There's a detailed breakdown of YouTube monetization requirements (the 500 subscriber/3k watch hour vs. 1k subscriber/4k watch hour levels) and exciting updates on the "Loic and the Queens" channel's rapid subscriber growth
Also discussed: ideas for adding visuals to the podcast, reflections on podcast download numbers, plans for future promotion, a potential new weekly podcast release strategy, and thoughts on structuring the different creative projects under the "Deviliciously Me" umbrella.
In Day Sixteen,
YouTube Numbers, RuPaul's Wig, and Future Plans
After a quick, windy attempt to record outside didn't quite pan out, I settled back inside to chat about some exciting developments and ongoing thoughts.
YouTube Numbers are Numbering!
Remember the YouTube Short about RuPaul's gold, Wonder Woman-esque outfit? Well, I woke up this morning to find it had hit 17,000 views! It's incredible! While I'm thrilled, I'm also realistic – that initial huge spike might be the "honeymoon period," and numbers might level off. YouTube analytics can be tricky like that; sometimes videos take days to gain traction before suddenly spiking.
What is steadily climbing is the subscriber count on the "Loic and the KwingZ" channel. Yesterday I mentioned hitting 65, and this morning it was 75. Checking again just now, it's already at 77! It's happening so quickly, which is amazing. The goal now is to keep creating content that keeps people entertained and coming back for more.
This dive into numbers led me to re-examine the YouTube monetization requirements. There are two main levels:
First Threshold: 500 subscribers and 3,000 public watch hours in the past year. Reaching this unlocks features like channel memberships, 'Supers' (like tips), and connecting an online shop.
Full Monetization: 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 public watch hours in the past year. This level allows ads to be shown on your videos. It's important to remember that the watch hours reset each calendar year.
While the "Loic and the Queens" channel seems on a good track, the podcast view numbers on YouTube are more modest, totalling 230 views across all episodes so far. Interestingly, YouTube seems to automatically convert the podcast audio (uploaded via RSS) into a video format now. I also discovered the 'end screen' feature, which could be useful for promoting other content.
Podcast Strategy & Brand Structure
Speaking of the podcast, the website dashboard shows 128 downloads so far. All these numbers, both YouTube views and podcast downloads, are currently organic – achieved without any specific promotion on platforms like Instagram or Facebook. My plan is to build up a bit more content, perhaps reaching Episode 20, before starting active promotion.
I've also been brainstorming a different release strategy. Instead of releasing a short episode every day (and potentially overwhelming subscriber inboxes with daily emails ), maybe I should record daily as usual, but then compile the week's recordings into one longer episode released every Friday. This could offer a more substantial listen and allow the daily snippets to potentially become exclusive content for paid subscribers down the line. It's just an idea for now, "food for thought".
Finally, I've been thinking about structuring my different projects. "Deviliciously Me" is the main hub, the 'mother company'. Underneath that sit "Loic and the KwingZ" and "The Captured Frames" (my photo, video, and design work). I need to define this structure more clearly, perhaps creating a plan to ensure each branch has a distinct focus.
That's it for now!
Lots of progress and lots to think about.
I'll be back soon!
L
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