People have wondered why I don’t have a YouTube channel, or even Instagram, Tic-Toc or any of the other platforms. Heck, I’m not even on Facebook.
There is money to be made. Even if the channel doesn’t take off the creator usually isn’t out a lot of money. There’s a fairly low bar to entry. There are a lot of people who have no other source of income and do just fine. Some are even getting rich.
I have a few reasons not to. The first is the cost in time. While the monetary costs of entry are low, the time costs can be quite high. It can take days to shoot and edit a good 20 minute episode. When having adventures I can barely be bothered to snap a few photos -never mind shoot video. It’s all a matter of being in the moment. Life is better when not viewed through a lense.
A big reason is keeping most of my life to myself. Feeding the media beast can become an all encompassing thing. A person’s whole life becomes the business. It’s like living in “The Truman Show.” At some point nothing is really real.
Then there comes a point where people don’t do things for the experience but for the footage. Your life isn’t your life but a polished produced life.
So why do I blog at all? I think I have a few good things to share now and then. I’m certainly not doing it for the money. Call it a sense of civic duty combined with desire to build community.
I’m not against anyone for going the public creator route, but one should be away of the hidden costs.
-Sixbears
Ah Ho, well now monetizing takes time. Requirements, 1000 subscribers and 4000 viewed hours before you are allowed to collect any bennies. So, easy yes, profitable? Those who make the money, have spent the money to get there. I, like you, am one of the wretched ones. 80)
ReplyDeleteTime doing marketing is time away from drinking coffee by the campfire. I've made my choice.
DeleteAnd the Coffee, conversation, and comradery are darn good too. Sometimes family has nothing to do with blood.
DeleteYes. Living your life is more important than documenting your life for the consumption of others. I have a blog and podcast that get to when feel I have something to say, the rest of the time I'm looking after my farm, working my job, or visiting friends and family. I pray that my tiny contribution to waking the normies will help someone now and again.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good well balanced approach to me.
DeleteBlogging is sharing. Commenting on blogs is that plus community building. It is possible to monetise this too but you have to keep the end goal in mind.
ReplyDeleteI share lots of info for nothing with this model. Makes me happy at least. Ironically, I make my $$ sharing (other) stuff elsewhere as a journo.
If it's $$ you are after, invest the time to build a YT audience.
Money, for me, is a poor motivator.
Delete