A few months ago I asked on my FaceBook page “What kinds of events should I start doing?” A few people suggested I start doing car events. I am not a car guy. I said I would do a car event if it fit in with the other events on my YouTube channel. A good friend suggested I go to Hell. Hell, Michigan has a yearly car event all about hearses.
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The debate has faded when it comes to wired vs wireless, it is no longer “what is better?” as it is “what should I use?”. Honestly what I hear the most is “why are we not using wireless?”
I still feel if I can get away with a wired microphone, that is what I go for. If the person is not walking around, and the wire is not a trip hazard, I see no reason to go wired. Although there is less chance of interference today vs ten years ago, I still feel like it is simply more reliable.
So what sounds better. I did a comparison video with 2 different types of the same microphone: Shure sm58. This microphone is a staple of the audio/video industry and you can find at least one around any studio. When you watch this still keep in mind, this is what is sounds like in my camera (Panasonic HPX250) on auto mode with no post done on the audio. Processors make a big difference so just because it sounds like this on my camera, doesn’t be you won’t find a difference on another camera or soundboard. Another big thing is with wireless you have to have a receiver so it may sound different depending on the receiver you are using as well.
As a YouTuber we are always fighting with our numbers. We want new views and subscribers yet still be true to ourselves (after-all I consider myself my most important client).
Like many other industries there are conventions/conferences to both inform and celebrate our culture (culture and industry meaning YouTube and on-line video and social media in general). I go to events like VidCon and Playlist and get advice from real influencers on YouTube. I do wonder “how much of this is true?” “does everyone think like that? I don’t think like that.” The majority of attendance of these events are not content creators at all, they are 11–18 year-old girls there to meet their favorite YouTubers. These individuals have similar taste in content creators. Say what you will of these fans, they are the reason events like VidCon and PlayList Live are successful and can be so big. I wanted to know what their methods and how they think really are.
My demographic are mostly fellow videographers, those that would like to be, and event/cosplay enthusiasts. I decided to speak to “fangirls” to figure out what (besides content) can I do to expand my audience and gain more followers.
At PlayList Live 2015 (in Orlando) I asked these questions:
What do you look for in a YouTuber?
Who are your favorite YouTubers/who you are here to see?
Why are you a fan of these people?
Do looks, age, gender matter? (in context of who you follow)
Advice to people trying to gain a larger audience?
The most important theme was being relatable. I love the answer “I like vlogs because they make me feel like I am out doing stuff”. Although these girls may not be my demographic, I feel like I can apply this to my videos. Since this even I have started to vlog for a number of reasons, but the number 1 reason is to connect to my audience and seem relatable.
PlayList Live had 2 events this year. At the second event in Washington D.C. I once again decided to ask fangirls questions. This time I focused on how they find new content. As you can tell, I took this video alot more serous.
The questions I asked at PlayList Live D.C. 2015
Who do you watch? (I didn’t include this)
How do you find new content/YouTubers/videos in general?
What do you search for on YouTube?
What do you search for on Google?
What would get you to watch content similar to my content?(event/cosplay videos and/or tech videos reviews)
The results of this surprised me. It also confirmed what YouTube has been saying in their education videos and forums. It surprised me at how little people search for new content. I for one get board and search for random things on a whim. There is usually a pattern to this. However the people I spoke to tend to relay on their current favorite content and YouTube Recommendations to guide them to new content. It is important to note pattern of being relatable is still there.
These polling videos also confirm 2 more things for me. The first being it is better for me to promote myself at events suited to my focus than YouTube events. I may make friends (awesome friends) and learn a lot at these events, but in the end most fans at these events are not my demographic. The second is something I am already in the habit of doing, making people around me part of the event/video. Most of these girls have retweeted these videos. Don’t get me wrong, I think only 2 of them subscribed to me and I am not expecting them to be fans (although if they do that is awesome). Tagging people on Twitter and promoting them is also promoting yourself. I never know who is going to be at an event. I have by accident before included people that had a following of their own, and sometimes they promoted me, and sometimes they didn’t. Getting popular in social media (including YouTube) has a lot to do with luck: being shared by the right person, at the right time, in the right place. By making people feel part of the video (this can be physically and mentally) it expands this possibility.
My YouTube is www.youtube.com/ToadenK please feel free to check out these videos and more. Also comment and tell me what else should I write about.
I had some issues with hosting and time and (insert excuse here), but I just updated the links in all the video menus. I will be posting blogs and updates here for now on. If you want to see the videos when they come out I still strongly suggest you go to my channel, subscribe, then ask for notifications.