Surface Ripples

"Me-Tubing"?

YouTube must be one of the most popular streaming channels for videos on information on how to do things, where to travel, stuff to buy and a host of other subjects all of which have their fans.

I’m just as guilty as anyone else of going down the YouTube “rabbit hole” for information, stuff to buy, reviews on products and so on.  Over the five or so years that I’ve been watching YouTube, it’s become clear that some “YouTubers” (or are they “Vloggers”?) may not appreciate what they’re doing. 

An example: I stopped watching a video about “travel electronics” after eight minutes as the presenter still hadn’t come to the point on the products they were showcasing.  That’s eight minutes of my life I’ll never get back that were consumed by the presenter displaying their ignorance of events outside the US.  This potent combination of mindless chatter and ignorance simply confirmed that this was not a channel worth watching and I marked it as “don’t recommend this channel” in my YouTube account. 

They weren’t YouTubing, they were “Me-Tubing”. 

People have suggested that I start my own YouTube channel.  I haven’t yet for several reasons:

1. There are many subjects I could talk on (no "USP").
2. I’m aware of my lack of “video presentation expertise”.
3. An awful lot of the videos that I’ve watched over the last couple of years all say the same thing.  The only differences are usually in the type of tool or product presented or in the experiences being presented.

 For example, “Survival” or “Bushcraft” videos all tend to recommend much the same type of equipment.  Equally there are plenty of survival videos that show how to make a shelter out of materials available in a forest, out of a tarpaulin or using other materials.

As I’ve said: there are some YouTubers who are great and I watch their videos if it’s a subject that interests me.  What I notice is that they all seem to follow a common set of rules:

1. Keep it short (5 to 7 minutes is good; if you can’t say what you need to say in that time, you’re wasting other peoples’ time).
2. Get to the point – fast. There’s nothing worse than the example I gave above of a 24-minute video where the first eight minutes (or 1/3 of the video) were just the presenter rambling.
3. Stick to facts: except to give context or set the scene, don’t speculate, don’t imagine. 

For me, if a YouTube video is longer than seven minutes, it must be:

• Either by a presenter who I know to give value OR
• On a subject that really interests to me OR
• Something about which I wish to acquire knowledge.

 Of course, travel vlogs are an exception. If anyone can encapsulate the experience, pros and cons of flying business class on Singapore Airlines in seven minutes or less, good luck!

If ever I do start presenting on YouTube, I like to think that I’ll have defined the:

• Target audience.
• Subject or subjects I will present.
• Duration of video (depending on subject of course).
• Important facts that I think audiences will need to know.

What’s your experience of YouTubers or “Vloggers” and how would you approach this activity?

I’ve spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With a wealth of international experience in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management.  I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email. My website  provides a full picture of my portfolio of services.  

Labels: Customer Care, Selling

posted by William Martin @ 15:35