Can we get Paul a silver play button by the end of the year?

I know, I know, the play button isn't important.  But it is a crazy landmark that youtube loves and I hear that content gets pushed out more when you reach that goal.  Which means infecting more brains with permaculture.  That sounds like something I can get behind.

Before we go any further, head over here and make sure you are subscribed: https://www.youtube.com/paulwheaton

The silver play button is given to youtube creators when they get to 100k subscribers.  It's a big deal in the world of youtube and since I'm many many years away from that goal, I kind of got obsessed about Paul's youtube channel.  Can we get him there?  Can we get him there by the end of this year?

At this moment, he has 95.8K.  That might be doable.  

What would it take to get him to 100k subscribers?

More videos: https://permies.com/t/175835/pay-for-vids

I wonder if we could do something like that but with SKIP and youtube Shorts.  Shorts are videos under 60 seconds long.  If we added 15 seconds of "if you like this sort of thing, pop over to the skip ...somethign something... where we somethingsomething...." whatever.  I don't know if Paul has the money to pay for this kind of video, but maybe we can brainstorm something.  

I kind of like the idea of us doing most of the work as I know Paul is investing his time in some bigger and better projects.  This getting to 100k subscribers would be more a thank you gift from us to him.  

Getting the word out more than we already are.  We have a daily-ish email with over 40K subscribers.  If 4 thousand of you - that's just 10% got the word out to one friend each about your favourite Paul Wheaton Video, that would do it easily.

What else?

Let's brainstorm?  

Thinking more about the SKIP stuff, I'm getting half decent at editing things.  If someone was filming doing it, we could see if we could work together to make the video?  

It would look like this.



I made a mockup of what it would look like at Paul's place.

Yeah, there's a lot of potential stuff in the SKIP realm.  Taking a well shot video as someone does something then crafting it into a video.  Maybe Yuri can do some of that at BB20...

And thanks for the reminder, I just subscribed but it didn't move from 95.8k...  :(

subscribed!

I really like the idea of doing some shorts for skip projects.  Here's the giant list.  https://permies.com/wiki/skip-pep-bb

Sand level is pretty fast to do and easy to put into a short.

What we need is an end thing that points people back to the SKIP programme.  Some words and an image?  Try to be 5 to 10 seconds at most because youtube shorts are their attempt to compete with tictoc or FB.

Then we need some footage and maybe some words.  It's best if it's filmed on a phone in verticle format.  But a real camera can do it too - just needs more editing.  

And permission to use the footage.  In writing.

I think it would be fun to get 5 or more in the hopper and see if paul likes them enough to put them on his channel.  Release one a week when he's not releasing other things?  

Shorts are awesome at reaching a lot of people if it can be fast-paced and fun.  The shorter the better.  


Anyway, I would be willing to work with someone to do the editing side for a few to see how it goes.  

what are youtube shorts? https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/10059070?hl=en

I talked with Paul about this, and I don't think we'll be able to convince him to publish Shorts.  At least not yet.

So I think one minute regular videos would be okay.  I would have to make the video then submit it for his approval.  

And I really love the idea of doing these videos about SKIP or about Wheaton Labs.  If we could tie it into events happening at the lab, even better.

Anyone got footage of such things?  How do we get the word out to someone who might?

The only footage I know of for a SKIP thing is that Josiah filmed several of us trying out our newly made kindling crackers two years ago.  I never saw anything come of it, not sure if he has the footage.  I'll send him an email...

Subscribed.

Subscribed

Already subscribed.  At 96.1k just now when I checked!

Cindy Haskin wrote:Already subscribed.  At 96.1k just now when I checked!

sweet!!!

r ranson wrote:I talked with Paul about this, and I don't think we'll be able to convince him to publish Shorts.  At least not yet.

So I think one minute regular videos would be okay.  I would have to make the video then submit it for his approval.  

Kind of a shame--I personally hardly ever watch shorts---what of value could I learn in less than a minute?  BUT I am the parent of two 17-year-olds who regularly laugh at me and their other parent for our video watching style. If we want to infect the young, we do it with shorts.

(ETA: Shorts are the gateway, to reach youth. Any permaculture tiktokers on here?)

I think shorts are really good for level 0-2 on the eco=scale.  But I suspect Paul is using his channel to speak to level 4 and up on the eco-scale.  Although he never said as much, it is just the feeling I get.

I just subscribed and saw it was at 96.2K.

I bet that for some of the SKIP BBs that require video some people could submit a YouTube short. SKIP certifications aren't put on Paul's channel, but they publicize SKIP.

"Liked, subscribed, clicked all the things!"

Subscribed! Whoot!! 🌿🌱🌻

Subscribed today.  I thought I had subscribed years ago, but must have screwed up.  I am now.

Just subscribed

According to this page, as of 2022, only about 2 million channels have a silver play button.

97.4K

I admit, I haven't done anything to help with this project.  Been stumped how to help him get that last 3k by the end of the year.  Only 5 and a little bit months to go.  

Social blade says that at the current rate, Paul can expect to earn the silver play button in Jan next year.

That's so close!

What can we do to get him there by the end of this year?

Can you check to see if you are subscribed?  How about your friends?  Got any permaculture pals?  Could you check in with them to see if they have pressed the subscribe button?

I'm surprised, I hadn't subscribed yet. No wonder I wasn't getting any notifications!!!

Rectified.

98.5K

It's making a difference

https://www.youtube.com/paulwheaton

99.1k
juste subscribed i shared with some local facebook group here.

We got so close!

99.6K subscribers

and yet, not far enough.

But a new year - we shouldn't have any problem getting that play button this year.  



https://www.youtube.com/paulwheaton

It says 99,931.

Soooo close.

I bet a few Youtube Shorts will draw in enough to push you over the edge, if you can scrape a few minutes for an update or something going on. If not, enough time will probably do the trick anyhow.

paul wheaton wrote:It says 99,931.

99,943 ...

paul wheaton wrote:

paul wheaton wrote:It says 99,931.

99,943 ...

99,955

paul wheaton wrote:

paul wheaton wrote:

paul wheaton wrote:It says 99,931.

99,943 ...

99,955

99,969

Acquiring the silver button may turn out to be like casual sex, i.e., the anticipation far exceeds the actual event.

Dc Stewart wrote:Acquiring the silver button may turn out to be like casual sex, i.e., the anticipation far exceeds the actual event.

True...
...except, youtube's algorithm looks for markers that say "I'm here for the long term and people like what I make".  These milestones are often followed by an increase in traffic from suggested videos.  Like the system says "now I finally have enough information to put some real effort in to identifying what kind of people like this sort of content or might like it and not even know they like it."

Just looking at my personal feed, almost none of the creators who come up are under 10k subs, most are over 100k subs.  The ones that are under 10k are ones I found elsewhere on the internet and trained youtube I like that sort of thing.  

paul wheaton wrote:
99,969