Channel Review I do a Sewing commentary series on my channel and have no clue if it's realistically any good.

[MiahGraceSews]

User name: MiahGraceSews
Title of thread: I do a Sewing commentary series on my channel and have no clue if it's realistically any good.
Self review: I do a comentary series on my channel called "what's sewing on" where I look at sewists and fiber artists on the internet and review their works (mostly i just gush about how cool they are) these videos take a ton of time to make but they don't seem to get much of a response. but I really enjoy making them. I've posted two so far, a piolet, and an episode with a quilt theme. I'm too close to it to tell if there's value in the videos, and I'm unsure if the lack positive performance will hurt my channel. Thanks in advance!
Channel review or Video review? Channel review
Link to channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm1-s3rKKIsDrp6MGK_eXpA/videos
Link to other review post: https://community.tubebuddy.com/index.php?threads/37817/post-118485

 

[SILTHW]

One of my "don't talk about it in public" obsessions are the artists on Reddit in /r/sewing. There is some amazing talents there, so I was very interested to see what you were up to.

First, I'm going to be blunt, your thumbnails need work. Many of them look like screen captures and not actual thumbnails. Let's take "Lolita choker necklace" a video that you rank first in search for. Here is your competition:

Would you click yours over the others? I think sometimes we get so happy that we found a keyword that ranks #1 we forget ranking #1 but having a thumbnail that isn't as compelling as the videos that rank 2-4 (or more) doesn't give us clicks. I would spend time looking at the thumbnail feedback board and reading the hints and tips given there.

I went through a few of your other videos. You rank low in SEO best-practices on most of them, but high with the specific keywords. I would spend some time learning how to use SEO studio. The best practices come directly from YouTube, so they are really important to doing well with search and discovery.

Volume levels are very inconsistent across your videos. Some sounded fine, others were very hard to hear. The rule in the industry is people will overlook bad video quality, but no one overlooks bad sound quality.

You need better lighting. Given the videos I watched, you are the target market for ring lights. It will help reduce the shadows when you do close up videos (e.g. on the "opening a baggie of vintage lace" video) and help with the uneven lighting in some of the other videos.

Overall, I think your content is good. I think your issues are in productions quality, SEO optimization and thumbnails. Stay with the subject and niche but work to improve the other areas. Those are just skills and can be learned and developed with practice.

Good luck!

 

[tropicthunder]

I'm not an expert on how to improve youtube channel. But here's my two cents.

I look at your channel, and just like SILTHW said, your thumbnail need to have a better "eye-cathing" (I'm still working on it too).

Actually I'm impressed by the way you talk in front of the camera, it looks like you're used to talk in front of the camera, and honestly I enjoy watching "Quilts are Cool - What's Sewing On?". The way you presented other peoples sewing is quite entertaining (I put a smile on my face lol). Also at the beginning of that video, you have a lot of camera shaking, maybe you could put something to make it still. My friend usually using clamping to his phone camera so it's not shaking. The edit on the video where you show images needs to have an improvement, like adding an outline or something like that, also sometimes there's a delay between your hand gesture and the images showing not correctly timed.

About the lighting, a professional photographer usually called soft box, that's when your lighting is too bright and make it soft light. You can invest in a ring light, or if you want to "DIY", you can put a thin white fabric or a non-stick baking paper in front of your lighting , it's not the best but it helps.

Btw, I like that kind of "blooper" at the end screen.

 

[MiahGraceSews]

I'm not an expert on how to improve youtube channel. But here's my two cents.

I look at your channel, and just like SILTHW said, your thumbnail need to have a better "eye-cathing" (I'm still working on it too).

Actually I'm impressed by the way you talk in front of the camera, it looks like you're used to talk in front of the camera, and honestly I enjoy watching "Quilts are Cool - What's Sewing On?". The way you presented other peoples sewing is quite entertaining (I put a smile on my face lol). Also at the beginning of that video, you have a lot of camera shaking, maybe you could put something to make it still. My friend usually using clamping to his phone camera so it's not shaking. The edit on the video where you show images needs to have an improvement, like adding an outline or something like that, also sometimes there's a delay between your hand gesture and the images showing not correctly timed.

About the lighting, a professional photographer usually called soft box, that's when your lighting is too bright and make it soft light. You can invest in a ring light, or if you want to "DIY", you can put a thin white fabric or a non-stick baking paper in front of your lighting , it's not the best but it helps.

Btw, I like that kind of "blooper" at the end screen.

thank you so much for the feedback!

An outline or a frame probably really would make things pop more. that's a really good thought!

And thumbnails are like the last thing I think about. haha Sadly I'm going to have to knuckle down and do it!

 

[MiahGraceSews]

One of my "don't talk about it in public" obsessions are the artists on Reddit in /r/sewing. There is some amazing talents there, so I was very interested to see what you were up to.

First, I'm going to be blunt, your thumbnails need work. Many of them look like screen captures and not actual thumbnails. Let's take "Lolita choker necklace" a video that you rank first in search for. Here is your competition:
View attachment 9186

Would you click yours over the others? I think sometimes we get so happy that we found a keyword that ranks #1 we forget ranking #1 but having a thumbnail that isn't as compelling as the videos that rank 2-4 (or more) doesn't give us clicks. I would spend time looking at the thumbnail feedback board and reading the hints and tips given there.

I went through a few of your other videos. You rank low in SEO best-practices on most of them, but high with the specific keywords. I would spend some time learning how to use SEO studio. The best practices come directly from YouTube, so they are really important to doing well with search and discovery.

Volume levels are very inconsistent across your videos. Some sounded fine, others were very hard to hear. The rule in the industry is people will overlook bad video quality, but no one overlooks bad sound quality.

You need better lighting. Given the videos I watched, you are the target market for ring lights. It will help reduce the shadows when you do close up videos (e.g. on the "opening a baggie of vintage lace" video) and help with the uneven lighting in some of the other videos.

Overall, I think your content is good. I think your issues are in productions quality, SEO optimization and thumbnails. Stay with the subject and niche but work to improve the other areas. Those are just skills and can be learned and developed with practice.

Good luck!

thanks so much for the feedback,

I have sort of found a way to fix my audio problems, at least I'm actually addressing it now haha.
I'm really glad to hear that the volume is the only problem you noticed. I live with musicians and 4 dogs...things get less than stellar.

I've really been dragging my feet as far as learning SEO goes...but it looks like i really need to knuckle down and do it.

 

[Sageofwargaming]

I watched a few of your videos, and so far I like it. I've been in a love hate relationship with sowing for a while ware I try to learn it but I end up forgetting about it. But from what I see you have good titles and thumbnails, and if you enjoy making the videos keep making them eventually you'll get an audience for them.