WeiseGamer
Your #1 Source For Indie Gaming
Intro:
Hey there YTT,
Before we get started, let me tell you a bit about my history. I've written a few guides on the requirements of YouTube to really make things happen, as well as the things you need to prepare for a channel. I've also posted numerous times about things you can do to increase exposure and have great growth, but I will say I do not claim to be an extreme expert.
This is my guide on starting a new channel: http://yttalk.com/threads/so-you-wanna-start-a-youtube-channel-the-road-to-your-first-upload.117447/
I suggest you review that guide as well, even if you have already started, as it has great info for everyone.
Quick Disclaimer: I am a gaming channel, and I understand it is MUCH easier to upload the number of videos I do a week than it would be if I was a vlogging channel, high production with live actors, etc. If you have this style channel and keep a standard 1 video a week schedule, this still applies, as people seem to have trouble with their 1 video at times.
Getting on Topic
Now, the topic at hand is time-management. It seems that time and time again, we see posts such as:
My Schedule:
I upload 10 videos a week, every week, and have done so consistently (with the exception of additional videos being made on some days for various reasons) for roughly 6 weeks now. You may think that I have no life outside of my online presence with YouTube, but you would be sadly mistaken.
The common issue is that we have no preparedness for our channels. So many of us record a video the same day its published, or less than 24 hours before it needs to go up. This leads to a rushed recording, rushed commentary, rushed editing, and overall poor production value. I've fallen into this trap myself and have had issues such as a scheduled video that I thought rendered properly, was frozen after 3 minutes, and I missed it due to being rushed and not properly reviewing my video.
How do we Fix the Problem?:
Notice how I color coordinate things, Green = Uploaded, Red = Needs Recording, Yellow = Needs Editing. You can use a similar scheme to organize yourself! Also notice that I have things scheduled with developers (part of my niche) all the way up through the end of May. This is a BIG sign. I work with indie game developers specifically and rely on them giving me games to play. How can I be professional and give them a date for a video to air if I have no organization on a calendar?
You NEED to put the time in to get ahead of your videos. Do NOT do them 24 hours in advanced, give yourself a few days of cushion. I truly recommend being at LEAST a week in advanced, if not two weeks. What I mean by this is that if you video takes 7 days to produce, then have 1-2 videos scheduled. If your video takes 1 day to produce, then give yourself 7-14 videos scheduled. This way you can miss an entire week of work on your channel, and still have at least 1 if not 2 videos ready to go without throwing you off.
If you go on vacation, have finals for school, a job interview, etc, you are going to know about these things with more than 24 hour notice. Use that time between scheduling the leave of absence and the date you actually step away to make more videos and get ahead!
How do you do this? Stop procrastinating and dedicate some time to your channel.
Conclusion and Final Tips:
Organization is key. I find that knowing which videos I need to do to ensure my week is scheduled helps TREMENDOUSLY and allows me time to edit, re-record, and upload without rushing.
I work on YouTube around 20 hours a week, but this includes all the social media things I do which help me out a lot AND all the recording and editing. Using my previous model, 20 hours a week leaves 52 hours to yourself. 2 days off, plus some hours to sleep in or do other things. This doesn't mean you need to spend 5 four hour days doing YouTube. But you should put in a little effort each day. Dedicate an hour to recording, then the next day edit a video, then the following day (or after editing you can do this overnight) render the video and upload it to YouTube. Finally, play the video back from start to finish for any last minute issues with YouTube processing.
Please let me know if you have questions or concerns. This guide is very generalized, but it comes down to organization. If I can do 10+ videos of gaming a week, you can do your 1 vlog a week, or 3 gameplays, or 1 gameplay, or whatever your schedule/niche may be. We all have lives, but if this is something you truly want to do, put the effort into it that you need.
Last Words:
You get out of YouTube what you put into it. Its very unlikely for someone to instantly become a star or get shouted out, so you need to work for it. If you put more time in, you will see progress. If you ignore it, put little effort, and don't care about your schedule and procrastinate, you will see the consequences quickly.
Hey there YTT,
Before we get started, let me tell you a bit about my history. I've written a few guides on the requirements of YouTube to really make things happen, as well as the things you need to prepare for a channel. I've also posted numerous times about things you can do to increase exposure and have great growth, but I will say I do not claim to be an extreme expert.
This is my guide on starting a new channel: http://yttalk.com/threads/so-you-wanna-start-a-youtube-channel-the-road-to-your-first-upload.117447/
I suggest you review that guide as well, even if you have already started, as it has great info for everyone.
Quick Disclaimer: I am a gaming channel, and I understand it is MUCH easier to upload the number of videos I do a week than it would be if I was a vlogging channel, high production with live actors, etc. If you have this style channel and keep a standard 1 video a week schedule, this still applies, as people seem to have trouble with their 1 video at times.
Getting on Topic
Now, the topic at hand is time-management. It seems that time and time again, we see posts such as:
- "How do I keep up on consistent videos?"
- "How do people upload daily?"
- "How can I do videos on vacation?"
- "Its finals, halp!"
My Schedule:
I upload 10 videos a week, every week, and have done so consistently (with the exception of additional videos being made on some days for various reasons) for roughly 6 weeks now. You may think that I have no life outside of my online presence with YouTube, but you would be sadly mistaken.
- I work 40+ hours a week (frequently 45-50 hours) in a sales position that requires me to work off the clock from home at times with conference calls and more.
- I am married, and we are getting ready to start having children.
- I have family nearby (and in-laws) that next to REQUIRE me to go to various functions, dinners, and just random visits.
- There are 168 hours in a 7 day week.
- If you work 40 hours a week, you have 128 hours remaining.
- If you sleep the recommended 8 hours a day, you have 72 hours remaining.
- This 72 hours is what I use to film, edit, and upload my videos.
- My videos are 10-15 minutes on average, so 10 videos = 2.5 hours (if each was 15 mins)
- This leaves me just under 3 days to edit and upload the videos, PLENTY of time.
- This also leaves me an abundance of time to utilize social media to promote myself.
The common issue is that we have no preparedness for our channels. So many of us record a video the same day its published, or less than 24 hours before it needs to go up. This leads to a rushed recording, rushed commentary, rushed editing, and overall poor production value. I've fallen into this trap myself and have had issues such as a scheduled video that I thought rendered properly, was frozen after 3 minutes, and I missed it due to being rushed and not properly reviewing my video.
How do we Fix the Problem?:
- Organization via Calendar:
Notice how I color coordinate things, Green = Uploaded, Red = Needs Recording, Yellow = Needs Editing. You can use a similar scheme to organize yourself! Also notice that I have things scheduled with developers (part of my niche) all the way up through the end of May. This is a BIG sign. I work with indie game developers specifically and rely on them giving me games to play. How can I be professional and give them a date for a video to air if I have no organization on a calendar?
- Plan Your Absesnces:
You NEED to put the time in to get ahead of your videos. Do NOT do them 24 hours in advanced, give yourself a few days of cushion. I truly recommend being at LEAST a week in advanced, if not two weeks. What I mean by this is that if you video takes 7 days to produce, then have 1-2 videos scheduled. If your video takes 1 day to produce, then give yourself 7-14 videos scheduled. This way you can miss an entire week of work on your channel, and still have at least 1 if not 2 videos ready to go without throwing you off.
If you go on vacation, have finals for school, a job interview, etc, you are going to know about these things with more than 24 hour notice. Use that time between scheduling the leave of absence and the date you actually step away to make more videos and get ahead!
How do you do this? Stop procrastinating and dedicate some time to your channel.
Conclusion and Final Tips:
Organization is key. I find that knowing which videos I need to do to ensure my week is scheduled helps TREMENDOUSLY and allows me time to edit, re-record, and upload without rushing.
I work on YouTube around 20 hours a week, but this includes all the social media things I do which help me out a lot AND all the recording and editing. Using my previous model, 20 hours a week leaves 52 hours to yourself. 2 days off, plus some hours to sleep in or do other things. This doesn't mean you need to spend 5 four hour days doing YouTube. But you should put in a little effort each day. Dedicate an hour to recording, then the next day edit a video, then the following day (or after editing you can do this overnight) render the video and upload it to YouTube. Finally, play the video back from start to finish for any last minute issues with YouTube processing.
Please let me know if you have questions or concerns. This guide is very generalized, but it comes down to organization. If I can do 10+ videos of gaming a week, you can do your 1 vlog a week, or 3 gameplays, or 1 gameplay, or whatever your schedule/niche may be. We all have lives, but if this is something you truly want to do, put the effort into it that you need.
Last Words:
You get out of YouTube what you put into it. Its very unlikely for someone to instantly become a star or get shouted out, so you need to work for it. If you put more time in, you will see progress. If you ignore it, put little effort, and don't care about your schedule and procrastinate, you will see the consequences quickly.
