The past several months have done a number on all of us. And although I started off the year strong, I’ve been lacking in terms of gaming content for ColoradoPlays. Then again, it’s kind of hard to go out and play in Colorado if everything is shut down.

But, that doesn’t mean we can’t get some video game time in on Twitch or YouTube. The biggest problem is the lack of a strong Internet connection here at the hotel. It takes hours to upload a 10-minute clip.

However, I am still pushing forward to get something going for ColoradoPlays.

Gaming Content to Come Soon!

I was pouring over website data today and saw how impressive ColoradoPlays.com’s traffic has grown since January. I’m pretty sure it’s mostly due to Google changing its algorithm again at the start of the year.

I mean, the blog had its best week ever and I haven’t really created a lot of posts in 2020. In fact, it’s the older pieces that are gaining the most traffic.

And because ColoradoPlays performs better than WriterSanctuary in terms of traffic, I figured we needed to get it rolling. After all, gaming content is how we help charities such as Extra Life and Geeks of Grandeur.

Yes, I know I’ve talked about revamping the brand before. And I’ve said how I have a new inspiration. This time, though, I think the fact I am moving into my new home on Friday complete with private office relieves a lot of stress.

This means I can get a whole lot more done without distractions from those around me.

Sprucing Up the Blog

I spent today working on fixing the blog posts. When I was moving from Hostgator to GreenGeeks, I lost all of my images. Needless to say, I will never go back to Hostgator…long story.

I am fortunate enough to have people actually staying and reading the content. Unfortunately, images matter quite a bit on the site. This is especially true since most of the posts are tutorials, which images benefit greatly.

I’m starting with the most popular posts first, then I’ll start creating some new gaming content. But I want to make sure the site is providing the best quality possible, so retaking screenshots and sprucing up the posts comes first.

Adding More Regular Blogging

As I said, I want to get into writing more content for the gaming blog. But I want to do more than just cover industry news. I have no intention on being like Kotaku or any of those other websites.

And that’s probably one of the hardest parts about building any blog. If you want to stand out, you gotta do something unique. Otherwise, you’ll have a harder time competing with the tens of thousands of other blogs online.

Still, we’re getting quite a bit of traffic to the tutorials. I just need to figure out a way to expand on that and gain some traction.

Getting Back to a Regular Streaming Schedule

One of the things I wanted to try to do today was to go live on Twitch. But things are kind of hectic at the moment. Mostly, it’s because I am still stuck in the hotel and would need to move things around a bit.

Aside from the fact that I just spent an hour trying to help my 15-year-old fix her Internet issues from 150 miles away. Luckily, Google Hangouts works exceptionally well and I was able to get her back up and running.

However, I should be able to get back into regularly streaming starting this weekend. Well, probably not Sunday because I need to set up my office first. But, I am moving into the house and office in a couple of days. So, that should make a huge difference.

I really miss streaming on Twitch. Actually, I should say that I really miss streaming on Twitch when people are interactive. I love talking with people, but a lot of our viewers are pretty quiet.

Exploring Streaming Sites

While we do love streaming on Twitch, we’ve been thinking about trying gaming content on other platforms. Namely, YouTube or perhaps Mixer. With so many people streaming on Twitch, we get buried in the list of streamers every time we go live.

There’s just so many people playing all the games we like to play. It’s an overly saturated market that favors the popular folk.

We’re not going to drop Twitch entirely. But, we would like to see if we can get more of an audience on other platforms. Since a large chunk of the money we make goes to charities, I want to find the best venue.

Figuring Out Gaming Content on YouTube

I did start uploading a few videos to YouTube recently. And although they’re not super popular, I do have a few fans who watch them as soon as the gaming content is published.

But we’re running into the same problem as the blog: doing something that everyone else is doing.

I think I am pushing too hard to find a unique angle, though. So, we’re just going to start uploading videos and seeing what is more engaging to the audience. This means the channel is going to have a menagerie of weirdness in the beginning.

Still Want to Bring the Newsletter Back

One of the things I’ve been trying to bring back is the Newsletter. But without much content going up on the site, it’s really kind of pointless.

Now that I’ve solidified a schedule, though, all of that should change in the next week or two. I’m putting more focus on content, maintenance and stability for all of my sites. And right now, ColoradoPlays gets Tuesdays and Thursdays.

I’ve got a lot of fun ideas for the newsletter. But none of them will matter if we don’t have a steady flow of gaming content.

Waiting for Colorado to Re-Open

Something else we wanted to do this year was to show some of the amazing places to play in Colorado. But as you can guess, most of the fun spots are now locked up due to the current pandemic.

This is really sad since I was looking forward to getting out more, mingling, and having fun. Now, who knows when we’ll actually get to play at some of the places I want to visit.

And I really hope this doesn’t put a hamper on Hallow-baloo, a Halloween party hosted by Geeks of Grandeur. It’s one of my favorite highlights of the year.

Will We Stick with it This Time?

I can’t count the number of times I’ve said we’re doing such and such thing only to have it fall through. But given this is my “Year of Effort,” I really want to make all of these things work.

And I’ve found that I have more than enough time to handle what I want to implement. That is, as long as I can maintain my focus and work.

I can’t really put all the blame on COVID-19, though. I mean, I can still write gaming content for the blog without actually leaving the hotel. However, I have been quite busy since the middle of February, what with trying to find a house and all.

So, moving into my new office this weekend is going to fuel the rest of the year. I already feel a lot less stressed and excited. There is still so much to plan out, though.

For one thing, I’ll need to share the video background with WriterSanctuary. But, I am thinking about getting a green screen for ColoradoPlays, which might be a better idea now that I am writing this.

Long story short, yes…we will stick with it this time and I am looking forward to breaking some records for content and traffic.

May is Going to be Great for Gaming Content

Even though most of the places I want to write about in Denver are still closed, I am going to work on getting more gaming content online. Whether it’s reviews, opinions or tutorials, you can be sure to see more getting published on ColoradoPlays.com.

But for the moment, I need to make sure I am revamping those older pieces. It’s easier to follow a tutorial if it has screenshots!