested. And it’s so easy because of the metrics available to you, right there on the platform. That makes it easy to track and understand what changes to make, versus the guessing game you have to play on Instagram.
YouTube is very data-driven — which I think is something business owners can enjoy.”
Want to make this happen for you?
If YouTube feels like one big mystery to you like it did to Katie, it may be time to consider some help…an easy-to-follow manual type of help that’s got all the right formulas and strategies to get started.
Like the kind of help offered inside of Video Strategy Academy!
This is your fast-track system to unlocking the secrets behind creating, and growing, a YouTube strategy that fits your business. Learn how to:
Avoid procrastinating and have your channel working for you in 30 days or less
Use the 4:1 video planning method so you can film a MONTH of videos in just one day
Increase site traffic and sales with each published video even if you are STRUGGLING to get sales and traffic now
Build trust with your audience and make YouTube a hub for connecting with your audience
Build a no-overwhelm system for filming videos, even if you’ve never recorded a single thing
You’ll get 6 modules AND a private Facebook group where you can ask questions, share your successes, and learn from our team and other VSA members.
Get ready to see success with Video Strategy Academy — JOIN HERE NOW!
