We all have a dream. To some, it is as grand as to become a hero. Then to some, it is to become a doctor, lawyer, or architect. Others wish to be famous. In the past, being prominent meant being a renowned actor/actress, singer, dancer, or athlete. But now, there is another field where a person can rise to stardom. That is – becoming a YouTuber.
Landon Dreves’ Story
Landon Dreves, a seven-year-old kid diagnosed with a form of cancer called Wilms tumor in 2018, is only one of them. His father, Mike Dreves, introduced him to the platform. At first, they only watched typical videos for kids. But then, Landon discovered how big YouTube is. Aside from nursery rhymes and cartoons, there are educational videos on YouTube, such as those that talk about how the universe worked. Then there are also videos created solely to entertain its viewers.
Landon got hooked and knew he wanted to be a YouTuber. Fortunately, unlike becoming a doctor or getting any profession, he can do it as soon as he decides. Becoming a YouTuber does not require anyone to spend years of their lives to get a degree first. Thankfully, his father is very supportive and helped him achieve his dream. They created the “Subscribe To A Cure” YouTube channel.
Like the other YouTubers, he wanted to use the platform to do the things he loves and share the experience with his audience. And that he did. With his videos on YouTube, Landon was able to share his life story with the world. He was able to garner not just fans but also friends. His viewers knew him as if they had met in person. Landon was able to get fans and friends, thanks to YouTube. And for anyone, not just for Landon, having that many friends mean so much.
Landon’s Legacy
Sadly, Landon Dreves passed away on May 19, 2021. But he left something important. Aside from the fragments of him contained in his videos, Landon left life lessons. These are lessons he and his father learned on their YouTubing journey.
Here they are, according to Mike Dreves:
Do Not Wait Until You Are Ready
Mike narrates that he and his son have discussed setting up the YouTube channel for several months. His son is too excited and would ask him every day if the preparations are complete to start vlogging. Mike was just as enthusiastic as Landon, but he had other concerns. He worried about what camera they should use or what would be a good editing software.
Mike wanted to make everything perfect. Meanwhile, Landon wanted to start as soon as possible. The first video or first few videos do not need to look like a giant film studio made them. As long as they are authentic, they are good enough. And as they continue the journey, things will get better and better.
Mike and Landon partnered with Make a Wish to kick things off upon realizing this. Then, they pulled an all-nighter to publish the first video on the channel.
The lesson here is nothing will happen if you don’t act. Suppose you can make something today, no matter how crude or imperfect, go for it. ” It takes effort to get things moving, but then you just roll with it,” says Mike Drever.
Find A Role Model
Regardless of what you are trying to do, it becomes exponentially more difficult when fumbling in the dark. There’s a certain kind of satisfaction when you do something on your own, and it turns out to be a successful attempt. But, admit it or not, it slows down the process. So, it would be best if you have something or someone who will act as your beacon. They should guide and teach you what you need to do.
In Drever’s case, they watched videos of other YouTubers. Some of their favorites are Gabe & Garrett, PJ Masks Official, and Little Smart Kids. Videos from these channels helped them figure out what works and what does not work. Therefore, they were able to make videos without much difficulty.
Find And Follow Your Passion
Initially, “Subscribe To A Cure” was to be named TWL or Travels With Landon. The father and son duo planned to record their local and remote trips. But, Landon wanted to post videos other than that. So, they changed it to what it is today after finding out it was too restrictive.
The kid was passionate about many things, and he wanted to include all of those in his channel. Because they did that, he was satisfied.
People should follow Landon’s example. He lived a short but fulfilled life. The key to that kind of happiness is finding and following your passion. Do the things that make you happy.
Do Not Forget To Be Yourself
Mike Drever says that a YouTuber should not forget the part that says “You.” While finding and following a role model is crucial, it is also essential to show your viewers pieces of yourself. Never copy someone completely. That way, your viewers will be able to relate to you more.
This advice applies not only to YouTubers. For instance, aspiring authors can take ideas from the works of Stephen King or Nicholas Sparks. But, they should only incorporate those into their own writing styles.
Remember, the goal is to be remembered for who you are and not for who you copied.
Give Back To The Community
One must acknowledge that most stories of success would not happen without the help of other people. The best way to thank them is to give back to the community. And honestly, only those who do this can consider themselves successful.
Despite what Landon was going through, he made it a point to use his channel to help others. That made Mike Drever more proud of his son.
If Landon could do it, you could do it too.
How Can You Learn and Apply these Life Lessons to Get More YouTube Views for Your Channel?
This is one of those things that you have to feel more than know, or even think about. Start using your gut, that strange place where all those emotions seem to come from and feel your way around your own YouTube channel. It might help to drastically change your location and even use an incognito browser on a new device to really change things up in your perspective. If you have friends still, try asking them for their honest opinion about not what they think about your YouTube Channel, but what they feel about it. There are lots of fake things on YouTube, even fake YouTube views for you to buy, but emotions cannot be faked. This is especially true in the emotions you are trying to draw out of your audience. While it’s actually true you can buy real YouTube views for your most sentimental videos, the end of your video will help determine the emotions that come from your audience. Boosting your YouTube Views count can and will certainly help get more YouTube views, and even a bigger audience in the short term – but it’s no long term plan.
You need to think about why so many people say you need to make long-term, high-quality content. They also often say you need to make it consistently, and use your heart and creative mind in the process. They say these things because they are true, not because they are easy. The fact of the matter is, we say the same thing. It can be difficult to press on, especially if you aren’t already getting lots of views on your content. It is literally a struggling, uphill battle if you are a brand new YouTuber. However, somehow, someway, you need this inspiration if you are going to make it. There is one sentence that always sticks with me, and that is this: If you just keep putting out a good YouTube video once per week, in 10 years you will be self-sufficient in your income from YouTube, and you just might even be famous.
YouTube Views Cost Money Either Way
If you are lucky, your business will have expanded and you’ll have at least one full-time editor or staff member helping you with your content. This is part of why you might often hear people say you need to buy YouTube views for your channel. The very fact that you are paying for someone to edit your videos means you are paying, or investing, into your YouTube business to get more YouTube views. Some businesses run ads on YouTube for their other YouTube videos, simply to get more views and exposure. In the world of marketing, numbers don’t lie. The ads either pay for themselves, or they simply don’t. You can always try starting small with a tiny ad budget to buy views for your channel, and if the transaction is a net positive, you can try scaling onwards and upwards. If it works, congratulations – you have a fully scalable business in the palm of your hands and in the swell of your heart!