So why did you decide on supernatural click bait as your channel focus?

I have always been fascinated with mysteries and although I don't believe everything I read or see I do certainly enjoy the entertainment I get out of exploring them.

I certainly am not trying to click bait with my YouTube titles but am merely trying to create a high CTR video. I suppose there is a fine line.

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not titles, thumbnails

Not really my flavour. Although, what's your take on native American mythology particularly of skinwalkers and the wendigo?

Well I did do a lot of research and it is said that your thumbnail and title are the most important part of creating a YouTube video as it is what actually causes people to click and discover your content.

If your CTR is very low than there is a very small chance that it will get picked up by the algorithm and your video will get very few views (like most of mine)

I hear you need a 15%+ CTR to really get pushed by the algorithm, the best I have been able to achieve is 10%.

I don't want to create clickbait style thumbnails or titles but rather create something engaging and intriguing that the video covers clearly once viewed.

I think that most mythological tales hold a certain element of truth that ma have been lost in translation over the years.

I had never heard about Skinwalkers or the Wendigo before but a quick google search showcases a very interesting story I will have to dig into further.

Native American mythology in particular is quite fascinating, I am going to create a video of the Hopi Indian prophecies some day soon:)

There are also some interesting films surrounding those mythologies. I would highly recommend the film "Ravenous"(1997), also "Antlers".

You seem to have picked one of the most saturated genres. There are hundreds of creators covering the same thing you are. What are your plans to diversify and stand out?

I'm on it!
Thanks for this:)

My thought process is that the majority of the world has a much reduced attention span in comparison to only a few years ago (thanks TikTok).

As a result, I think that long form videos with opinions and "fluff" will be replaced by short and concise videos where users can get their information as quickly as possible.

My goal is to keep all videos under 3 minutes long and to try and deliver as much information as possible within that time frame.

Do you think the term expat applies to ALL people who leave their country for another? Do you ever use the term "immigrant"? When and what's the difference between "expat" and "immigrant" and why did you choose to call yourself the former instead of the latter?

does the liberal bias and Baby Boomer hatred of reddit bother you?

Very interesting question...

Here in Thailand you often hear about expats but the term immigrant is rarely used, of course the Thai people use the word farang to identify foreigners.

Perhaps the geographical location has something to do with it.

I suppose technically the term immigrant would apply to me but for some reason the immigrant/expat scene here in Thailand always uses the term expat.

Also, before you moved away from your home country, were you a 'prepat' or an 'impat' or what?

I am fairly new to interacting on Reddit and have not had any negative incidences other than a few people who decided to be rude for what appears to be no reason.

With that being said, I think it is important that everyone has the right to state their opinion whether I agree with it or not.

Lol, I am going to assume this is a joke, I have never heard of those terms before.

you are the only reddit person I like
I feel you;ll hate reddit more and more

extreme liberal bias and hatred of Baby Boomers

Well I hope that is not the case.

Reminds me of the old saying... Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.

Yup, just joking around. 'Expat' is a pretty quaint word, but at least it's real.

Can you share highlights of your YouTube research ?

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One of the highlights that I discovered is that YouTube seems to be trying to compete with TikTok and is pushing shorts within their algorithm to try and encourage creators to build short form content.

Additionally, I have been fascinated by the new AI tools that are becoming available that I think will change our online world in drastic ways, hopefully for the better.

women who like it salty swallow, the others spit

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Sawadee and ignore the bad vibes. Good on you for pursuing something that you're passionate about. What's your fav Thai food?

Sawadee Ka!
Thanks very much!
My favorite Thai food is actually Chicken Pad Thai with extra peanuts.
I have a hard time with spicy food so unfortunately I am missing out on a large portion of their cuisine.

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I'm 59 and have a YouTube channel I started a year ago...

First off - your channel page looks great! fantastic banner and profile avatar! your thumbnails look really decent as well - and it looks like you are already working shorts and long form.

Did you have any assistance with the designs at all?

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Awesome!
Thank you very much, I really appreciate that.
I used Midjourney to create some of the elements in the thumbnails and then did a a lot of online research to see what other videos with lot's of views were doing.

I also listen to hours of YouTube creator tips every day and have been messing around with photoshop for about 10 years, although I wouldn't call myself a designer.

Do you have any tips, being a year in?

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Hey, mate. Are you based in Hua Hin?

Nice videos. Please share your creation/production process? How long does it take for you to put a short together? What software are you using? Who is your target audience? Keep up the good work; you'll find a niche there.

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I'm not extremely successful but I have learned some tips along the way to my 19k subs...

1. Do it for the fun and enjoyment, otherwise it will just be another obligation.
2. Continue to study those who are successful in your genre and even communicate with them (some of my "competitors" are good friends).
3. Don't babysit your numbers - some reactors I know thrived once they stopped checking their subs and views.
4. Lose the attachment to the videos you make... There will be some videos that will take hours upon hours to create and not get many views - don't let that get you down... It's part of the process.

I think since this is an AMA I have to end this with a question - Do you have any tips for making plans to live outside the US and still receive SS and money from YouTube?

To my understanding 'expats' choose to settle or work for an extended period in the other country but retain their original country's citizenship, where immigrants come to live permanently and might seek citizenship in the new country.

Lots of my friends working internationally refer to themselves as expats and not immigrants - people of all ages still use the term.

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Fair enough. I've been living outside my birth country (the US) since 1985, and I rarely encounter it. I don't think anyone's ever called me an expat.

About what I expected from you, to be fair.

Thanks very much!

I am actually located in Koh Samui.

A general overview of the creation process (which is something I am new at and hope I will improve on) is as follows.

Lots of initial research before launching.
So I made sure to step into the ring with my best foot forward and viewed a lot of content teaching best practices for YouTube in 2023. It really seems as though you are battling algorithms more than anything else.

Branding.
I wanted to make sure that I could build a consistent brand across all platforms so I came up with a name for my channel that allowed me to capture the .com as well as all potential social media with a single word.
Using a tool like https://www.namecheckr.com/ can help to check all platforms at once.

More research.
I would search the web and try to find similar content to what I wanted to create and research their channels, both the good and the bad. I would then come up with a list of videos that I wanted to create and would begin researching many sources of information.

Writing.
I would write the script for both the short and the long version at the same time and would also generate a list of suggested titles and hashtags using online tools.

Voiceover.
I bought a Rode USB Mini mic for about $100 that I can plug into my laptop and record the voiceover. I will just repeat a section if I make a mistake and the editor can just fix it in post production.

Production.
I hand the voiceover and the script as well as links to pictures and other relevant information over to my friend who is a video editor and then he puts all of the pieces together.

Thumbnail.
I will research what similar videos used for their thumbnails and then try to come up with a similar idea. I use you.com image search, midjourney, and photoshop as my tools.

Uploading.
I make sure that all of my metadata is properly filled out with SEO based terms, so even the thumbnail and video file names are packed with appropriate SEO terms.

Timeline.
I am trying to produce a long and a short video every day but I think it might be more realistic to release either a short or a long every other day.

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That makes perfect sense.

Wow 19k subs! That is quite impressive.
I appreciate the advice.
To answer your question I am actually from New Zealand and to be honest I still have not put much thought into receiving money from YouTube, I hear you have to be quite large for it to be any meaningful and will cross that bridge if I ever get there. As far as SS, it's not an issue on my end.

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Exactly, it’s about the colour of your skin

For 2k$ you can live a quite nice life in thailand. Why say very simple?

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yes, but a 2 minute google search will tell you what living costs in thailand are.

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I think I will be fine regardless of the level of success that I achieve.
Ideally, I would love to create content earned enough subscribers to make some extra money but if it all amounts to nothing I will of had some fun and learned a lot during the process.

I don't ever embark on adventures expecting failure but rather jump in with both feet and try to achieve a good result. If I fail to achieve that I typically will try again with another approach or idea.

Well, I suppose it depends on what people would consider simple.
I live in a small apartment and spend my days enjoying the food and sunshine down by the beach.

and I'd guess you need a grand for that tops

Yeah, you are not wrong.
Apartment is about $400 a month, food is probably $600-$750 depending on what you are eating. It can be much cheaper than that but I eat out every day and eat a lot off foreign food.
A all day fishing trip, which I like to do from time to time, might cost around $100.

People get upset about the English word, and then don't give a shit that the country you live in just calls you "foreigner" regardless of how long you live there.

How do you like Thailand? Is it rather safe?

You can easily cut the costs for food to around $200

I think you are getting farang prices if you spend that much

I love Thailand, I have lived in 16 different countries over my lifetime and find Thailand to be one of the safest places I have ever been.
Great weather, wonderful people and affordable living.
The main danger here is driving, especially on the motorbikes.

You are probably right, however I do enjoy a nice meal at a restaurant and a glass of wine quite regularly.

You earned it and if that's in your budget, who am I to judge or decide

Enjoy the sunshine boss! 💫

Maybe it was just more likely in the industries I've worked in with lots of expatriates (Information/Tech focused work, Game development, Oil Industry) or in certain regions.

Yeah, who knows. TIL. I really thought that word had fallen out of use, but it's easy to forget how much language varies.