This brings up a whole different matter. We do need to do a better job at marketing and presenting content. However, our discussion podcasts aren't normal YouTube content, and too many times we get lumped in with other YouTubers like Mammoth Club, Paging Mr. Morrow, Tim Tracker, etc... Yes, they destroy us in views, but so much of what they do is different. When we had a larger staff we used to be able to make a lot more content like they do but we've always made our way back to podcasts or 'shows' and frankly I think a lot of our personalities are better suited not on podcasts and would be better as vlogs. I'm not saying that would get us the same views or following as the others I mentioned, but it could put us on a path to find more success versus ourselves in the present on YouTube. Then it neglects audio.
Our YouTube channel evolved out of finding a way for the podcast to expand to new audiences. It did just that and found a new audience and continues to find new viewers. Audio podcasts have also seen a boom since the pandemic and I think many underestimate how many listeners we have. Traditional vlogging and what is popular with a lot of YouTubers DOES NOT translate to audio podcasts, in my opinion, and unfortunately, audio podcasts don't always translate well to video. That's not to say they can't and I think we succeeded at it when our personalities and passion shine through - hence the massive growth from 2016-2020. If the people are entertaining and have something to say people will watch and the final product ends up feeling more like The View or a similar show and it can work.
During our two-month break, during which I didn't spend every day thinking about how we were going to revitalize a show that had no return date, I mentioned I didn't know if our Tuesday Show would come back for this very reason. Would it be better to make our podcasts that are better suited for that medium and completely change our YouTube strategy to feel more YouTube? We didn't go in that direction yet, but it is still on my mind daily.
Awkwardness aside, I feel like our podcasts still have a place, but I'm not sure of the longevity podcasts have as video shows in full length. There will always be a way for podcasts to reach a greater audience, but if we're being judged for it as 'YouTubers' then I think there will come a point where it has a negative impact. We're sticking with it for now, but there's no doubt that watching more fast-paced news uploaded in a timely manner or just entertaining in-park vlogs is a more successful track for YouTube. We're trying to balance both mediums which are very different. The path forward might be to make completely different content for both platforms and then find opportunities where moments from the podcast that's still being recorded as video could be posted to YouTube - similar to how Joe Rogan uploads clips.
We gained a lot of notoriety as a podcast in a time when there weren't a lot and we did the same on YouTube, but markets are oversaturated so we have to find the best way to stick out from the crowd and that's going to be an evolving process that isn't fixed overnight even if the problems are quick to be pointed out. There's no bandage fix for longevity.
