How trustworthy are YouTube creators?

[JohnDoeWindows]

Hey guys, 

Thought I'd make this topic as I got a lot of information from YouTube windies when I first started out, some of which I now know to be true - some of which I now know isn't, I'm glad I found you guys because you tell it how it is and have helped me along the way a tonne. 

I'm genuinely curious if they can be trusted when it comes to equipment reviews etc? I know a lot of them are sponsored by Streamline for example and I haven't read too many great things about them on here, whereas the YouTube lads will claim they're the best thing since sliced bread.

Just as a disclaimer, I do watch and enjoy their videos anyway, just thought I'd see what you guys think about our fellow windie micro influencers  (if you could call them that) 

Thought I'd make a side note that I think @Apw1210YouTube channel needs way more views as he tells it how it is and has some really good useful vids

What you guys think? 

 

[Part Timer]

I believe the majority are sponsored to push certain products. Possibly watched 2 or 3 and turned them off as I found them boring.

 

[Pjj]

As above if they are being paid or receiving goods FOC they arnt going to give a bad review , also a lot of stuff on YouTube is down right dangerous you only have to watch a lot of the softwashing videos to see that . It is a useful form of information but you do need to be selective with what you believe . 

 

[scottish cleaning service]

As above if they are being paid or receiving goods FOC they arnt going to give a bad review , also a lot of stuff on YouTube is down right dangerous you only have to watch a lot of the softwashing videos to see that . It is a useful form of information but you do need to be selective with what you believe . 

I live my life on Utube. ?

 

[kevinc250]

i did once look at you tube for softwashing and gutter vaccing, the soft washing ones i saw were lets say very selective, indian sandstone and the odd driveway, oh, and an easy roof, two where from a sid partridge and, a.e macintosh  if i'm honest i could have done better but its all about likes or subscribing and that makes a residual income for them and dramatic music and video helps too.

saw a review from squeeky clean dave about gutter vacs, from the outset you can tell he's been given the kit so, its only ever going to be a good review. he's a serial reviewer and i guess loves the freebies that come with it, ask yourself, if someone is willing to do a you tube vid promoting a product, why are they doing this? money or free equipment is my guess, and more importantly their business must be in a sorry state to get to free hand outs in return for a good review on you tube, if you had a good solid business you would not be needing to make videos about how good this or that is.

you tube is good but its similar to a forum, sift through the rubbish ones and somewhere there is a gem of information by someone who isn't in it for the money or to influence don't forget to hit that subscribe button" etc etc.

 

[doug atkinson]

If I’m correct if you accept ads showing before your video you get paid, don’t know if that still happens.

I had a few cases customers ringing me up saying their controllers did not work and faulty. After going through a things I found they had wired them incorrectly and asked them if they read the leaflet. They had not and had watched a well know you tuber who told them to wire it the wrong way.

 

[ched999uk]

If I’m correct if you accept ads showing before your video you get paid, don’t know if that still happens.

I had a few cases customers ringing me up saying their controllers did not work and faulty. After going through a things I found they had wired them incorrectly and asked them if they read the leaflet. They had not and had watched a well know you tuber who told them to wire it the wrong way.

The ads only pay if you have something like over 1000 subscribers, that's why the people making the vids want you to subscribe! 

As for getting free stuff and 'reviewing' it, it's a difficult one as using free stuff is always better than stuff you have paid for ?. Reviewers are always biased but hopefully they mention features that the websites don't mention. 

 

[AW Services]

Hey guys, 

Thought I'd make this topic as I got a lot of information from YouTube windies when I first started out, some of which I now know to be true - some of which I now know isn't, I'm glad I found you guys because you tell it how it is and have helped me along the way a tonne. 

I'm genuinely curious if they can be trusted when it comes to equipment reviews etc? I know a lot of them are sponsored by Streamline for example and I haven't read too many great things about them on here, whereas the YouTube lads will claim they're the best thing since sliced bread.

Just as a disclaimer, I do watch and enjoy their videos anyway, just thought I'd see what you guys think about our fellow windie micro influencers  (if you could call them that) 

Thought I'd make a side note that I think @Apw1210YouTube channel needs way more views as he tells it how it is and has some really good useful vids

What you guys think? 

Thank you, 

I've never had anything for free and spend my own money on equipment 

I make video's to help others and don't receive a single penny from YouTube as my account isn't monetised.

If there is anything that others would find helpful as a video topic comment below and I'll do my best to cover something for you 

 

[AW Services]

i did once look at you tube for softwashing and gutter vaccing, the soft washing ones i saw were lets say very selective, indian sandstone and the odd driveway, oh, and an easy roof, two where from a sid partridge and, a.e macintosh  if i'm honest i could have done better but its all about likes or subscribing and that makes a residual income for them and dramatic music and video helps too.

saw a review from squeeky clean dave about gutter vacs, from the outset you can tell he's been given the kit so, its only ever going to be a good review. he's a serial reviewer and i guess loves the freebies that come with it, ask yourself, if someone is willing to do a you tube vid promoting a product, why are they doing this? money or free equipment is my guess, and more importantly their business must be in a sorry state to get to free hand outs in return for a good review on you tube, if you had a good solid business you would not be needing to make videos about how good this or that is.

you tube is good but its similar to a forum, sift through the rubbish ones and somewhere there is a gem of information by someone who isn't in it for the money or to influence don't forget to hit that subscribe button" etc etc.

In defence of Dave, he paid for his first & second GVS gutter vac. 

Yes he has been fortunate to promote a select few items however he's no serial yes man or prolific influencer. 

He's transparent honest and will constructively criticise equipment if he feels that it could be better in functionality or design.

 

[Redditch windy]

ive been thinking about this for a while.there are some good and informative youtube channels,there are some that are clearly heavily biased because they get "free" products or have sponsorship deals,and if thats what they want to do then fair play to them.

i was actually thinking of doing a "real world " vlog for newbies etc,not that im any authority on windows stuff,but thought some might be interested in what works for me. ive not seen apw1210s channel that im aware of...but there's deffo far more info here than youtube thats far more useful

 

[ched999uk]

i was actually thinking of doing a "real world " vlog for newbies etc,not that im any authority on windows stuff,but thought some might be interested in what works for me.

I think that's where some of the youtubers started by just vlogging about their jobs. Then when their subscriber numbers go up the 'suppliers' take notice as it's a cheap way to get their products in front of their target audience. Then it becomes difficult for the youtubers to be impartial as you will always like a free product much more that if you paid your hard earned for something! 

There are some that started out to make money but successful ones are few and far between especially in window cleaning.

A real world vlog would be good. I would watch it for a start as everyone has tips and tricks, the way they work etc that is all useful info.

I watched one the other day where they said they keep spare van key on lanyard round neck so they don't have to take gloves off to open van to pack up! Tried it the other day and does help a little to make things smoother.

Always more to learn.

 

[Redditch windy]

I think that's where some of the youtubers started by just vlogging about their jobs. Then when their subscriber numbers go up the 'suppliers' take notice as it's a cheap way to get their products in front of their target audience. Then it becomes difficult for the youtubers to be impartial as you will always like a free product much more that if you paid your hard earned for something! 

There are some that started out to make money but successful ones are few and far between especially in window cleaning.

A real world vlog would be good. I would watch it for a start as everyone has tips and tricks, the way they work etc that is all useful info.

I watched one the other day where they said they keep spare van key on lanyard round neck so they don't have to take gloves off to open van to pack up! Tried it the other day and does help a little to make things smoother.

Always more to learn.

well IF i did one,i certainly wouldnt have the time or inclination to mess about with editing and fancy titles etc ?

 

[ched999uk]

well IF i did one,i certainly wouldnt have the time or inclination to mess about with editing and fancy titles etc ?

Raw and uncut is more natural and more believable. There are a few that just sit in van and talk to camera in a spare 5 mins they have. Keep them short 3 to 5 mins I would say and just stick to one thing at a time. Sometimes they flick between subjects and the info gets lost. Good luck and let us know when you publish.

Editing must take so much time for some of them, can't imagine they have much free time at all.

 

[K in Kent]

The problem is anyone can create a YouTube channel and set themselves up as a self-proclaimed expert. And the fact that it's on YouTube seemd good enough for many people to accept that.

There are 2 primary motivations for setting up a channel :

• getting enough likes and subscribers to become eligible for the partnership programme and sharing in the advertising revenue
  
• improving SEO and a website's ranking in search results by establishing authority / expertise and strategically adding backlinks to their site. Some may believe it will help raise their company profile and customer base, but ironically most views are from those within the industry rather than customers (but depends on the niche).
  

Not all, but most channel creators are acting purely out of self interest so take what they say with a pinch of salt.

However, I do NOT want to tar them all with the same brush. Some channel creators are genuinely trying to help others and some really are experts in their field. YouTube should be regarded as just 1 resource of many when it comes to researching equipment and best practices. Always look for confirmation elsewhere and also use different search engines for more varied results. YouTube is owned by Google and will always perform well in search results on Google.

Also take a look at the so-called experts giving the advice to see how qualified they are.

 

[AW Services]

I think that's where some of the youtubers started by just vlogging about their jobs. Then when their subscriber numbers go up the 'suppliers' take notice as it's a cheap way to get their products in front of their target audience. Then it becomes difficult for the youtubers to be impartial as you will always like a free product much more that if you paid your hard earned for something! 

There are some that started out to make money but successful ones are few and far between especially in window cleaning.

A real world vlog would be good. I would watch it for a start as everyone has tips and tricks, the way they work etc that is all useful info.

I watched one the other day where they said they keep spare van key on lanyard round neck so they don't have to take gloves off to open van to pack up! Tried it the other day and does help a little to make things smoother.

Always more to learn.

Lee from old school window cleaners started vlogging and also another chap that got really big and disappeared completely removing his account 

It's time consuming and the questions you get will take to much time to reply to because respectively not many research the trade their self 

 

[Redditch windy]

Lee from old school window cleaners started vlogging and also another chap that got really big and disappeared completely removing his account 

It's time consuming and the questions you get will take to much time to reply to because respectively not many research the trade their self 

was that dan/tn lifestyle?

 

[AW Services]

was that dan/tn lifestyle?

Yes that's correct mate. Forgot his name 

He kept saying guys guys guys every second so I got bored and unsubscribed 

 

[spruce]

There are plenty of really good window cleaning videos on Youtube and there are equally as many rubbish ones. But even the ones I class as rubbish could have some point in the content that will make me 'sit up and think,' and I've been wfp for 17 years. No matter how long you have been doing something, you can always learn something from someone else, no matter how badly it's presented.

A long time poster once replied to a topic regarding forum content. He said to a newbie that he should look at what 'experts' were saying and then judge for yourself if it makes sense to you or not. If it repeatedly doesn't make sense to you, then ignore that person's comments - block them if that makes you feel better.

We had a supplier on another forum once who made brushes and made the most fantastic claims about his brush's performance when compared to other suppliers. He was also very rude when anyone questioned his view. He didn't appreciate criticism. He was right and everyone else was wrong. I ordered a brush from him and it was far heavier than he advertised. I complained. He weighed one of his in stock, and it was lighter than mine, so I was wrong.

Anyway, he eventually got the huff and deleted as many of his posts as he could. He later shut up his online wfp shop.

I found his brush over the weekend. It's heavy. No wonder it stayed on my pole for just the morning. I gave it to son-in-law to use, but he gave it back to me. ?

 

[Tuffers]

I like watching the 'live' webcams on YouTube. My favourite channel is Virtual Rail Fan. Based in the USA. Big massive trains come past, there's usually a moderator on the webcam, he zooms in on things that are of interest so it doesn't get boring, plus there's a chat feature too. There was a woodpecker pecking at a telegraph pole the other day ?. Love it toot toot ?

 

[Tuffers]

There are plenty of really good window cleaning videos on Youtube and there are equally as many rubbish ones. But even the ones I class as rubbish could have some point in the content that will make me 'sit up and think,' and I've been wfp for 17 years. No matter how long you have been doing something, you can always learn something from someone else, no matter how badly it's presented.

A long time poster once replied to a topic regarding forum content. He said to a newbie that he should look at what 'experts' were saying and then judge for yourself if it makes sense to you or not. If it repeatedly doesn't make sense to you, then ignore that person's comments - block them if that makes you feel better.

We had a supplier on another forum once who made brushes and made the most fantastic claims about his brush's performance when compared to other suppliers. He was also very rude when anyone questioned his view. He didn't appreciate criticism. He was right and everyone else was wrong. I ordered a brush from him and it was far heavier than he advertised. I complained. He weighed one of his in stock, and it was lighter than mine, so I was wrong.

Anyway, he eventually got the huff and deleted as many of his posts as he could. He later shut up his online wfp shop.

I found his brush over the weekend. It's heavy. No wonder it stayed on my pole for just the morning. I gave it to son-in-law to use, but he gave it back to me. ?

Peter wasn't it? I too bought a brush off him, it seemed heavier than the advertised weight. I weighed it and put the picture of the scales up on the forum. He said my scales were broke ?

 

[Cghwindowcleaning]

The problem is anyone can create a YouTube channel and set themselves up as a self-proclaimed expert. And the fact that it's on YouTube seemd good enough for many people to accept that.

There are 2 primary motivations for setting up a channel :

• getting enough likes and subscribers to become eligible for the partnership programme and sharing in the advertising revenue
  
• improving SEO and a website's ranking in search results by establishing authority / expertise and strategically adding backlinks to their site. Some may believe it will help raise their company profile and customer base, but ironically most views are from those within the industry rather than customers (but depends on the niche).
  

Not all, but most channel creators are acting purely out of self interest so take what they say with a pinch of salt.

However, I do NOT want to tar them all with the same brush. Some channel creators are genuinely trying to help others and some really are experts in their field. YouTube should be regarded as just 1 resource of many when it comes to researching equipment and best practices. Always look for confirmation elsewhere and also use different search engines for more varied results. YouTube is owned by Google and will always perform well in search results on Google.

Also take a look at the so-called experts giving the advice to see how qualified they are.

This is one of the most on point posts I have read on here in a long time.

These youtubers are normally getting paid in free equipment.Take Ashley Mac he has a clear affiliation with Streamline and spinaclean.

His not likely to say somethings rubbish or negative to someone supplying him with free equipment and being a 1man band that gutter vac or tank or pole can make a big difference to him and his view of the product.

There was a member on here who was a regular YouTuber talking about the window cleaning business.People hung of his words and advise.He made out he was big time.

His just been struck off and his company dissolved so can't have been that great advise.