I like simplicity with minor editing to make this fun but not too crazy in your face. I'm planning on start my social media accounts soon. I'm a social media management and content creation freelancer that wants to transition to agency and eventually hybrid agency where I'm partly delivering the service, and partly coaching. Currently I only have 1 client, and God willing I will close the 2nd next week (prospect said to wait till next week to sign) In order to grow, I want to create a personal brand on all social platforms and put content out, gain credibility, and use my account to do outreach. I'm assuming that's how people with small audiences make a lot of money By selling their service rather than depending on yt ad sense, etc.
you are not the first one bringing this problem up, but you do it in a very nice way, GJ! about the editing style: we have to test everything and always - what is working better for different audiences ...
I miss the culture of the early internet but prefer the production values of content creation today. I hope that the future of social media doesn't mean a regress in quality.
one of the things that is happening is right now there is 113 million active youtube channels this is the stats that bing copilot is saying so the market is flooded with evryone tryng to create content all aiming at the same 500 million people in the western world. that is just youtube. we also have over 50 million podcasters. so you have the law of supply and demand. there are to many creators. we also have the paradox of choice there are to many choices between streaming services and social media. most people get overwhelmed. there is a gold rush on youtube right now. everyone is competing for eyeballs and ears way to many creators.
Less and less ppl are using it (at least of my friends). My complaint and theirs is our feeds are filled with shock content (ppl getting hurt, dying ect). It might get our attention but it’s not what we want to see.
I agree with this about Instagram. It feels like Facebook did to me, before I eventually deleted my account. Instagram is definitely toxic. The ads are out of control, the intent is clearly to make you feel insecure and needy and like you NEED to keep reading, clicking, scrolling etc, no matter how it makes you feel. It’s not nice at all, it’s definitely becoming a dark place.
Trash shallow algorithm prioritizes consumption over quality of the experience of the user and assumes meta has a monopoly on the market and you won’t just leave.
Part of the problem imo is everyone trying to be a “content” creator. All content is happens to be just content, more meaningless shit to fill the void. It’s easy to tell when someone actually cares about what they’re making and why they’re making it, versus trying to be viral for the sake of it on some platform.
I have noticed the same. Remember when social media was in its rise? Most people were excited to share their lives and opinions. Everyone would do it, from the most common of citizens to the famous people you would see on tv. In a way, yeah we were consuming but we were also creating a lot and without the pressure of “going viral” or making a career out of it. That wasnt even an option. You would just post bc you felt like it, even if it was just for our group of friends. And that is what made it fun!! Now, it feels more and more like the common user has stopped posting and will resort to consuming rather than creating. And that might be because of how the manufactured reality of social media has made people unmotivated to post their lives, or bc content creation has really become a business and the platforms will prioritize those who do it for a living. And even though there is technically more financial incentives to create than ever before, the stakes are also higher than ever, which was not the case when “being social” was the focus rather than “building your brand”. Now, the thing with more people just consuming and not creating is that they soon become bored with it and pay more attention to how that content is making them feel. Yeah, scrolling will give you some dopamine but we have all experienced scrolling without any pleasure whatsoever. Whats the point then???? Its not making us happy, its not making us money, its no longer serving its primary purpose which was to socialize… Its a waste of time. So yeah, eventually people dont see a point in continuing in that platform if its just making them feel depressed, insecure, overstimulated, unfocused, etc. Literally, the cons of social media have outweighed the pros for the common user!!! Unless you are someone who makes a living off of social media, you have probably thought about or even tried leaving social media for good before. We all have!! Its not what it used to be because its focused has drastically changed. And although I dont think we will ever go back to a format that does not prioritize the monetization on these platforms, I do think we are heading down to a saturated economy that will eventually have way more offer than demand. UNLESS, platforms stop solely prioritizing the professional content creators and start thinking more about the consumers and common users and how to keep them interested and happy.
I feel like the algorithms are constantly changing and what worked a month ago doesn't work next month. It changes way too often now. Small changes too. It's tiring.
Honestly the fact that clickbait is attached to most content creators videos it's actively working against them because i have to remove the videos from my watch history right after i'm done because if i don't i'll get recommended all kinds of other stuff and clickbait i don't want to watch. I already have after i was too tired to remove some videos last night which i'm about to remove i have to do it to only keep it relevant to subscriptions and only what i want to see in there otherwise it's going to be filled with clickbait. I think content creators need to have a word with youtube about that.
Connection is everything. As we become more isolated in our individual lives there will be a greater need to bond with the people we choose to give our time to. That thing you said about not looking creators in the eye is at the heart of this, and personalities will be more powerful than content moving forward.
Fully agree with the anti-retention philosophy having grown this channel to 50k in 2 years with zero editing - one-take talking head for 20 mins per video, twice per week. Excited about the future… we’re craving down-to-earth people and teachers. Absolutely excellent video, thank you. ✌🏻
I find these tips very valuable, thanks for sharing this with us... When I started I had lots of troubles getting attention on social media, but I guess you learn every day as a content creator (I am also using a bit of famester as I believe it helps a lot to grow on social media). Keep up the great work, I can't wait for your next video.
Okay, but captions REALLY help if viewers have a disability or other impairment. They also help me better understand what people are saying. So, I hope captions keep being cool.
imo on shorts yea, but on long form youtube it's just annoying to have random captions everywhere. Plus people can turn on and off captions at anytime here on yt, so need need to force it :)
@@thaticelandicguy Fair point. Maybe he meant "text on screen" (like the forced stuff) and not the actual captions when he said you may not have to use captions in the future.
@@pabloguzman8472 Absolutely. I need some kind of captions for watching on mute. How else am I going to watch TikTok without my kid knowing I'm watching TikTok?!😁
You mentioned only the main argument for using captions. I am sure there is no proof for that. Creating content for a disabled audience is another story, anyway. But why are the same content creators speeding up their videos? Taking out any pause and any taking-a-breath second? Most people can't really read, in particular not that fast. Average intelligent people can't read fast and understand the meaning of a text the same time. So, how is that helpful for anyone? Content creators should learn how to speak clearly and with the right speed. It's about the message and: speed kills. Old marketer wisdom, believe me.
I don't know for sure about shorts or TikTok, but the main TH-cam algorithm isn't built for creators, it is built for viewers. Based on an individual viewers watch history, they will be shown videos that match closely to what topics they been watching alongside some channels they may have never seen but that include videos other people with the same watch history have watched. For years, the lie about AVD and CTR have been pitched to creators. People like Mr. Beast and other large creators swear that getting those numbers up guaranteed success, and creators have chased higher numbers believe that was true. The fact is, those numbers only really come into play to signify if a video will work site-wide. What you should be going for as a creator is people who you know will like what you are making. There is an audience out there for everything, though the size of the audience varies. The shift we're seeing is more about people becoming bored with seeing the same kinds of videos over and over in their feed and seeking something new. TH-cam is showing more of the slower content from smaller creators because that is what is keeping individuals on the platform. The more people seek out that slower, more personal content, the more it will be shown on a wider scale and the more creators will start churning it out. It's the audience creating the market that creators then chase. Some will be ahead of the game (those who have been making slower content for a while), and some will race to catch up.
Great video! I feel this shift and I'm inspired to let a bit more of the 'realness' out...I know it won't get as many views, but hopefully more quality/interested subs.
I tried your experiment and what I found is this: 1 really good sub making video, 2 dance skits from a creator I follow, 1 dating skit and a gameplay short from Moist Critikal. No over edited motion graphics & trending text, no big flashy effects of any kind really. Just real & genuine people being funny snd artistic. For once, the algorithm is on my side lol
I feel like there are almost no creators left without an agenda to promote on bigger stages. This is just a byproduct of comercializing social media too.
10K! Really interesting video, especially the part with "what's the thing that YOU are missing" this such a mind blowing take that's simultaneously extremely simple in it's essence. Genuine thanks for the inspiration and amazing content.
I haven't changed my content in the 4 years I've been making the same style - earning every sub has been my "Strategy" from the beginning - Some videos work and connect, others don't - almost no shorts. Grown steadily, if I was more consistent I feel I would be doing better. Like your videos keep up that great content Dominik!
I don't do things others do. I use the platforms to search for what I like. I don't really care if I get views, or follows. That is a big waste of time for me. Once I see what I like I shut things down. I have things to do. I use my time wisely.
You are so right about attention spans!! It’s literally a myth we tell ourselves that just benefits the social media giants. Perhaps our attention giving abilities are just fine - maybe we are just learning to discriminate a bit more, about which junk off the internet we are willing to stuff in to our brains, moment to moment.
I think this is one of the best videos you've ever made Dominic. Very interesting and well articulated. Now I'm going to stop being so hard on myself and always feeling that the algorithms simply dislike me.
Noooo I love the captions (often times, they clear up confusing accents, but I agree - get them out of the way. They don’t need to be flashy or obnoxious
I did the test and saw two creators that I remember. One of them is really famous and the other I just find out about him recently and came in love with his content because it’s really useful informative and original.
The fact that TH-cam shorts or Instagram reels are popular is proof that yes, attention spans are getting shorter. I really started to notice this in the past 10 years, in the comments on social media. The briefest comments get the most engagement and likes now. You can bring up very good points in a comment that is 3 paragraphs, but nobody will read it lol. Also, the fact that viewers don't look creators in the eye and form a bond, is something that is applauded now. Because doing so is considered "parasocial." Some of the top content creators on TH-cam made videos about this, for example Ludwig's "I'm not your friend" video lol... The problem is that the term "parasocial" has taken on a generalization that includes ANY personal feelings towards a content creator, which is just ridiculous. We're supposed to have SOME personal feelings. Even in a restaurant when you're being served food, you tip the server based on your personal feelings towards them, not purely on the service. This kind of human interaction is inescapable.
This!!!! This is exactly what I'd been thinking for quite a while. I'd say that places in financial struggle tend to produce scammers, and scammers wayyy overproduce their videos to gain a sense of "legitimacy". It's spiraling out of control, but at the same time a trained eye can spot the trashiness of it, the unpolishedness
I agree, over cutting, more info each frame. People just can't take it all in. I have heard people saying, I can't see what is in the video. Because it is too fast. People haven't changed. Information takes time to take in.
I saw this coming back in 2019. I deleted my Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok. Creativity is becoming bankrupt. Addiction to going viral is the catalyst for what's causing this issue.
This is really interesting, but I just want to say that I hope captions don't go anywhere. They're an important accessibility feature for deaf/HOH and neurodivergent people. If you want your content to be accessible to as many people as possible, I urge you to keep your captions - just make them less visually intrusive.
I've transitioned to mostly only watching people that I subscribe to. With so much of social media being the retention span type content I just hunt down people I really feel like add to my life and keep up with them. Which I follow about 70 people, but in reality, there's only about 5-8 that I really watch.
What I’m starting to hate is when you can tell people are just making photos or videos just to have new content and not because it’s something interesting or something they care about. Or every post is sponsored and they got free things or are promoting something… that’s fine sometimes but not ALL the time.
Doing what you said regarding the videos, the only ones where I remembered who I had just watched, were people/accounts I already followed. Ones where the reason I am following them is because their personalities shine through. Also I think you make a great point about AI. Whenever I google image search I am already putting putting -ai as part of the search term in a way to try and filter out some of the ai images. Such is the level of ai fakes that are coming up against actual real life photos (when you are purposely searching for real life images). If there was that filter option (i.e. not showing ai generated content) for platforms like IG I would be using it. Reason being I am interested in following the creator not an ai. I.e. certain AIs have a certain styles to what they create, so if you use it for your main content creation, there is a good chance someone else is to. Hence nothing unique about your stuff. People like myself will just go, "seen it before/heard it before" even if what you have created it "new". Hence why I think your point about being unique is super key.
You're using the same "retention editing" techniques in this video. Your thumbnail alone stands against what you're saying in the video. Retention editing isn't just about fast cutting... But you do make some good points.
OMG I just recorded a video talking exactly about how I have seen the shift going back to "normal youtube" vs the over produced videos that have been surfacing for the last 5+ years. Trying to get this video out today or tomorrow. Also, how this over production of videos actually deters a lot of new TH-camrs from starting channels including the over-edited, "big" TH-camrs started over-teaching how to rank on TH-cam that again - it deters most folks from even starting when you feel like you have to do so much thought and SEO keyword research vs just talking on a camera to connect with others.
Its pretty wild. I mostly pay attention to content independent artists are posting to grow their audience, and most of the posts Ive seen go viral are just simple photo carousels introducing the artist and the song.
10K - yes, please! I have never done this much of a retention editing because I felt like people's focus should be on my art, and how will I show it when there's 80% of B-roll going on? And I have a percentage of engaged followers, but I still struggle to make any money at all from my social media (not enough watch time on TH-cam, the rest of the media is not monetisable where I live, so I need to find other ways to monetise).
It can also be a tool for amplifying brand awareness and driving meaningful engagement. I totally agree that as a content creator, we also need to adapt to changes happening in social media. It's essential to recognize the evolving landscape of social media and adapt our strategies accordingly to effectively spread brand awareness and connect with our audience in this dynamic environment.
10k! Ich denk auch, dass irgendwie die ganzen "einfachen Videos" viel besser gehn, als irgendwelche epischen Sachen. Genau wie du sagst, weil man es eh nicht mehr von Echt oder unecht unterscheiden kann. Vielleicht macht auch das ganze Voranschreiten der AI den "quality Content" kaputt weil man nicht mehr glauben kann.
YESSS. Over compensation is EXACTLY what it is. But I do think the new genre has introduced an editing style that CAN be scaled back and elevate already valuable content. But I'm definitely sick and tired of the style. Everyone's videos look THE SAME.
I do not like it that so many creators (including you) forget something important when they pin a video at the end of the current video and explain to me why I should watch that video next. The current video ends abruptly immediately after the explanation! Which means, TH-cam is no longer showing the pinned video but a suggestion(s) instead. So when i hear your explanation, and i take two seconds to decide to watch the pinned video, I have to scroll back to the end of current video and play it again to get the pinned video again. This is frustrating and I'd rather just go do something else now (like watching a suggestion). I highly recommend all creators to add about 3 to 5 seconds after you finish explaining, to give me those 2 seconds to decide and tap on the pinned video. You could fade to black or blur out, or do something silent like that in those extra seconds.
When you’re talking about the unfair advantage, I immediately flashed on this friend of mine back in the day who was obsessed with her rubber lobster. She would bring it everywhere. If you went to eat out with her, the lobster would be lying on the table, and when the waiter came by, she make sure to Pick up the lobster and talk to the waiter with it. It was so random and just very funny, sticky and weird. By the way, this lobster was missing one claw.
I believe in the next five years there will be new social media apps that will focus connecting with old friends and family members, listening to music, custom your page.
I am just trying to find my niche, and would love to know how to make money with a small audience. My age, in spite of my mind-blowing amount of life-experience, is a disadvantage, but my inability to shut-off thinking critically, logically, analytically, and independently is one of my advantages, along with my gaming experience, which goes back to D&D World of Greyhawk 1977, when I was still a child. Thank you for this fascinating video. I am sadly stupid at editing, so my videos go up as is, and I think that is why people are only there for 25 seconds max in many cases.
So I actually did the shorts thing. I had two dog videos one of which was AI, one makeup video, one art video, and one video about ADHD. Nothing memorable. No idea who the creators were.
You can have high end with substance. You just have to be authentic about it. If you show you are passionate the people will come. If you show that you are in it because you love what you do and because you will help them while growing your business they will come. You also have to have the lower budget solution that is high quality and explains why. That way people feel it’s a win win and choose what is best for them. This is why my industry hates me and has tried shutting me down locally. Pretty soon maybe worldwide lmao. I’m just thankful I’ve learned from the best in the world in my field. Like literally the top .0000001% Now it’s time for me to continually put up or shut it.
Speaking for myself, I think this movement is stemming from Tiktok. It was popular, it was the most authentic. It connected people everywhere. then it became full of ads. Every other post was trying to sell you something and it was becoming more about aesthetic and people started hating it. People would post about how tiktok has changed and talk about how it used to be. People started craving more authentic more real posts like in the golden age of tiktok. And I think its trickled out of tiktok and into instagram and youtube. Dont get me started on the lack of depth in REELS.
10K 😁 I’m doing completely other reels than those copycats. But I’ve got the feeling that nobody understands me, crazy chicken. 😅 I’m not a content creator, I’m creating content for my business. My job is to design fashion accessories. But I got it. It’s not for making ads. It’s just for having fun. And slowly the people understand, why I’m doing completely other reels. I’m not just showing that I’m not a one trick pony. Showing that I’m hyper creative. I did it a few years ago… I just do artsy things. Which pushing me into that happy mode. I’m having fun. I stopped chasing attention and likes. I just show up!
You talk a lot about influencer or content creators but what about businesses? How should a business use this information to promote themselves? like a pizza restaurant or a car wash even?
10K :) OMG I love you straight forward style, you get to the point, you don't give me unwanted fluff, or a back story about you and your dog lol. Great info. I would appreciate you doing the video about how to make money as a small creator, without selling your soul to the devil brands :)
@@heyDominik yeah I liked that, you have a great sense of humor :) I love your accent too, it adds to your style. I've got loads of good stuff on your channel catch up with, so expect more comments soon, cos I'm the chatting type
Great video, but I disagree with the attention span thing. I haven't streamed more than one episode of anything at a time for years and most people I know don't binge anything. They get on and get off. I think the younger generation absolutely has a shorter attention span. Have you tried being a teacher? The difference in just 5 years is insane. People just want to be entertained in small bursts and then move on now more than ever!
The celebs are becoming content creators and their followers are fans. They're losing to AI but they need streams of income to keep up their façades. They're not social, they all want $.
Do you miss the simplicity of social media? Or do you prefer retention-hyper-editing? 👇
I like simplicity with minor editing to make this fun but not too crazy in your face. I'm planning on start my social media accounts soon.
I'm a social media management and content creation freelancer that wants to transition to agency and eventually hybrid agency where I'm partly delivering the service, and partly coaching.
Currently I only have 1 client, and God willing I will close the 2nd next week (prospect said to wait till next week to sign)
In order to grow, I want to create a personal brand on all social platforms and put content out, gain credibility, and use my account to do outreach.
I'm assuming that's how people with small audiences make a lot of money
By selling their service
rather than depending on yt ad sense, etc.
you are not the first one bringing this problem up, but you do it in a very nice way, GJ!
about the editing style: we have to test everything and always - what is working better for different audiences ...
I miss the culture of the early internet but prefer the production values of content creation today. I hope that the future of social media doesn't mean a regress in quality.
one of the things that is happening is right now there is 113 million active youtube channels this is the stats that bing copilot is saying so the market is flooded with evryone tryng to create content all aiming at the same 500 million people in the western world. that is just youtube. we also have over 50 million podcasters. so you have the law of supply and demand. there are to many creators. we also have the paradox of choice there are to many choices between streaming services and social media. most people get overwhelmed. there is a gold rush on youtube right now. everyone is competing for eyeballs and ears way to many creators.
I like both. I'll be in the mood for some stanger talking about God in their car, then Mr Beast.
It’s because Instagram feels a bit toxic. I don’t know why. I’ve heard people talking they actually feel anxiety opening the app.
Interesting
Less and less ppl are using it (at least of my friends). My complaint and theirs is our feeds are filled with shock content (ppl getting hurt, dying ect). It might get our attention but it’s not what we want to see.
I agree with this about Instagram. It feels like Facebook did to me, before I eventually deleted my account. Instagram is definitely toxic. The ads are out of control, the intent is clearly to make you feel insecure and needy and like you NEED to keep reading, clicking, scrolling etc, no matter how it makes you feel. It’s not nice at all, it’s definitely becoming a dark place.
Trash shallow algorithm prioritizes consumption over quality of the experience of the user and assumes meta has a monopoly on the market and you won’t just leave.
Noone is safe on insta, literally noone...
This reminds me of what happened to Marvel and Disney. Overproducing the same old stuff until ppl got tired of it
dont forget the unwanted woke agenda they are pushing down everybodys throats
Part of the problem imo is everyone trying to be a “content” creator. All content is happens to be just content, more meaningless shit to fill the void. It’s easy to tell when someone actually cares about what they’re making and why they’re making it, versus trying to be viral for the sake of it on some platform.
Truth
👏🏾👏🏾
Fast money with minimal thought. Race to the bottom.
I have noticed the same. Remember when social media was in its rise? Most people were excited to share their lives and opinions. Everyone would do it, from the most common of citizens to the famous people you would see on tv. In a way, yeah we were consuming but we were also creating a lot and without the pressure of “going viral” or making a career out of it. That wasnt even an option. You would just post bc you felt like it, even if it was just for our group of friends. And that is what made it fun!! Now, it feels more and more like the common user has stopped posting and will resort to consuming rather than creating. And that might be because of how the manufactured reality of social media has made people unmotivated to post their lives, or bc content creation has really become a business and the platforms will prioritize those who do it for a living. And even though there is technically more financial incentives to create than ever before, the stakes are also higher than ever, which was not the case when “being social” was the focus rather than “building your brand”.
Now, the thing with more people just consuming and not creating is that they soon become bored with it and pay more attention to how that content is making them feel. Yeah, scrolling will give you some dopamine but we have all experienced scrolling without any pleasure whatsoever. Whats the point then???? Its not making us happy, its not making us money, its no longer serving its primary purpose which was to socialize… Its a waste of time. So yeah, eventually people dont see a point in continuing in that platform if its just making them feel depressed, insecure, overstimulated, unfocused, etc. Literally, the cons of social media have outweighed the pros for the common user!!! Unless you are someone who makes a living off of social media, you have probably thought about or even tried leaving social media for good before. We all have!! Its not what it used to be because its focused has drastically changed. And although I dont think we will ever go back to a format that does not prioritize the monetization on these platforms, I do think we are heading down to a saturated economy that will eventually have way more offer than demand. UNLESS, platforms stop solely prioritizing the professional content creators and start thinking more about the consumers and common users and how to keep them interested and happy.
Maybe it's a matter of perspective, but social media people have been yapping about "Authenticity" for like a decade now.
Everything is a matter of perspective. This is like saying “in my opinion” … we get its your opinion Jethro.
You hit the nail on the head, creators can keep my attention with quality content whatever the subject is
I feel like the algorithms are constantly changing and what worked a month ago doesn't work next month. It changes way too often now. Small changes too. It's tiring.
Do what you love and the algo will follow, not the other way around
Honestly the fact that clickbait is attached to most content creators videos it's actively working against them because i have to remove the videos from my watch history right after i'm done because if i don't i'll get recommended all kinds of other stuff and clickbait i don't want to watch. I already have after i was too tired to remove some videos last night which i'm about to remove i have to do it to only keep it relevant to subscriptions and only what i want to see in there otherwise it's going to be filled with clickbait. I think content creators need to have a word with youtube about that.
Connection is everything. As we become more isolated in our individual lives there will be a greater need to bond with the people we choose to give our time to. That thing you said about not looking creators in the eye is at the heart of this, and personalities will be more powerful than content moving forward.
Fully agree with the anti-retention philosophy having grown this channel to 50k in 2 years with zero editing - one-take talking head for 20 mins per video, twice per week.
Excited about the future… we’re craving down-to-earth people and teachers.
Absolutely excellent video, thank you. ✌🏻
I find these tips very valuable, thanks for sharing this with us... When I started I had lots of troubles getting attention on social media, but I guess you learn every day as a content creator (I am also using a bit of famester as I believe it helps a lot to grow on social media). Keep up the great work, I can't wait for your next video.
I agree 🎉
Okay, but captions REALLY help if viewers have a disability or other impairment. They also help me better understand what people are saying. So, I hope captions keep being cool.
imo on shorts yea, but on long form youtube it's just annoying to have random captions everywhere. Plus people can turn on and off captions at anytime here on yt, so need need to force it :)
Also captions are for looking at tiktok muted. But creators can add captions as an option
@@thaticelandicguy Fair point. Maybe he meant "text on screen" (like the forced stuff) and not the actual captions when he said you may not have to use captions in the future.
@@pabloguzman8472 Absolutely. I need some kind of captions for watching on mute. How else am I going to watch TikTok without my kid knowing I'm watching TikTok?!😁
You mentioned only the main argument for using captions. I am sure there is no proof for that. Creating content for a disabled audience is another story, anyway. But why are the same content creators speeding up their videos? Taking out any pause and any taking-a-breath second? Most people can't really read, in particular not that fast. Average intelligent people can't read fast and understand the meaning of a text the same time. So, how is that helpful for anyone? Content creators should learn how to speak clearly and with the right speed. It's about the message and: speed kills. Old marketer wisdom, believe me.
I don't know for sure about shorts or TikTok, but the main TH-cam algorithm isn't built for creators, it is built for viewers. Based on an individual viewers watch history, they will be shown videos that match closely to what topics they been watching alongside some channels they may have never seen but that include videos other people with the same watch history have watched.
For years, the lie about AVD and CTR have been pitched to creators. People like Mr. Beast and other large creators swear that getting those numbers up guaranteed success, and creators have chased higher numbers believe that was true. The fact is, those numbers only really come into play to signify if a video will work site-wide. What you should be going for as a creator is people who you know will like what you are making. There is an audience out there for everything, though the size of the audience varies.
The shift we're seeing is more about people becoming bored with seeing the same kinds of videos over and over in their feed and seeking something new. TH-cam is showing more of the slower content from smaller creators because that is what is keeping individuals on the platform. The more people seek out that slower, more personal content, the more it will be shown on a wider scale and the more creators will start churning it out. It's the audience creating the market that creators then chase. Some will be ahead of the game (those who have been making slower content for a while), and some will race to catch up.
Great video! I feel this shift and I'm inspired to let a bit more of the 'realness' out...I know it won't get as many views, but hopefully more quality/interested subs.
I tried your experiment and what I found is this: 1 really good sub making video, 2 dance skits from a creator I follow, 1 dating skit and a gameplay short from Moist Critikal.
No over edited motion graphics & trending text, no big flashy effects of any kind really. Just real & genuine people being funny snd artistic.
For once, the algorithm is on my side lol
I feel like there are almost no creators left without an agenda to promote on bigger stages. This is just a byproduct of comercializing social media too.
10K! Really interesting video, especially the part with "what's the thing that YOU are missing" this such a mind blowing take that's simultaneously extremely simple in it's essence. Genuine thanks for the inspiration and amazing content.
glad you liked it!
I haven't changed my content in the 4 years I've been making the same style - earning every sub has been my "Strategy" from the beginning - Some videos work and connect, others don't - almost no shorts. Grown steadily, if I was more consistent I feel I would be doing better. Like your videos keep up that great content Dominik!
I don't do things others do. I use the platforms to search for what I like. I don't really care if I get views, or follows. That is a big waste of time for me. Once I see what I like I shut things down. I have things to do. I use my time wisely.
You searched for this video?
@@ISureDont Yes. I search for videos on different topics. I watch what I can then do other things.🙂
You are so right about attention spans!! It’s literally a myth we tell ourselves that just benefits the social media giants. Perhaps our attention giving abilities are just fine - maybe we are just learning to discriminate a bit more, about which junk off the internet we are willing to stuff in to our brains, moment to moment.
Everything goes in cycles, people still want an authentic connection even if it’s digital. I’m glad content is returning to a more natural style.
I think this is one of the best videos you've ever made Dominic. Very interesting and well articulated. Now I'm going to stop being so hard on myself and always feeling that the algorithms simply dislike me.
Noooo I love the captions (often times, they clear up confusing accents, but I agree - get them out of the way. They don’t need to be flashy or obnoxious
10k! Looking forward to checking it out! Love your insights
I did the test and saw two creators that I remember. One of them is really famous and the other I just find out about him recently and came in love with his content because it’s really useful informative and original.
The fact that TH-cam shorts or Instagram reels are popular is proof that yes, attention spans are getting shorter. I really started to notice this in the past 10 years, in the comments on social media. The briefest comments get the most engagement and likes now. You can bring up very good points in a comment that is 3 paragraphs, but nobody will read it lol.
Also, the fact that viewers don't look creators in the eye and form a bond, is something that is applauded now. Because doing so is considered "parasocial." Some of the top content creators on TH-cam made videos about this, for example Ludwig's "I'm not your friend" video lol... The problem is that the term "parasocial" has taken on a generalization that includes ANY personal feelings towards a content creator, which is just ridiculous. We're supposed to have SOME personal feelings. Even in a restaurant when you're being served food, you tip the server based on your personal feelings towards them, not purely on the service. This kind of human interaction is inescapable.
This!!!! This is exactly what I'd been thinking for quite a while. I'd say that places in financial struggle tend to produce scammers, and scammers wayyy overproduce their videos to gain a sense of "legitimacy". It's spiraling out of control, but at the same time a trained eye can spot the trashiness of it, the unpolishedness
Definitely curious because I doubt I’ll ever have a large audience. 10k!
I agree, over cutting, more info each frame. People just can't take it all in. I have heard people saying, I can't see what is in the video. Because it is too fast. People haven't changed. Information takes time to take in.
I started a art/music channel a few years ago.Its slow but growing.
lol remember myspace, yea buddy thanks for reminding me that I'm old 😂
hahaha myspace were the best days. now I'm sad that I'm old too :(
I really feel this change both as a big consumer of content on this platform, and a producer of it.
Thank you - very kind words
🫶
People are becoming too salesy and it is a turnoff. 😮
I saw this coming back in 2019. I deleted my Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok. Creativity is becoming bankrupt. Addiction to going viral is the catalyst for what's causing this issue.
10k - love all your videos man
Really interesting points! Great video!
Glad you enjoyed it
This is really interesting, but I just want to say that I hope captions don't go anywhere. They're an important accessibility feature for deaf/HOH and neurodivergent people. If you want your content to be accessible to as many people as possible, I urge you to keep your captions - just make them less visually intrusive.
Lol everyone is over the cliche “Hustle-bro” content.
I've transitioned to mostly only watching people that I subscribe to. With so much of social media being the retention span type content I just hunt down people I really feel like add to my life and keep up with them. Which I follow about 70 people, but in reality, there's only about 5-8 that I really watch.
2 min into the video and I had to comment. “We’re not gonna comment on that..” 🤣 This why u the best Dominik fr
10k! Go for it, Dominik :)
Yep, Dom nails it again. TRUTH!
love this, great deep dive and the 3.0 fits perfectly.
Great video man! Thank you as always!
This is interesting, To me captions is something that the viewer decides if they want on a video and should be not be forced
I agree and I think this is how it’s eventually gonna be
Good video Dominik
10K - I wanna see it! 😊
What I’m starting to hate is when you can tell people are just making photos or videos just to have new content and not because it’s something interesting or something they care about. Or every post is sponsored and they got free things or are promoting something… that’s fine sometimes but not ALL the time.
Doing what you said regarding the videos, the only ones where I remembered who I had just watched, were people/accounts I already followed. Ones where the reason I am following them is because their personalities shine through.
Also I think you make a great point about AI. Whenever I google image search I am already putting putting -ai as part of the search term in a way to try and filter out some of the ai images. Such is the level of ai fakes that are coming up against actual real life photos (when you are purposely searching for real life images). If there was that filter option (i.e. not showing ai generated content) for platforms like IG I would be using it. Reason being I am interested in following the creator not an ai. I.e. certain AIs have a certain styles to what they create, so if you use it for your main content creation, there is a good chance someone else is to. Hence nothing unique about your stuff. People like myself will just go, "seen it before/heard it before" even if what you have created it "new". Hence why I think your point about being unique is super key.
You're using the same "retention editing" techniques in this video. Your thumbnail alone stands against what you're saying in the video. Retention editing isn't just about fast cutting... But you do make some good points.
OMG I just recorded a video talking exactly about how I have seen the shift going back to "normal youtube" vs the over produced videos that have been surfacing for the last 5+ years. Trying to get this video out today or tomorrow.
Also, how this over production of videos actually deters a lot of new TH-camrs from starting channels including the over-edited, "big" TH-camrs started over-teaching how to rank on TH-cam that again - it deters most folks from even starting when you feel like you have to do so much thought and SEO keyword research
vs
just talking on a camera to connect with others.
Its pretty wild. I mostly pay attention to content independent artists are posting to grow their audience, and most of the posts Ive seen go viral are just simple photo carousels introducing the artist and the song.
Dom is a smart boy. Nailed it on the head.
10K - yes, please! I have never done this much of a retention editing because I felt like people's focus should be on my art, and how will I show it when there's 80% of B-roll going on? And I have a percentage of engaged followers, but I still struggle to make any money at all from my social media (not enough watch time on TH-cam, the rest of the media is not monetisable where I live, so I need to find other ways to monetise).
Agree with you about James Smith … he’s one of the few influencers who’s name I actually remember.
It can also be a tool for amplifying brand awareness and driving meaningful engagement. I totally agree that as a content creator, we also need to adapt to changes happening in social media. It's essential to recognize the evolving landscape of social media and adapt our strategies accordingly to effectively spread brand awareness and connect with our audience in this dynamic environment.
10k!
Ich denk auch, dass irgendwie die ganzen "einfachen Videos" viel besser gehn, als irgendwelche epischen Sachen. Genau wie du sagst, weil man es eh nicht mehr von Echt oder unecht unterscheiden kann.
Vielleicht macht auch das ganze Voranschreiten der AI den "quality Content" kaputt weil man nicht mehr glauben kann.
Little changes like when reading TH-cam comments you keep losing the thread. Less pleasure, do they want us to look at the video not the comments?
Yes, I've watched quite a few James Smith videos. I think he's popular for his no BS approach and his very British sense of humour. (I'm a Brit too)
YESSS. Over compensation is EXACTLY what it is. But I do think the new genre has introduced an editing style that CAN be scaled back and elevate already valuable content. But I'm definitely sick and tired of the style. Everyone's videos look THE SAME.
Been a sub for a year now I think, and this video has been the best I've seen from you... Great job!
Dope content. Real information.
Learning a lot from your channel! 10K
Awesome! Thank you!
Those reels with overly lots of b-roll/graphics...I skip 'm. Super annoying and dilutes the message.
I do not like it that so many creators (including you) forget something important when they pin a video at the end of the current video and explain to me why I should watch that video next. The current video ends abruptly immediately after the explanation! Which means, TH-cam is no longer showing the pinned video but a suggestion(s) instead. So when i hear your explanation, and i take two seconds to decide to watch the pinned video, I have to scroll back to the end of current video and play it again to get the pinned video again. This is frustrating and I'd rather just go do something else now (like watching a suggestion). I highly recommend all creators to add about 3 to 5 seconds after you finish explaining, to give me those 2 seconds to decide and tap on the pinned video. You could fade to black or blur out, or do something silent like that in those extra seconds.
Oh wow, that‘s an interesting insight I honestly have never thought about! Thanks so much!
10k ❤ I was feeling like TH-cam seemed a little different but couldn’t tell what it was exactly 😅
When you’re talking about the unfair advantage, I immediately flashed on this friend of mine back in the day who was obsessed with her rubber lobster. She would bring it everywhere. If you went to eat out with her, the lobster would be lying on the table, and when the waiter came by, she make sure to Pick up the lobster and talk to the waiter with it. It was so random and just very funny, sticky and weird. By the way, this lobster was missing one claw.
I have content fatigue
I believe in the next five years there will be new social media apps that will focus connecting with old friends and family members, listening to music, custom your page.
10k ! id love to learn more about making money with a small following
You are interesting 10k . Like your signature media. Keep up the good work man. Cheers
Yes, I remember him, I think I subscribed to his channel.
TEN KAY ! ❤
10K Thist was an amazing and really interesting Video! Wow that's really an interesting spin on the Social Media Game!
✌️
10K BABBYYYYY
10K
Just wanna say, I love your content!!!
10k 10k 10k 💸 Thank you for another great video 🙏
I am just trying to find my niche, and would love to know how to make money with a small audience. My age, in spite of my mind-blowing amount of life-experience, is a disadvantage, but my inability to shut-off thinking critically, logically, analytically, and independently is one of my advantages, along with my gaming experience, which goes back to D&D World of Greyhawk 1977, when I was still a child. Thank you for this fascinating video. I am sadly stupid at editing, so my videos go up as is, and I think that is why people are only there for 25 seconds max in many cases.
10K please
10K yes please do make this video it will be really appreciated, thanks 👊🏿🤝🏿
will do
10k my man
17:44 - the main point!
... and "10K" (obviously!)
😆
So I actually did the shorts thing. I had two dog videos one of which was AI, one makeup video, one art video, and one video about ADHD. Nothing memorable. No idea who the creators were.
Less editing has been king in the travel video sphere for a good few years now, everything else is now starting to catch up. 10k
interesting!
Great content.
From this day forward, the question MUST be not 'What is your unfair advantage?', but 'What is your three-legged chicken?'.
🤣🤣
Good observation
You can have high end with substance. You just have to be authentic about it. If you show you are passionate the people will come. If you show that you are in it because you love what you do and because you will help them while growing your business they will come. You also have to have the lower budget solution that is high quality and explains why. That way people feel it’s a win win and choose what is best for them. This is why my industry hates me and has tried shutting me down locally. Pretty soon maybe worldwide lmao.
I’m just thankful I’ve learned from the best in the world in my field. Like literally the top .0000001%
Now it’s time for me to continually put up or shut it.
Speaking for myself, I think this movement is stemming from Tiktok. It was popular, it was the most authentic. It connected people everywhere. then it became full of ads. Every other post was trying to sell you something and it was becoming more about aesthetic and people started hating it. People would post about how tiktok has changed and talk about how it used to be. People started craving more authentic more real posts like in the golden age of tiktok. And I think its trickled out of tiktok and into instagram and youtube. Dont get me started on the lack of depth in REELS.
10K 😁
I’m doing completely other reels than those copycats. But I’ve got the feeling that nobody understands me, crazy chicken. 😅 I’m not a content creator, I’m creating content for my business. My job is to design fashion accessories. But I got it. It’s not for making ads. It’s just for having fun. And slowly the people understand, why I’m doing completely other reels. I’m not just showing that I’m not a one trick pony. Showing that I’m hyper creative. I did it a few years ago… I just do artsy things. Which pushing me into that happy mode. I’m having fun. I stopped chasing attention and likes. I just show up!
10k. Thanks for this video
You are welcome 🫶
Time to leave the house.
I signed up, but I cannot do anything without subscribing to the $19 package :-? What is free on the website exactly?
10K!
You talk a lot about influencer or content creators but what about businesses? How should a business use this information to promote themselves? like a pizza restaurant or a car wash even?
10K :) OMG I love you straight forward style, you get to the point, you don't give me unwanted fluff, or a back story about you and your dog lol. Great info. I would appreciate you doing the video about how to make money as a small creator, without selling your soul to the devil brands :)
Almost told my back story about my virtual chat girlfriend from Germany where I had to pretend I died in order to not have to break up with her 🫣
@@heyDominik yeah I liked that, you have a great sense of humor :) I love your accent too, it adds to your style. I've got loads of good stuff on your channel catch up with, so expect more comments soon, cos I'm the chatting type
Great video, but I disagree with the attention span thing. I haven't streamed more than one episode of anything at a time for years and most people I know don't binge anything. They get on and get off. I think the younger generation absolutely has a shorter attention span. Have you tried being a teacher? The difference in just 5 years is insane. People just want to be entertained in small bursts and then move on now more than ever!
Thx buddy
The celebs are becoming content creators and their followers are fans. They're losing to AI but they need streams of income to keep up their façades. They're not social, they all want $.
I love your content, subscribed but I will soon make use of Rumble exclusively, and those who use youtube exclusively...