CarolynsRVLife ebook - How I got 20,000 subscribers in 40 days

[Reno]

Thanks for the explanation, but I'm really not that thick

I just feel quoting Teddy Roosevelt in bold letters to be a somewhat bombastic analogy of making a simple YouTube video!

"...whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; "

Uh huh

#nobodygetsmyhumor

 

[C-Cat]

Some people (like myself) enjoy watching other nomads experiences, trials and tribulations and there is always something to learn. Some videos can get boring I agree and that's why one can control it (skip ahead, watch something else or not at all). I make videos too and I'm always respectful not to get into people's private business without asking for permission first.

 

[A Savage Adventure]

I have watched many of Bob's YouTube videos before even getting interested in living the RV life. That spiraled into watching Carolyn's RV Life and even Caravan Carolyn. Many channels are about how to live this lifestyle, what you need, interviews with others and/or the day-to-day of it all. Since there are so many channels out there I was thinking I would focus on the places themselves. Photos and videos of the places I visit.

As a newbie I don't have much else to contribute. I could share my experiences I suppose and some people might find that interesting. But honestly I skip ahead when people post the foods they're making / eating. We all have to eat to live and we eat what we like.

There also seem to be a growing number of channels that appear fake. Seeing Bob and Carolyn and the people they interview you can tell the van life isn't "glamorous". You get dirty. Your vehicle gets dirty. Etc. But when I see these new channels with young, beautiful people who look like models and they van is never dirty. Doesn't look lived in and their videos don't really show them out in the thick of it, it seems unreal. Fake, even. And yet these people seem to have some of the highest numbers of subscribers. Not sure what that means yet...

 

[ratfink56]

You are correct. More like "reality tv" than real life.

 

[lenny flank]

Many of the glamour vans are simply studio props--the channel exists solely to sell advertising and product-placement.

After my book came out, I was contacted by a TV producer who wanted to talk about doing a series on vandwelling. I told them that in the real world, vandwelling is mostly boring--I get up, I wash up, I go to a museum or whatever, I come home and sleep. Maybe one could do a travel show on the places I visit (and I wasn't all that interested in having a film crew following me around all the time), but vandwelling itself has no drama or excitement--unless they planned to artificially create it by staging confrontations with cops etc. They never replied to me, and apparently they never produced their TV series.

 

[A Savage Adventure]

I've seen some videos "roasting" some of these "fake" VanDweller videos by a channel called, Dave2D Vlogs, who seems to have been at the RTR. They're funny, even if his audio mixing is horrible. Anyway, I agree with you, Lenny, since I started living full-time in my RV I haven't done much. I plan to do some more travel, but still, my RV looks lived in and it's been 3 weeks.

 

[Tiny Metal Tube]

I most enjoy the instructional and how-to style of videos, which means I usually enjoy people's earlier videos, when they were doing their builds or solving early problems. Later, when they go out on their adventures, I find I lose interest in many channels. This happened to her channel and Rolling Earth-Ship. Occasionally I go back and re-watch their older, better videos.

But not always. I find Carolyn's RV Life to be interesting, but far less than it used to be. I think I could enjoy them if they were shorter, but then some other people wouldn't. 

Bob's channel is PURE information. ZERO fluff. So I always enjoy Bob's videos.
But I do enjoy some fluff from a few specific channels. Nomadic Fanatic, AdventureVanMan, Campervan Kevin, TKVD / One Awesome Inch, etc. Because they keep their videos short and I watch at 1.5x speed.

I don't mean to attack anyone here. Different strokes for different folks. My content isn't great for a lot of people either.

 

[A Savage Adventure]

I don't mean to attack anyone here. Different strokes for different folks. My content isn't great for a lot of people either.

I value honest reviews / opinions on things. People always have to make up their own mind in the end anyway. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on those channels. I will have to peruse them and see if they appeal to me. They may and they may not. But I never heard of them until now, so that makes your post very useful on that point alone.

 

[wanderin.pat]

Before I started living on the road, many of these videos were incredibly helpful.   Especially, for me, Bob's.  His How-to videos most especially.  But his encouragement was also what pried me out of the apartment, helped me cut the cable, and hit the road.  

I spent my first night in my trailer at the 2017 RTR.  Which Bob hosted.  I met a lot of incredible people, got a ton of great ideas, and made some long-lasting friends.  I will always have a debt of gratitude to Bob. 

In the time since, I've seen more and more YT videos from lots of people that seem to be produced for the purpose of generating viewing traffic.  If you watch some of the "YouTube Academy" how-to video's , you will see some telling folks how to generate more traffic.  The quality of the content will suffer when your only goal is to generate viewers, which directly effects revenue to that channel.  Someone mentioned the similarity to reality TV.  I couldn't agree more.  

This is not intended as a slam against any one individual, but against the trend itself.  I hope it smooths out while I'm still alive.  

Regards,

WP

 

[Jack]

Personally, I enjoy several of the van life youtube channels.  It's a matter of finding the ones that resonate with you.  

For those who mock them as "fluff" and say they're just people talking to themselves, that's what all the "learning stuff" videos you watch are, too.  And those same channels you learn from are also monetized "e-beggers." 

Here's what I don't understand: Normal people don't hang out in places they have no interest in unless they think highly of their own opinions.  I have absolutely no interest in the Matters of the Heart forum so I don't even click on it.  Why?  Because it would be a waste of my time and I don't care to rain on anyone else's parade.  It's common courtesy.  Since this thread is clearly marked as a YouTube van life topic, it's beyond me why anyone who hates them would even bother clicking on it... unless, again, they think more highly of their own opinions than common courtesy.

Not all van life channels are the same.  I'm new to van life, only learning about it just over a month ago at most.  Those videos have been an invaluable source of information.  As with everything else, there are the fakes, the trust fund babies, the nitty grittys, and everything inbetween.  As with everything else, they're not a one-size-fits-all thing.

I subscribe to channels based on the folks who own them.  I like personable, real people.  I don't like the over-exaggerated cartoon characters who act like game show hosts.  I don't like the Instagram versions that glamorize van life.  (Pooping in a bucket and showering in public isn't glamorous.)  I don't like people who ask you insincere questions just to get you to comment but never respond, or interact, with their subscribers.  But you know what else I've learned?  There's an audience for everyone and I don't begrudge anyone's success.

As for Carolyn, I think she's kind, sincere, fun and tells great stories!  When she sticks to van life topics, she's a hoot!  When she gets personal and political I simply turn her off because we wouldn't get along for a single minute.  But I wouldn't dream of saying anything about it because I would never attack her on her own channel, or frustrate the experience of her 78,161 subscribers.

 

[wanderin.pat]

Personally, I enjoy several of the van life youtube channels.  It's a matter of finding the ones that resonate with you.  


As for Carolyn, I think she's kind, sincere, fun and tells great stories!  When she sticks to van life topics, she's a hoot!  When she gets personal and political I simply turn her off because we wouldn't get along for a single minute.  But I wouldn't dream of saying anything about it because I would never attack her on her own channel, or frustrate the experience of her 78,161 subscribers.

You make a good point.  I personally simply don't watch stuff that I'm not interested in.  I rarely subscribe to anybody's channel.  And there's more of those than those I DO watch.  

Just yesterday, I watched a video about fixing my Champion 2000i generator.  The author showed me a component I didn't know was there; and I now have it running.  

Regards,

WP

 

[GraceinMotion]

Anyone remember "The Prisoner" TV show? I feel like I live in that environment sometimes. Seems like every couple of weeks I notice a new CCTV camera in my city. Whenever I see someone walking around pointing a phone or camera in my direction, I think about that show. And don't talk to me about drones! I find it odd that people who claim to be introverts and express a desire to escape society walk around in public recording their daily lives and then publish it for the whole world to see. It's actually kinda creepy, but is becoming so mainstream most people don't give it a second thought.

 

[travelaround]

There are many reasons to be involved in making YouTube videos. My Booktube channel started because I wanted to develop speaking skills. Also, as a retired person, I know that one of the best ways to keep your mind healthy is to keep learning new things. Video making is a challenge for me. Speaking skills have developed radically from when I started (I was so timid at first!)

My YouTube channels also serve as a way to leave a record of my life for my descendants. I have grandchildren I'll never meet or see - and I think it would be a happy thing for them to someday discover their grandmother left a video archive. I have four channels now - and none of them are doing phenomenally well, and none can be monetized, but this is my hobby and it pleases me to be able to share a video.

Also, I'm a single person, and this gives me a way to communicate with others . . . and especially with my Booktube channel, I've developed friendships with other Booktubers. It is a great YouTube community for those who love reading and making videos.

For those who don't like YouTube videos, don't watch them... that's fine, but don't think you know all the motivations people have for making the videos because ... everyone's motivations are different, and most people aren't making money doing this.

 

[wanderin.pat]

For those who don't like YouTube videos, don't watch them... that's fine, but don't think you know all the motivations people have for making the videos because ... everyone's motivations are different, and most people aren't making money doing this.

You make a lot of good points.  Your reasons for having a channel are, FWIW, great ones as far as I'm concerned.  I think you're right , most people are NOT making money doing it.  But some are, and some are putting up a lot of BS to generate traffic.  You're right. We all have to be responsible for our own actions.  If we don't like something, ignore the clickbait and don't watch it.  

Regards, 

WP

 

[Desertthorn]

I have watched Carolyn  for about 2 years, mostly to live vicariously as our RV sits in the yard getting dusty.  Family just cant stay healthy.  I also love watching Panda Monium, The Northwoodsman1, and Rusty78609. But my absolute favorite is Slim Potatohead who I have watched and rewatched his videos for the past year and so enjoy the photography, the hints and the travel.

 

[LoveCareThinkDo]

I really like Carolyn. She is really the kind of human that I would want to have as a friend, or maybe a relationship with (if I did that kinda thing any more). However, I bought her book and, to be honest, I found it to be of little actual value to me. 

When you get right down to it, her "secrets" were:

• Already have a large following in other social media.
• Already have a large existing client list.
• Already be an expert at marketing.
• Follow the standard YouTube advice of playing to a niche market of people who want to live vicariously though you.
• Be "authentic." Though, there are many definitions of what that really is. Carolyn really does come across as authentic, in her videos. But most successful YouTubers are as authentic as I am the king of England.

That's all good advice, but it doesn't justify writing a whole book that you charge money for. Most of it is things that other people cannot replicate. Though, it is true to the title: It is how she got a lot of subscribers. The book doesn't really go into exactly how she used those marketing skills to decide to do one thing over another. I really got the feeling that she used her marketing skills, outside of her channel, to get people to watch her channel. Though she doesn't say how. 

In the end, I unsubscribed from her channel. Not because I stopped liking her. Just because I am not in her niche market. I usually watch YouTube to either learn something, or to stay informed. I don't care too much about watching someone else simply narrate their day. And I absolutely hate it when someone just turns on a camera and talks while they are driving around, whether the camera is pointed at them or the "scenery" out their windshield. But that's just my preference. Other people obviously love that stuff.

 

[Qxxx]

When you get right down to it, her "secrets" were:

• Already have a large following in other social media.
• Already have a large existing client list.
• Already be an expert at marketing.
• Follow the standard YouTube advice of playing to a niche market of people who want to live vicariously though you.
• Be "authentic." Though, there are many definitions of what that really is. Carolyn really does come across as authentic, in her videos. But most successful YouTubers are as authentic as I am the king of England.

also ... put yourself in harm's way just a bit, cause people love that. When she was in Alaska, she took a hike along a valley a few hundred feet from a grizzly, and kept saying "stay there Mr Grizzly, don't bother me and I won't bother you". Good advice .

Actually, I'm not dissing Carolyn, I watch her all the time. The gal is 99% solo traveler, and has moxie. Currently hiking on the PCT. I briefly ran into her last winter in Ehrenberg, she was very sweet, asked me where I was from, and she gave me a signed postcard.

 

[owl]

I don't like or dislike everyone I meet in daily life, I am glad I had the chance to meet them. That's pretty much the way I feel about Youtube. The moment they post that video is an invitation to me to participate if I so choose. I'm blown away that some can have a million and a half subscribers and I can't get through a few minutes without being completely bored. That is exactly the point of Youtube, something for everyone.

 

[Qxxx]

Cool, Carolyn has now completely 400 miles on the PCT, with just her own determination and the bears to rely on. I hope she gets to her destination before the snows come. 400 miles, my feet hurt to even think of it.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfqr5I-0RKK8Ha1PeKi0_ig/videos

 

[Dingfelder]

I'm the opposite, free2enjoy. I find Carolyn nice enough, but enjoy her earlier videos much more, where she gave solid information. Now I feel she drags her videos out tremendously, and reliably buries the ostensible "subject" of videos deep inside, well past the talking about her dog and her feelings and random observations, often even dragging out and repeating those as well.

Her best videos stuck to the subject and if they got at her feelings, didn't make them the true centerpiece unless that was explicitly what the video was about. And even then, most weren't so random. Or long. I think she has dropped the ball in a big way and don't think it's accidental.