This guy has a few hundred videos (include a 361 part Morrowind playthrough) and most have <20 views. That's dedication.

Not everyone markets themselves and/or begs for attention. I know plenty of content creators that just record some footage and toss it up there, since it's their hobby and they figure others might enjoy it.

Then there are a few insane power users that do everything that can to generate hits, likes, subs, etc. As in create a social media account of every kind with their name/branding on it, run contests, do streams even if they are infrequent, crazy amounts of linking on other sites, tag EVERYTHING, tons of keywords...the works.

I personally hate that shit. I get why people do it, but I despise the process and it puts a serious damper on things for me. I casually create video game walkthroughs, but I never do voice overs, cam work, ask for likes/subs/comments or anything extra.

The primary reason is it makes me feel like an asshole. I don't monetize anything and having a popular channel doesn't really benefit me in any way.

Going the extra mile to ask a viewer to subscribe, knowing full well I don't put out regular videos, is just annoying. Plus a waste of their time.

An extra comment that doesn't serve any real purpose? No thanks, I don't need another notification unless they are asking for clarification (or genuine gratitude).

Throw a like? Cool, but only if it helped you and you actually enjoyed it. Besides, how many people just give out a "like" simply because the person in the video instructed them to do so?

At the end of the day if making YouTube videos is your job, as in it literally supports your very survival, do whatever it takes to get those numbers up. I'll still find it annoying, but that's your business and livelihood on the line, not mine. But for casual content creators like myself it isn't a big deal. Not everyone wants to be PewDiePie.

Making good videos is an insane amount of work and time investment. For high quality, high production value stuff it is also expensive. Doing one here and there as a hobby is one thing, but when people expect you to crank out shit on a constant basis that also pleases them, it can be a real drag. Even more so if you aren't getting anything out of it besides the joy of the creative process itself.

/r/gaming Thread Link - youtube.com