Last weekend marked the celebration of Thanksgiving in Canada, a holiday we still celebrate even though we are in the UK. It is after all a great excuse to get people together.
So it was the normal plan: roast turkey, sweet potato mash, and course the classic, pumpkin pie. What could go wrong?
Well, having your oven element fail 36 hours before the turkey needed to go in was not the best of timing, especially when you have lots of people coming around for food and no plan B, is not ideal for sure.
With slim chances of getting someone to help fix it… I did what everyone does these days… turned to YouTube for help.
YouTube really has some amazing content… I have previously used it to fix double glazing, repair the vacuum – twice, and even save the dishwasher. It is amazing what is available. Not just how to guides, but detailed step-by-step demonstrations, even for particular models.
And, what’s more, these videos also garner significant views – even my own rather feeble attempt of ‘how to use a washing machine‘, basically involving me shoving some cloths in on a fast wash, has over 115,000 views!
All this yet I my more carefully curated content never really seems to get above 1,000 on YouTube… what gives?
It makes you think… does the curating and polishing of output really matter, or is content king…. do we really understand what audiences want to watch? Maybe it is all too easy to get entrenched in our own (corporate) narratives that we all too easily can miss aligning with our customer’s genuine needs.
Quality work is however a wonderful thing and it undoubtedly has value. At the right price for me it helps me feel like you have got value for money.
However is my YouTube experience telling me that I can be more discretionary around where and when I invest in that extra quality touch… sometimes it matters and clearly sometimes it does not.
A recent foray into the world of TikTok has opened this world further. The TikTok algorithm it relentless, it seems… fast and effective, tempting me with a cascade of intriguing, if not always useful, content. It was so addictive in fact I had to put screen time on my phone, just to control my own usage!
Yet sometimes the predictive nature of recommended videos seemed so accurate I wondered if it understands users more profoundly and at a deeper life than they understand themselves… and maybe by watching these recommendations carefully we can will it give unique insights, or perhaps warnings, about what my true future interests could be?
Proximity also appears to play a role. I seem to have also been presented content related to people I’ve recently met too. I seem to get completely random “how to save money on toilet paper” appearing in my feed, but I can be reassured that they are seeing my “ingrowing toenail surgery” videos – a theme I cannot seem to get the algorithm to shake.
Again by actively listening and observing, can we glean insights that enable us to better align our offerings with our contacts and customers’ intrinsic interests? Maybe and it is something worth talking about over dinner… if you have an oven!
Fortunately, with YouTube and coupled with prime delivery, I was able to replace the element and save the day. It was another reason to be thankful.
Hopefully, this weekend is a little quieter. Have a good one everyone.
