New channel on YouTube, looking for advice

[VetBiker]

Looking for advice on growing my YouTube channel. I have about 95 videos posted, I also do a weekly livestream with other Bikers and also Veterans. I am retired from the Navy and all of the income I have made from my channel has been donated to 3 Veteran Non Profits. I certainly do not do YouTube for the income. I do it as a hobby and the reason I started the channel was to share my riding with a friend who cannot ride anymore that lives in Scotland. He and I traveled all over the UK and Europe when I was stationed in London.

I am not super tech savvy, I use iMovie to edit. I use a GoPro hero 8 on the top of my helmet and also a Sena 10C EVO on the side of my helmet and use the audio from it. I run the GoPro on the top of helmet because I ride a Harley Road Glide and the windscreen and fairing would block a chin mount camera.

 

[R-Rated]

Looking for advice on growing my YouTube channel. I have about 95 videos posted, I also do a weekly livestream with other Bikers and also Veterans. I am retired from the Navy and all of the income I have made from my channel has been donated to 3 Veteran Non Profits. I certainly do not do YouTube for the income. I do it as a hobby and the reason I started the channel was to share my riding with a friend who cannot ride anymore that lives in Scotland. He and I traveled all over the UK and Europe when I was stationed in London.

I am not super tech savvy, I use iMovie to edit. I use a GoPro hero 8 on the top of my helmet and also a Sena 10C EVO on the side of my helmet and use the audio from it. I run the GoPro on the top of helmet because I ride a Harley Road Glide and the windscreen and fairing would block a chin mount camera.

Depending on the size of the channel you can try milestone subscriber or view time give aways. Another idea would be maybe advertise in local motorcycle magazines.

That last idea is something I have toyed with but haven't tried yet.

 

[Moto Mengy]

Clearly I don't have the answer, my channel has grown at a snail's pace this summer, even though I'm more happy then ever with the videos I've been making.

Are you using Facebook or Instagram to help draw attention to your YouTube channel?

 

[VetBiker]

Clearly I don't have the answer, my channel has grown at a snail's pace this summer, even though I'm more happy then ever with the videos I've been making.

Are you using Facebook or Instagram to help draw attention to your YouTube channel?

I have shared them on facebook and instagram but i think it throws off the algorithm for sharing videos and also the CTR is low from those avenues

 

[Drakhen99]

This is all good advice, but I'd say keep plugging away and trying new things - I think that's what really draws in the crowds. I say think, because after over a year, I'm at about 640 subs and slowly, but steadily, growing.

-John

 

[Moto Mengy]

This is all good advice, but I'd say keep plugging away and trying new things - I think that's what really draws in the crowds.

I've heard more than once to NOT try new things but to rather stick to doing one thing but do it as well as possible. Focus the channel in a narrow niche so the audience knows exactly what to expect.

Of course that's not what I want my channel to be, I enjoy trying new things and experimenting. I'm less concerned with optimizing and more concerned with having fun.

 

[Drakhen99]

I've heard more than once to NOT try new things but to rather stick to doing one thing but do it as well as possible. Focus the channel in a narrow niche so the audience knows exactly what to expect.

Of course that's not what I want my channel to be, I enjoy trying new things and experimenting. I'm less concerned with optimizing and more concerned with having fun.

OK, so I left a bit out there - sorry! The advice I've received, from videos by well-established channels [50k-800k subs], is that yes, you should find your niche and focus on it, but if you personally want to go a different direction, don't be afraid to try new things once in a while. It was suggested to mix those videos in sporadically and on "off days" when your existing audience wouldn't expect a video anyway, to test the waters.

I think with around 170 videos on my channel in the last year, I have tried a great many things... some work, some don't, all were fun to film & edit, so I don't see me stopping any of those. I sort of think of myself as a motovlogger to motovloggers. I got my regular vlogs, my unboxing/test videos, my camera test vlogs, and Davinci Resolve tutorials. It's made for slower growth than you've seen being niched-down, but still steady growth.

-John

 

[HippoDrone]

Social Media is your friend, joining relevant Facebook groups and commenting and liking other peoples posts on them while sharing the odd video but not spamming is a good way to get out there. You gotta pick the groups carefully though as some can be a little toxic, and others don't like self-promotion. So give to them more than you take is my main advice with Facebook.
Don't forget to add your channel and social media links in the "Share Your Social Channel" thread:

Share Your Social Channel Here

We've got a couple of 'share your' type of threads. They pretty much do the same thing so I'm merging into the one thread, rather than a few stickies Format to post is this;copy and paste Facebook: https://facebook.com/profile.php?id=555591384462377 YouTube...

motovlog.com

I see you may have done so already with possibly a duplicate account? I can delete that account if this is the one you are going to be using as folk are only allowed a single account on here.

 

[VetBiker]

Social Media is your friend, joining relevant Facebook groups and commenting and liking other peoples posts on them while sharing the odd video but not spamming is a good way to get out there. You gotta pick the groups carefully though as some can be a little toxic, and others don't like self-promotion. So give to them more than you take is my main advice with Facebook.
Don't forget to add your channel and social media links in the "Share Your Social Channel" thread:

Share Your Social Channel Here

We've got a couple of 'share your' type of threads. They pretty much do the same thing so I'm merging into the one thread, rather than a few stickies Format to post is this;copy and paste Facebook: https://facebook.com/profile.php?id=555591384462377 YouTube...

motovlog.com

I see you may have done so already with possibly a duplicate account? I can delete that account if this is the one you are going to be using as folk are only allowed a single account on here.

Yes please I created the other account inadvertently.

 

[HippoDrone]

no probs, have gotten rid of it. Do make a new post in the share your social channels thread though so we can find your YouTube channel!