I recently added yet another blog to my list, Tube Arcanum, because I am a glutton for punishment. This time, I created the site for a very specific purpose: to use it as a platform for YouTube videos.

Originally, I wanted to show viewers how to create a blog from absolute scratch. It begins with the ideation of the blog and eventually ends with keeping the content going and ways to monetize.

Though, I’m still not sure if I did a good job putting the videos together. No one has complained yet, but I feel like they are missing something.

This is probably due to the fact that I have so much on my plate that I don’t feel like any one project gets the full “me” when working on them.

What is Tube Arcanum?

I’m working on turning Tube Arcanum into a viable source for YouTube tutorials and information. It officially launched on May 1st of 2023 and has maintained a schedule of publishing three posts per week.

I hope to help new YouTubers get a feel for the system and how it works. I know, there are a lot of channels right now that do just that. But I like a challenge.

In a nutshell, Tube Arcanum’s focus is to help you work some “magic” to make your channel stand out.

What is the Purpose of Tube Arcanum?

Tube Arcanum is more than just another YouTube blog. It actually serves a few different purposes, outside of tapping more of my time.

Although a large portion of my week is taken by the new blog, I felt the reasons for building it justify the time I spend creating the site.

So, what’s the purpose of the site aside from helping others grow their channel?

Building a Blog Series for WriterSanctuary

Initially, I started Tube Arcanum to use as a reference point for a series of videos for WriterSanctuary’s YouTube channel. I have a few viewers interested in the process, and I wanted to show how to build a blog from absolute scratch.

Although the series isn’t all that popular among my subscribers, it has helped a few people understand the inner workings of WordPress. And that’s all I wanted to do, really.

Though, I’m not sure if I did the topics justice. I’m debating on expanding on them quite a bit in the near future.

Blogging Data for Blog Posts and Videos

I’m all about recording blog data. And yes, I have several spreadsheets monitoring the progress of this particular blog. I’m going to use the data for future blog posts and videos.

Some of the things I’m tracking include:

  • How long does it take to start getting content viewed on Google?
  • How long does it take for a blog post to hit the top 10 in search?
  • What kind of AdSense revenue can come in after the site is established?
  • How many posts does it take to hit 10,000 visitors per month?
  • Should you build a blog in the 2020s and expect it to be successful?

I wanted to start a new site from scratch to collect the best data possible for today’s world. And as I said, I love a challenge. I often do things just to see if I can do them, and building a new blog is no different.

Boosting My Own Development Skills

One of the reasons why I am the successful freelancer I am today is WriterSanctuary.com. I used that blog, in the beginning, to journal about my experiences and practice everything I learned about AP Style and SEO content writing.

I’m hoping that Tube Arcanum will have a similar impact.

I would love to add a bit more umph to the channels. By writing about everything I learn and then using that knowledge in practice, I should see some kind of improvement.

For example, I’ve already had positive feedback from the new thumbnails as I learned how to use Adobe Express to remove the background of a photo…while writing the tutorial about it for Tube Arcanum.

It’s not necessarily “faking it until you make it.” In fact, never once do I mention that I’m some sort of YouTube guru. I’m just providing tutorials and information as I continue to learn and grow.

Generating Revenue

One of the biggest reasons why I never have a lot of time throughout the week is because I do everything myself. I don’t really have the money to hire someone, like a video editor.

Sigh…a video editor would save me six hours per week just in WriterSanctuary content. To put that into perspective, that’s another three blog posts or more than 8,000 words into my next novel.

Anyway, I would love to make enough money to afford some help and other tools. In fact, that’s the primary financial goal for Tube Arcanum; to bring in enough to hire editors and writers.

Or, perhaps an external office from the house. That would be worth a lot to me just in the stress relief alone.

I Enjoy Working on Blogs…A Lot

Lastly, I love working on blogs. I’m a writer, and I love to crank out something new that someone might find valuable, informative, or entertaining.

Nothing thrills me more than when someone thanks me for an article or tells me that I’ve helped them in some way.

Helping others is the driving force behind WriterSanctuary’s YouTube channel.

It’s been five years, almost 1,800 subscribers, and the channel still doesn’t get enough views for monetization. But I still work on the videos because a lot of regular viewers like them.

I got a compliment the other day about how someone said that Tuesday’s video was their favorite thus far and it resonated with them at that moment. And that makes the time worth it for me.

Videos vs Blog

The hardest part about building up Tube Arcanum is that the blog is essentially competing with a slew of YouTube channels for the same type of content. Unfortunately, Google prioritizes videos over blogs.

That means it’ll be exceptionally difficult for this particular blog to really gain traction. That’s because video content is a hot commodity and most people would rather watch than read.

It’s kind of sad, really. But that’s the state of the world today.

In any case, I’m still excited to see the data after a few months regardless if Tube Arcanum succeeds or not. It’s all about the data and seeing what happens.

Another YouTube Channel?

I was debating on creating yet another YouTube channel to accompany Tube Arcanum. But that would mean needing an extra two hours or so per week just for a single video. And right now, that just isn’t possible.

There’s no doubt that a channel would be extremely helpful for the blog. After all, YouTube brings in more visitor traffic to WriterSanctuary.com than Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Instagram combined.

Still, it’s all a matter of time. And right now, I just don’t have enough of it available. Perhaps if I hire another writer or video editor, I might be able to add a new channel.

Until then, we’re just sticking with the blog. It’s too early to tell if the site will take off or not. So, let’s not count our chickens before they hatch.

Let’s See What Happens

Regardless of how this little experiment goes, I’m still having fun. And as a blogger, that’s what really matters. You shouldn’t view your writing as a chore or some mundane activity that you try to avoid.

I love writing no matter the topic or story. That is unless a client wants something about Apple. That’ll never happen.

Anyway, let’s see what happens to Tube Arcanum before May of 2024. No matter what, I’m still learning all kinds of new tools and such for my other channels. So, it’s been a useful experience thus far.