I haven't written in a very long time. Nearly a month. But I figured that the post about royal babies would be enough to tide everyone over for all that time. Besides, I've been writing for a more bona fide source of royal information, and every time I sit down to do 'research' I end up spending four hours reading about Elizabeth of York or someone and hardly any work gets done.
Speaking of Royal Central, I wrote a piece for them a few days ago about the rediscovery of King Henry VII's bed. That may seem like an odd subject to a few of you, and it kind of was, but that's not the point. After it was published, I got an email and a couple of mentions on Twitter from people saying that they liked what I'd written. And I was chuffed. As a writer, even if only on a very, very small scale, I'm writing for other people, and when those people read what I've written, and like it, I feel like I've done a good job.
Of course, I couldn't resist showing off, so the next day I went and told a couple of my friends how my post had been so moderately well received, but they didn't think that that was any kind of achievement at all. It isn't, but that's not the point either. The reason that they thought that it was ridiculous that I was even telling them something as insignificant as all this was because they know people who have made YouTube videos, and, within twenty four hours of it going online received hundreds of views and tens and tens of likes, and they weren't even famous or anything.
[On a side note, I am well aware of what is going on within the YouTube community, but am choosing not to talk about it, because there are already a more than sufficient number of people with opinions, and it isn't even something that I would be able to add anything to. Shallow as it may seem, I'm more concerned about this new nanny the Duchess of Cambridge has hired and whether or not she is the kind of person who smothers babies in their sleep.]
Everyone who makes YouTube videos, but doesn't also have a blog, is going to immediately dismiss what I'm saying as ridiculous and untrue, but it is much harder to get views when you're writing a blog.
Audiences find it a lot easier to watch videos where someone says 300 nonsensical words than to read a couple of paragraphs where someone writes 300 nonsensical words, and so they will always gravitate towards YouTube. I also suppose that seeing someone's face makes what they're saying seem a bit more personal and a bit less distant. Also, that sidebar. There is no normal person who can watch just one YouTube video, and not click on any of the proffered suggestions, because their work is more important.
I now have 6500 views on blog. This is after I've had it for nearly two years. Obviously I didn't write every week, because I only have 65 posts. That is a 100 views per post. If I had a YouTube channel, I could post a single video of Benedict Cumberbatch's face and get ten times the views that I have now.
You know, that might actually work for a blog as well. It's worth a try.
Of course, it's not like any thought goes into this blog, so it could be argued that videos are harder to create. But that isn't entirely true. When I'm writing things that I actually care about, for people who actually care to read what I'm writing about, I do my research. A bit for Royal Central usually involves around two hours of research. (I probably shouldn't mention this, but only fifteen minutes of that is necessary. I do the remaining because I can't help myself.) And if you're making videos, but not doing the editing and sound mixing and that kind of stuff yourself, there is absolutely nothing to it. It is like talking a mirror. Which, I have no shame in admitting, I spend a large part of my day doing.
Blogging is a dying art. If someone is introduced to the Internet and wants to create something, they usually go with YouTube as their platform. Partly motivated by their love for video making, but mostly because they want to become crazy internet famous like Dan and Phil. No one reads blogs anymore. So, thank you, for reading mine.
To conclude, here is everyone's favourite baby, out with his mum in Mustique. I don't remember if I said anything earlier about not posting a picture of this because it was a breach of privacy, but if I did, I rescind it. Look at his cheeks!
This sentence is really a link to my article about the royal bed. Click it because maybe if it gets a lot of views I'll get paid for it.
Speaking of Royal Central, I wrote a piece for them a few days ago about the rediscovery of King Henry VII's bed. That may seem like an odd subject to a few of you, and it kind of was, but that's not the point. After it was published, I got an email and a couple of mentions on Twitter from people saying that they liked what I'd written. And I was chuffed. As a writer, even if only on a very, very small scale, I'm writing for other people, and when those people read what I've written, and like it, I feel like I've done a good job.
Of course, I couldn't resist showing off, so the next day I went and told a couple of my friends how my post had been so moderately well received, but they didn't think that that was any kind of achievement at all. It isn't, but that's not the point either. The reason that they thought that it was ridiculous that I was even telling them something as insignificant as all this was because they know people who have made YouTube videos, and, within twenty four hours of it going online received hundreds of views and tens and tens of likes, and they weren't even famous or anything.
[On a side note, I am well aware of what is going on within the YouTube community, but am choosing not to talk about it, because there are already a more than sufficient number of people with opinions, and it isn't even something that I would be able to add anything to. Shallow as it may seem, I'm more concerned about this new nanny the Duchess of Cambridge has hired and whether or not she is the kind of person who smothers babies in their sleep.]
Everyone who makes YouTube videos, but doesn't also have a blog, is going to immediately dismiss what I'm saying as ridiculous and untrue, but it is much harder to get views when you're writing a blog.
Audiences find it a lot easier to watch videos where someone says 300 nonsensical words than to read a couple of paragraphs where someone writes 300 nonsensical words, and so they will always gravitate towards YouTube. I also suppose that seeing someone's face makes what they're saying seem a bit more personal and a bit less distant. Also, that sidebar. There is no normal person who can watch just one YouTube video, and not click on any of the proffered suggestions, because their work is more important.
I now have 6500 views on blog. This is after I've had it for nearly two years. Obviously I didn't write every week, because I only have 65 posts. That is a 100 views per post. If I had a YouTube channel, I could post a single video of Benedict Cumberbatch's face and get ten times the views that I have now.
You know, that might actually work for a blog as well. It's worth a try.
 |
| Here. Look at Benedict Cumberbatch's face. Whichever one you like the most. |
Of course, it's not like any thought goes into this blog, so it could be argued that videos are harder to create. But that isn't entirely true. When I'm writing things that I actually care about, for people who actually care to read what I'm writing about, I do my research. A bit for Royal Central usually involves around two hours of research. (I probably shouldn't mention this, but only fifteen minutes of that is necessary. I do the remaining because I can't help myself.) And if you're making videos, but not doing the editing and sound mixing and that kind of stuff yourself, there is absolutely nothing to it. It is like talking a mirror. Which, I have no shame in admitting, I spend a large part of my day doing.
Blogging is a dying art. If someone is introduced to the Internet and wants to create something, they usually go with YouTube as their platform. Partly motivated by their love for video making, but mostly because they want to become crazy internet famous like Dan and Phil. No one reads blogs anymore. So, thank you, for reading mine.
To conclude, here is everyone's favourite baby, out with his mum in Mustique. I don't remember if I said anything earlier about not posting a picture of this because it was a breach of privacy, but if I did, I rescind it. Look at his cheeks!
N
This sentence is really a link to my article about the royal bed. Click it because maybe if it gets a lot of views I'll get paid for it.
