Why did I decide to make separate YouTube channels for slightly similar topics? And should you do the same?
At this time I have three YouTube channels with three different topics. However, two of the topics are slightly similar. I thought for a long time whether or not I should separate them, and this is why I came to the conclusion I did.
In 2011 I created a gaming channel on YouTube. At that time I was into some Otaku things, mainly anime, but I focused on gaming content.
Over the years I started getting more into Otaku culture. I made videos such as anime blu ray reviews and anime figure reviews on the gaming channel. I wasn’t sure if my audience would have liked that sort of stuff, so I asked in a separate video which didn’t get much of a response.
In 2015 I decided to make a completely separate YouTube channel for Otaku content. I went all out with some of the nerdiest Japanese stuff, and I loved it. I covered anime, cosplay, Japanese bands, and more. People then asked me why I didn’t do Japanese video games on the channel since that’s also part of Otaku culture. I really thought about it, but I ultimately decided to keep all video game content on my gaming channel and keep everything else on my Otaku channel.
The number one reason I decided to keep my content separated was monetization. My gaming channel is part of a YouTube gaming network that allowed me to monetize many videos that weren’t previously monetized. However, they take about 40% of my revenue. I don’t need to join my Otaku channel with a network because I mostly do vlogs that don’t need additionally monetization or copyright help. If I started adding Japanese video game videos to my Otaku channel, there’d be a good chance I couldn’t monetize them.
The other reason for keeping channels separate was the content. Yes, my Otaku fans might have liked the Japanese games, but my gaming fans might not have liked the Otaku content. Additionally, I would like to play some other games besides Japanese games, and my Otaku fans might not like that.
I had to decide what the audience wanted to see. I’ve unsubscribed from some channels in the past because they switched formats, even slightly. One example was Boogie’s channel (I don’t remember the numbers after it). He created a separate gaming channel and would only sometimes do comedic videos. Most of his videos turned into vlogs about YouTube drama and what not.
Most importantly, I had to make sure I didn’t focus on one over the other. There were times when I was more in the mood for anime or cosplay than gaming, and vice versa, but I made sure to plan out my videos and keep going. It’s probably best to do as many videos for each channel a day as possible when you’re really in that mood. Then upload once a week until you’re out of videos.
People have the choice to subscribe to one or both channels. However, I will be keeping everything on this website for a number of reasons. The content might be mashed together, but it’s better in the long run and financially. It’s not easy to create two separate websites. Also, everything else around the internet will be using my hXc Hector name instead of my Hekuta Kun name from the Otaku Channel since it’s my oldest and most known name on the internet. I decided to use a slightly different name for my Otaku channel to show people what that channel is about. It still has my name, but spelled in Japanese katakana and romaji.