RESULTS:
The success of a YouTube channel is defined by the scope of content, the
number of subscribers, and the view numbers generated (Huang and Grant
2020). Since its inception in 2014, BraveWilderness has grown to
>18.5M million subscribers, with 63.79M average monthly
views for 2020-2021 (YouTube 2021b). Viewers aged between 13 and 34 make
up 63.4% of total views. The top ten viewing countries are on five
different continents. A total of 662 unique video uploads have amassed
the total view count exceeding 4 billion in May 2021. Other social media
platforms are used to highlight BraveWilderness content, share behind
the scenes imagery, and promote future videos. Although unclear, the net
effect is likely small in terms of crossover, however, a successful
digital influencer can reach large audiences from a variety of platforms
(e.g., Twitter, Instagram, TikTok).
YouTube requires a highly compressed format for video in order to
decrease server storage space and increase upload speeds. This is
mandated since many users’ access content via mobile Wi-Fi connections.
These constraints have dictated reduced technical specifications
compared to broadcast standards, and thus gave non-media professionals
the early edge in this digital space. This was conducive to the
field-centric model of BraveWilderness, which was able to acquire
content from diverse and remote areas which are less easily accessed by
larger production crews. These constraints work in favor of the general
scientific community as they allow anyone to create meaningful content
which can be distributed on a global level.
When BraveWilderness was started a 7-minute runtime on YouTube was
ideal, however as overall platform watch times grew and mid roll-ads
were introduced, over 10-minute duration quickly became the new
standard. Currently BraveWilderness aims for a 10 to 12-minute runtime
meeting the demand of metrics believed to be important for success on
YouTube: overall watch time, click through rate, and viewer retention.
BraveWilderness has been active for seven years with new video content
released every week. Metrics provided by YouTube reveal engagement over
time, where videos can be viewed by both subscribed (green) and
non-subscribed (blue) individuals (Figure 1). Subscribers are linked
directly to new content, whereas unsubscribed viewers link to specific
content. For most of its history, BraveWilderness has attracted a larger
number of unsubscribed than subscribed viewers, and it is the
unsubscribed viewers that drive the peak metrics.
Examining the metrics further, the number of views for individual videos
can be determined by peaks (Figure 2) which represent the viral spikes
when these videos were first released, with view number increasing over
time for popular uploads (Table 1). The largest peaks often represent an
insect sting/bite which have driven viral views by a broad audience.
There are points which were conservation themed content (F-K Figure 2)
which also increased over time (Table 1).
Morphological and behavioral characteristics of a given creature are
highlighted in videos to enhance the story, providing additional
learning opportunities (Figure 3, 4). The majority of the factual
presentation is done in the presence of the featured species. A diverse
range of flora and fauna have been featured including single cell
microbes, cacti, insects, sharks, and large mammals. Wildlife has been
featured from diverse habitats, primarily the deserts, rainforests, and
undersea habitats of North and South America, and has also included
multiple adventures in Asia, Africa and Australia.
Many videos feature an exciting exploration and discovery section, which
helps to enhance the story while showing a creature’s natural habitat.
However, even when a video topic is highlighting a ‘dangerous’ feature
of a given organism, the story always shows how the species is important
in its environment and demanding of respect (Table 1). These points are
communicated within the video content. The amount of bravado needed on
the part of the hosts remains ambiguous; animals were never harmed and
were always returned to the wild after filming.