An Interview with Goa’s Number 1 Youtuber: Moses Saldanha

Content is King, we are sure you have heard of this phrase multiple times. If you look at any successful Youtuber today, they have given the utmost importance to the content they are rolling out. This has been the key to their gradual growth and success over the years. But not any content , of course. You need to understand what your growing subscriber’s are searching for create irresistible and powerful content within your niche.  

Moses J Saldanha is a passionate Goan Youtuber and a businessman in the fashion and education industry. He hails from Porvorim and has spent a lot of his life traveling around the world. His passion from a very long time has been in finding remote and unexplored locations in the places he visits. Being a Goan boy, he is always drawn to the ocean. His weekends are filled with beach days and kayaking and on few occasions, he enjoys fishing. We can look at Moses as a global citizen interacting with people from all walks of life and different nationalities. This is quite relevant in the content he puts out. Never afraid too try new things, this Youtuber has indulged in exotic foods and even climbed the himalayas. Safe to say that adventure is in his blood.

What is a successful Youtuber and businessman without the right support system? At the age of 22, Moses met the beautiful Sharon Hope on his travels to the Philippines and we can say it was love at first sight. In a matter of 6 days after meeting her for the first time, Moses saw himself proposing to Sharon. From that day Sharon has been an important part of Moses’s travels and growth. You definitely would have come across Sharon in a few of Moses’s videos and social media posts if you have been following him for the last 7 years.

We caught up with Moses to learn about what it takes to become a successful Youtuber, especially coming from a very small state like Goa. Read about our conversation with Moses below.

How did you get started vlogging? At what moment did you realise you want to have your own Youtube channel?

I always loved making videos. I never thought of doing it professionally or for people. A few years ago I bought a simple GoPro and started making videos of my travels to Thailand and a few other Asian countries, as I wanted to help other travellers with how to get around. I did this occasionally and never meant it to actually be an actual thing, even though it got quite a good response when I did it. Initially, I was never really happy with the work I put out as my video and audio quality was not up to the mark.

That’s when I decided to ask people for help. A lot fo the people I approached laughed and said it wouldn’t be possible. Some of them straight up told me I would never become a Youtuber. Now that I think of it, I’m sure they meant. It wasn’t possible at the time to think of something like this because no Goan had ever really made a mark on Youtube. Although I took it as a bit of a challenge that no one believed in me. I’ve always been someone who didn’t like taking “no” as an answer. I’m very realistic when it comes to my goals. I keep a deadline of exactly 6 months to become an official paid Youtuber and a member of the Youtube partnership program. If not, I would quit Youtube for good without any bad feelings. Fortunately for me, 34 videos and 4 months later, I was accepted into the Youtube partnership program and got my first payment from Youtube.

What was your first vlog post?

My first video was of me unboxing my GoPro 6 which I was going to use to start with my Youtube videos. I went on to do a few other random travel videos after that. I did not have any knowledge of editing videos Youtube lingo or how to even look at the camera properly. Believe it or not, talking into a camera was the hardest thing in the world for me. 

Who have been your vlogging influences or who do you look up to in the vlogging world?

I have been a big fan of many smaller Youtubers over my journey and I picked up quite a lot from them. But unlike most people, I used to always look out for the mistakes they made and how I would apply it to my own channel. Especially how to deal with people in comments and react to different peoples opinions. There are very few people I would really say I look up to, because when most of the people I used to watch hit fame, they got this aura of being a somebody with lots of attitude and ego which was honestly quite a throw off. There is just one who comes to mind who has truly remained genuine and down to earth and that is Brodie Moss – YBS. Youngbloods is a channel about a guy from Australia who loves fishing and basically vlogs about his day in nature.

What was your breakout moment?

After the first lockdown in India, I decided to shoot videos in my home state of Goa since I wouldn’t be able to travel to any other states or countries. I spent most of my time during lockdown watching vlogs and I realised there was no one doing it in Goa. All the ones who were doing it, only talked about themselves or their experience instead of actually showing the place or sharing any knowledge about traveling to the state. That’s when I did my first video showing Miramar Beach in North Goa. In a few days, it picked up with over 4000+ views and I knew this was going to work. So I would consider that as my real breakout moment.

You just crossed 100K subscribers on YouTube making you Goa’s top YouTuber. How did that make you feel and what do you owe this success to?

I took Youtube seriously in September 2020 after the first lockdown in India. I decided to make videos on Goa and be very authentic about the places and the businesses I showcased. There were no fake reviews nor would I take up sponsorships of things I didn’t use or believe in. Money was never my main goal. I believe that is what connected with the audience. I made sure to make very informative and engaging videos of food and many other places that most people didn’t know about besides the main commercial areas.

Exactly one year later I crossed 100k Subscribers and became Goa’s first vlogger to get a silver play button (award given by Youtube to a Youtuber crossing 100k Subscribers). To be honest when I reached 1000 Subscribers my eyes were filled with tears. After reaching 100k it felt great but it was more of a realization of my hard work and commitment to what I wanted to achieve. I treat my Youtube subscribers like family and it is as much of their achievement as it has been mine. They have been sharing my videos with their friends and family and making the channel grow at a rapid pace.

What has been your most viral content?

A lot of my videos have gone viral. I have 3 videos that have crossed 800k views. And the others have gotten hundreds of thousands of views. Although I’ve never been someone who looks at viral videos as an indication of being successful. It’s the people that keep coming back to watch your content that actually makes you successful. 

What is the secret for making it big on YouTube? 

“Consistency” is the most important thing when trying to make it on social media platforms, especially on Youtube. Also it’s very important to release content that you can continuously create. With many topics you’ll find yourself scratching your head about what you can create next and that’s when you tend to lose out on quality. You have to be very straightforward and as honest as possible. I’ve seen many people try to fake it and live a lifestyle they cannot sustain. Trust me it will not last for long as you’ll burn a hole in your pocket trying to impress people that just don’t care.

Don’t try to impress anyone, just be yourself at all times. Real people will like the real you. When you make it big on Youtube, you really have to keep your feet on the ground and always remain humble. It’s very easy to be carried away with the spotlight.

What are the gadgets or technology you use to make your creative content? And why have you chosen these specific ones?

It all depends on where and for what situation you are shooting. For small vlogs at cafes or restaurants I prefer using my DJI Pocket 2 as it helps me shoot without being noticed much. 

For more professional shoots, I have a fully professional camera setup with gimbals and mics. I also use a DJI Mavic drone in many of my videos. For editing I use a Macbook Air M1 as it’s very fast while making edits and rendering. Everything that I have spent on equipment, I have bought using the money I have earned from Youtube. I always believed that my Youtube earnings should pay for everything I spend for the channel. It’s always something to use as a motivation and as a goal.

As a vlogger, you have been supporting a lot of Goan businesses and creating content centered around Goa. What made you do this? 

In my teenage days I spent a lot of time making friends with people on the beaches and markets in North Goa. Interestingly, I made many foreigner friends during these times. The people I used to hangout with loved exploring different parts of Goa and I found myself learning so many things about Goa and the history as I used to join them on their adventures. After the lockdown, I decided to vlog about these places and share my knowledge about things I had learnt over the years.

Helping people has always been part of my nature. During these hard times I saw so many people suffering and I thought to myself ‘Why don’t I share these local businesses and help them free of cost’. And I still keep getting calls and messages from the owners of these businesses saying a lot of people have visited them after watching my videos. This is more valuable to me. We have so many Goan treasures that if not promoted in the right way will die off in a few years. This will affect our heritage and culture. Also I’m a strong believer of “we only grow by helping others” which is why I like to help others.

How do you keep up with social media?

Honestly, it’s very hard as I run businesses and keep Youtube as my passion. The most important thing in the world is having an understanding wife. As I mentioned earlier, I got blessed in this aspect. I spend a lot of time shooting and editing which can be very stressful at times. It’s really important to take a break once in a while and just enjoy reality. When I’m on break mode, all cameras are off. I just like to enjoy the moment. No use of clicking a sunset that you didn’t really bother enjoying.

What advice would you give to a YouTuber just getting started?

Give yourself a realistic time to achieve your goals. Never be disappointed when things don’t work out. It will only take one video that will completely change your life. It took me 280 videos before I achieved success and found what I wanted to do on Youtube. Take your time to find what it is that you really love doing or shooting. Many people will try to put you down on the way. Remember there are 7 Billion people in this world, the opinion of that one person doesn’t matter. Don’t get caught up in your social media world. Spend time with family and friends. Set aside a time of day to do social media. 

Where can people watch or stay updated with your content?

What’s the single best way to create engaging videos?

The best way to create engaging videos is finding something that you are really knowledgeable about or really passionate about. That way you’ll be able to connect with the people that are looking for your kind of content. Remember there is nothing that you do which won’t be interesting to the right person. 

What’s your advice to brands looking to build a campaign or partner with YouTubers?

I would really think it is important for brands to find a creator that uses their products or that would really feel comfortable promoting them. There are many products that were offered to me that would just not match what I do. I advise creators to not take up collaborations or paid promotions of things that they don’t believe in or wouldn’t use. 

How do you see the future of video content evolving with new digital platforms?

There is a huge potential in digital platforms like Youtube. Day by day, we slowly see mainstream media fading away and more people spending their time on social media or watching videos on Youtube for news and information. People who get into the program now will be very profitable in future. You can earn more money doing Youtube for a couple of hours a day than working at a 9 to 5 job, only if you do it right. Of course, don’t rush to quit your job. First create a platform and audience before thinking about it. 

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