Tuesday 4 August 2015

Honest Update

Hi guys what going on? Thought I'd share an update here as I haven't done one in a while and it's probably time I started treating this blog as a blog and not just somewhere to hang my videos.

This post in a bit lengthy but I want to be transparent without sugar coating the pill. I want you to know I'm speaking plain from this point on, telling it like it is and not being salty.


So I had some time to reflect on Go Repairs recently and by that I mean where it is now and where I want to take it.

And I have to say I don't like what it's become. Don't get me wrong I love that people watch my videos and for the very few who leave likes and share a link to the video - I really am thankful.

And my work online has had some pretty impressive numbers. My channel currently sits with 6k subs and 600K views. My written articles have also amassed over 500k readers, not including one of my projects being shared in Maker magazine and however many countless readers that would have reached.

That's well over a million views of my online work - not bad.

But really I could and should be doing better by now.

I watch a lot of YouTube videos over a broad range of topics and all made with varying levels of skill and quality. And I have to say it can be really disheartening to see other channels advance, when their video quality isn't as good as yours. I mean why do I even bother with the extra effort?

I'm not saying the BBC are going to start hiring me for my videos any time soon, but I have made continuing efforts to improve the videos I make.

It's doubly bad when a large YouTube channel (I'll mention no names) makes the same video as you, of lower quality and it still gets tons more views than your video.

Now I know this can sound like rotten eggs being chucked around and it really isn't, it's just me laying it out straight without sugar coating the truth.

It turns out the extra effort I put into videos isn't needed. As for the large YouTube channels being able to put out garbage and get tons of views, well that's just the way it is and something you have to just let go.

I understand why large channels churn out the content like they do, it actually feeds their success. I even understand why some of them used questionable strategies to get to where they are.

It's helped them get tons of views and in turn a decent amount of cash.

While I'm being open, let's talk about the cash from YouTube (oh no I acknowledged money on the internet shame on me) - it's pathetic.

1000 views of a video is roughly the equivalent of $1. Really let that sink in a second!

To generate a single dollar for a video creator, you have to either watch a thousand of their videos or the same video a thousand times.

Or you could save yourself watching a thousand videos and drop a $1 donation.

Turning attention to my own efforts of a Patreon campaign and as it stands it's at zilch, zero, nought, nada, zip, sweet f.a.

Now this is because I've drifted towards making videos people haven't wanted to support and a lack of me bringing my Patreon to peoples attention.

But I really don't want to have to do that.

If you want to help me out you will, I've intentionally not put any rewards as an incentive to donate money. That way it can't generate any animosity - so is it that people aren't aware?

Maybe people don't want to get tied in to paying monthly and would rather a one-off payment? Well you can set a limit and cancel any time, so you're covered if that's what the problem is.

In reality I could put up with low views and the videos returning little cash for future videos, if I was having fun making them - but I'm not.

I always wanted to make practical videos with useful information brought to you in my own quirky style. But in the pursuit of making my videos more "professional" I ended up moving away from what I intended to do.

Well fuck it!

I want my channel the way I originally intended it. I want to have fun, I want to do stupid shit. I'm not saying I want to make garbage, but I'm going to make what I want rather than what I feel I should.

That is another reason my channel hasn't gone the way it should by now - I'm REALLY inconsistent. That's not going to change. I like doing different things in different ways.

Some channels specifically make the same video over and over, well good for them. That's not me.

Unless I found something I was really happy recreating with a slight twist a million times I won't do  it.

One other thing I'm changing is the way I speak in videos. I introduced that sickly cheerful (ooh behind the scenes info) voice because of two reasons.

Reason 1 it's easier for people to understand if I clean my accent up a little and 2 for continuity. In the past I've filmed my audio at different times (mostly because it was noisy around me and I was waiting for a break in the noise) and I wanted the videos to all have the same tone.

But going back and watching some of my videos and oh my god can I not stand the sound of that cheery voice.

The only downside to this is that some of you might not understand me, but that's just the way it is. Also you might think I'm moody or giddy in some videos as the tone becomes more uneven - but hey that's me.

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But how will this affect the videos you're probably asking?

Well to be totally honest with you I have to be smart with my videos. I don't want you to think I'm putting any less effort into my videos, rather any changes that happen are what have to happen.

Spending a lot of time and effort on things like my Crocodile digestion animation or the fight sequence in my DIY freezing kit video can't happen. I love doing those things but let's be honest it's all unappreciated.

Also I want to start focusing on practical videos like builds, but that presents it's own challenges. I won't be able to film every part of my build, as I often have to do things in areas it's difficult to film in.

Then there is the problem of the builds themselves. If I do something easy it might be uninteresting, but everyone will able to join in. Whereas if I build something not everyone can, then I risk excluding people, but it might be more interesting to watch.

Of course I also have the problem of how much information to put in a video vs how much entertainment.

Decisions...decisions.

Obviously I'll do what works for me because I need to find my gear so I can accelerate the channel, but I'll know what to do by what resonates with people. That's the thing with YouTube when you do the right thing it just works.

Take for example my gaming channel. I've never promoted it on Go Repairs, but despite that it's grown and over taken Go Repairs in subs and views.

My most popular video (I'm not sharing the name of the channel yet) on the channel has half a million views alone, 6k likes and about 1700 comments.

I never get anywhere near those numbers on Go Repairs, but I should, I could and I want to.

Jeeze you've shook a  lot of info out of me, well what else can I tell you?

I had a sandwich for lunch.

Oh and I want to make some video games, wanted to for a long time - time to make it happen. (Making it with third party software who don't sponsor me so I want be giving them free advertising sorry).

I did make a free app that tied into a video I created on the channel, which was a BIG eye opener. The hope was the ad money it raised would help buy materials for the channel, but it seems you need millions of plays to get any real numbers, so that was a damp squib.

I'll hopefully release more details about it on the channel when it's done (it'll only be a tiny cheap to buy game). I wont share what it's about like I say until it's done, but I will tell you I did enjoy my sandwich.

I know that if you've read all the way through this post, that you're an awesome person, as hardly anybody makes it to the blog and a lot of people find it too mentally challenging to read anything more than a paragraph of writing.

So I can announce you and me are now super secret best friends (SSBF's wooo). Every time I say "so let's go" in a video - know I'm talking to you.

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