What makes a video draw viewers? A more complicated question than you might think

[Arfa]

YouTube really loves regular uploads. At least once per week. Especially until you build up a larger following. It helps if you don't need to spend a lot of time editing out unwanted footage. Avoid controversial topics unless that's your unique selling point. If you're not enjoying making the videos then people won't enjoy watching them. Evolve over time. Try new topics. Your subs will let you know if it's what they want.

Well, I'm certainly no good at that! I'm currently averaging less than half a dozen vids a year and often spend ages editing, tweaking and messing about in the video editor trying to get them just right. I'm clearly too much of a perfectionist!

 

[Moto Mengy]

Interesting take ... save time editing in order to post more videos?

-John

I've been trending the other direction: spending MORE time editing each video rather than less.

Maybe I need to look at how I can simplify my motovlogging to increase throughput? Could be time well spent and I really haven't bothered thinking about stuff like that at atll.

 

[Drakhen99]

I've been trending the other direction: spending MORE time editing each video rather than less.

Maybe I need to look at how I can simplify my motovlogging to increase throughput? Could be time well spent and I really haven't bothered thinking about stuff like that at atll.

I hear ya... it seems every time I try and figure out some new effect or filmmaking technique, my editing time goes up. On the flip side, I've gotten my efficiencies NAILED at this point [for now], so the basics take way less time. I consider things like this all the time.

For instance, I filmed a vlog Saturday as part of a destination ride I was on. It was like 20m of footage. Only took me 3.5 hours to go from raw footage to finished vlog, which includes a couple of special effects, timing cuts to music, punch-ins, and a few overlays.

As I do this more and more, I am getting better at speaking to the camera, riding to a road to film rather than filming EVERYTHING [which saves a ton of time in Resolve], less Ums and Ahs, that sort of thing. This all speeds up editing to make room for special effects and things I think will increase viewer interest and attention.

-John

 

[Ziborlun]

My latest video has doubled my daily 'hits' in the week since releasing it... No idea why. Maybe actually putting slightly more than no effort at all into a thumbnail helps a bit

 

[Meifesto]

90% of your views come through your thumbnail and title.
If they are lacking, your views will be lacking.

With the real time statistics bigger youtubers make 2 to 4 thumbnails and titles and just switch them around, to see which one gets the most clicks/views.
Now for us smaller channels this might be a bit less effective. So getting it right as much as possible the first time is important.

SEO is obviously important, but using social media is too, Facebook etc is a great way to network, Twitter and Instagram I think are less so, but they all can help

This also matters allot. Tags and description on YouTube for both YouTube and google hits. To click your perfect thumbnail, they first need to find it

I've had several people tell me the age of the channel plays a large factor, and as long as you consistently upload regular videos YT will push you to grow over time simply by the nature of the algorithm.

I don't know how i feel about this one.
Maybe it matters a really small bit. But not as much that time = growth .

A video about some specific, e.g. a specific product review (exhausts), how to fix something specific on a specific bike model, how to do specific XYZ and maintenance tasks.

Maintenance video's seems to get more views then most other video's. And they have the bonus they will keep growing, even a year later still generating some views.
But, they don't tend to provide subscribers in general, because most people watching have a (similar) problem or task and are looking for a solution or effective way to fix it. That is what they need, and they don't tend to stay for more. (unless you have a whole library of maintenance video's and they have encountered you before. )

 

[Drakhen99]

Maintenance video's seems to get more views then most other video's. And they have the bonus they will keep growing, even a year later still generating some views.
But, they don't tend to provide subscribers in general, because most people watching have a (similar) problem or task and are looking for a solution or effective way to fix it. That is what they need, and they don't tend to stay for more. (unless you have a whole library of maintenance video's and they have encountered you before. )

I think you hit on a lot of good points there - in my case, they come for the info, and I hit 'em with the ol' RAZZLE DAZZLE. Then, they subscribe.

I agree though, the viewers of maintenance/quick fix videos, well they come in for one thing and one thing only, but if they stick around to the end of the video, I think the chances are that they may click on one in your end screen, and if they watch 4 [4 seems to be the magic number], then they'll subscribe!

So, my point is to make sure your personality shines in your informational video, with the end goal of the viewer liking YOU enough to subscribe and watch more of your videos.

-John

 

[TriumfAnt]

Well, I'm certainly no good at that! I'm currently averaging less than half a dozen vids a year and often spend ages editing, tweaking and messing about in the video editor trying to get them just right. I'm clearly too much of a perfectionist!

I was no good at it either. I used to spend a couple of hours recording a vlog and then 3 or 4 days editing it for time and content. I was never going to get enough videos out there to make it big.

 

[thelensman]

The YouTube Algo is your friend. At the end of the day, there are topics that sell to audiences on or offline.

Figure out what they are and you'll get noticed by the YouTube algos.

 

[VetBiker]

I think you hit on a lot of good points there - in my case, they come for the info, and I hit 'em with the ol' RAZZLE DAZZLE. Then, they subscribe.

I agree though, the viewers of maintenance/quick fix videos, well they come in for one thing and one thing only, but if they stick around to the end of the video, I think the chances are that they may click on one in your end screen, and if they watch 4 [4 seems to be the magic number], then they'll subscribe!

So, my point is to make sure your personality shines in your informational video, with the end goal of the viewer liking YOU enough to subscribe and watch more of your videos.

-John

I think you hit the nail on the head with this

 

[Drakhen99]

I think you hit the nail on the head with this

Thanks - the unfortunate part for me is that my personality shines like a turd in a fishbowl - so I'm a one-click wonder

-John

 

[Moto Mengy]

The YouTube Algo is your friend. At the end of the day, there are topics that sell to audiences on or offline.

Figure out what they are and you'll get noticed by the YouTube algos.

I don't think motovlogging is at the top of the YT algorithm though.

 

[YBGuy]

YouTube really loves regular uploads. At least once per week. Especially until you build up a larger following. It helps if you don't need to spend a lot of time editing out unwanted footage. Avoid controversial topics unless that's your unique selling point. If you're not enjoying making the videos then people won't enjoy watching them. Evolve over time. Try new topics. Your subs will let you know if it's what they want.

I agree.

 

[YBGuy]

I don't think motovlogging is at the top of the YT algorithm though.

True, we are special, we are niche. It's what we do, so it may not be every bodies cup of tea. But then again what is the YT Algorithm? It's people stats of likes, dislikes and time watched with some code mixed in on a basic level.

 

[Meifesto]

Thanks - the unfortunate part for me is that my personality shines like a turd in a fishbowl - so I'm a one-click wonder

-John

We are all introverts who decided to film themselves for a worldwide audience...
Aren't we a bunch of weird@ss introverts xD

 

[Drakhen99]

We are all introverts who decided to film themselves for a worldwide audience...
Aren't we a bunch of weird@ss introverts xD

Yes, but I tend to be overly critical of my own content, which hinders my growth, I think. I almost always watch someone else's video and ask myself why I can't be that good at talking to the camera, or editing, or have interesting things to talk about.

-John

 

[HippoDrone]

Yes, but I tend to be overly critical of my own content, which hinders my growth, I think. I almost always watch someone else's video and ask myself why I can't be that good at talking to the camera, or editing, or have interesting things to talk about.

-John

You are great at talking to the camera, I do think you worry a bit too much about your editing too, you are very proficient and put far more effort into it than everyone else!

 

[Drakhen99]

You are great at talking to the camera, I do think you worry a bit too much about your editing too, you are very proficient and put far more effort into it than everyone else!

Thanks @HippoDrone , I appreciate that... we'll see if you appreciate some of my upcoming videos. With taking on Lego as a new obsession/habit/hobby/huge expenditure, I have not been editing nearly as much, and I've been slowing down the pace of my videos. We'll see how that turns out.

It's funny, I feel like I'm cheating now. I record with The Remote, from GoPro, and I end up with about 20% of the footage I used to have to deal with. Between that and the aero mods I made to my Harley, it's taking me 2 hours or so to edit most vlogs, instead of the 4+ it used to take. It just feels weird to go through, say, "yep, that's good enough" and then log the hours in my spreadsheet, only to realize it says 1.5. Then I go back and add a fancy intro or something

-John

 

[Dewey316]

Smarter not harder, John. I don't know how you managed the sheer amount of footage you were taking, I did an 11 day trip and took less footage than you have taken for a single vlog.

I think the attention to detail has really made your style. And I am with Hippo, you are good on camera, there is nothing to be self conscious about there.

The thing is, there are plenty of huge channels, whos editing is what I would call, sub-par, so I don't think the editing makes or breaks vlogs. I think at the end of it all, a compelling story or topic that keep viewers interested is king.

 

[Meifesto]

I almost always watch someone else's video and ask myself why I can't be that good at talking to the camera, or editing

yupe, watching good high quality content before editing to get in the mood.
And then never be happy with the end product

 

[Moto Mengy]

Thanks @HippoDrone , I appreciate that... we'll see if you appreciate some of my upcoming videos. With taking on Lego as a new obsession/habit/hobby/huge expenditure, I have not been editing nearly as much, and I've been slowing down the pace of my videos. We'll see how that turns out.

It's funny, I feel like I'm cheating now. I record with The Remote, from GoPro, and I end up with about 20% of the footage I used to have to deal with. Between that and the aero mods I made to my Harley, it's taking me 2 hours or so to edit most vlogs, instead of the 4+ it used to take. It just feels weird to go through, say, "yep, that's good enough" and then log the hours in my spreadsheet, only to realize it says 1.5. Then I go back and add a fancy intro or something

-John

Dude, Lego is a life long passion of mine!!!