5 Tips for New Dashcam Channels
Jan 6, 2016 21:30:49 GMT -5
DontDentMyCar, DashCamExtraordinaire, and 3 more like this
Post by georgiacammer on Jan 6, 2016 21:30:49 GMT -5
I was going to make a video offering some advice for new channels. So being me, I typed everything out in a word document instead of thinking of stuff off the top of my head. I never got around to starting the full video, but the word document has been sitting in my laptop for half a year. I'm just going to post it here and hope somebody somewhere takes something away from it.
Here it is:
1) Set Yourself Apart-
There are seemingly hundreds of dashcam channels out there. What makes yours memorable?
-Set a unique thumbnail for your user. Some people recognize the image before they even read the username. This could be as simple as an image of a stop sign or a dashcam.
-Have an intro- it steps up the quality of your video to a new level, and it’s another chance to make your own mark. It can be something small like a 5 second timelaspe with music.
-Optional: Try a more creative channel name besides “Bad Drivers of blank”, because people always get names of places mixed up. Another reason to have a unique name is to make sure it is not too similar to other channels from your state or country. Could you imagine trying to distinguish from “Bad Drivers of California” and “California Bad Drivers”? You could try something like “CaliCam” instead.
The point is to get viewers to recognize your channel. Do anything that’ll make your viewers go “oh yeah, that guy!”
2) Be Clear-
There’s nothing more annoying than having to rewatch a clip because you didn’t see anything happen and there was no explanation. If something happens in the distant background, say so! Don’t keep your viewers guessing where to watch. This can be solved by inserting some quick text, or even arrows. It makes watching the video much easier. (Hack: want arrows? Just use the letter “ v ”3 or 4 times). Also, some dashcammers will put in something that looks really minor on camera, but in reality it scared them for a second (like someone slightly drifting out of their lane, for example). It’s obvious to the uploader, but viewers might miss what happened if they don’t know where to be looking.
Another thing I see in videos is dead space. Dead space is what I call when clips are just too long. For example, a clip is over 20 seconds long, but nothing happens until the last few seconds. What were those extra 15 seconds for? Keep excess dead space like this to a minimum. It makes viewers impatient and bored. On the other hand, don’t make clips too short either. Viewers won’t be able to catch their breath if you switch from one clip to another too fast. After a while you’ll find a good pace for your videos.
3) Participate in the community-
What, you thought that people would just sort of flock to your channel? No one will watch your videos if they don’t know you exist. Make sure you watch videos from similar channels and comment on them. This should get you at least some sort of subscriber base as more and more people get to know you. Another great way to reach out is by joining a dashcammer forum such as Project Road Rush. Which leads to my next point:
4) Be Patient-
This is very common among new dashcammers: Impatience! You have a few of your very own clips and you can’t wait to share them, so you upload the few that you have. Great! The problem is, all you captured is a driver who didn’t signal, some car with a missing brake light, and someone driving over the speed limit. It makes for a pretty boring video for the rest of us. It’s tough to wait, but is that minor clip is really something people would take time out of their day to watch? Don’t give up; your channel will grow eventually. Remember, everyone started with zero subscribers at one point.
5) Quality over Quantity-
Not sure how long to make your compilation? Everyone has a different preference, but for starters try to aim between 5-10 minutes. Anything over 10 minutes could be pushing the limits of some viewers’ attention spans. Even a 5 minute video of some well put together and engaging footage will be more entertaining than a 15 minute video of small annoyances. Time flies by when you watch a good video; so if people are asking for longer videos that means you’re doing something right.
Also, don’t feel like you have to meet a quota and upload a video every week. This is pretty common. Many people will put in the description “this is all I captured this week, nothing exciting…” What? You are basically announcing to the world that your video is subpar. Consider taking an extra week or two to release a video that meets your own standards. Nobody likes a half-baked product.
If you’re starting a new bad drivers channel, I hope these tips helped! Don’t be afraid to break the mold and do something completely different. It’s your video!
Here it is:
1) Set Yourself Apart-
There are seemingly hundreds of dashcam channels out there. What makes yours memorable?
-Set a unique thumbnail for your user. Some people recognize the image before they even read the username. This could be as simple as an image of a stop sign or a dashcam.
-Have an intro- it steps up the quality of your video to a new level, and it’s another chance to make your own mark. It can be something small like a 5 second timelaspe with music.
-Optional: Try a more creative channel name besides “Bad Drivers of blank”, because people always get names of places mixed up. Another reason to have a unique name is to make sure it is not too similar to other channels from your state or country. Could you imagine trying to distinguish from “Bad Drivers of California” and “California Bad Drivers”? You could try something like “CaliCam” instead.
The point is to get viewers to recognize your channel. Do anything that’ll make your viewers go “oh yeah, that guy!”
2) Be Clear-
There’s nothing more annoying than having to rewatch a clip because you didn’t see anything happen and there was no explanation. If something happens in the distant background, say so! Don’t keep your viewers guessing where to watch. This can be solved by inserting some quick text, or even arrows. It makes watching the video much easier. (Hack: want arrows? Just use the letter “ v ”3 or 4 times). Also, some dashcammers will put in something that looks really minor on camera, but in reality it scared them for a second (like someone slightly drifting out of their lane, for example). It’s obvious to the uploader, but viewers might miss what happened if they don’t know where to be looking.
Another thing I see in videos is dead space. Dead space is what I call when clips are just too long. For example, a clip is over 20 seconds long, but nothing happens until the last few seconds. What were those extra 15 seconds for? Keep excess dead space like this to a minimum. It makes viewers impatient and bored. On the other hand, don’t make clips too short either. Viewers won’t be able to catch their breath if you switch from one clip to another too fast. After a while you’ll find a good pace for your videos.
3) Participate in the community-
What, you thought that people would just sort of flock to your channel? No one will watch your videos if they don’t know you exist. Make sure you watch videos from similar channels and comment on them. This should get you at least some sort of subscriber base as more and more people get to know you. Another great way to reach out is by joining a dashcammer forum such as Project Road Rush. Which leads to my next point:
4) Be Patient-
This is very common among new dashcammers: Impatience! You have a few of your very own clips and you can’t wait to share them, so you upload the few that you have. Great! The problem is, all you captured is a driver who didn’t signal, some car with a missing brake light, and someone driving over the speed limit. It makes for a pretty boring video for the rest of us. It’s tough to wait, but is that minor clip is really something people would take time out of their day to watch? Don’t give up; your channel will grow eventually. Remember, everyone started with zero subscribers at one point.
5) Quality over Quantity-
Not sure how long to make your compilation? Everyone has a different preference, but for starters try to aim between 5-10 minutes. Anything over 10 minutes could be pushing the limits of some viewers’ attention spans. Even a 5 minute video of some well put together and engaging footage will be more entertaining than a 15 minute video of small annoyances. Time flies by when you watch a good video; so if people are asking for longer videos that means you’re doing something right.
Also, don’t feel like you have to meet a quota and upload a video every week. This is pretty common. Many people will put in the description “this is all I captured this week, nothing exciting…” What? You are basically announcing to the world that your video is subpar. Consider taking an extra week or two to release a video that meets your own standards. Nobody likes a half-baked product.
If you’re starting a new bad drivers channel, I hope these tips helped! Don’t be afraid to break the mold and do something completely different. It’s your video!