Symph's tips for the opinional vlogger

Symph

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People are asking "what's wrong with my channe?" "Why am I not getting more subs?" And this is like I wanna say the 4th time I've seen that question and I've noticed this SAME thing in the person's videos. And a couple of times I have just responded TO the person, I mean I just did, I am going to be nervous checking this site tomorrow because in the hopes of helping I have kind of picked apart and ripped to shreds a person's channel, I wasn't intending to do that, but I had alot to say. I don't ever want to feel like that d**k again, specifically ripping apart someone's channel by response, so, from now on when someone asks that question and they want an honest answer and I see this same problem I will link them to this thread instead of responding directly.

Tip 1: I don't care about the mundane occurrences in your life.
We all eat, we all sleep, some of us work out, some of us watch TV. Now, if you have tips on how to cook, if you have jogging tips, if you have insomnia cures, by all means, talk about such subjects. But I don't want to hear, and I don't think many other people want to hear what you had for breakfast unless it was something incredibly unique that you made and you're going to tell us how to make it. In other words if you got up and got a bacon egg and cheese biscuit from Mcdonalds, you don't need to tell us that in your video. Unless you're going to tell me HOW to jog better, I don't need to know that you went jogging this morning. And unless you saw something on the news today that stirred you up? I don't care that you watched TV for 2 hours this morning. You don't need to give a play by play of the mundane occurrences in your life, it just wastes time.

Tip 2: Don't turn on the camera unless you truly have something to say.
If you just saw something, experienced something, or had a thought you thought was profound. Gather your thoughts, expand on those thoughts, make a list of points you'd like to make, and don't press record until you have squeezed out all the details you can think of from every angle you can consider. In other words, don't say "PETA is protesting at a sausage lover's convention, and I think they are dumb for it, the end"... No, if you see something like that, research it, watch lots of articles, get lots of information, and then tell me things like "PETA, the organization famous for "stripping for animal rights" is protesting a sausage convention, I understand they are against eating meat, but this is hardly right for them to disrupt this convention, people have been eating meat since the dawn of time and PETA etc.... etc... etc.... Like EXPAND on your opinion, go on to tell me a little history of PETA, explain what the supporters are saying "Supporters claim it's ok because of blah blah blah" "but many other people are saying... etc etc etc" Are you getting what I'm saying? The moment you form an opinion is NOT the moment to vlog, gather your thoughts, Learn as much as you can, make more than one point, and be as descriptive as you can be while looking at many various angles.

Tip 3: Invoke all the passion you can muster.
I don't come on youtube to get a news report. I come to get opinions (well, or I'm watching comedy or music but this is about opinion vloggers) If you don't have much of an opinion on something, I'm probably not going to be interested in what you have to say about it. I like watching people who get overwhelmed by the anger or excitement they feel about something. And let it out, don't hold it in because you're afraid to seem "weird" or something, no let it out! If you feel like raising your voice, DO IT, if you feel like squealing cause you're so happy, DO IT, I want to see some human passion on display! I want to see your emotions come out of you genuinely. If you are bored? I am bored. Don't vlog when you're bored, vlog when you're fired up! And show that fired up spirit to it's utmost degree! Heck, exaggerate it if you can do it convincingly! This is called having a "persona"

Tip 4: If you can, HAVE a persona!
I don't think in real life the Archfiend or Jenna Marbles, or Danny from Gradual Report, act the way they do on cam. They know they have an audience and they know it's time to reach inside and pull out the more flamboyant side of themselves and flaunt it. This is not faking, or being something you aren't, it is removing the inhibitions you have when other humans are present. Be who you are when you're alone and the silliest mood comes out of you. Or if you're a ranter, get as into it as you do when something ticks you off and you start going on about it in your head, thinking all those things you WISH somebody would say. Don't then revert back to the way you actually are in public, no, let that expanded version of yourself out in front of the camera! People like watching people go above and beyond what they see in normal conversation, if you have it in you, PULL IT OUT.

Tip 5: Edit out your down time.
If you have moments where you're having to think of what to say, or your dogs start barking and you have to tell them to be quiet, or you notice you've said something you already said, EDIT IT OUT. Leave only what is interesting and relevant to the vlog, don't just leave everything in if it's not adding to the entertainment/informative value of the video.

Tip 6: If at ALL possible, put SOME humor in.
If you are just not funny at all, then go with the first 5 tips and you'll be ok. But if you can, add at least one humorous moment to every video, unless you're talking about kids starving in Africa or some other tragedy, throw some humor in. Even if you're angry, put something in that will at least make people chuckle. If you can make people laugh, they will want to watch you again.

Those are my tips, I will never give a long personalized review of someone's channel with a harsh bite to it, again, I will simply refer them to this thread, I think I've pretty much covered everything.
 

Michael

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That's definitely a good all in one for vloggers, I am 100% sure this will really help people out. Thanks for writing this up Symph.
 

Symph

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That's definitely a good all in one for vloggers, I am 100% sure this will really help people out. Thanks for writing this up Symph.
I should probably use my fat bank account to make it a sticky, haha, I'll do that now.
 
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Symph

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Seuss

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I feel like responding to each tip, because honestly, you do have a true point with this:

Response 1: Daily Life is boring to rant about unless your life is THAT exciting. (ex. Skydiving before breakfast, going to Vidcon, etc)
Sorta like that episode of Futurama where Zoidberg asks another crustacean about her day and she drones on about getting up and eating toast, when honestly no one cares.

Response 2: I'll compare this to me because each video I make has a general outline of something I thought about for a few days, and some thoughts I held on for months (Frank Grimes, The Simpsons, etc)

Response 3: Passion on Youtube? Foolish.

Response 4: My persona is Seuss, and unfortunately that's not my real name. :(

Response 5: Now this is what I don't do, because ever since I lost my main editing computer, I've been unable to edit anything I create, so I DO get lots of random pointless slow videos.

Response 6: Those who can't think of humor on the spot don't deserve a video camera...

Anyways, thanks for the tips. +Liked.
 

Stef

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Response 6: Those who can't think of humor on the spot don't deserve a video camera...
I disagree with this. Not everyone is funny, and 'trying' to be funny is worse than not being funny at all. There’s nothing worse than when jokes fall flat on their face. Ask Mike ‘The Situation’. Sure, not being stern faced and boring helps but to say that people who can't think of humor on the spot doesn't deserve the camera is a bit silly. I don't find your videos particularly funny, but I wouldn't say you shouldn't be vlogging.

You don't have to be funny. As long as you have a presence. Even if your awkward (like I can be at times when I turn on the camera) or a bit deadpan that's completely fine, it's all apart of your charm, and many people are drawn to that because a lot of people can relate to that!

Symph, you’ve made some good points but I disagree with some. Having a persona is great but at times that can be seen as fake. A lot of people enjoy watching people that go on camera and is just themselves without trying to turn their personalitie up to 10 or put on goofy voices just to seem entertaining.

I think believing in what it is you're talking about is a lot more important that appearing passionate on camera. If your geniuine and your making good points you don't have to 'shout from the roof tops' or be over the top with your emotions to prove it.

I agree with that ‘following’ people around during their day is just boring. Unless there's something about you that I find interesting that I would care enough to follow you around, I wouldn't particularly watch it. Unless, like Suess said, you're doing something exciting.

At the end of the day, what works for some may not work for others. It's up to you to hone your craft. But, these are very good tips so far.
 

Michael

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I think passion doesnt have to be shown, being passionate can just be having a good understanding of what you are talking about and caring, the emotions dont need to show.