It’s been one year on YouTube! In this episode I share with you the history of my channel, why I started this photography channel, benefits, and challenges I’ve encountered.
History
I started this channel last April (April 2020) and the first video I published was on April 25th and it was an Unboxing of my Olympus EM1 Mark II.
Why I Started this Photography Channel
I have been an audience member on YouTube for a long time - watching videos since I was in middle school. Back then the videos I mostly watched were makeup tutorials, beauty and fashion hauls, what’s in my bag, etc., As I got older the content I started watching on YouTube changed, I started watching videos orientated around planning and organization, business, travel, photography.
In the last 2-3 years a part of me had wanted to start a YouTube channel but personally there were a few things holding me back:
I didn’t think I lived a very interesting life. I worked all the time and my life really revolved around my career and so I had no idea what I would post videos about.
I was awkward and uncomfortable with the fact that maybe friends or family would find out or watch my videos (me being self-conscious)
I was not comfortable being in front of the camera (why do you think my first video didn’t have my face in it)
What changed, what pushed me to creating this channel and pushed these concerns aside was when I decided to pursue photography.
Now, I build this YouTube channel to provide some sort of value to you, to create and share and connect with all of you!
Benefits to Starting this Channel
In unexpected ways, YouTube has had a huge life impact on me!
I am way more confident being in front of the camera. Before YouTube I was self-conscious and uncomfortable being in front of the camera. However, through filming weekly videos I get more and more comfortable. I’m still not comfortable to film in front of other people or in crowds but maybe I’ll get there.
It’s a great creative outlet for me every week. Every week I have the challenge of creating on this platform. Out of the three processes - writing the outline, filming the video and editing. The final stage of editing is my favourite (even if I’m not that great at it yet).
I mentioned before but I love to travel and even though I’m not travelling right now, I get to virtually meet people from all over the world which is amazing and super cool to me!
Challenges I’ve Had (+ Solutions)
Challenge #1 - Consistency
Along the past year I’ve had challenges with building and creating on this platform. The first challenge I had was consistency. For the first 6-7 months I wasn’t consistent on this platform. I would sometimes post a video on Saturday and sometimes wouldn’t. Sometimes I would get busy, sometimes I wouldn’t have a video idea, and sometimes I would record or edit a video and would scrap it because I didn’t like it. All resulting in no video that week.
It wasn’t until the end of November of last year that I made this commitment to myself to be consistent - to post one video a week (no more excuses). This small internal gesture of making a commitment to myself was a game changer because since then I’ve been able to stay consistent on my channel. However, it hasn’t all been easy, which leads to my second challenge.
Challenge #2 - Finding Balance Between Videos ‘Viewers/Subscribers Want to Watch’, ‘I Want to Create’, and ‘Revolve Around a Specific Niche’
The biggest challenge with remaining consistent on this platform and posting one video a week is finding balance in video topics that my viewers/subscribers want to watch, I want to create and revolve around a specific niche.
I still struggle with this challenge to this day. But what made it slightly easier was when I watched a couple videos by Gary Vee and Sunny Lenarduzzi that talked about and rephrased the concept of ‘niching’ - you are your niche, be as broad as possible but fully you.
So instead of trying to create videos that revolve around a specific niche, I create videos through an inverted pyramid (this concept I watched in one of Sunny’s videos).
At the top of the inverted pyramid is my broad category - photography. At the middle is the medium or more specific content and the bottom is very specific/niched.
I don’t know what my middle or specific is yet, so I have mostly created in the broad category.
This rephrasing and re-working changed a lot for me!
Final Thoughts
Overall my year on YouTube has been great. I’m very excited to see where this channel goes and changes. A huge thank you to all of you that watch and subscribe to the videos, tune in every week and comment!
Cheers, to wherever the future takes this channel!
Happy Photographing
Beautifully Wander | Robynne Ikesaka