Website Goal Updates
Don't read this unless you like text... lots and lots of text.
This post is for the sake of personal accountability, and I doubt it will be an interesting read.
The main reason I have and operate this website is to put my education and experience into practice in a way that's meaningful and enjoyable to me. I want to keep growing my skills without having it feel like a chore.
Unlikely though it may be, I also dream that someday I'll go to some type of gaming convention and someone will actually recognize me. That would be one of the coolest feelings possible.
April - May
My point is that I've begun planning my strategy for the next few months, and want to share it here to hold myself accountable. This strategy starts with, from now until May while I battle the heavy workload from my master's program, simply fleshing out a detailed content/publishing calendar.
As I fill out my content calendar, I hope to clarify some of my purpose, and short- and long-term goals for my work. I hope to better understand how I'll my web, video and social media sites will coexist, how and for what purpose (charity and/or myself) to generate income, and what kind of brand I want to build.
June - July
I'll be completing a final capstone class for my graduate degree. During that time I'd like to start creating video content for and evolve the ideas for video currently stuck in my brain. During this time, I need to answer questions concerning video strategy, including:
This post is for the sake of personal accountability, and I doubt it will be an interesting read.
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The main reason I have and operate this website is to put my education and experience into practice in a way that's meaningful and enjoyable to me. I want to keep growing my skills without having it feel like a chore.
Unlikely though it may be, I also dream that someday I'll go to some type of gaming convention and someone will actually recognize me. That would be one of the coolest feelings possible.
April - May
My point is that I've begun planning my strategy for the next few months, and want to share it here to hold myself accountable. This strategy starts with, from now until May while I battle the heavy workload from my master's program, simply fleshing out a detailed content/publishing calendar.
As I fill out my content calendar, I hope to clarify some of my purpose, and short- and long-term goals for my work. I hope to better understand how I'll my web, video and social media sites will coexist, how and for what purpose (charity and/or myself) to generate income, and what kind of brand I want to build.
June - July
I'll be completing a final capstone class for my graduate degree. During that time I'd like to start creating video content for and evolve the ideas for video currently stuck in my brain. During this time, I need to answer questions concerning video strategy, including:
- Do I post regular videos on YouTube, Vidme or both?
- Can I create exclusive/unique videos for Vidme to maintain verified status and remain eligible for the potential advertising program?
- Create videos optimized for YouTube's capabilities?
- Perhaps a weekly update video?
- The simple game/video game play-through's I'll be using in my main videos?
- What live elements do I use to incorporate Twitch?
- Livestream the gameplay for background video?
- Do the regular "show" live?
- Can a live "show" live on Twitch, provided there's a game (related to that episode's theme) in the background, i.e. video footage of me playing the game?
- Is there an opportunity for a Patreon account, including exclusive (video) content?
- I could do something monthly, on video, for my contributors, i.e. a push-up for every dollar given that month.
- Instead of Patreon, I'm still leaning toward Extra Life only for fan-participation and donations. I could still do a monthly update video, but it will all require less work I think.
- What will my regular video content look like?
- To pair up my YouTube, Twitch and general strategy, I'd like a live show. Again, my show's strategy and style still needs a lot of work.
August and Beyond
By the time I'm officially finished with school, life will be very different for my wife and I in a number of different ways. We'll essentially be starting a brand new phase of our life; I can't wait to write all about it, but the time isn't right yet.
This transition will be a great opportunity to shake up my routine or, in this case, add new ones. In August, I would like to kick off some type of regular video- and print-production schedule, i.e. weekly or monthly items. Simultaneously, I'll launch a more regular and far-reaching social media strategy, using free Hootsuite for automation where possible, to promote my regular work. All this regularity will hopefully come with a schedule not just for the actual publishing, but also for the hours I work on it.
A couple things I'd really like established and up-and-running by this time is monetization (if any, what does it look like and for who), and additions to the website for varying arms of work. The easiest example for the latter is whether or not I need to have a separate 'blog' page for non-hobby-related things (a slightly more professional digital portfolio) like my wife has done. That would leave the main 'blog' page for things related to my hobbies and fun. I would use the home page to describe the available facets of the entire site.
A couple things I'd really like established and up-and-running by this time is monetization (if any, what does it look like and for who), and additions to the website for varying arms of work. The easiest example for the latter is whether or not I need to have a separate 'blog' page for non-hobby-related things (a slightly more professional digital portfolio) like my wife has done. That would leave the main 'blog' page for things related to my hobbies and fun. I would use the home page to describe the available facets of the entire site.
Conclusion
I have nothing more to say. I just like the closure I feel when seeing "Conclusion" headings. I'll keep posting updates here if for no other reason than to make myself feel good.