Need Advice Seasonality of videos

[MattCommand1]

I know I've heard many times from @Stanley Orchard and perhaps @Damon the seasonality of their videos. In my realm, I also have one bucket of content that is "seasonal" (property tax appeals once a year).

My question is how far in advance should I produce that content? Part of me thinks I need to wait until the content is more relevant. Maybe a couple months before it becomes relevant. The other part of me feels I should do it well in advance even if it is not "in season" so that Google & YT algorithms can do its thing. The content is largely "evergreen" although as a presenter, I am always learning more things which I incorporate the latest insights when I can.

What are your approaches to seasonality issues for certain videos? TIA.

 

[Damon]

I plan to approach seasonality by scheduling the entire year of content in advance. I already use a pen and paper to plan out each video. For 2022 I've decided to organize content based on seasons and content type. For instance my channel has these basic forms/styles of content:

ΓÇó Fishing Content
ΓÇó Product Reviews
ΓÇó Tutorials/How-to Content
ΓÇó Customer Support Content (live streams also)
ΓÇó Sales Videos (including affiliate Links)

From there I've decided when to concentrate on these. Literally did this this morning:

Spring

• bank fishing
• sales videos & product demonstrations

Summer

• boat fishing
• sales videos & product demonstrations

Autumn

• camping & fishing
• sales videos & product demonstrations

Winter

• product reviews
• tutorials & how-to
• live streams & collaborations
• product development & course content

This is a flexible schedule. I will go on a few fishing trips during winter, but for the most part, I'll stay at home. Vice versa for the summer. In other words I can pick and choose whenever and whatever, so long as most f the videos for that season align with the tactics given above.

This addresses--at least I hope it will address--seasonality in a couple ways: (1) Over the whole year you are hitting the major types of content known to help any channel or business grow. (2) The majority of the year you're hitting the main form of content people want to see. (3) Specific to fishing channels, people decide what gear they will buy during winter--assuming they aren't in ice fishing territory. If you're making product reviews and tutorials, you're hitting the the logical side of the buying decision. It won't make them buy, but it will get them thinking. (4) The rest of the year is focused on fleshing out everything you did during winter. Course content, product reviews, tutorials, people now get to see all that in action, thus making an emotional connection to what you've been saying, thus making more subscribers, fans and buyers.

If I repeat this pattern year after year, it will only build on itself. The fly wheel comes around one more time to gain more momentum.

I based this on data from my own channel. I've seen tutorials build my channel over the long term, but the fishing content seems turns them into subscribers, buyers and stark raving fans. The cycle happens slower than, say, a tech channel. Outdoors channels move at a slower pace than the rest of society. We're more attuned to the pulse of the planet itself, not man-made institutions and forms.

 

[Stanley | Team TB]

I also keep a pretty consistent plan of attack and schedule for myself, though not nearly as thorough as Damon. I just don't really worry about the little things. I fish/film based on opportunity and I let the algorithm worry about discovery. I have filmed 'hit' videos that were complete and utter failures until the season turned back around and they suddenly popped off. Had that happen enough times to where I don't care when I post any more. In fact the majority of videos that are now channel-drivers were duds until the 120 day mark. Just about every hit I got took off after that point. It was comical two years ago; I had close to a dozen videos do that. All at different times of the year, different content... just a weird quirk of the algorithm.

Long story short, post your content and build your library. The majority of your viewers are going to be looking for you during a very select time frame... so be ready for it. Have your entire library published and ready for when it happens, that way your entire library can pop off.

 

[MattCommand1]

Wow, great stuff @Damon.

Can I drill down a bit more?

You have "bank fishing" in Spring. Forgive my ignorance, but does bank fishing actually happen in Spring? If so, then do you publish the bank fishing videos right in the middle of Spring? Or slightly beforehand in preparation of the Spring season?

I know our niches are different. My one specific topic is very deadline specific and unforgiving if I am to be of legitimate help. I have no choice but to release it months in advance of specific government deadlines to give people prep time but it is possible I can release it too far in advance.

In your case, I assume your bank fishing videos will be relevant every spring season thereafter, is that correct? In a sense, it is seasonable but simultaneously "evergreen" content because it still has relevance every spring? Did I get that right or wrong?

Outside of my specific question, your plan is very well thought out. Love it!

 

[MattCommand1]

I also keep a pretty consistent plan of attack and schedule for myself, though not nearly as thorough as Damon. I just don't really worry about the little things. I fish/film based on opportunity and I let the algorithm worry about discovery. I have filmed 'hit' videos that were complete and utter failures until the season turned back around and they suddenly popped off. Had that happen enough times to where I don't care when I post any more. In fact the majority of videos that are now channel-drivers were duds until the 120 day mark. Just about every hit I got took off after that point. It was comical two years ago; I had close to a dozen videos do that. All at different times of the year, different content... just a weird quirk of the algorithm.

Long story short, post your content and build your library. The majority of your viewers are going to be looking for you during a very select time frame... so be ready for it. Have your entire library published and ready for when it happens, that way your entire library can pop off.

Thus far, I have worked organically based on where I was at the time. To some degree, I want to still keep that to "make it fun and interesting". I have a long list of video ideas to produce. Most don't really matter whether I do it today or months from now. But some I am rethinking because we are entering 2022 and then all the government deadline stuff starts anew. My interest isn't so much in getting a hit video as much as having the resource there and relevant to the user.

My takeaway from your post is that YT algorithm lags behind a lot so I like your advice to be ready.
Awesome stuff. Thank you.

 

[Damon]

Bank fishing can happen any time. I'm simply targeting bank fishing when the fish themselves move out of the depths closer to shore. They stage for breeding and begin feeding heavily after a long winter of dormancy. I don't know when the fish will move. It depends on the moon, the length of day, the weather, water temperature, water levels. I have no way of knowing when it will happen. We may get an early spring, we hay have a late spring. We may have massive flooding that prevents any fishing. I will publish the bank fishing videos whenever I record them, sometime during the spring. In other words it's always after the fact.

I've spent all winter preparing and teaching via tutorials and rigs I plan to use. They actually see it in action whenever the time is right. The following year it's all set, the complete cycle from beginning to finish before it happens. So, there is always a lag.

 

[MattCommand1]

Bank fishing can happen any time. I'm simply targeting bank fishing when the fish themselves move out of the depths closer to shore. They stage for breeding and begin feeding heavily after a long winter of dormancy. I don't know when the fish will move. It depends on the moon, the length of day, the weather, water temperature, water levels. I have no way of knowing when it will happen. We may get an early spring, we hay have a late spring. We may have massive flooding that prevents any fishing. I will publish the bank fishing videos whenever I record them, sometime during the spring. In other words it's always after the fact.

I've spent all winter preparing and teaching via tutorials and rigs I plan to use. They actually see it in action whenever the time is right. The following year it's all set, the complete cycle from beginning to finish before it happens. So, there is always a lag.

I think I understand. You have two sets of video content for bank fishing. You have your preparatory videos to get your audience ready for the spring. You also have after-the-fact videos as you record your experiences.

And yes, you can leverage the same content every year thereafter.

As for me, once I get a certain set of baseline videos posted, it is done unless I want to do remakes. It is generally the same year after year except for annual or special news announcements.

Thank you again!

 

[Stanley | Team TB]

Thus far, I have worked organically based on where I was at the time. To some degree, I want to still keep that to "make it fun and interesting". I have a long list of video ideas to produce. Most don't really matter whether I do it today or months from now. But some I am rethinking because we are entering 2022 and then all the government deadline stuff starts anew. My interest isn't so much in getting a hit video as much as having the resource there and relevant to the user.

My takeaway from your post is that YT algorithm lags behind a lot so I like your advice to be ready.
Awesome stuff. Thank you.

Oooh, one note on that... you mentioned that YT lags but I don't think that is what's happening. YT has cycles that they put your videos in for discovery purposes. The first circle is that first hour where they put you out in force to the notification squad and other sources so that they can get some initial info on that video. Then there is another circle that you enter after 24 hours, 72 hours, 7 days, 14 days, 28 days etc. I believe each of these circles offers a pivot in the type of traffic source or viewer behaviors that YouTube serves your video out to, and I think that there is something in the 120 day circle which just happens to agree with my videos.

 

[MattCommand1]

Oooh, one note on that... you mentioned that YT lags but I don't think that is what's happening. YT has cycles that they put your videos in for discovery purposes. The first circle is that first hour where they put you out in force to the notification squad and other sources so that they can get some initial info on that video. Then there is another circle that you enter after 24 hours, 72 hours, 7 days, 14 days, 28 days etc. I believe each of these circles offers a pivot in the type of traffic source or viewer behaviors that YouTube serves your video out to, and I think that there is something in the 120 day circle which just happens to agree with my videos.

I've never had anyone explain it with such granularity. Good stuff. I've heard about the YT Discovery process but did not pay much attention to the finer points.

I don't know if this is true or not but I've heard when you do updates to your titles, descriptions, or thumbnails, YT does a "relook" which can initiate another Discovery cycle?

Anecdotally, I had one video that didn't go anywhere in the early days but I redid the title and thumbnail entirely and it became a performer.

I have another video that has gone nowhere no matter the change in title, description, and thumbnail. I concluded that I produced a video that no one gave a crap about so I won't be making another video along those lines.

 

[Stanley | Team TB]

I've never had anyone explain it with such granularity. Good stuff. I've heard about the YT Discovery process but did not pay much attention to the finer points.

I don't know if this is true or not but I've heard when you do updates to your titles, descriptions, or thumbnails, YT does a "relook" which can initiate another Discovery cycle?

Anecdotally, I had one video that didn't go anywhere in the early days but I redid the title and thumbnail entirely and it became a performer.

I have another video that has gone nowhere no matter the change in title, description, and thumbnail. I concluded that I produced a video that no one gave a crap about so I won't be making another video along those lines.

That is totally accurate. Making changes to your titles and description causes YouTube to re-index your video.