Vsauce

Oddly enough we never knew of Vsauce because we weren't looking for it. It is only when we looked for scientific question videos then Vsauce popped up. However, Vsauce hasn't posted a full Youtube video in years- but still posts some Shorts.

It has a long history, and once which we might not into. But it is certain to say that it was the first in a long line of science based Youtube channels.

So what made it cool? Why did it have:

22 million subscribers
555 videos
Streamy awards
4 billion views
3 channels
a subscription service
Tour
Youtube Originals
millions of views per video

And you may be thinking, why are we talking in the past tense here? Well, Vsauce hasn't posted a long form video in a while. Sure they take a long time to research and create, but the last video was posted in 2023. With shorts being posted somewhat regularly (one was posted a few days ago, 1.2 million views already). So the channel has had a lasting experience on its viewers.

The secret sauce of Vsauce

Not that good title, but it had to be said :)

Vsauce is not good because of one factor. It is good because of a multiple amount of factors. Those factors became a combination effect that brought in the audience.

Michael Stevens was the original face of the channel. He made comedy videos which were then shared (because they were fun) and some made it onto College Humour. So we have an initial traffic stream. This is similar start to Mark Rober. Michael liked videos and then did sketches for Barely Political. Then he created his own channel- Vsauce.
Originally it was a gaming channel. And it was a reacts video channel. With titles like "9 More Video Game WTFs". That was 14 years ago

These were bringing in hundreds of thousands of views upto 1 million views. They were not the best produced and you have to question their content, but the interaction was there with some having thousands of likes and comments. So it probably triggered Youtubes logarithm and was shared.

Throughout video making, Michael then started to hone in his style, topic and production. The videos then became what we see now. Fun science videos asking odd but interesting questions- like, why is your bottom in the middle?.
Fun and education with topics that didn't pander down to their audience but treated them as people who wanted to understand was probably the core message.

How to increase your brand the right way

Now most Youtubers will have other channels relating to their own primary channel. Some do this right but many do this poorly. It is trying to walk the line of:

similar content,
same audience but can we bring in others
have the same branding videos- fun and educational
have a different host per channel

Vsauce 2. This was/ is hosted by Kevin Lieber and focused on technology especially weird and cool inventions. So we have Bionics Eyes, Insane Data Of Car Chases. Sure it is not Michael, sure the videos can go off topic a bit (math games and paradoxes) but we have a channel with 4.56 million subscribers, 793 million total views, 476 videos and a range of 18 million to 100k views per video.
Vsauce 3. Hosted by Jake Roper. The science behind fictional worlds. So we have: Could you survive Die Hard. What if Captain Americas shield hit you? These are cool topics, and they were rewarded. 220 videos, 4 million subscribers, 545 million total views, and a range of 26 million to 200k views per video. People enjoyed the channel.
The channels cross promoted, but focused in on their own separate social channels. But each one promoted the subscription service
He collaborated with other science figures and TV shows including Bill Nye. 2014 Went onto Jimmy Kimmel- which seems to be a favourite place of some Youtubers like Mark Rober and Dude Perfect.
The website housed all the info you needed
The subscription service is a box of science stuff that gets sent every 3 months. It features science stuff within each one and is a curiosity. So one box has Martian soil within. The advert for it is super cool. You also get a free gift for annual subscribers.
The shop. This is not necessarily found within the links of the Youtube channels but it is a cool basic, one page shop of science stuff.

If you click on the solenoid engine link it takes you to an awesome page that moves. How do you sell something that moves? Show video of it moving straight away.

Theres a newsletter. If you sign up you get a percentage off some products. It is on most pages but not that well shown- also not that well promoted with limited reasons why to sign up.

Vsauce did it right

When you click on one link and it takes to from page to page, from channel to channel. The branding is very similar. Each page has an essence of Vsauce. And this is only a good thing. Too many times have we been jolted from a channel to go to a store which looks nothing like the channel- even the webname is odd and different.

But when you post videos there is a point of left or right:

left- do I continue creating videos?
right- do I do something different

It is very easy to do both. But what you have to be super careful of is how it is going to affect your customer. Or in Youtubes case, your viewer. If you continue creating videos then you run the risk of just doing the same thing over and over again and burn out. If you create something different, then you might alienate your subscriber base- but also might increase due to a new set of subscribers.

It is very difficult to do.

So you find that Youtube businesses try to do side businesses- so selling food/ beverages or items that are related to that niche industry. This is fine but you still have the issue of figuring out if to continue with the same video content or not.

What Vsauce has done is something that is a good idea. Create 3 channels and have them talk about subjects all related but very niche to their specific channel. Each channel can grow- feeding of each other, promoting each other and promoting a product which they could all use- the subscription box.

Vsauce though is going to face the same issue later on- left or right. They might create another channel. The are probably doing TV work/ seminars/ tours etc. Which is a different version of Youtube but are those audience members going to watch the TV version or keep with videos?

Sometimes companies are created as the next stage- so science tools/ products. So that other channels and people can promote your products. Now you are getting your message out to other audiences which then fuels audience by-in to your channels.

Anyway, we hope Vsauce all the best

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