Comparison is the Thief of Joy - Are you influenced by other motovloggers?

Moto Mengy

Motovlogger from PA, USA
Mar 23, 2020
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So I watched a video by Her Two Wheels this morning while eating my breakfast where she talked about how she's managed to grow her channel so fast. One of the things she said was how she doesn't watch other motovloggers because she doesn't want to be influenced by them. She has the goal of doing her own thing creatively and is afraid if she watches what others are doing she might find herself trying to emulate them. She also would rather spend that time working on her own channel instead of watching videos.

I found that interesting. Even though I have my own channel now I still spend a LOT of time watching other motovloggers. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't been influenced by other motovloggers, but personally I don't see that as a bad thing? I've learned a lot by seeing what others are doing, and I feel my own channel has improved by what I've learned from others. Plus I love commenting in other people's videos too, makes this motovlogging thing feel more like a community in my opinion.

Does anyone here NOT watch other people's motovlogs like Jess to avoid being influenced creatively by them? It's something I never really considered before.
 

HippoDrone

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I don't watch her channel lol.... is weird she says that though as not many videos back on her channel she was hanging with Shadetree Surgeon and Jake the Garden Snake etc "hanging with her best mates".

I watch a lot of channels, 219 currently, some of them don't post videos anymore sadly, and some only occasionally, but I mostly enjoy watching the content from those that do post regularly.

I love the community side of things, and seeing the world through other people's eyes. I feel that I generally do my own thing, but have learnt from other people's content either things I needed to improve on, or things I'd avoid doing.

One thing I've learned outside of motovlogging, is we are all individuals, so I may see someone do something cool (360 cameras for example), but I'll not copy them, I will borrow from them but do my own thing, put my personality on it.
 

Moto Mengy

Motovlogger from PA, USA
Mar 23, 2020
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I don't watch her channel lol.... is weird she says that though as not many videos back on her channel she was hanging with Shadetree Surgeon and Jake the Garden Snake etc "hanging with her best mates".
Very true. She networks with the larger channels which can help grow her audience while not watching or interacting with the smaller channels. Might be smart business wise but it does seem to go against what I consider one of the greatest positives about motovlogging: the community. Not just the larger channel community, ALL of it.

But maybe she is simply spending so much time doing her channel that she can't find the time to watch other motovloggers. I mean I only started motovlogging because of all the other motovloggers I loved watching and still love watching. I started motovlogging as a hobby to enjoy, not a business, maybe that's the difference?

Still I can kind of see her point, if you wanted to avoid outside influences creatively you would just do your own thing and not watch what others are doing. I think I favor sharing ideas among the community more than that though.
 

Dewey316

Dewey|Rides
Oct 1, 2020
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I don't watch her channel, but I find it hard to believe that anyone got into motovlogging, without watching motovlogs.

I think there is a big difference between trying to mimic someone else and their success, and seeing something you think is neat, and using the concept in your own creative way.

I really enjoy watching other motovlogs, not for ideas for my own channel, but just because I enjoy it, and I enjoy commenting and supporting people. I'm also pretty stubborn, I said when I started, this is what I want my channel to be, and I am sticking to it, even if it slows down my growth and doesn't get the views.
 

Drakhen99

The Forrest Gump of Motovloggers
Aug 31, 2020
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I am 100% influenced by you all - you're INFLUENCERS!

No wait, that's not right. I'm INSPIRED by y'all ... I do my own thing [or at least try to] but get editing techniques and gear ideas from watching others in the same space.

I saw HTW's video today and thought it was a cover or mea culpa for her recent sponsored videos. I bet she got some people calling her a sellout or something, and felt the need to address it.

Mengy's right though - she says she doesn't watch motovloggers but she's hanging in the big leagues with Shadetree et al... it's all about who can help broaden her audience.

I really enjoy the community aspect of motovlogging, building relationships with other MVers and swapping ideas back and forth... for me, it's a 2-way street. Side note: that's why I post almost all my test videos, pass or fail, to help others who are in the same situation so they can avoid the pitfalls.

On another side note, has anyone noticed that when YT channels get big [not just MVers], a lot of them suffer audio issues? I notice a lot of 100k+ and 500k+ channels have worse audio the bigger they get... what gives?

-John
 

R-Rated

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People often carry conflicting belief sets either knowingly or by sheer lack of self awareness.

Case in point a person who says they do not watch others so as to not be influenced by them and then publishes hanging out with people who wield influence.

We should all try to be consistent. Personally, I support small channels with good content. The large channels really are not that interesting and as soon as a creator starts making episodes about behind the scenes how they make episodes or lifestyle then it becomes its own feedback loop and pointless. After all, it is not like they are really hanging out with me right?
 

Moto Mengy

Motovlogger from PA, USA
Mar 23, 2020
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I saw HTW's video today and thought it was a cover or mea culpa for her recent sponsored videos. I bet she got some people calling her a sellout or something, and felt the need to address it.
Good point, she did say she had gotten some flack about the sponsorships. You might be right.

I see why Youtubers do sponsorships as it can bring in good money, but I'm not sure I'd ever say yes to doing one. Maybe its why I prefer the genuine feeling of the smaller channels as they aren't usually doing sponsored videos which feel like disguised advertisements. And really, wouldn't making sponsored videos be a Thief of Joy too? Can't be truly creative if you are working to sell someone else's stuff rather than just doing your own thing....:confused:
 

Drakhen99

The Forrest Gump of Motovloggers
Aug 31, 2020
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Good point, she did say she had gotten some flack about the sponsorships. You might be right.

I see why Youtubers do sponsorships as it can bring in good money, but I'm not sure I'd ever say yes to doing one. Maybe its why I prefer the genuine feeling of the smaller channels as they aren't usually doing sponsored videos which feel like disguised advertisements. And really, wouldn't making sponsored videos be a Thief of Joy too? Can't be truly creative if you are working to sell someone else's stuff rather than just doing your own thing....:confused:
I can see how sponsored videos can squash creativity, but if you do it YOUR way, it can be quite enjoyable. If you're just pushing a product because they paid you... well that's no good. I have only done one sponsored video...

I got a free license from Unimule for Alex Audio Butler, in exchange for making a review video... I don't think they'd ever seen a motovlogger use their product. Their only instructions to me were to make the video I wanted to make and ask questions if I had any.

I made a long-ass video working through several examples of how it works, where it works and won't work, and it was a lot of fun for me to make. They saw the video after it had been published and loved it. It's different from all the other AAB review videos and showed the extensive testing I did to find the settings I use in it and explain everything.

-John
 

LoneWolfer

Lone Wolfer Garage
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I call bullshit on Her Two Wheels not watching other motovloggers as she literally says in multiple vlogs that she watches everyone in the Brapstar crew, Blockhead's videos, Biker Babe Beth, Queen Sits and a bunch of others, gushing about how much she loves their channels. So which is it? I personally only watch some of her videos because they get boring really, really fast.

I'll give her credit for bringing the visual of a woman riding a motorcycle to more people, but even my wife stops watching her videos usually at the 2 minute mark, or I'll see/hear the Other Lone Wolfer scrubbing thru Her Two Wheels videos and sighing when nothing is happening. People acting as though they are inventing the wheel annoy the shit out of me so thank you for making me aware of this video so I don't ad to her analytics, because none of us do anything creative alone, and we all consume and study what we want to make. Stephen Kings quote rings true for any medium “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.”
 

R-Rated

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I call bullshit on Her Two Wheels not watching other motovloggers as she literally says in multiple vlogs that she watches everyone in the Brapstar crew, Blockhead's videos, Biker Babe Beth, Queen Sits and a bunch of others, gushing about how much she loves their channels. So which is it? I personally only watch some of her videos because they get boring really, really fast.

I'll give her credit for bringing the visual of a woman riding a motorcycle to more people, but even my wife stops watching her videos usually at the 2 minute mark, or I'll see/hear the Other Lone Wolfer scrubbing thru Her Two Wheels videos and sighing when nothing is happening. People acting as though they are inventing the wheel annoy the shit out of me so thank you for making me aware of this video so I don't ad to her analytics, because none of us do anything creative alone, and we all consume and study what we want to make. Stephen Kings quote rings true for any medium “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.”
You nailed it!
Oh-damn-GIF.gif
 

Riderguide

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I reckon we're all influenced by other YouTube creators.

I actually came up with the idea all by myself to be a 'motovlogger' in that I actually invented it. I got a camera and a microphone and started doing it with the actual idea of uploading to YouTube before anyone else started doing it. Only to find you lot had already started doing it :D ... ya bastards ... up until finding out there were thousands of you I wasn't influenced at all, just since haha #DOH
 

Moto Mengy

Motovlogger from PA, USA
Mar 23, 2020
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Stephen Kings quote rings true for any medium “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.”
Stephen King is one of my favorite writers and I've always loved that quote by him. Shows how humble and grounded he is despite the enormous success he's found.
 
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LoneWolfer

Lone Wolfer Garage
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I reckon we're all influenced by other YouTube creators.

I actually came up with the idea all by myself to be a 'motovlogger' in that I actually invented it. I got a camera and a microphone and started doing it with the actual idea of uploading to YouTube before anyone else started doing it. Only to find you lot had already started doing it :D ... ya bastards ... up until finding out there were thousands of you I wasn't influenced at all, just since haha #DOH
Kinda like when the executives at Nintendo would sit outside my window when i was playing The Legend of Zelda and stole all of my ideas and put them in The Adventure of Link and it turned out that a 7 year olds ideas were kind of crap.
 

Meifesto

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There is also a difference between being actively influenced and passively influenced.
And i can tell you now, if you watched more the 2 motovloggers, and more the 10+ motovlogs, you are passively influenced.

Where or not you also decided to be actively influenced depends on many factors.
I can believe multiple people, maybe even most, aren't actively influenced, as most want to do their own thing.
 
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GIZZ

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She could be making oatmeal and will get more subs than any average middle aged male riding a motorcycle on youtube. I have this talk with my buddies all the time. Girl channel about cars or bikes is an instant hit, a guys channel that often features girls has a better chance of succeeding. Snewj, Kleb, STMM.
 

Moto Mengy

Motovlogger from PA, USA
Mar 23, 2020
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She could be making oatmeal and will get more subs than any average middle aged male riding a motorcycle on youtube. I have this talk with my buddies all the time. Girl channel about cars or bikes is an instant hit, a guys channel that often features girls has a better chance of succeeding. Snewj, Kleb, STMM.
I had a rather successful motovlogger advise me when I was starting out to have a female become a regular part of my channel and to put her pic in every thumbnail I create if I wanted to grow my channel very quickly. I thought he was exaggerating but after over a year of motovlogging I now know he was spot on for very sound analytical reasons! You can see the proof on many newcomer female motovlogging channels too.

Unfortunately my girlfriend wants no part of being on YouTube so Moto Mengy is stuck being just me.
 
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