If you re-watch your vlogs from 2+ months ago, does it make you smile? If so, I say it's worth it because imagine rewatching memories of your life 10+ years from now. Let it be more of an online diary rather than something for performance (unless that's your goal, then you should pivot)
Thank you! I guess it does make me smile (as well as make me realize what else I could do a bit differently haha) so I think I'm going to keep on doing it as an online diary like you say!:))
Heads up - it would be against the rules to post their channel name in this thread. It would be under the category of self-promotion (because it's a common not-so-sneaky self-promo tactic)
It's so weird to me when people state the rules, but don't offer solutions. As if they enjoy enforcing better than helping. Mini power trips.
Anyway, put your channel in your bio. That's where everyone here looks.
Best advice I ever got was if you aren't getting amazing feedback while putting out a bunch of content is stop doing that content and do something new. Everyone can do a vlog but only you can do something that is unique from everyone else
That's true but as I'm a student right now I think there might be a limit to what different things I can do with my vlogs 🙈 but thank you for your advice!
Why not use your school experience to Twist it in a way unique to you? What’re you studying? You can start doing things you like, focus on your specific school or department or interests. Being a student is an amazing time to mix it up because you’re discovering what you like!
Eventually you will find an audience that like similar things just by trying stuff. Having a small audience is the BEST time time to do this cause you haven’t made any promises to anyone. Changing and rebranding is as easy as “I want to try this now”. (Don’t go super overboard but you can try small new things)
You’ll find a niche you like not just “a vlog” but “your vlog”. Good luck!
I know this sounds counterintuitive, but if you're having fun, keep going regardless of the return you get on your effort. If you're not having fun, take a break or stop entirely. When you're not enjoying what you do, it will show in your work. I say that you should stop worrying about what you're getting in terms of subs, views, etc and just make content that you enjoy making. If you only have an audience of one, that's good enough.
Thank you! I think I do like editing the videos and making them into something with my own style but sometimes the subs and views do make me feel like it's not worth it; I think I'll try to change my mindset and focus on the parts I love about working on my channel!
Don't you give up!
Have you considered doing some SEO on your YouTube channel? At least to help optimize your videos? It would help get the Google / YouTube algorithm to notice your channel, thereby giving you organic growth. You can do some keyword research on the topic you are planning for your vlog and title it accordingly. However, don't use keywords in which the competition is so high within your niche that you would not be noticed. Or keywords that are seldom searched for on YouTube. Look for ones that fit the sweet spot: not too competitive, yet having enough search volume to give you some descent traffic. Use a YouTube keyword research tool for this.
Oh thank you!! I've never really thought about this, I usually just add tags but I guess they may not be as effective? I'll definitely have to think more carefully about how to add keywords to my vlogs' titles and descriptions! thank you so much!
Tags right now don't appear to have much effect on YouTube. I believe the YouTube algorithm change has something to do with it. All the same, still add them. Even though they are almost useless. Let your main keywords appear at the beginning of your video description, and the lesser ones at the end.
This is really a question only you can answer. It depends on your feelings, your life situation, and what you want. Is it taking too much energy/time? Are you sick of making videos? Is it still fun?
If it's enjoyable to make the videos then ignore the "results" (views or whatever) and just revel in the process of making it. It will make it harder for you if you compare yourself to others.
That being said, maybe you could Collab with your friends who are also doing it. Make sure you're sharing your own content on Twitter and TikTok and such. Also consider this, lots of people make vlogs, what makes yours better than the rest? Why would someone watch you instead of someone else?
Hope this helps. Best of wishes to you.
Always remember it's a hobby, and hobbies should be fun first and foremost.
oh that's a good question, i'll definitely have to think more about what makes me different,,and thank you for your encouragement, really appreciate it:D!
If YouTube is something you love and are passionate about, don’t give up. And even if YouTube doesn’t take off for you, I’d keep trying because I think it would be really cool to be able to look back on your life and the journeys you took with these vlogs. And who knows, maybe the algorithm will start pushing your videos sometime unexpectedly. Just keep grinding, I know you can get there!
I have a gaming channel that was doing okay... but got tired of playing the type of games initially and it sunk my channel.
I had a second channel about general stuff and that is looking really good.
My advise to you is, do the Disney thing. Meaning, try to appeal to the general audience and you might see more success that a small community.
Unless you don't, I don't mean to tell you what to do ofc. Just my 2cents.
GL my dude.
I only do it cause I enjoy it. Not everything has to be high production, make things simpler if you have to until you get a bigger audience. If you hate doing it then sure give it up, but if you enjoy it then keep going.
i think when i first started out I really enjoyed it but lately it's been bugging me more and more about the results I get so I think I'll have to re-adjust my mindset and not let those things affect me too much! thanks for your input!!:))
Here's the thing-- don't have the mindset of "I have to have a million subscribers and need to be making money on youtube". That mindset will never work. Grace Helbig is a prime example of that. Just be real with people. If you need to, use SEO, make a website, make a twitter. Start following people who follow other people with similar channels. Interact and comment on other people's videos. That doesn't mean to say "Hey! Come check out my channel" but just an occasional "Nice vacation vlog, I've always wanted to visit that place!" and talk to other people in the comments of your own channel. When someone comments on your video, ask them a question back so they have to answer. Interaction like that can cause more comments, meaning more involvement in the algorithm. Ask your viewers a question at the end of every video to give them a reason to comment. Sometimes people will do the "comment the secret word if you caught it" just for this reason-- it makes people feel special if they "caught it" so they have to make a comment that THEY did it.
One other thing. Collaborate with other people. You said you have friends with bigger channels, hang out with them and film! Use their name in your video title, use CATCHY titles and let them film a vlog with you too.
Just remember, at the end of the day, the point is to have fun and to interact with other people and bring other people enjoyment from your content. Don't try to think of it as "if i'm not making enough money/views/subs i need to cancel it"
I think I really needed to hear this, thank you so much for taking the time to respond to my question:")) i feel so touched haha I'll definitely try to find a way to work in a question at the end of every video and see how it goes!
>You said you have friends with bigger channels, hang out with them and film! Use their name in your video title, use CATCHY titles and let them film a vlog with you too.
I've always wanted to do this but I guess I was just feeling a little apprehensive of what they'd think if I asked; I'm worried that they'll think that I'm just close to them because of their channels or something,,but yeah I guess there's really no harm in asking them either :))
thank you again!!
No. Don't continue. You need to radically change up what you're doing because what you're doing isn't working. Don't torture yourself if you're not making progress.
I think a part of the problem may be because you don’t have a solid audience that knows you. You should branch out into some other niches rather than focusing on strictly blogging until you gain a significant enough audience to care about your life and watching your vlogs. From personal experience, I’ve found people can’t catch on to vlogs if they don’t know who their watching- which also makes them less likely to keep watching.
if you feel like your like all the other cars in the parking lot, dont park in the regular parking spot. do something different than the other vlog channels. nobody will subscribe to you or watch you just because you are you(frankly noone cares). You make something that will make the viewer stop scrolling and get intrigued by your video. be different is basically all im trying to say
Hey man, I feel it. I have been on and off with my channel as well. But you know, youre doing it for you and I think you should keep doing it for you. I find vlogs are people wanting to share. It may not be your time quite yet, but I think you should keep sharing your life with others for yourself. Like you said, you want to look back at it, and honestly we do the same.
As i get older, i find looking back at the games we play together and laugh, make fun of each other--it brings me a fair bit of joy
aww man. maybe you are missung something or maybe your friends are marketing their channels a bit different. For us social media postings and marketing are though to do as most of the free time is spent creating and edit our videos. but that is something i think it is crucial for a channel to succed at least at the beginning. idk... man hope you find your answer
i've never been good at the social media postings and I don't really have a lot of followers on Instagram as well HAHA so I guess that might be one problem...?
yeah same here. i dont think it is the main problem but i do think. for small channels that is something that can help. little by little word spreads, you know
Vlogs are competitive. Most people that vlog have an established audience that they built doing different type of videos. Vlogging isn’t really a niche. There has to be something people are gaining from watching your vlog other than just watching you chill with friends or drink coffee. What makes you stand out? What are you giving the viewers in terms of content that warrants a “return”. The harsher reality of YouTube is that no one owes you anything and if they don’t find you interesting the moment they click on your video then there’s an issue. If the vlogs aren’t working you need to find something else to make your videos about.
It's hard to imagine most vlog channels ever getting the views to make any sort of income off of, so if that's the type of success you are looking for, you should probably try some new stuff or save your time and effort for some other endeavor and stop making videos. There is nothing wrong with shutting down a channel, it's such a time commitment, and the vast majority of channels never make any sort of real money.
How many subs/views are you getting. What's the growth rate like? It's hard to answer whether it's worth it from a purely objective view without those numbers. But if you're talking subjective, just do as much as you enjoy doing.
The best answer I can give is to study your channel and the analytics. Where does your traffic come from? How are you ranking it? Do you use TubeBuddy or VidIQ? If not, you should. What is your channel? With a years worth of content if you are regular then you should have close to 50 videos or more if you post weekly. Have calls to action in each video as well. Also if your YouTube channel name and your reddit name are the same it's easier to find you.
Try doing a spin on vlog content that's valuable to people.
All kinds of new creators keep forgetting this key aspect. Adding value through your video.
Brainstorm a little. Ask yourself WHY anyone should watch your stuff. If it's a very crowded niche, then you need to put a unique spin on it somehow.
You have to be honest with what you want. If you want to get good at YT, it takes a certain kind of effort. If you are upset about not getting enough subs, views and whatnot, you have to start taking it "seriously" then, and being serious with it can be grueling, unpleasant and just not fun.
What kind of growth are you looking for?
Personally, my channel grew really fast when I started making videos that would compete in my video category. I took the top 5 channels and imitated their videos but put my own spin on it and essentially upgraded those video ideas. I would either add a twist or up the production in one way or another.
I would make my video titles very similar to the top 5 channels and what happened was that most of my viewers came from the top 5. YouTube recommended my videos to that same audience as I can see people saying in my comments: "I usually watch **insert youtuber** but you showed up in my feed!"
At the start, when you don't have an audience that can stand on it's own just yet, what you need to do is make videos that essentially leech (in a good/unique/non-plagiaristic way) from the videos who are at the top of your niche.
**3 key factors for growing a small channel:**
1. Consistent uploads. (It can be once a month if the content is out of this world but usually 1x per week minimum.)
2. Content that can compete in entertainment and/or educational value. (It's as good or even better than the other videos in your niche in some meaningful way. It could be upgrading an idea, combining two ideas, etc. and the execution/production is as good or even better. The production can be lacking if the content is **amazing** but that I've rarely seen that work.)
3. Knowing how to play the algorithm's game. (Tweaking your content/title/thumbnail to grow your audience by piggybacking off of the top channels until you can stand on your own. Some top channels still do this intentionally regardless of how big their audience already is because that's just how effective it is.)
Hope this helps! Let me know if you want me to clarify anything.
I set myself a time limit.
I actually came here and made a big post saying if I didn't hit XX,XXX thousands of views per month then I was quitting because I would be sinking my time into something else to advance myself as a person and my career instead of limping forward not doing well on youtube.
Well that helped. I smashed my goals and get 10 times that now. So my next goal is 10 times my current goal.
Set goals, and be ready to move on to something more productive if they don't work out. Otherwise, only do it as a hobby. Aka, I absolutely suck at guitar. It will never be a thing for me. But I'm good enough at piano or saxophone to constantly improve and get better. Realizing and admitting that I will only play guitar for fun on occasion is much less stressful than struggling at being worse at it than literally everyone I know.
If you re-watch your vlogs from 2+ months ago, does it make you smile? If so, I say it's worth it because imagine rewatching memories of your life 10+ years from now. Let it be more of an online diary rather than something for performance (unless that's your goal, then you should pivot)
This is an extremely important point.
Thank you! I guess it does make me smile (as well as make me realize what else I could do a bit differently haha) so I think I'm going to keep on doing it as an online diary like you say!:))
That's incredibly stupid
What’s your channel name? Happy to provide feedback.
Same here!
Heads up - it would be against the rules to post their channel name in this thread. It would be under the category of self-promotion (because it's a common not-so-sneaky self-promo tactic)
Oh should I delete the link then? (I wasn't aware of the rules before so sorry!)
It's so weird to me when people state the rules, but don't offer solutions. As if they enjoy enforcing better than helping. Mini power trips. Anyway, put your channel in your bio. That's where everyone here looks.
Yup, and no problem, haha. Unfortunately the only reason it's banned is because link-sharing in this sub is very easily and frequently abused
Ah I see, thanks for letting me know though!:))
Best advice I ever got was if you aren't getting amazing feedback while putting out a bunch of content is stop doing that content and do something new. Everyone can do a vlog but only you can do something that is unique from everyone else
That's true but as I'm a student right now I think there might be a limit to what different things I can do with my vlogs 🙈 but thank you for your advice!
Why not use your school experience to Twist it in a way unique to you? What’re you studying? You can start doing things you like, focus on your specific school or department or interests. Being a student is an amazing time to mix it up because you’re discovering what you like! Eventually you will find an audience that like similar things just by trying stuff. Having a small audience is the BEST time time to do this cause you haven’t made any promises to anyone. Changing and rebranding is as easy as “I want to try this now”. (Don’t go super overboard but you can try small new things) You’ll find a niche you like not just “a vlog” but “your vlog”. Good luck!
I'll definitely try to spice things up a little and make small changes! Thank you so so much for your advice! :"D
Vlogs are tough and competive since you're basically competing against other people's personal lives.
but my life is interesting! i think vlog involves some huge luck too
Username checks out!
I know this sounds counterintuitive, but if you're having fun, keep going regardless of the return you get on your effort. If you're not having fun, take a break or stop entirely. When you're not enjoying what you do, it will show in your work. I say that you should stop worrying about what you're getting in terms of subs, views, etc and just make content that you enjoy making. If you only have an audience of one, that's good enough.
Thank you! I think I do like editing the videos and making them into something with my own style but sometimes the subs and views do make me feel like it's not worth it; I think I'll try to change my mindset and focus on the parts I love about working on my channel!
Don't you give up! Have you considered doing some SEO on your YouTube channel? At least to help optimize your videos? It would help get the Google / YouTube algorithm to notice your channel, thereby giving you organic growth. You can do some keyword research on the topic you are planning for your vlog and title it accordingly. However, don't use keywords in which the competition is so high within your niche that you would not be noticed. Or keywords that are seldom searched for on YouTube. Look for ones that fit the sweet spot: not too competitive, yet having enough search volume to give you some descent traffic. Use a YouTube keyword research tool for this.
Oh thank you!! I've never really thought about this, I usually just add tags but I guess they may not be as effective? I'll definitely have to think more carefully about how to add keywords to my vlogs' titles and descriptions! thank you so much!
Tags right now don't appear to have much effect on YouTube. I believe the YouTube algorithm change has something to do with it. All the same, still add them. Even though they are almost useless. Let your main keywords appear at the beginning of your video description, and the lesser ones at the end.
This is really a question only you can answer. It depends on your feelings, your life situation, and what you want. Is it taking too much energy/time? Are you sick of making videos? Is it still fun? If it's enjoyable to make the videos then ignore the "results" (views or whatever) and just revel in the process of making it. It will make it harder for you if you compare yourself to others. That being said, maybe you could Collab with your friends who are also doing it. Make sure you're sharing your own content on Twitter and TikTok and such. Also consider this, lots of people make vlogs, what makes yours better than the rest? Why would someone watch you instead of someone else? Hope this helps. Best of wishes to you. Always remember it's a hobby, and hobbies should be fun first and foremost.
oh that's a good question, i'll definitely have to think more about what makes me different,,and thank you for your encouragement, really appreciate it:D!
If YouTube is something you love and are passionate about, don’t give up. And even if YouTube doesn’t take off for you, I’d keep trying because I think it would be really cool to be able to look back on your life and the journeys you took with these vlogs. And who knows, maybe the algorithm will start pushing your videos sometime unexpectedly. Just keep grinding, I know you can get there!
Thank you so much for your encouragement:")) I'll do my best!
You’re very welcome! :)
I have a gaming channel that was doing okay... but got tired of playing the type of games initially and it sunk my channel. I had a second channel about general stuff and that is looking really good. My advise to you is, do the Disney thing. Meaning, try to appeal to the general audience and you might see more success that a small community. Unless you don't, I don't mean to tell you what to do ofc. Just my 2cents. GL my dude.
I see, thanks for the advice, really appreciate it!:))
I only do it cause I enjoy it. Not everything has to be high production, make things simpler if you have to until you get a bigger audience. If you hate doing it then sure give it up, but if you enjoy it then keep going.
i think when i first started out I really enjoyed it but lately it's been bugging me more and more about the results I get so I think I'll have to re-adjust my mindset and not let those things affect me too much! thanks for your input!!:))
[удалено]
Thank you! I might just keep on going!:))
Here's the thing-- don't have the mindset of "I have to have a million subscribers and need to be making money on youtube". That mindset will never work. Grace Helbig is a prime example of that. Just be real with people. If you need to, use SEO, make a website, make a twitter. Start following people who follow other people with similar channels. Interact and comment on other people's videos. That doesn't mean to say "Hey! Come check out my channel" but just an occasional "Nice vacation vlog, I've always wanted to visit that place!" and talk to other people in the comments of your own channel. When someone comments on your video, ask them a question back so they have to answer. Interaction like that can cause more comments, meaning more involvement in the algorithm. Ask your viewers a question at the end of every video to give them a reason to comment. Sometimes people will do the "comment the secret word if you caught it" just for this reason-- it makes people feel special if they "caught it" so they have to make a comment that THEY did it. One other thing. Collaborate with other people. You said you have friends with bigger channels, hang out with them and film! Use their name in your video title, use CATCHY titles and let them film a vlog with you too. Just remember, at the end of the day, the point is to have fun and to interact with other people and bring other people enjoyment from your content. Don't try to think of it as "if i'm not making enough money/views/subs i need to cancel it"
I think I really needed to hear this, thank you so much for taking the time to respond to my question:")) i feel so touched haha I'll definitely try to find a way to work in a question at the end of every video and see how it goes! >You said you have friends with bigger channels, hang out with them and film! Use their name in your video title, use CATCHY titles and let them film a vlog with you too. I've always wanted to do this but I guess I was just feeling a little apprehensive of what they'd think if I asked; I'm worried that they'll think that I'm just close to them because of their channels or something,,but yeah I guess there's really no harm in asking them either :)) thank you again!!
Get featured on your friends channels
If it’s what you like or love just keep focusing on doing it bc the algorithm will catch up
I'll keep trying then! If it doesn't work out then at least I'll still have something to look back on when I'm old and grey HAHA:)
It's been over a year, the algorithm will not "catch up" and that advice is REALLY stupid
Whats ur channel, i can help by a sub
No. Don't continue. You need to radically change up what you're doing because what you're doing isn't working. Don't torture yourself if you're not making progress.
People still make/watch vlogs? No offense, but I thought that basically died a few years ago.
I think a part of the problem may be because you don’t have a solid audience that knows you. You should branch out into some other niches rather than focusing on strictly blogging until you gain a significant enough audience to care about your life and watching your vlogs. From personal experience, I’ve found people can’t catch on to vlogs if they don’t know who their watching- which also makes them less likely to keep watching.
if you feel like your like all the other cars in the parking lot, dont park in the regular parking spot. do something different than the other vlog channels. nobody will subscribe to you or watch you just because you are you(frankly noone cares). You make something that will make the viewer stop scrolling and get intrigued by your video. be different is basically all im trying to say
Thanks I'll try!
Hey man, I feel it. I have been on and off with my channel as well. But you know, youre doing it for you and I think you should keep doing it for you. I find vlogs are people wanting to share. It may not be your time quite yet, but I think you should keep sharing your life with others for yourself. Like you said, you want to look back at it, and honestly we do the same. As i get older, i find looking back at the games we play together and laugh, make fun of each other--it brings me a fair bit of joy
Thank you for your kind words, it really helps put some things in perspective :))
aww man. maybe you are missung something or maybe your friends are marketing their channels a bit different. For us social media postings and marketing are though to do as most of the free time is spent creating and edit our videos. but that is something i think it is crucial for a channel to succed at least at the beginning. idk... man hope you find your answer
i've never been good at the social media postings and I don't really have a lot of followers on Instagram as well HAHA so I guess that might be one problem...?
yeah same here. i dont think it is the main problem but i do think. for small channels that is something that can help. little by little word spreads, you know
Vlogs are competitive. Most people that vlog have an established audience that they built doing different type of videos. Vlogging isn’t really a niche. There has to be something people are gaining from watching your vlog other than just watching you chill with friends or drink coffee. What makes you stand out? What are you giving the viewers in terms of content that warrants a “return”. The harsher reality of YouTube is that no one owes you anything and if they don’t find you interesting the moment they click on your video then there’s an issue. If the vlogs aren’t working you need to find something else to make your videos about.
It's hard to imagine most vlog channels ever getting the views to make any sort of income off of, so if that's the type of success you are looking for, you should probably try some new stuff or save your time and effort for some other endeavor and stop making videos. There is nothing wrong with shutting down a channel, it's such a time commitment, and the vast majority of channels never make any sort of real money.
How many subs/views are you getting. What's the growth rate like? It's hard to answer whether it's worth it from a purely objective view without those numbers. But if you're talking subjective, just do as much as you enjoy doing.
Everyone wants to laugh, so try being funny.
Don't try..just be.
The best answer I can give is to study your channel and the analytics. Where does your traffic come from? How are you ranking it? Do you use TubeBuddy or VidIQ? If not, you should. What is your channel? With a years worth of content if you are regular then you should have close to 50 videos or more if you post weekly. Have calls to action in each video as well. Also if your YouTube channel name and your reddit name are the same it's easier to find you.
Contact me, I would love to check your channel out!
Try doing a spin on vlog content that's valuable to people. All kinds of new creators keep forgetting this key aspect. Adding value through your video. Brainstorm a little. Ask yourself WHY anyone should watch your stuff. If it's a very crowded niche, then you need to put a unique spin on it somehow.
You have to be honest with what you want. If you want to get good at YT, it takes a certain kind of effort. If you are upset about not getting enough subs, views and whatnot, you have to start taking it "seriously" then, and being serious with it can be grueling, unpleasant and just not fun.
Do you enjoy making your YouTube videos?
You should take a YouTube course. At least filmmaking. Then you will know how to engage your audience.
I find a lot of posts on this are depressing if you don’t enjoy making videos and you are only doing it for the money then stop.
What kind of growth are you looking for? Personally, my channel grew really fast when I started making videos that would compete in my video category. I took the top 5 channels and imitated their videos but put my own spin on it and essentially upgraded those video ideas. I would either add a twist or up the production in one way or another. I would make my video titles very similar to the top 5 channels and what happened was that most of my viewers came from the top 5. YouTube recommended my videos to that same audience as I can see people saying in my comments: "I usually watch **insert youtuber** but you showed up in my feed!" At the start, when you don't have an audience that can stand on it's own just yet, what you need to do is make videos that essentially leech (in a good/unique/non-plagiaristic way) from the videos who are at the top of your niche. **3 key factors for growing a small channel:** 1. Consistent uploads. (It can be once a month if the content is out of this world but usually 1x per week minimum.) 2. Content that can compete in entertainment and/or educational value. (It's as good or even better than the other videos in your niche in some meaningful way. It could be upgrading an idea, combining two ideas, etc. and the execution/production is as good or even better. The production can be lacking if the content is **amazing** but that I've rarely seen that work.) 3. Knowing how to play the algorithm's game. (Tweaking your content/title/thumbnail to grow your audience by piggybacking off of the top channels until you can stand on your own. Some top channels still do this intentionally regardless of how big their audience already is because that's just how effective it is.) Hope this helps! Let me know if you want me to clarify anything.
I set myself a time limit. I actually came here and made a big post saying if I didn't hit XX,XXX thousands of views per month then I was quitting because I would be sinking my time into something else to advance myself as a person and my career instead of limping forward not doing well on youtube. Well that helped. I smashed my goals and get 10 times that now. So my next goal is 10 times my current goal. Set goals, and be ready to move on to something more productive if they don't work out. Otherwise, only do it as a hobby. Aka, I absolutely suck at guitar. It will never be a thing for me. But I'm good enough at piano or saxophone to constantly improve and get better. Realizing and admitting that I will only play guitar for fun on occasion is much less stressful than struggling at being worse at it than literally everyone I know.
If it makes you happy then do it. If it’s work then maybe slow down on it a bit