"expert" tubers

[Jeff]

I know nothing about cheapo tractor supply bought side by side orv repair, but of the last 2 3 years, the 2 videos I did while repairing my sister's hunk o crap, have been my highest performing videos with thank yous and people aking me about how to fix other stuff that I know nothing about. Sometimes people just need a hand I guess

[OlJarhead]

Yup.  Many people are looking for answers and if you give them the answers they are looking for in volume, they will be back.

Lynn -- that's normal and why AVD matters (average view duration).  If most views only watch 25% of your video or less, it will stall and die and never come back.

If they watch 30-40% it may do well (though it will eventually drop off).  For example, a video I have that hit 123,000 views started out at 70% AVD but eventually dropped to 20% and stopped.  This is a function of the platform looking for viewers.  Basically as new viewers click to watch a video and determine not to keep watching the AVD goes down and usually between 15 and 20% AVD YT cuts the spigot off.

I have one now around 93k views that's sitting at 40% and could continue a while but I've noticed that many in the 40-45% range also stall out (it's a crap shoot).

Anyway, long winded way of saying "what matters most is how long people watch".  If they skip stuff and don't watch it all, the youtuber hasn't figured out well enough how to make videos    Although I get around 250k views a month I'm still working hard to improve my video performances.

Hopefully some day I'll be an expert on making videos about not being an expert about making lumber! lol 

[Magicman]

Erik, I was not being necessarily critical, just saying that I may watch a 10 minute video in it's entirety, but 30 minutes, no way unless it's something that I think that I need to know.  Letting the camera run while just sawing back and forth, I'm gonna skip.

[OlJarhead]

No worries, didn't take it that way ;) Just explaining the key to success.

You are doing what most people do today wrt clicking past the boring/slow parts.

A successful video is one that you watch the entire thing to the end without skipping:)

At least in terms of how Youtube decides.

As for 10m, that's also not unusual though there are different groups.  For example, many prefer videos that are 16-24m long (my usual target) but only as long as they move along, are entertaining and/or informative and then some like even longer!  Over 30m.

Usually the younger a viewer is, the shorter the video but also, if they watch on a phone or computer vs if they watch on a TV -- TV watchers tend to watch longer videos than those on the phone for example.

And yes, I study all of this as much as I studied running a sawmill  

[Magicman]

I am not a "tuber".  I am a "viewer" and @81+ years old, I think about how I am going to spend 30 minutes of my time. 

I am just being honest and talking from one older viewer's standpoint.  I only speak for myself but I suppose that it may be important for you to know. 

[Jeff]

Lynn, did you watch my entire crittercam video?

[Magicman]

I have watched all of every one of your videos that I have seen.  I have actually been there so I am always looking for stuff that I remember.

If "crittercam" is your last video starting at the pond, I saw it but have not watched any of it yet because I did not have time at the time.  I saw that it was about a 30 minute video.

[Jeff]

I have watched all of every one of your videos that I have seen.  I have actually been there so I am always looking for stuff that I remember.

If "crittercam" is your last video starting at the pond, I saw it but have not watched any of it yet because I did not have time at the time.  I saw that it was about a 30 minute video.

I think its a little over ten minutes. Just a years highlights of the trailcam. My sister told me she watched it. She asked where the bears were. She has ticktock brain. So does my wife. They both swiped on the first pause in the music.

[Magicman]

OK, if that is the video in Reply #68, no I had not watched it but now I have.  Leenda didn't see bears? 

I wanted to ask about the; "Please Like, Subscribe, and ring the flippin bell eh?"  I am a subscriber but I don't know where the "Like" and "Bell" buttons are.

It was 11 1/2 minutes which is about the longest that I want to watch.

[Jeff]

The like subscribe and ring the bell is a youtube chant. I dont have it in me anymore to work at making videos for the purpose of creating a channel that returns me anything more than memories.

[Shadyside]

Hi new member, and this looks like an appropriate spot to ask a question almost related to this topic... are there resources 'here' on sawing patterns, grade sawing, almost any milling topic, including maximum moisture removal rates, pdf? Any good info that I won't have to unlearn in the future. Thanks

[doc henderson]

Welcome shady.  tons of info on just that.  you can search and see what you like, then ask specific questions if you cannot find the answers.  there is a search bar at the very top right.  good luck, and welcome.

[Shadyside]

Thanks I was hoping for a section in this forum where there has been complied years of priceless knowledge indexed from beginner to HHA Level.

[Jeff]

I can't think of a thing to say or an appropriate emoji  to paste.

[Old Greenhorn]

Let it go Jeff.
-------------------------------
Shady, welcome. What Doc was expressing and Jeff was trying to find a way to express it that this platform has collected some of the most detailed discussions and discoveries by many thousands of users over a period of more than 20 years. There are very detailed and in depth discussions on everything you listed and a great deal more. All you have to do is start searching and reading. Nobody will compile that information for your consumption. You just need to read it. It's all here in a format so detailed that you won't find anything more informative on the planet, including photos. 
 It's just like a library, you decide what you want to learn, then go check out books (threads) on that subject and do your own research. The difference is, if you are trying to work something out and have trouble, you can ask questions here. You won't find more knowledgeable folks anywhere. But frankly, the world is your oyster. but the ball is in your court.

[doc henderson]

The forum is great, and I have learned much and shared my knowledge and experience.  @YellowHammer Is a retired aerospace engineer and he likes to teach.  he also makes videos you can see here or on you tube.  Robert Milton at hobby hardwoods.  Dr. Gene Wengert has been on for many years and just passed away.  he has books out there and posted here.  there are references to drying schedules and Nyle kilns is a sponsor, and you can find stuff on drying on here from Stan @K-Guy or on their website linked from here.  take some time and look around.  If you ask a question in a thread that is addressing your questions, many will chime in and add or repeat info in the thread so you can understand it better.  Your initial question involves a totality of info, and we would not know where to begin and it has already been posted.  good luck.

here is an example.  he has 199 videos out there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6pXnHQYL8Q

[Nebraska]

Welcome.  Good luck on your journey. So many resources at your fingertips. 

[Shadyside]

Doc thank you for your reply. I will definitely poke around,..be ready to answer lots of green horn questions!
I did find Mr Milton on his Hobby Harwood of Alabama channel
Very informative, and if you read this Yellowhammer, we do appreciate taking the time out of milling to videos on you tube and explain your business to us.
I will be sure to look into the books and videos you pointed out
Thanks again!

[YellowHammer]

Shadyside, welcome, you are in the right spot, these people on this Forum are as good as it gets, and this is the place I mention in my videos to get immersed in knowledge and techniques of sawmilling, kiln drying and other cool stuff. Many members here are or were professionals in their field, highly experienced and highly skillful, and all want to help.  Others are very talented hobbyists or "old guys" who have done it all before. 

Look through the threads, ask some questions, and don't mention the word Spandex, because REAL sawmillers don't wear it to the sawmill!   

These folks are the real deal. 

Anyway, welcome!
Robert

[thecfarm]

Shadyside, welcome to the forum.

[jpassardi]

Yes, welcome Shadyside.   Fill in your profile info so we know where you're located.

[DocGP]

One little thought to help out our youtube brothers.   If you have a channel that you like to watch, especially our FF brothers, here is a hint.   When you leave in the evening, or at lunch, pull up one of their videos and let it play.  I leave the computers on at my clinic, and it doesn't hurt me any to leave one of their videos playing all the way through when I head out.  It helps with all the metrics that Old Jarhead was mentioning above.

Just a thought.

Doc

[OlJarhead]

Absolutely!

Sadly, my body won't let me mill as much as I used it (almost not at all) so my channel, while it still has hundreds of sawmill content, has morphed into an off grid / power station channel more than sawmilling and cabin building but I'm still at it.

Average view duration is what I think of as the biggest metric with a second being whether or not the viewer watches another video as well.  YT is about keeping people watching so when you start a video and let the playlist run it makes a big difference.

I was going back over this thread a little and noticed my comment about a video at 93k, it's now over 163k and still at 39% AVD but YT has made changes and while that matters still, many videos that drop to 40% or lower stall out.

Anyway, back to the latest posts -- yes FF has an immense amount of stored knowledge and you can search it pretty easily to find what you are looking for.

There are also several youtubers here (like Out of the woods sawmill and even the Cowboy - Jake Dean - has some videos out there though he's not that active on YT).  

I'd love to get back to milling more but I'll leave the teaching to Yellowhammer as he has a vast wealth of knowledge beyond what I've learned in my 14 years of running a mill.  I see myself milling only for myself from now on, for my own projects and most of that is D Logs and siding or some structural lumber when needed.

I still have plans for more cabin work too but the injuries have piled up so I tend to spend more time sitting in my shop reviewing power stations and setting up off grid systems than I do running my sawmill :(

Such is life.