Will You Try This Bread?--Doing Anything For YouTube Subscribers

So if you hadn't already guessed it, This blog is all about my experience with YouTube. You can check out my channel HERE. (Its still a work in progress but I need all the help I can get) If you like you can just subscribe to me one the side of the page.

Anyways, back to the topic. Over the course of several months, I have seen a change in myself. About the ways I talk in front of the camera and about the things that are important to me. Of course, this behavior is not unlike the things I learned in College (Broadcast Comm.) but it does surprise me that it took so long for me to implement into my videos. Like snail pace slow.

When I first started, I talked into the camera like I was afraid. I have watched several of my early videos and I notice why they did not get much viewership. They sucked. I know that only a few months have not changed a great deal about my delivery, but I honestly don't really care now where I pick up a camera and start filming. Like I said, I am still working on being overly enthusiastic which is important not for just YouTube videos but for my hopeful career as a journalist on television. And you know, while that career slowly starts to fade, I think a career on YouTube might not be such a bad way to use the things that I learned in college.  The second thing I learned about is what is important to me. At first I was unsure of what to do and where to start and honestly, if you are going to start a channel, Make sure you have an idea. I talk about all the stuff I did wrong when starting YouTube in this Post. My indecisiveness finally led me to viewers who were interested in my life and they, though few, started to ask me to do things for videos. I being so eager to gain their trust, did whatever they asked. That to me is what I find strange, I have always been a people pleaser, but for complete strangers...yeah no. I, however, engaged with those people and they in turn became my subscribers. There is a sense of fulfillment for me when I do the things that my viewers ask, of course, I won't do anything out of reason or feasibility, but I let them know that. It gets you more brownie points with the community and you just feel better about showing someone you care about their ideas, because I mean they did take the time to care about yours.

Case and point, my latest video. A subscriber by the name of Juli asked me to try Pumpernickel bread and guess what, I did!! You can watch that below.

Honestly, I don't expect to get virally famous or gather millions of viewers, but I am glad that some people are genuinely interested in my life. It sure is starting to change for the better. So.

Until the world revolves again...B

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My Nutella Videos Are Not So Sweet with Subscribers

So today was a good day, took care of the bonsai, brainstormed for video ideas, and got ready to create two videos today, which were both uploaded. Question is should I have uploaded both videos or maybe waited for another day? I always have trouble trying to figure out YouTube. I know I have said it once before but now that my subscribership is moving forward, I don't know what I am doing wrong. Where are the views and why do I suck?

Okay, I know I don't suck, but I guess I am going to answer my own question. "Where are the views?"

I think the main problem with my low viewership is that I don't have a constant appeal. Videos and channels on YouTube do well if the content is always similar. Subscribers come to appreciate that and watch content creators that have consistent videos. If your videos are like mine and they are scattered all over the spectrum, it's probably best to give your viewers and explanation of what you are doing. Like myself, I constantly tell my viewers that I am trying something new or that the channel is about my life hoping they understand that life is not a one track speeding bullet train.

Another reason and maybe my doubts for today are that I have too many videos for such a short time on YouTube. I feel like maybe my subscribers or potential subscribers have no place to go or they feel like they can't settle into my space. In the coming days, I plan to address this problem with a Channel Trailer. Currently, the trailer space houses one of my many videos, this one on eating things made with Nutella. I have had some success in the past days with more subscribers, but I need something that will solidify my work as a content creator, something that will tether me with the greats of YouTube.

My other qualm with my current situation is that I feel I am not engaging the viewers enough. My audience is very much scattered all across the board. Most are German which is really cool, but I think some people will have trouble relating to me or understanding what I want. If you are German and reading this, please don't take offense. You guys are my one true stronghold in this YouTube world. To remedy the problem, I am going to start focusing on cultural and social topics while still maintaining the same content that I already create. My brand is adapting as more viewers subscribe and I want to make sure that I do this right, for them, and for me. If you struggle with this problem, it's time to start making a niche for yourself and learn what people like. This is the process I am starting.

So I have answered my question but did I answer yours? I don't claim to know the in's and out's of YouTube and I can assure you there are better people out there who have studied this stuff extensively. So continue your search but feel free to take some advice from me.

I will always prevail and I have sworn not to give up on YouTube. So smash that Subscribe button on the side of this page or go to my YouTube Channel for more.

In the end, someone will watch. It might be one or three, but someone will watch. With that I should be satisfied...but I am not.

Until the World revolves Again...B

btw
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My Life Has Been "Bonsai-ed"

So this Labor Day, I was fortunate to get to spend some time at the Shrimp and Petroleum Festival in Morgan City, Louisiana. This festival is really one of my favorites and maybe that has to do with it being in my hometown.

If you want to watch what went on this weekend, you can see it here, on my Youtube page.

While shopping around the crafts, I stumbled upon a booth selling bonsai trees. I have seen this setup before, over the many years that I walked the festival crafts. I think the love of plants comes from my grandmother, my mother's mother. She was an avid gardener and a bit of a chemist and botanist. Plants were her thing and if she was alive today, I am sure she would be procuring any and every plant that sprouted from the Earth. That was just the way she was.

So in seeing these bonsai trees, I decided I had to finally have one. I got a Juniper bonsai and it looks like this.
So the Juniper bonsai is from the pine family and unlike what everyone believes, they are not in fact tiny trees. They are normal sized plants that are made to look tiny.

The Juniper is a hardy tree that is good in almost any climate as long as it doesn't freeze. They also require little watering, only when the soil is noticeably dry. They are pretty much the perfect plant for people who like to be their own designer. My bonsai has already been through the process of wiring so it is up to me to keep it looking its best. What that means is, is that I have to water it (like it is raining) fertilize it, pinch off undesired shoots, and re-pot when it gets bigger. It is a pretty simple process and it happens to be a very fun adventure. For those that don't have the luxury of pre-wired bonsais, you will have to guide your tiny tree in the direction you want it to grow. Getting that desired look is done through thick wires that wrap around the trunk and branches. You have to do that before winter because after that, the tree goes dormant.

And just in case you are wondering, bonsais are not an indoor plant. Okay, the tropical versions of a bonsai are but the ones you normally see aren't. Right now, my little Juniperus is sitting on my window sill in the sun but it will soon be transferred outside to live its days like a true tree. If you ever get the chance to purchase a bonsai, I say do it. They are wonderful to look at and are really cool to decorate. Mine has a tiny bridge on it with fake water underneath.

See you when the world revolves again...B



      JUNIPER BONSAI CARE INSTRUCTIONS:

• Re-pot: Every two or three years in early April. Sign to watch for include roots growing in circles in the bottom of the container or the soil level rising up out of the container.
• Soil: A bonsai soil that drains well with a pH of 5.0 to 6.5
• Fertilize: Miracid or Peters every tow to three weeks in spring and autumn. Switch brands to pick up trace elements your plants may be lacking.
• Prune: Continually pinch overgrown buds to encourage secondary branching. heavy branches can be removed in the spring and if necessary in the fall.
• Train: Anytime when warm. Remove all wire before winter.
• Insects: Maples are relatively pest resistant, although one occasionally encounters a chewing insect which should be removed by hand
• Insects/Diseases:  Spider mites and bagworms require immediate attention so hose off with water and then spray with Safer Soap. To prevent root-rot, drench the soil two or three-times-a-year with fungicide.
• Culture: Cuttings can be taken in early spring and kept moist in perlite. Most species grow very slowly.
• Watering: Do not over-water especially during the winter months as root-rot will kill the tree. Early morning watering is preferred and again if the tree dries out during the heat of the day.
• Light: Prefers full sun.
• Wintering: Junipers are very hardy, however, protect pots and roots in extreme temperatures.

Creating My YouTube Channel--Where I Am

Starting My Vlogging Journey-

Youtube Channel

Over the past couple of months of being hopelessly unemployed, I decided to pursue a career in the most promising enterprise of my young life--Youtube.

Everyday, I would log on to the infinitely popular video site and see random people who simply uploaded video after video and amassed millions of subscribers talking about everything from the latest tech gadget to what gummy candy topping would make a dessert pizza look more realistic. (yeah, those exist)

I saw these videos and I just knew that I could do that. I knew that I had what it took so I grabbed my closest camera and came up with an idea for a show. I figured I would talk about random topics every day and upload some daily vlog videos. After creating, editing, and uploading my first video I sat back and I waited. I waited for something that I realised would probably never come--views. 


After posting that first video, I had no views. A big fat 0 sat in front of my face on that screen and I just didn't know what to do. So, I kept making videos hoping that more would come my way. I made videos for two weeks and for every video I made, I would get 0 views. I finally realized that the reason I wasn't achieving what I wanted was because I had nothing to give an audience. I had no niche that I could fill. I don't play games, I know nothing about fashion or make-up, and I wasn't about to make a fool of myself on camera for viewers.

So, while keeping the vlog videos going, I took down my earlier videos and started soul-searching. I would look up some of the people that made me want to get on to Youtube and watch them. I studied them and finally decided that I would start my channel with Candy eating videos. Not just any candy, International Candy. Naturally this venture did get me the views that I wanted--well for the first couple of weeks. Soon I found myself wasting money to buy candy and seeing very little response from viewers. I felt like I could literally scream at the camera for people to watch me. So many other Youtubers do absolutely nothing and millions of people subscribe and watch them daily. What was I doing wrong?

After researching the tagging, title, and SEO madness that is Youtube, I finally figured something out. I wanted to be the people I saw on my computer screen every day. I wanted to have the fans and the money to make a difference in others lives. I forgot the reason I wanted to make videos--Because I can! I had to see other successful YouTubers channels to realize that they started from humble beginnings and gradually people flocked to them. So I decided to revamp myself and start making videos that talked about me. I started showing people who I was and not caring about the views or the subscribers. I starting reading books and opening up my vocabulary. I am doing reviews and making funny videos about what I remember about certain things. I am taking my camera into public places and capturing what is out there in travel vlogs. I even still eat candy on the reg. I am learning to just make something out of nothing and hope for the best.

My channel is only 8 months old and I am happy if I get new subscribers and even if I get a few views because it's not about the people who see me, it's about me feeling that I have purpose. I was unemployed, but now I have employed myself in making content on Youtube. I had an empty existence sitting at home so I filled it with something. So myself and my 34 subscribers and counting hope you can join us for the journey. 

It's a start, but it is all about putting yourself out there and seeing who wants to subscribe!

You can visit my channel at BrianRichard