I've had a bit of a marketing challenge ever since I started publishing stuff on YouTube or, honestly, social media in general.

I'm into too many things. 🤹‍♂️

That's a good thing if you're a researcher, a writer, or a teacher. My enthusiasm for a wide range of topics has served me well over the years, as it has helped me work across many different research areas (including labour market, health, and innovation policy) and allowed me to teach classes in everything from Anthropology to Technology, Society, and Warfare.

Unfortunately, this lack of specialization is not so good if you're trying to build a coherent brand story and strategy. And, you know, I've been told that several times by fellow creators, not one but two professional content strategists, and (now) AI.😂

I think that I finally believe it too. Here's what happened.

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5 am Wake Up Call

I'm up early one morning. Zero chance of getting back to sleep.

So I open up VidIQ's AI Channel Coach with my morning coffee, and I ask it a simple question: "How can I boost my subscriber growth?" (Don't judge my prompt; it was 5 am. That's the question I could muster). ⏰

Here's what it said: "Your data reveals something fascinating: 99.5% of your views come from non-subscribers (47,868 unsubscribed vs 243 subscribed views). This isn't a weakness—it's a massive opportunity showing you're already reaching new audiences. The problem? You're not converting them because your channel focus is split three ways (Tech Troubleshooting, General Creator Tips, Photography/Video Skills)."

It explained that this is holding me back because:

Viewers finding you through troubleshooting Shorts expected MORE troubleshooting
But your long-form content was about creator growth strategies
And your passion was actually creator TECH (cameras, software, gear)
Result: No clear audience knew what to expect = low longform views

The epiphany: That's almost the exact same thing everybody else keeps saying.

Where Do We Go From Here?

Initially, the AI Coach suggested a "pivot" to "Mobile Photography Troubleshooting & Skills." And, I was like: "You don't really know me at all." 🤷

But, I pressed on, explaining that I wasn't that into mobile photography (as I prefer the DSLR or one of my trusty digicams to the iPhone), but liked talking about all different kinds of tech gear and software. Seriously, sometimes I make brand deals just so I can test new tech and software.

So the updated description it created focuses on:

📹 Camera & gear tutorials and reviews (DSLR, action cams, vlogging setups)
💻 Software walkthroughs (editing, streaming, design tools)
🎬 Creator tips for YouTube & social media growth
🔧 Tech troubleshooting & quick fixes

Now, it says with your updated description, everything aligns around "learning creator tech and sharing what works:"

✅ Tech troubleshooting Shorts = gateway content (still valuable!)
✅ Gear reviews/comparisons = your true passion
✅ Software tutorials = practical skill-building
✅ All serving ONE audience: creators who want to master tech tools to build an audience and revenue.

Expected outcome: Your audience gradually shifts from "tech problem solvers" to "aspiring creators learning tech tools"—which is exactly who you WANT to serve.

Content Creation as Continual Evolution

I think this new channel bio has a lot of potential: it tightens up the channel focus, which likely will help my subscriber growth over time. It also aligns better with my channel merch store and Instagram account, and I can easily bring my LinkedIn focus along with this. Overall, a better channel strategy.

Why am I making the change now?

It's not that I trust AI more than the people who said the same thing. It's more been a question of trusting what had worked for me in the past in my career (i.e., being a generalist with flexibility in topics), my own interests in a bunch of different things, and a strategy (I thought) that helped me to make organic content based on whatever I was thinking about at a particular moment.

But now I'm interested to see how things go with this change to a more focused niche-based approach. The AI coach cautioned to give it time and "not abandon the strategy too soon," predicting that adding 250-500 subscribers was "within reach" within 90 days, if I stuck with it. That's almost triple the highest rate I've achieved under the current channel focus (about 90-110 per 90 days).

Whatever happens, I see this as a good step in the evolution of the channel and social media profile. The one constant in today's landscape is that we've got to keep evolving to grow. So, let's give this a shot.

The Wake-Up Call That's Changed My YouTube Content Strategy

I've had a bit of a marketing challenge ever since I started publishing stuff on YouTube or, honestl

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