Who are you and what kind of content do you create?

Hello, I am Leeman Thomas, and I am from India. I am a full-time YouTuber and a singer-songwriter. I have been doing YouTube for three years. Leeman Reacts is my third channel. For some strange reasons, YouTube terminated my two channels, which were already starting to grow. The transition from part-time to full-time was rough when I was in college. I got placed in an IT company as a software tester, but I had a channel that was running well at that time.

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The money I was getting was high, so I thought of giving a shot that proved costly after six months. I lost that channel, and after I started a reaction channel, it got terminated because it was associated with my first channel. That was hard for me. Then I started this channel. At the start, I did have a difficult time monetizing this channel. It took me nine months to do it because YouTube was changing their rules, and I have to adapt to it to keep going. I do all the editing myself, and actually, I like it that way. Because of that, I have learned to edit and film, and all the other things. It is actually good! But you will find it hard if you are lazy, especially if there is no one to push you!

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Let's go down memory lane, tell us your backstory! 

Well, I have been making videos since 2017. I wanted to start a channel for so long, back when I was in high school; but, I had no confidence. I was too shy! I like songs, and I love to sing, as well. I saw people reacting to songs, so I thought I should try to react to Demi Lovato’s songs. It was my first video, which really got good views at that time. I read many comments, and people would make suggestions on what songs to react to. I started creating content based on their suggestions and led me here.

Making YouTube videos are fun, and I love doing it. I wanted to be different from the rest; that is always my goal. A reaction video is just one of the many things I wanted to do on YouTube. There is a lot that I want to do, and I think it’s time to start working on those, too.

I want to do reaction videos because I can just sit; it’s just me and my camera. I always have to keep in mind that my content is in English, and we speak a different language here. I cannot just ask people to come and join for a video! I used to upload Facebook videos, but that was just for my friends. We also used to do Musically just for fun, and then we moved to YouTube. 

There is no talent here; this is hardwork, an obsession. Talent does not exist, we are all equal as human beings. You could be anyone if you put effort and time. You will reach the top, and that’s that. I am not talented; I am obsessed.

I like David Dobrik and the whole vlog squad. I have been following David since the vine days. He is one of the best content creators. His content is so different, and he uploads only the best part, and I like how he sees things, so simple and straightforward. I love how hard he works for the videos. The other content creators and my personal goals motivate me. 

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How do you brainstorm ideas for your content and your advice in getting the creative juice flowing.

Actually, you don’t have to do a lot of brainstorming for a reaction channel because people give suggestions. For covers, though,  I do a lot for shooting the music video and the song’s arrangement. I used to search a lot on the internet and get inspiration from other songs. I don’t use any third-party software.

My parents push me if I am lazy to create content, but if I know that I do not need to do work on a particular day, I just leave it and chill. I don’t know if it’s a technique, but this is what I do. I change the song genre and do it because that makes the song brand new, and it screams you. Here is a quick tip -  find a genre you like, move forward, and work on your music in it! If you want to do all genres, then switch the original genre and try doing a cover.

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What are the tools and platforms you use to help with your brand?

I use Premiere Pro; I learned all about it from YouTube! I am on all social media, and I  use Notes for the schedules. 

What were your fears starting out? How did you handle it? 

I was not scared; my ears are always open for constructive criticism. At first, I was having slight issues talking in front of the camera, but I got used to it. 

How did you build your brand to where it is now, take us through your process.

I was trying to post every day, but I ended up posting three times a week. I had no one helping me. I didn’t even share this channel with my friends; I only share my covers. The most formidable challenge was YouTube was changing its rules so often last year. It was hard to understand what to do and what not, and after four to five months, they came out with a clear set of rules. Then, I adapted to the rules, and the “recommendation” and “notification” do not often work, so the views went down. So it was challenging.  

I got my 500 subs in a day because of my first channel, and after that, it was a slow process. I earned ten subs a day, to 100, and then increased eventually. I wanted to start making content in 2013, but I only started in 2017. There is a guy called Fildan, a huge star in Indonesia. He performed a song called Tumhi Ho in a competition. I reacted to it, and that video went well. I had a chance to talk to him, and we became friends. I helped him with the lyrics for one of his originals; we are good friends now.

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For someone who wants to get into content creation, what is your advice?

If you think a specific type of content is not working, switch it immediately. Don’t hesitate. On the first channel, I made a massive mistake in the copyright part. I thought of not keeping an eye on claims and strikes, which is dangerous. The challenges are the views that went up and down, but that should not be our goal. The aim should be to make good content.

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Try to do some collabs with other creators. There is always a trending video going on. Try giving an opinion of that video. One should also put effort into the titles and thumbnails. And always remind yourself to stay disciplined.

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How did you finally commit to X platform rather than your regular day job?

I did quit my job. I did content creation and my job at first until I reached a a certain amount of money.

Tell us your best milestones in being a content creator.

The milestones that I consider the best are:

• My video was once played in Beijing Stadium before the Hua Chenyu Concert. 
• One of my videos got trending in Indonesia. 
• Becoming and staying friends with Fildan.

These little things motivate me to do more, work more. 

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What are your marketing strategies to grow your brand?

To grow a YouTube channel, you should start posting as many videos as you can. The content, as well as the titles and thumbnails, are most important. Making use of the tags and letting people know to subscribe for more and the end screen is vital to keep them watching.

I did not do anything unethical to get ahead of my niche. I did not hire anyone to handle my marketing stuff. All my friends and my subscribers share my content on Instagram. My friends are all YouTube creators as well, so we make videos together. 

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How do you handle brand deals and sponsorships? 

There are several companies for the brand deals that you can reach out. The most famous is FameBit. I have no limits in accepting brand deals. I just check the company’s intention and if the product’s quality is good or not. 

I have actually worked with just two brands. There are many fake ones out there, which are very dangerous. They can easily hack into our laptops and do whatever they want. I have been approched by those as well, unfortunately. Always start with a base price at first. I negotiate how it compensates for my value and the quality of work that I will be doing for them.