The Content Conundrum

By: Ziggy Salvation

 

(4 min. read)

So, to follow up on my last inter-mental rant, here comes the next step in the wonderful process of wanting to be a content creator. First, you must identify your platform. Then determine the kind of content you want to create. Determine your target audience and how much time you have to dedicate to this hopeful hobby turn income.

 One of the major reasons I chose to transfer my new path to YouTube to make a larger impact and operate from one location. I can make individual thumbnails clearly depicting what each video is about, I have the ability to go live at my will (even though I will have a schedule), and I can store, publish, cut, and highlight those live videos into more content and compilations. Therefore, I can have both the niche I choose to create, and, if I want to blur the lines into other avenues of content, I have the ability to do so all on the same dashboard. This platform also offers potential monetization on both live broadcasts and the ability to direct my audience to my video list, ramping up views and ad revenue when applicable. 

The best creators enjoy making content based on their interests. You can sense when a creator enjoys what they are doing.  

Everyone knows that I’m an avid gamer, but one thing not everyone knows is my family and I are also avid Lego enthusiasts. Legos touch every aspect of our lives. It’s the main decorative showcase in my office next to my World of Warcraft items. So it doesn’t come as a shock that I have been contemplating becoming a Lego-centric creator focusing on set reviews, alternate builds, discussing new and upcoming sets, franchising, and licensing in a multitude of categories. I could also bridge the gap of video games with the plethora of Lego video games. The potential is endless.

Once I determined my platform and content, I quickly realized the intense amount of off-camera preparation that not a lot of folks think about. The overall aesthetic of the page is vital, which can include depicting the official brand of the product in your logo, backdrop, or thumbnails. You have to be mindful of the music played in the background of each production to ensure nothing is breaking DMCA regulations and risk getting copyright strikes on your page. 

Going further into the content creation side, identifying what viewers are looking for or thinking is another game. What makes someone gravitate toward and choose a video to watch? They likely start by seeing the thumbnail, the little picture with flashy words or subject matter that draws you to click THAT creator’s content over the others listed after your search. And how do these thumbnails appear? You guessed it, the content creator has to create it, so that’s another behind-the-scenes facet.

When I start a new channel, I make a checklist. Knowing that I’m moving to YouTube over the next week or two, I will put my list here so that you wonderful people can see what I will be working on before releasing my first smidgen of content. 

This list will include:

  • ~ a written list of video ideas, as many as I can come up with, for a future decision to keep or dismiss at a later time
  • ~ a channel banner
  • ~ a channel profile pic (my logo)
  • ~ possibilities of intro video direction to review at another time
  • ~ once I determine the list for the first 5-10 videos, I will create a corresponding thumbnail for each one.

Though this list appears small, it’s crucial to create quality work that requires critical thinking before it comes to fruition. On top of other things, including creating Lego content, I need to decide the delivery method: play the game live, focus only on the build, review the set, etc. The project’s vision blazes the trail.

As you can now see, in order to produce a quality channel, many steps must occur before it comes to fruition. You canNOT focus on only one aspect of this process, which I’ve become sorta famous for. Though concentrating on one task is often necessary, creating a successful channel is about making all these moving parts co-exist.

This has literally kept me away for the last, oh, I dunno, three months. I’m a semi-professional procrastinator, and even though I have been determined to get this project going, I have stalled.

Anywho, I hope this gives you some insight into what occurs behind the scenes of some of your favorite live streamers and content creators that I’m sure many people are unaware of. I hope that sharing this brings insight and appreciation to some of the work behind your favorite creators. 

Determining this was the direction for my channel took a reasonable amount of time. But I am ready to dive into my Lego lifestyle mixed with a bit of gaming. 

To my wonderful readers, I would like to end today’s blog with an apology. I apologize for not being on top of my blogging schedule, but perhaps you can see how things run through my brain. I thank you also for being interested in my inner struggles. I can’t wait to finally get back to creating content and hope to share it with you all.

Until next time!

Ziggy Salvation

All Things Wellness, LLC

ziggysalvation@gmail.com
twitch.tv/ziggysalvation

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