My YouTube Stats :: S&T 02
Вставка
- Опубліковано 2 жов 2024
- In this episode I read some of your comments and show you my UA-cam stats. The stats starts at the 8 minute mark. I’m also asking for your channels that have fewer than 1,000 subs. I’d love to hear your feedback and thoughts. In this video I mention...
UA-camr Street Shotz - / channel
Book - Anton Corbijn 1-2-3-4 - amzn.to/33LItCi
Find more of my education resources at www.dedpxl.com
You can find my photography at www.ZackArias.com
Join my Q&A Facebook Group here - www.facebook.c...
Follow me on Twitter and IG - @zarias
______________________________________
Gear list for these videos I’m making these days...
iPhone 11pro - amzn.to/3ajbAyK
PowerDeWise lavalier mic for iPhone - amzn.to/2VGORbL
Lav Mic for Android - amzn.to/3cGIfQV (I have not tested this one myself)
Phone tripod mount - amzn.to/2VJfj4v
MeFOTO Tripod - amzn.to/2VTVHuP
Small Manfroto Tabletop Tripod - amzn.to/3aCiDCN
Neewer LED light (my rim light) - amzn.to/2VKUm9t
Pixel LED ring light (My main light) - amzn.to/3amwnS7
I'm editing on an iPad Pro using Lumafusion - luma-touch.com...
FilMic Pro for iOS and Android / FilMic Remote - www.filmicpro.com (FiLMiC remote is currently only available for iOS. If you know of a good Android alternative please let me know!)
I use music licensed via www.StoryBlocks...
---------------------
You have genuinely really made Sophie's day. She is buzzing. Thank you :)
She made MY day with that photo! It’s so good!
That photo was amazing!
It was fantastic
So impressive! Go Sophie!
I agree with everyone else, her photo was really great! Well done.
In a world that is increasingly lacking in characters, you are an absolute diamond. Entertaining, thought-proving and erudite with genuine compassion and empathy. It’s a joy to see you back, a true master of your craft.
Erudite! Why thank you kind sir. I appreciate that.
Patrick Connor agree 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Zack, I started watching you at the beginning of my photography journey 6 or 7 years ago. I’ve always really enjoyed your content. I like longer videos as the detail you go into is invaluable and I like your presentation style. I’m glad you are back doing videos. I subscribe to a lot of photography channels and I would say your content is up there with the best of them. Keep up the great work :)
Zack, I'd STOP looking at stats. Keep it going, it's all great stuff. Oh, what wine is that?
Botabox. We like the Sauvighnon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and for red Nighthawk Red Blend. It’s really not that bad. 4 bottles in a box for $17 when it’s on sale! In this day and Abe it’s a lifesaver!
Hey Zack, personally I prefer a longer video. I feel like we get more information and get to know you better. By the way, my wife watches with me. Your a very personable chap! Just a thought, you could source your video editing out if it helps you free up some time. Keep on keeping on sir and thanks again for your work.
Thank you, David! Hi to your wife! I have nothing but time at the moment. We’ll see how that goes.
Another great video!
My channel has about 600 subscribers. I want to topple Peter McKinnon in the next 30 days so I could use a hand.
Hahahaha! Good luck with that! 😂
I'm female and a follower ! Think a lot of photography channels are very 'lad ish', and either mucking about too much or being far too techy. In general I'd say us females tend to want more creative content, but that's just my opinion. Hope this helps
Hi Zack. I have to say again that I really appreciate how open you are about depression and anxiety. I haven’t been able to pick up my camera for a while because I’ve been struggling with anxiety and some burn out. Your attitude is so refreshingly honest. As far as the average watch time is concerned, maybe some people are watching the whole video and others are watching a few seconds and moving on. I’m loving your content now, so I think you should keep being your awesome self.
Thank you, David!
What you said about wasted time rabbit hole.... describes my situation to a T. Thanks for sharing. Makes me feel like I'm not alone.
You are not. Ugh. I hate it when I get stuck there. And I’ve been stuck there for months at a time. MONTHS.
Zack Arias I did photography for years. I got out of it after a major depression. I’ve started art, painting, etc. but I’m the same. I really need to push myself to get something done even when I enjoy it. What is it about us “creatives” and depression!? It’s frustrating and makes me feel like a failure.
Man, the first part of the video it’s how many of us feel like, it’d be nice a whole video of that (reading comments and giving feedback) great video.
I’m sure I could record hours of this unfortunately. Especially since the whole world just shut down.
I work for an industrial company as their photo/video person. Some of what I do is documentation. Most of what I do is edit videos that are sent to me and do my best to make them look ok enough to put on our UA-cam channel.
On the subject of stats, I have found that a click through rate of 2-7% is average. If you have a banger, it’s around 10-15% (rare). For the watch time, I’ve played with this a bit and most are around half the length of the video. If I do a promotional video that is around a minute, that will still not get a 100% view time because people will skip the end screen. I hope this helps some.
I’m just happy that I can feed my family with my camera, as you say. Every video of yours, I watch until it goes to the next video and I usually will watch it on both mobile and computer, just to mess with the stats.
This new iteration of the channel is about perfect for me. A bit inspirational, a bit technical, sometimes serious, and I always feel at least a little better about the world after watching. Keep it up! I’m very interested in how you end up raising your female viewership.
Sorry about the length, I guess I had some stuff to say. Stay safe my friend.
I read half of your comment. Hahahahahaha! Thank you so much! I appreciate your comment and insight.
That photo of the ship is epic. :)
Right? It’s so good!
I don't know anything about stats or running a UA-cam channel. I'm just a dude who watches a lot of stuff...
From my perspective, the most important thing for you to do is just keep being you. I enjoy hearing about what's going on in your head and your inner battles. We all have at least some of that in one way or another. You seem more human than most people on UA-cam and I feel more of a personal connection even though time-wise I haven't seen nearly as much of your stuff as a lot of other channels. There's guys I've watched for hours and hours and I don't really care about them as a person. Your videos make it easy to see you as a real guy.
Short videos, to me, are usually only good if it's something quick and funny. Otherwise its just fluff content.
I only discovered your channel recently, after it was mentioned in an FStoppers video. I started clicking through videos and I enjoyed your recent stuff with the kind of personal thoughts and feelings, but also really loved the APSC vs full frame video that you did. I love seeing videos that go against the grain and aren't worried about sponsored talking points or agreeing with everyone else. I loved that it's "real".
Keep up the good work, I'm looking forward to seeing more. Sorry I'm not much help with stats or how to monetize.
Oh, for what it's worth, this is BY FAR the longest and most thought out comment I've ever left on a UA-cam video... Again, because you're more human and "real" than pretty much everyone else on UA-cam.
Your feedback is welcomed and very much appreciated! Thank you for taking the time to write that all out. It helps me a lot. Thank you.
Yeh love Stuff and Things...........
Hey Zack! I’ve been working at getting my channel off the ground and thanks to this current pandemic (and guys like you) I have the free time to create more content and will be uploading more frequently. I would love for you and others to see it. 👍
Really enjoyed the Stuff and Things - all 19 minutes, they flew by. What makes your content special is the unfiltered honesty and the transparency, the sense of someone putting themself out there and not hiding anything, not pretending, so I would say (for what it's worth) you shouldn't lose any sleep trying to think of what content might be popular, but keep making the content you feel is important to make and share. I think your sense for that is really taking your content somewhere interesting and uncommon.
A lot of photographers - I know I have and still do - struggle with self-doubt, anxiety and depression, so hearing someone who we all admire talk from the heart about those same struggles - where so many times (and quite naturally) people want to keep the glossy finish on top - is really special.
I've subscribed to Street Shotz channel and will give his videos some of my burgeoning screen time this afternoon (I need to do a bit of work first, this is the end of my morning UA-cam with Coffee time) so thanks for sharing, new forms of entertainment in this lockdown are always welcome!
You've already been really supportive this week with some kind words about my first videos on UA-cam. I had been thinking about starting a channel for a while now, and this really wasn't the content I had in mind, but it's the content I've found myself making these past couple of weeks. In case it helps with comparison, I can share some of my early statistics ... currently on 13 subscribers so I would safely qualify for that sub-1000 shoutout.
My three videos currently have 278 views in total, with 10.2 hours of watch time. Average view duration is quite low at between 10-15% which I understand because my videos so far are all slow burners. I think they're worth sticking with, but I can see why people might not! In terms of reach, 363 impressions with 10.2% click-through and 202 unique viewers for the 278 total views. 97% of my audience is not subscribed - I think it's people I know or my girlfriend knows clicking from social media. Then there's a lot of statistics that UA-cam doesn't have enough data for yet!
Anyway, this comment turned out long ... all the best to you Zack, please keep doing what you're doing because it's all awesome!
The comment is long like the videos you and I make! 😂 Thank you!
@@ZackAriasATL 😂 In my case it isn't just video where I struggle to edit my content down. 🙈
Zak been watching you for years! I have way way less than 100 subscribers (15) I've been shooting around 10 years here in Leeds, UK but struggle to find my voice for youtube. Often bottle it due to thinking people won't give a shit what I have to say. Lockdown has started to change that. Keep on being you! Cheers.
Another great video. Regarding the first part of your video and I know you've talked about it before. About a year ago I had a complete meltdown. I was trying to do too much, trying to make everyone happy, trying to 'make it', and all I ended up doing was too many things, both professionally and personally, and none of them properly, which annoyed me more and spiralled downwards. Photography had been my life for a long time but at that point I didn't even want to pick up a camera. I had to shoot for work, but I had given up and was doing the basics, pumping out average images, I hated doing that, and I hated myself more every day for doing it. I'd just taken on too much and it all became overwhelming.
I've always been a very positive person and never thought I'd ever fall into depression. At time I would laugh at funny things, but all I wanted to actually do was cry, and sometimes did both at once. I ended up phoning a colleague and just saying that I needed to talk. I walked into their office and just let everything out, literally having a meltdown and ending up in tears. I never ask for help, I've been through a lot of personal and professional trauma in my life but never felt like this before. I always had the ability to just keep going. For me to ask for help I know myself how low I was, but it was the best thing I did. Just having someone to listen who had nothing to gain or loose from giving advice was invaluable. I'd encourage everyone who needs to to do the same. On their advice I started to unpick my life, making a list of things that were pissing me off, and literally taking one task as a time until those things were either cut out of my life, or I got them done and out of the way. It helped enormously.
A year later, and despite what's happening right now, life is so much better, work was really taking off (until what's happened recently!) I'm happy shooting again, producing the best work I've ever done, and I'm concentrating on the important things.
Wow. Thank you so much for sharing your story. I really relate to what you are saying. Thanks. Truly.
Recently did subtitles using Adobe Premiere. They've made it pretty easy. Thanks for all your inspiration, instruction and encouragement! You make learning and doing photography a joy. Can't imagine it without you.
I like the long videos, doing my part to keep the average high. Haha As a fan of JRE podcasts, I like the longer conversations and the variety of topics that come up. Thank you!
Thanks Brian!
Hi zack, your should aim for a ctr between 6-10%.... and I'm below 1000subs, french Canadian channel. Old photographer turned web developer and now doing youtube spare time... keep on the good work !
No judgement. Cheap box wine is awesome. Keep the videos coming. I really enjoy them after work with a glass of cheap box wine!
Box wine for the win!
Zack, would love to see other books in your show. Which photographers (portraits of course) do you believe have some of the most inspirational books out in the world? I just received Chris Buck's, "Uneasy" which I am enjoying. But want to hear from you about how we can stay inspired and perhaps motivated (without going into the "I will always suck - mode" of things in life). Thanks!
I'm really enjoying your return to the Tube! Watched your cooking vid with my wife, and we both enjoyed it a ton. You've always created content in your uniquely Zack way, and that's a refreshing breath of fresh air. You're honest and authentic. Thank you. I've been creating videos these past two weeks of photo projects to do from home, and am on video 4 of what I plan will be 12-14 vids. Cheers to you and your family in these interesting times!
Thanks so much for the transparency it was great to see stats from another UA-cam channel. I think the Click Through Rate at 2% is low but I don't know to be honest. I like to see mine between 7-10% not even sure if that is any good but that is my goal. Cheers.
I have 16 subscribers .....ha ha I dont have enough "data" for youtube to decide which gender watch my cycling videos....(3.2K impressions..)...... Glad your back up here best wishes
More woman ? , build a gym in your garage, work out till your almost drop death, put on your speedo's, and talk more about shoes and purses ;-)
Yeah Ken Wheener, 213 K subs and haven't made an interesting photo ever hehehe . FACT !!!
Awesome vlog Zack. I wish I could get the back the passion that had me read, watch tutorials, practice and sleep only 3 hours a day, the way I used to when I first started. Man where did all that passion go? Hope everyone is doing fine, if not I'm sure everyone will be back doing this crazy thing we call photography in no time!
Zack you’re the man,I was back home for the Easter weekend and I was board shi###ss so I thought I’ll have a few beers and get the camera out and then the wife came in from work winging about she wanted to dye her hair so the camera thing never happened anyway she dyed her hair and their was a bit of dye left a couple of more beers and then I thought bollocks I’ll dye my hair bear in mind I’m 54now let’s say it’s a little bit coppery I just thought I would share that with you all I think all the guys and gals that subscribe to this channel have so much talent where just living in a strange time at the moment love the channel cheers
Hahaha! That’s an awesome story!
Don't be like Sony Northrup and make videos based on what the stats and algorithm tells you. You will inflate your numbers, but the numbers will be hollow. Rather focus on connecting with your viewers who really watch your videos as they are.
We definetely don't need another Sony Northrup
Noted. Thank you!
I just hit 1000, but my watch time isn't there yet.. ILL BE THERE! gotta be more consistent, thanks for inspiring, man
2:13 Keep your chin up.
Keep your pecker up?! Maybe instructions from a fluffer for an XXX shoot.
your stats make me wanna quit lol
I don’t want that to happen! But I know the feeling. Just seeing view counts on the videos my kids watch makes me want to quit. 2 million views on slime? Really?
playlists of your stuff . yes! by subject
Noted!
the idea is to be informative... which you are by the bucketful ... we like to learn about your style and the way you light... I am a Strobist today because I learned your way of lighting I learned the gear and learned how to light... what happened was the gear became a secondary thought process 3 speedlights and 3 stands... my camera body 2 lenses and 1 trigger...and I pay my bills.
Noti in this time frame but yeah... I used to ;) ... corona sucks.
Thanks Frank. Yeah... these times are tough right now. Thanks Corona.
I would like to make a comment about the stats, as someone who is following you and gets inspired by your videos or posts, during the last 6 years.
Yes, stats matter but is not everything.
Yes, it's good to be aware of the length of your videos and maybe edit them a bit more but what really matters is your personal style.
Your honesty, your straightforwardness, your unconventional ways of sharing your opinion, your gestures, your pauses, your expressions, cannot be measured or described by stats.
You can't control the ability of focus or engagement of a viewer of your channel. It's not your business to do that, after all.
What you CAN do though, is to continue creating content that YOU enjoy and it's closer to your truth.
That is the content that is most interesting and inspiring to us too. 😉
After all, UA-cam stats for a youtuber is like EXIF data for a photographer. You know very well IF and HOW MUCH they matter.
One thing about playlists: you can see them as a way to categorize the different types of your videos, so that someone new to your channel can find more of what likes the most.
Thank you! I appreciate that. I have started organizing my videos into playlists since I made this video.
I really cant give an insight on stats. But I can tell you why I watch your content: Community. You are good at bringing people together. Oh, right. I had an idea/question for any future videos: How do you feel about film? Lately I've been sucked back in film photography. 120 to be exact. And I love it. There is just something... gratifying about doing everything yourself: deciding on exposure, the film stock, chemicals for the development etc. I'm looking at the negatives i shot last weekend and it feels... fulfilling. 1 of them actually turned out ok. Anyway, keep creating.
Hi Zack, looking at UA-cam stats and knowing what they say is ok. At one point you said " is 2% ok? If not how do I increase it?". And that's exactly why you shouldn't do it. You don't need to do it for the stats. What makes your content great, is your personality and how you do what you do. If you don't feel like making a video - don't force it (although I'm happy about seeing more content from you recently). It'll be ok. Apart from that ... I'm with you about that women thing. There should be more of em watching. Thumbs up! Stay Healthy and balanced. Gretings from a country representing 5.1% of your viewers :-)
Great stuff Zack!!
Thank you for acknowledging what photographers are going through right now - let's try and help each other where we can and keep reaching out. You've always inspired me to hang in there. Thank you.
Thank YOU, Lucia!
I attempted to do a divide and conquer with my UA-cam channels. I have a family based channel (which is this account) where I made it a goal to get the kids outside last summer and part of getting them out was recording us (oh how I wish I had a newer body for autofocus in video). Then I have another channel called Beard Brain (I sent you my cooking vid on Twitter) that's supposed to act as my creative outlet for writing/performing but it's been on/off stage for 2 years.
This worldwide shutdown is getting me back in the swing of things though. The kids and I are working on a stop motion movie for our family channel that I'm hopefully shooting the start of next week and up by the end of next week. We have all of our props and scenes created so now it's down to the hard part. With the new COPPA restrictions in place on UA-cam it's near impossible to grow a family channel as you can no longer use endscreens, have comments etc. So directing people through to your other videos and interacting with your viewers has been removed. I'm now mainly using it as an educational and family building process so they can learn some new skills and problem solve some things as well.
I'm relating on an age bracket, Bloke and self doubt rollercoaster level, I get why the Demographisc is a bit (LOT) lopsided.
Length is fine, some dont stay long at all that brings the view duration down, just don't go too long,
some of my visits have been 'oh 20 minutes, I will have to come back later'. Keep being positive for those reching out, love your work. Chil
Never understood average watch times. Never understood why people watch half a video. If I’m not going to watch a video I leave in the first minute. Your videos I watch start to finish, even if I can’t do that in one sitting it’ll just stay paused on my Apple TV until I’m ready to finish it.
Keep up the good work, stay safe!
IMO the best channels are the ones who don't play the algorithm game (but I think trying to earn a full paycheck via youtube is a terrible idea, especially with a low royalty payouts, soeaking as an artist myself). It just comes off more authentic. You said it yourself, make the content tou want to make otherwise youre trying to please 6-7B people on the planet to watch your stuff.
I enjoyed the assignments you used to give in the beginning days of dedpxl.com. Instead of reviewing all of them, maybe you could pick a few to discuss. Best, most interesting, one with potential but not quite there yet....
only 70 subscribers :( I am so glad that you are back on youtube.
71 now
@@mikebaltierra thanks
My youtube channel only has 18 subs, not photo related (currently) and not really promoting it either. Using it to supply my video portfolio on my website with video. Should step up my photo game as well
Looking forward to your starting again video (i'm 44 as well ;) )..
Hey Zack, it sure how relevant my little channel is, but a shout out would be mighty welcome, I did a video a while back based on depression, and that was heavily inspired by your film Transform, I fucking love that video man!
If content is interesting, I’ll view to the end. Just keep doing what you’re doing. 👍
Hey Zack, proud member of the 3.8% women audience here! I don't think this is anything to do with you or your content, which I've loved and learned from for many years. You shoot commercial work, which is *still* very much a male area of the business. You deal with serious lighting, which often means serious studio space and/or an assistant, and lots of women photographers are (or were, until two weeks ago) shooting events, families, etc. - retail work (and there are plenty of cultural reasons for that, I think PDN did something on the subject a couple of years ago?) and no studio space. So I think the content most women are looking for is just more geared toward those areas. (And don't get me started on "natural light photographers" lol.)
I regularly still recommend your CreativeLive courses (oh please tell me you get some sort of percentage for those) to anyone who says they want to learn about lighting, and I've never heard anyone say, nah, I didn't get much out of that guy. It's impossible not to learn from you. But it's less relevant to most of the women photographers than in-person sales, etc (or basically anything CreativeLive does *these days*). So I honestly don't know what you could do to change that, while still addressing what you actually do. It's just a bigger issue than you.
Also, you're very real, and frankly, not everyone comes to UA-cam for *real.* Unicorns and rainbows sell, as well as guys making coffee for the first three minutes of their videos. I'm looking forward to the burnout video, especially now when I'm as frustrated as everyone else. I have a brand new portfolio, stacks of promo mailers ready to go out, I'm all dressed up and no place to go. I spent December to February shooting new work for this. I'm afraid to even address the damn things, because I assume there are so many layoffs to come (it's already happening at the major talent agencies, the ad world will be next) that who knows who will still be working at these places in 3 months or whenever we're let out of photo jail. Those are hard truths, and most people just don't want to talk about it.
Thank you Dana! Yes, I still make a bit from those old CL videos! Thank you! DANG.... I had not even thought of the fact that many folks we would send our promos to may not be there at the end of this. DAAANNNGGGGGGG. Damn. .... Thank you so much for your comment. I really appreciate it.
@@ZackAriasATL I learned something else yesterday that you may or may not have heard already - I don't know if you use Eventbrite to sell tickets to workshops, but they have a new policy: They won't pay out to event hosts until five days after the event. So anyone who wants to diversify their income stream with workshops (and I have a feeling there's a lot of that coming), should be aware that they will have to front all those workshop costs without being able to dip into the reservations as an "advance" if they're with Eventbrite. (This was a small aside in the current Billboard cover story on the future of the concert business.)
It's always great to see your videos Zack, thanks for being honest & real! I've posted my first video and am planning more soon.
Zack I really think that it all comes to one thing... the amount of content you put on there. Unfortunately quantity > quality... my channel for example, gets a positive critique in general but the amount of people that see them are very very few. Btw I design and make fine furniture by hand
Man, waiting for the next video, i said i'd watch, you said you'd post =D
Just a quick one; based on my knowledge in social media marketing, If your impressions or reach are over 1-1.5%? you are above average, especially in photography.
Think about it like this. 1% that's 70 Million of the world's population that you've gained the attention of and if you can convert and retain just 0.1% of those 70 Million as subscribers (which ironically you have) that will result in 70K subs.
To me, anyone in the photography space with at least 50k subs... shoot even 10K on any one of the four major platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & UA-cam) is doing god damn well in the social space. I only just hit 3K this weekend after 4 years on my Instagram but I am still hitting that 1% average, on VERY rare occasions 2 or 3%
But Zack, you've got a solid platform.
I certainly wouldn't stress out even from your long hiatus - you will be good for a very long time
Thank you so much for the feedback on that. I really appreciate it.
I have a youtube channel with less than a thousand and have not made content for a while but I am going to start now we are in lockdown. Loving your videos whatever the content.
Great video Zack! Love the format. Not over produced. You are an inspiration for my channel too. Would love to have you on my podcast also. Let’s connect! Cheers!
🤘🏻
Thanks a ton Zack. It is great to have you again sharing amazing videos....that WE LOVE!!
Thank YOU!!!
I’m one of those people that has way less than 1,000 subscribers! Unfortunately this Covid shit has pretty much cancelled most of my planned videos right now. (Moving to Scotland, landscape photography, life with twins, etc) I need to figure out some other content to make at home.
Hi Zack, thanks for being real. I appreciate it.
Hey Zack just so you know the boxed wine was invented in Australia. If you want to sound Aussie we refer to them as "Goon Bags!"
Hahahaha! Love that! Noted!
You might be misinterpreting the average viewing time figures Zack. Sometimes I will skip forward a bit if I find I'm already familiar with one or two issues you're talking through. It doesn't mean I don't appreciate what you're doing, it's more I want to move more quickly on to the next bit. So by the end of the video I will only have watched maybe two thirds, say. What I'm not doing is switching off half way through. Keep up the good work - and I am right behind your decision to only produe content that you're intersted in going forward
Good to know, David. Thank you!
Definitely less than 1k Subs here hahahah!
Assignment: portrait of a person using a mix of continuous light and a little bit o' flash.
Hey Zack - I'm one of those less than 1,000 people :) . I'm doing photography+painting, and I just put up a video about creating a tiki family portrait painting using stencils. You might get a kick out of it. Thanks for offering to help people!
Noted! YT studio doesn’t let me click on your name to check it out. I’ll do so though. Thank you!
Dude- followed you for years; my thoughts: Do Both; both long and short form videos. Instead of stressing, have an Idea Day per week or Month....where BRAINSTORMING is the goal. You MUST have 1-2 OTHER people participate to HELP the process. THINK aloud. Free-form thinking, free association- all things considered...within the photographic realm. And then there's the timely stuff....where you're compelled to comment upon, that needs no calendar date- because it's happening now. You FEEL it- and are compelled to have to comment upon it.
Noted. Thank you, Tommy!
My opinion on playlists, make them with your videos only. Categorise them ie: cooking, stuff n things, reviews, tutorials. Then, if you're not already, choose a couple of videos to add at the last 20 seconds of your video, these are "what you suggest to watch next". Or you can leave it as random and youtube chooses them for you.
Agree the main use for playlists is to stick them in the end screen if they'd be useful to viewers of the video just watched
Zack, I made notes as I watched after you asked the first question.
Ideas for activities:
I have been making coloring books out of animal photos using Photoshop. The first of which is on my zoo's new activities web site. I have a blog post with the instructions. I will be publishing them weekly.
This could just as easily be good for taking photos of your pets, or even the kids themselves, and have them color the pages. I recommend that you check the colors of the longest crayons in the box and have them wear that color. It may be tough getting new crayons for a while.
The zoo also posted one of my animal wordsearch puzzles. You can keep kids busy with those (even though they are not photography related unless you use photography related words)
If we are busy doing things for others, we are less likely to feel sorry for ourselves. If even for just a few minutes.
Average View Duration
It is more likely that the average time is such that people look at the video and decide right away that they don't want to finish, while the rest of us watch all 19:41 seconds (the duration of this video) for example. So it balances out.
Duration of videos.
Longer is fine right now, but in the long run, most people can't spare more than about 5 minutes. More than that may mean marking it for watching later. Which, if you are like me, is a really long list. Or was, until the Shelter-In-Place order.
Steven Gotz
artofzootography.com
Thanks Steve!
Here's the under 1,000 subs crew... I haven't started my channel yet BUT... From your encouragement I have started planning videos, and I've started working towards screen testing and audio testing. It *is* in the works and should be online soon.
I want to thank you for this video. Thank you for your encouragement, and thanks for the investment here.
Let me know when you start getting it going!
Thanks again. Pleased to have my ‘UA-cam for grown ups’ mentioned. I’m not producing on UA-cam but my Instagram audience is reasonably healthy for a rugby photographer. @ickledot
It is the perfect description for my channel! 😂😂😂 Thank you!
One of the apparently few women who watch your channel fairly regularly (and I LOVE that there's so little "fluff" - I hate that people drone on for 5 minutes about personal matters before getting into content...so thank you!!). A few thoughts on female viewership. First, from what I've heard, the photography world in-general has more of a male presence than a female one, so changing that in the larger photography community will help change your own M:F ratio as well.
With that context in-mind, I think your videos tend to be highly analytical and serious. Rules and critiques and...maybe look at getting a bit lighter with your content. Personality-wise, you get down to business. If you look at PixImperfect, he always looks happy to be shooting his videos. He's warm and welcoming. Sometimes you look at bit...depressed.
Another thought: the thumbnail on your videos is (almost) always a picture of you. And other than the intro, the videos are just you sitting in your home/office. More variety would be good. I'd suggest showing some of your own work (justify your expertise), showing more of other people's work (this helps you connect with your viewers), shoot things in other locations, and bring other people into your videos. Bringing in people from your network is one of the fastest ways to tap into their viewers as well. Just stay genuine with it (you already do a great job with this). Collaborate with people you respect. Collaborate with people who invigorate and inspire you (this will help show a bit more of your playful side).
One last tip is really just to continue focusing on what YOU are doing rather than worrying so much about what your viewers want to see. Keep being true to yourself. You will attract viewers who value what you're already doing rather than trying to force yourself into a mold. You've only got 33 videos out - you're really just getting started!
Let me know if you want to connect and chat more! :)
Thank you, Allison! I really appreciate allllllll of that. You echo some of my own thoughts and have given me more things to ponder on. I really appreciate you taking the time to write that all out. Feel free to email me at usedfilm@gmail.com. Thank you!
Zack, don't change of you are. You have a beautiful personality. You are honest about your struggels. Many of us don't have the guts to admit of what they are fighting with. However, don't try live in past but now. Looking at your stats... why should we be looking at your stats? Just be as you are and you will organically grow. You have nearly 75k followers - this is a beautiful number already. Also what do you want to become? A youtuber or do you still want to be a photogapher?
Being honest, I am in the same boat as you are. For all my life I am dealing with things the world is sigmatising about. I am different because of whatever reason. I am trying to find means to change myself but I always fail because I force it and it does not come natural. Yes, I am photographing too... but /*-*-/#$#%%$%$#
You have many talents: Your voice is pleasing to listen to. You are a photographer. Your stage appearance comes across natural and without fear. You have taught me a few things in the past. You have family.
Thanks Oliver. I appreciate your comment.
Zack, this is my feedback.
1- I prefer longer video.
2- get your kid more minutes, he's got carisma.
3- As you have a Basque blood, what the hell why you're not drinking wine properly?, buy a nice bottle of wine instead of that crappy brick and get yourself I nice glasses of wine😜.
Cheers from Madrid!
I should be drinking from a bota bag and not the box right? 😂 I’m tellin’ ya... when all your jobs disapear it’s time to make some cut backs! 😩
I'm obviously one of the 3% - but I have absolutely no clue how to make that number bigger. I have only recently subscribed , but really enjoy your down to earth, this is how it is type videos (and the occasional animal cameo). In regards to the length of videos, I will admit if it's a longer video (by anyone), I will wait to watch it when I have more time (or when I'm doing something else but can still pay attention.) which sometimes can be weeks later. But usually anything under 15-20 mins. gets watched pretty quickly after it shows up in my inbox. I love playlists- as long as it's your own stuff. And there is nothing wrong with reminding people to subscribe, only takes 3 seconds of a video to do. Keep up the good work - and just be you!
Thank you! Noted!
Hey Zack. My 2 cents: Don't worry about the average watch time. Some people will stop a video right away (time watched 0) and some will watch the complete thing. The average will say 50%, it says nothing about your content. People who have autoplay or click by mistake will always close it and will count detrimentally to your average. I like your content as is. Sometimes long, sometimes short. You don't waste time rumbling around an old bone of a topic or boosting self promotion. Keep it up.
2% is a decent response in nowadays internet. That's just cognitive dissonance between the algorithm and the public. I rarely click on "recommended" videos, unless there's nothing new from my favorite channels. Some people will not click it because of the thumbnail, but most because of the title or duration. That's why many channels do the "click bait" slope, and that's something that irks me a lot and makes your audience feel cheated.
Gear reviews get a lot of views and that's why some channels only do that, but I'm not suggesting you do. Some former very interesting and creative channels are now close to informercials.
Your content is unique. Loved the cooking video btw.
Thank you for your insight and feedback! I appreciate it.
Another home assignment could be photographing shadows instead of real objects
Noted!
14:32 Yep Ken (Theoria Apophasis) Wheeler is a hoot. Like many, I found him off-putting arrogant, obnoxious and he is even by his own admission. That said he is addictive and frankly, over time I found myself actually liking the guy.
I’ve subscribed already! I bet he’s entertaining as shit!
I'm at 182 subs... Probably cause I have no niche...I vlogged my son's cancer battle, I do jiu jitsu related videos, and interviews of musicians and martial artists. My channel may be a mess but I'm having fun 👍
Noted! I’ll check it out!
On the question of low female viewer count. I believe it's because photography tends to be male dominated. As far as ways to draw female viewers. Maybe some collaboration videos with female pros. Have them talk about the fact that photography is male dominated, and how they navigate that. Just some thoughts. Thank you for your vulnerability in sharing with us. Your videos always get my creativity gears turning.
Noted! Thank you, Jennifer!
Hello,
I've followed you for a few years, and even though you didn't put out content very often, I stayed as a subscriber. But when you did upload a video, it was worth the wait.
Most of today's content is very high paced.
What I like about your videos is that you take your time, and delivers very good content, at just the right pace and the right length.
I'd rather watch a 20 min "Stuff 'n things", where the content is engaging and full of character, than watch a "9 min" were the video is shortened so much that it lacks the character that you gives it. Take your time and deliver the good content that you do.
On the topic of playlists, at least I would like if you could organize you videos in different Playlist.
Maybe one "stuff 'n things", "burnout", "date night in the kitchen" and one "photo critique".
I'm very happy to see that you're back and producing the good content that you do.
Thank you so much for your feedback. You echo what others are saying and it makes me feel like I’m on the right track right now. I appreciate that.
Zack. I normally watch your videos with my partner but realizing now that pushes the stats that it’s mostly men. He has been a fan of yours for a long time. I have subscribed myself and will watch some of your videos on mine instead of his. ;-) Yes, playlists are a good idea to sort out your content into groups of subjects. I tend to do a lot more content during my day job (marketing) and realize that my passion (singer/songwriter) channel Is overdue for something new. I am motivated to put something up in the next week so perhaps if you’re going to push it hold off till then. I love your honesty and I appreciate your vulnerability shown in your latest videos. Keep up the good work!
Noted! Watching!
I can’t tell you how much I’m enjoying your new videos.
I have less than 1,000 subs and just getting back at it. I stopped making music photos and returned to my first creative love of painting. My channel is all about making art.
I’ll check it out!
Your videos are a fine length. Just keep doing what you're doing and don't let the stats dictate how you do what you do. Your authenticity, combined with your expertise, is why I enjoy your content (and I like you). You would lose some authenticity if you made decisions based on these stats. On the other hand, that gender divide is crazy. I don't know how you change it, but 70/30 sounds like a good goal.
Thank you, Daniel! Yeah, 70/30 would be good I think. We’ll see what happens!
I live in Akron, OH and would describe it just like you do Atlanta: not a lot of people out, everybody drives...makes for some frustrating street photography. I go out for an hour and shoot and I might only see like 10 people. I feel very defeated much of the time. Though it is frustrating, it has made me try and find what makes my home unique and capture that instead of wasting time thinking of what I don't have. So thanks for pointing out Street Shotz. I watched one of his videos and it made me feel comforted knowing other people are out there trying their best with what they have...and with a great attitude I might add. Cheers Zack!
The grass is always greener on the other side right? I enjoy his attitude as well. You can tell he loves it!
Zack, I am one of the 3.8% .I can tell you that your realism is what drew me to your channel. I think if you keep being you and keeping it "real" you will be fine on your "lady" viewers. I appreciate and respect you. Thank you for being a bottom line type guy.
Thank you, April!
You don’t have to constantly make content Zack just post now and again. I mean you didn’t post anything for months and months so what did you expect would happen to your views. I actually searched everywhere for more content from you, or any updates about what you were up to over the past year but there was nothing. Therefore you have a flat line that only now is spiking. Just sayin man! Love ya!👍🇦🇺😎
Thanks Stephen!
I know some UA-camrs that struggle to make their videos 10 minutes long for the algorithm whatever that means. I watch your videos and 20 minutes seem to fly by. Honestly it is the quality of the content that matters. Some five minute videos are succinct and to the point and some topics require longer discussions. I would say make whatever feels right. I follow a Danish wildlife photographer named Morten Hilmer and he can put up a 48 minute video of himself in a photo-blind photographing crows and it is fascinating and calming and 48 minutes seem to pass in the blink of an eye! He also does these Bushcraft videos where he sets up camp, cooks, goes on little photography excursions and they can be over an hour long and there is no talking. And they are brilliant. If you have a good story to tell it doesn't matter the length.
I love videos like that! I’m going to have to check him out. Thanks!
FEEDBACK.... The reason i watch your videos is not that i am looking to learn more about photography, it's because you come up with things that surprise me, completely unexpected, like in min minute 7.53, that simple little cut to your dog made this worth watching, so your channel in not educational it's entertainment. No other photographer has ever come up with the idea of giving kids a photography assignment, i think that is great, keep giving kids photo assignments and you will be surprised at the photos they bring you, i think that photos in a more journalistic type would be more interesting for the kids than art photos and easy for them, imagine you having kids from all over the world and the US sending you photos with stories of their family, their dog , their school etc.
Thank you Juan! I like doing the unexpected! I appreciate your view!
Zack, love your videos and content! Been watching for many years. Your videos sparked my interest in pursuing photography as a hobby... I'm not great but I love it. I do it for me and no one else.
What I want to see out of your content are the things that interest you. Don't make videos based upon what you think we want to see. What most of us want to see is what interests you. Allow your passion of the subject or topic take over. Your passion, sincerity, and "realness" is what drives most of us to watch your content. If you're not interested in the topic it will show and we'll lose interest as well. Don't concern yourself with feeling forced to make content just to make content.
We're here for signal... not noise.
Thank you Matthew. Noted!
Do your own thing Zack. Online ventures often create the deepest rabbit holes. I appreciate one must compromise sometimes and in this case follow some formulas to maximise exposure and monetise but I’d hate to start making content which appealed to others but not me. I have no doubt you know this. You’re an awesome guy and I’d love to meet someone like you one day to learn from and collaborate with. I’ve followed your work for a few years now and have benefited from it greatly. Your honesty and vulnerability is legendary. Wish you all the best!
Thank you! Yeah... there’s some balance to be found I think. I’m not going to worry too much about it right now and just keep making what I want to make and see what happens. I’d love to monetize this a bit more but I don’t want to give up being who I am to do it. I’m lucky in that all of you will call me out if I start slipping!
I’ve only recently found your channel and look forward to each video. I do wonder if your viewing time is affected by various things. I stop the video when I get phone calls or other things happen and sometimes I accidentally hit the next video button if I move my ph. And for your stats I’m 55 and female lol
Thank you!
Brilliant video Zack ! Really needed to hear some of these things. I am under personal stress because of this COVID19 new world we live in, and just thinking how on earth am I going to make money while I sit at home ? At the same time there is this strange pressure to be productive during this time which is weighing heavy on me. I am just taking the time to absorb what is going on out there and around me instead. I hope to eventually get cracking on being creative and productive.
Thanks Altamash! It’s so weird and surreal that we are all dealing with something on a global scale.
@14:30 he actually loves your work and quoted you about a year ago concerning Fuji medium format choice vs full frame 😂. Here it is ua-cam.com/video/oDZcX9N6U8g/v-deo.html
Hahaha! That’s awesome!
One of my personal favorite things is how you have a no shit way of telling it. You are not blunt by any means but you have a way of cutting through any bs to get to a point in a manner that makes sense to me.
P.S. The Transform video well honestly it helped me not check out when I was in a very dark time. It also helped me discover that photography was a way forward for me in life. Although photography is a hobby it is a hobby that led me back to other hobbys like baking, cooking...It also led me to a point that life sucks less from a physical point.
Thanks, Joe. Glad to be of service.
I think your Female to Male ratio is probably not that bad. In general, YT skews heavily Male. I have seen other channels bring those numbers up though, when they make an effort. I wish you much success!
Thank you! One part I edited out for length was an article I read that stated it’s a pretty healthy 50/50 mix of genders on YT as a whole.
DON'T look at average view time like the way you described. The reason it's at 9 minutes is because the person who watches 10 seconds is averaged against the person who watches the whole video. That's the worst thing about statistics, sometimes you can look at a number/reading and see something that isn't there. In this case you are looking at it as "everyone only watches about 9 minutes of my video." and that's not what that number is saying.
Thank you. I figure that is the case. It would be interesting if they could do that stat in a more useful way.
lol...What am I sitting at time wise? 31 minutes... Zack you do you brother and the rest will fall into place. Your original Onelight Workshop came along as I was going through a divorce and life sucked and it inspired me to hold on and move forward. I love my camera and I hate my camera and at times wish I had never picked it up the first time, but yet I am lost and incomplete without it. I still get a little aggravated when I shoot and people do not respond the way I would like them too, but then I realize I am really doing this for me and not for their appreciation. I would do it if no one ever saw it because I have to, at times I hate it and other times it's all I think about except for bacon I am always thinking about bacon. I am glad you are creating again and I look forward to seeing more from you. Thank you for the time you invest into this art form, you do not realize what it means to some of us.
Thank you, Jimmy! I appreciate it.
Don't watch the counter Zack, you're content is gold, just realize that we're UA-cam viewers and our attention spans are that of a toddler.
Ha! Noted!
Personally i prefer videos that pass the 10 minute mark and beyond when it comes to educational content. I love to listen to knowledgable people with the heart in the right place because i dont really have a proper mentor to absorb from, so you sir are a huge asset for me in many ways. Although the most important thing for me is that you dont get too into creating content fof the sake of creating it because that is potentially soul-crushing. We all widh you the best and i am just happy to absorb everything you want to share and remember this: you dont owe us or the internet anything. What you choose to share is heavily appreciated and if you get overwhelmed its in all of our best interests that you do what you need to do to make sure you stay well. Mental overload is not a joke and we love you too much to let you go through that for any avoidable reason. Lots of love from Sweden and keep on going strong!
Thank you. For all of that. I appreciate it.
Might want to look at your male to female ratio in the context of the overall UA-cam male to female usage ratios. Also about impressions, think about how those come up, in a feed or in the watch next after a video, tons of reason for why I choose my next watch or close UA-cam, mostly based on my emotional state at the time not the actual content... for instance I need to be in a mood to lean to watch certain video s so if I’m in veg mode when a channel like yours comes up, good chance I’ll pass. I often add to Watch Later our download but don’t go there often to work through those, not sure why that is.
Noted. Thank you!