Samuel Snell’s YouTube Pilots Review: 4 Reasons Beginners Choose YouTube Automation + A Faceless Alternative |IPPEI

Updated On 2023-04-25

YouTube Pilots is a mentoring program by Samuel Snell and Jacob Challinor that teaches YouTube automation using the blueprint they used to generate significant income. With YouTube automation, you build a channel that runs through outsourcing and tools like TubeBuddy and VidIQ, so it can earn with minimal hands-on work.

The opportunities in a YouTube career are enormous. Statista’s data shows that over 2.6 billion people worldwide use YouTube, which is more than a quarter of the world’s population. According to Oberlo, YouTube user growth has been consistently increasing and is predicted to reach 2.9 billion by 2025. In the US alone, 62% of viewers use YouTube daily, and 98% use it monthly. This means that YouTube has a massive and engaged audience.

In my experience with YouTube, competition is intense, and YouTube Pilots’ competitive analysis feels surface-level. To rival the likes of MrBeast, Marques Brownlee, or Veritasium, you need real competitor teardowns, clear CTR targets, and retention-curve reviews. Until those are in place, hitting YouTube Partner Program requirements (1,000 subs + 4,000 watch hours in 12 months, or 10M Shorts views in 90 days) to monetize your videos remains the main bottleneck. Plus, on-camera personalities tend to earn higher CTR and retention than faceless ones. So it’s really a struggle to get up there and earn big.

In this YouTube Pilots review, I discuss the pros and cons, what’s included, who it’s for, and if it’s worth it. I also show you 4 reasons why people choose YouTube automation and why they usually fail. Finally, if you’re after a faceless business model, I give you my alternative at the end.

YouTube Pilots Pros and Cons

Pros:

Samuel and Jacob are popular, they’re both listed as the most popular YouTube Star.
It has an exclusive members’ area.
YouTube automation is a great business model for beginners.
They receive some real positive reviews from people who try their YouTube Pilots mentoring program.

Cons:

If you already create an account, you are not liable for the refund policy even if you haven’t started the program.
You can’t preview the course unless you enroll in their course.

Price: YouTube Pilots costs £99.99 from its original price of £999.99.

Refund Policy: It offers a refund if you haven’t yet created an account and logged in to the portal.

Origin: YouTube Pilots starts in 2022.

Reputation: Samuell Snell and Jacob Challinor have a vast online audience having 846.2K and 974.3K on Tiktok alone, respectively.

August 26, 2024

I tried out YouTube Pilots, and there are definitely a few things to be aware of. First off, the refund policy is pretty strict—you’re not eligible for a refund once you create an account, even if you haven’t started the program, which feels a bit harsh. Plus, you can’t preview the course at all before you enroll, which is frustrating if you want to see what you’re getting into. On the bright side, though, Samuel and Jacob are well-known YouTube stars, and the program is getting some genuinely positive reviews.

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What Are the 4 Reasons Beginners Choose YouTube Automation?

You Don’t Need To Show Your Face. It may be uncomfortable for beginners to appear on camera, and YouTube automation allows them to create content without showing their faces. They can use pre-recorded videos, images, or other media to create engaging content without having to be on camera.
Can Be Fully Automated. YouTube automation can be fully automated, so the process of creating and uploading videos can be done automatically. Hiring freelancers and video editors can also be a helpful option for beginners who want to use YouTube automation. These professionals can assist with various aspects of YouTube content creation, such as video editing, scriptwriting, and ranking in SEO .
Can Be Highly Scalable. It enables content creators to automate repetitive tasks such as video uploading, thumbnail creation, and comment moderation, freeing up time to focus on creating high-quality content. With consistent output and faster turnarounds, creators can increase their viewership and revenue.
Potential For Passive Income. Beginners can earn money from their videos even when they are not actively working on their channel. Once their videos are uploaded and optimized, they can continue to earn revenue from ads and other sources without having to put in additional work.

What Are the 4 Reasons Beginners Fail in YouTube Automation?

Failing To Manage The Team Properly. If a beginner hires freelancers or video editors to assist with YouTube content creation, they may not manage their team effectively. This can lead to miscommunication, missed deadlines, and subpar content. It’s essential to communicate goals and expectations, provide feedback clearly, and ensure that everyone agrees.
Not Doing Research On The Niche. Another reason beginners fail in YouTube automation is that they cannot research and understand their niche. It’s essential to know your target audience, what they’re interested in, and what content performs well in your niche. Without this information, it’s difficult to create engaging and relevant content that will attract and keep viewers. It’s important to find the best YouTube automation niches to generate long-term profits.
Giving Up Too Soon. Building a successful YouTube channel takes time and effort. Beginners may become discouraged and give up too soon if they don’t see immediate results. It’s important to set realistic goals, be patient, and continue to create and upload content consistently. According to YouTube, it can take up to 3 months to 2 years to gain traction on the platform.
Relying Only On Trends. While creating content around trends and popular topics can be helpful in gaining visibility, relying solely on trends can be a mistake. Trends can be fleeting, and creating content that isn’t relevant or engaging to your target audience can hurt your channel in the long run. It’s essential to create content that aligns with your niche and target audience’s interests and preferences.

What’s Included in YouTube Pilots?

YouTube Pilots includes access to exclusive resources for creating a successful YouTube channel, including tutorials on content creation and branding, tips on scaling your channel to 5-6 figures per month, and access to an exclusive members’ area. These resources are only available to YouTube Pilots members, making them an essential tool for success on the platform. The course covers everything from channel setup to advanced monetization hacks. Here is the course content:

How to create and brandish a new YouTube Channel
An in-depth tutorial on how to create, edit, and upload content
How to create custom thumbnails
How to get monetized
How to get high CPM (Cost per thousand views)
How to get a high CTR (Click Through Rate)
How to optimize your channel views
How to find that niche that will make you go viral
How to get your first 1,000,000 views secret
Learn YouTubers’ advanced metrics
Premium tool for SEO Automated Tags
How to scale your YouTube channel to 5-6 figures a month
The secrets to going viral
The secrets adsense method
How to do SEO

Who Are Samuel Snell and Jacob Challinor?

Samuel Snell and Jacob Challinor are the founders of YouTube Pilots. They are both self-proclaimed millionaires and popular YouTube stars. Besides YouTube Pilots, they founded “Crypto Gods,” one of Australia’s largest cryptocurrency communities with over 5,000 members. Their YouTube and TikTok experience forms the basis of the YouTube Pilots methodology.

Samuel Snell is a popular social media personality and entrepreneur known for his inspiring lifestyle videos on his profile. He gained over 846.2K followers and 11.3 million likes on his TikTok alone. He is also a highly profitable crypto investor and stock trader. Samuel started investing in crypto-currencies in 2014 and became a millionaire at 18. His early years were spent in Queensland, Australia, and he now lives in Brisbane. Samuel Snell primarily posts finance and crypto-related content on his social media, much like Biaheza and Zed Monopoly.

Jacob Challinor is a famous YouTube star. As of January 9, 2023, his net worth is $5 million. He gained popularity when his video “Song Lyric Text Prank On My Crush Gone Sexual! - Chainsmokers ‘closer’ Gone Wrong!” went viral with over 2 million views. Jacob’s channel features pranks and skits, including phone calls to Roi Fabito, Miss Battleaxe, and others. He has over 1.3 million subscribers on his channel. Jacob Challinor is listed as one of the richest and most popular YouTube stars according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.

Who Is YouTube Pilots For?

YouTube Pilots is for those new to YouTube who want to start a career on the platform to generate significant income . It is also suitable for those who are camera-shy, as most YouTube automation channels are faceless. Additionally, if you already have a YouTube channel but are struggling with earning income, YouTube Pilots can help you reach your goals. The program provides in-depth tutorials on content creation, branding, and scaling your channel to 5-6 figures per month, making it a valuable resource for anyone looking to succeed on YouTube. If YouTube automation doesn’t for you, you can try the membership business model as an alternative and check my article about the Membership Guy program. You can also check out Ali Abdaal’s Part-Time Youtuber Academy for a course on creating a personality channel.

Is YouTube Pilots Worth It?

Yes, YouTube Pilots can be worth it. The program covers all the basic skills you need for content creation, including creating, editing, and uploading content on YouTube, as well as creating interesting thumbnails. Samuel and Jacob share their exact strategy for becoming successful content creators at a young age. The program also includes strategies for monetizing quickly, getting thousands of views, and advanced metrics.

However, your success ultimately depends on your dedication and willingness to put in the effort. If you are committed to following the program’s strategies and implementing them consistently, you have a greater chance of achieving success on YouTube. If you want more options, you can check my article about the top 5 YouTube automation courses .

That said, if you’re looking for a more stable, less algorithm-dependent way to build a faceless income stream, local lead generation might be the better path. It doesn’t rely on virality, trending content, or constant uploads — and yet it’s one of the most scalable faceless business models today.

Local Lead Generation vs YouTube Automation: Which Faceless Business Model Is More Reliable?

Local lead generation is a more reliable faceless business model than YouTube automation. YouTube automation is like trying to outrank MrBeast or Ryan Trahan using a Wikipedia-style channel. It’s rich in information, but missing the virality YouTube rewards. Even if your content is optimized, you’re still at the mercy of YouTube’s algorithm, which favors click-through rates, watch time, and fast viewer retention. Local lead generation is building topical authority for local services. You don’t need to chase trends. Instead, you build a website around one location and service, and rank it with local SEO. Once it ranks, it stays. Leads come in passively, without needing to “go viral” every week. Then, you sell the leads to an actual service business.

YouTube automation often requires weeks or months of testing thumbnails, scripts, and niches. And even then, you’re gambling on whether a video hits. That’s like publishing content optimized for Google’s NLP but targeting keywords no one searches for. Technically, it’s sound, but misaligned with demand. Local lead generation, however, is search-intent-first. You build a website targeting keywords like “roof repair Miami” or “tree removal Buffalo". These keywords garner in quality leads that are ready to convert.

Finally, YouTube rewards consistency, daily uploads, and deep audience engagement. Even automated channels require constant management: new topics, trends, voiceovers, and editing teams. In contrast, local lead gen sites are set-it-and-scale. Once ranked, they require minimal upkeep. This is why it creates passive income.

Local Lead Generation Is My Best Faceless Business Model

conclusion-lead-gen-maps

Local lead generation is my best faceless business model as it generates $52,000 per month for me. One website alone, like my site, Pasadena Elite Concrete Solutions, 2849 East Foothill Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91107, 626-628-1311, pasadenaeliteconcrete.com, makes $2,500 monthly. It sells 4 converted leads to my client, a local concrete company. The company makes $25,000 from those jobs and gives me a 10% commission. I earn this amount without worrying about what content to post next or how my video will perform. In fact, I spend my days traveling around the world. It’s what gave me total freedom.

If you’re interested, you can learn about this business model in my local lead gen course. I teach you how to build a website, rank it, and sell its leads. If you want to get started right away, you can also work for my roofing client. All you need to do is build and rank websites and you’ll receive a commission (around 1% to 5%).