The other day, I was having a conversation with somebody about YouTube.
After talking a lot about creating content, blogging, and having a YouTube channel this person wanted to know why I'd never started a YouTube channel.
I mean, I have a YouTube account, but all I have there is publicly shared playlists and such... and my 7 subscribers — 4 of whom I know — mostly care about my music.
I thought about the question for a bit, admitted that I had considered it at one point (when I was more active in a specific niche related to psychology), and then allowed as how I had decided that it really wasn't my thing because I tend to be "all over the map."
Let's consider this for a moment.
Why do we like and follow YouTube channels?
Of course, I can only speak for myself, but usually it's because somebody has something for us that interests us. Maybe they are into cooking, or maybe they have a woodworking channel, or maybe they write reviews of e-bikes, or give tips on how to make your camping trips better. Maybe they even have a channel where they teach you how to improve your artwork.
The common thread in all of the above — even though they are vastly different — is that they all have a theme.
Whether it's because I'm an outright weirdo, or because I'm ADHD as hell, I don't have a "theme."
Those who follow my blog know that I don't have a theme... I'll be writing about crypto one day, I'll be outraged about web usability on a different day, then I'll talk about nature photography and then I'll wax nostalgic about missing the times I spent with my auntie as a kid and I'm basically... as I said up above... all over the map.
One of the things I learned during my early days of blogging is that it's very difficult to build a substantial following for your blog, or for a YouTube channel, or for any kind of social media for that matter, from the perspective of being a generalist.
People are more comfortable when they can sort their experiences into neat little boxes that can be easily defined and described when it comes time to talk about them to their friends.
And I definitely am a generalist, and I make no apologies for that anymore.
I used to feel kind of bad about it because I didn't how to pick a niche and go with it and become an expert. And I do have a number of micro niches in which I am an "expert" to some degree, but the emphasis there is on micro to such a degree that putting all the time and effort into having a YouTube channel that five people on the planet are going to enjoy... well, what the Hell is the point of that?
Of course one of the things that have also held me back is the fact that I like to "do things properly."
Stated a little differently, this means I would have to get a decent camera, mics and lights, a good cameral rail system, various studio equipment, film editing software and what have you because I'm not just gonna sit and talk into my phone while the picture bounces all over the place in some home made Cinema Verité performance.
And yes, I'm well aware that a whole lot of YouTubers don't give a flying flip about the quality of the experience, and the same holds true for a lot of people who watch stuff. But it doesn't hold true for me and I have no desire to be part of the entire Idiocracy movement towards indifference and low quality.
Be part of the SOLUTION, as the saying goes. And that includes not contributing to the meaningless noise out there!
Anyway, I think I am just going to stick to my very scattered blogging... although it is possible that I may resume my role as "program director" for Mrs. Denmarkguy's radio program, if she decides to kick it back into life.
But that's a whole different story!
Thanks for stopping by, and have a great Friday!
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Created at 2024-08-23 01:18 PDT
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