The real threat to YouTube Creators

Jeff, I'm more than happy to support your channel on Patreon. Personally, I'd rather see a culture where people value content and the creators behind it. Keep up the good work and keep touting your Patreon. I think this is a great cultural shift!

Thank you for this article.

Jeff don't feel bad about asking for donations it's the way of YouTube now. It's VERY common to see a YouTuber ask for support now. The biggest difference is you are very gracious about it and that's fantastic. It shows you're truly appreciative. Check the new PMs I've sent you. I threw in a funny shell idea.

Jesse Liquidoutl4w Quinn

Well, your recent video where you pointed out NightHawkInLight got me over onto Ben's Patreon, so you're doing a great job at helping your fellow creators. NHIL was actually my first subscribed Youtube channel, and that would be how I how I found you, so you've paid it back to him, via me, directly. :D I still think you should be able to feel comfortable mentioning that's it's just a dollar you're asking for. It's a very a humble request. Of course, you know better than anyone, though; just don't grow too slowly and flicker out, yourself. I'm not too worried about that, though; y'all are smart. Keep up the good work.

I'm trying to keep the Patreon growth slow but steady. I hate asking people to donate at all, and often I am just trying to get the word out that it isn't just my channel that will need viewer-support but every other channel that has been relying on advertiser earnings. It's kind of sad seeing so many of the channels I have enjoyed watching over the years - giving up.

TAOFLEDERMAUS

Jeff, I think you should mention more often in your videos that you're only asking for $1 a month from Patreon supporters. You're clearly very humble, and from reading this page, you value each dollar quite highly. However, it's just a matter of marketing, so to say. I've watched your videos off and on for years, and I've heard you mention Patreon multiple times, and I just finally remembered to check it out yesterday. I was shocked that the pledge you're asking for is only $1 per month. I would've absolutely popped over here sooner if I'd heard that in a video. That's easily below the threshold that would get more people to come here and contribute if they simply KNEW that's all you were asking. No need to even insert the well-worn "You can't even buy ___ for a dollar nowadays." I have no doubt given your humble attitude, you'd find the right way to ask, but I do think you need to actually MENTION that you're asking for only a buck a month. It's kind of like a politician actually ASKING you for your vote. It seems overly simple but it's been shown to make a significant difference. And you have 937k subscribers, and you're getting tens of thousands of viewers per video. I think you can get quite a few more glad contributors this way from a pool that large. Thanks for all the great work you guys do.

Dear Taofledermaus, I was moved to tears upon learning of yours and Officer Gregs predicament such fine folk as yourselves should never have to endure the extraordinary inconvience that is a flat tire. I hope my new found commitemnt to your channel as a Patreon will in some small way compenstate for your loss of a tyre.

David Duffy

Correct. Thats why for the long term, gotta keep pushing Patreon!

Drakin Kubala

Jeff, for the volume of content of yours that I've watched over the years a couple of bucks a month is cheap at the price. I've come to prefer Youtubers/podcasts that are primarily subscriber funded rather than advertising funded as it frees them from explicit or implicit censorship of content due to fears of revenue loss

Ed Mac

AdSense is the revenue earned off the back of AdWords campaigns run by advertisers who allocate a budget to be used to "bid" for their ads to be placed in ranked slots available across the web. Since large businesses have transitioned from traditional advertising to social brand marketing (think Red Bull and GoPro), their practically unlimited advertising budgets have been removed from the AdWords pool. We now see more relevant advertising from smaller businesses (who were previously always outbid for top slots) although the frequency hasn't really changed. However, since the AdSense revenue has decreased, bloggers and other online content creations previously supported by that revenue are turning to other sources. I have the impression too, that Google are constantly working to improve the relevance of their products for their users, and where once we were bombarded by adverts for all kinds of crap we had no care for, we're now far more likely to only see what is likely to be of interest. If we show little interest in big brand BS, Google won't show us those ads (so much), and thus the big bidders won't get a look in (even though they're offering to pay more for the slots).

I understand, but you also have viewers and fans that WANT to support you so you can keep making content for them. Do yourself a HUGE favor and go watch Amanda Palmer's Ted Talk, "The Art of Asking." It's 12 minutes of your time but I promise you it is worth it. You may not consider yourselves artists over there at Taofledermaus, but you have lots of creators sending you their art and getting vital test info/getting to see it shot/getting free advertising through you. You're an artist in that you folks make the show for us to watch. That takes time and money. Your patrons are here because they understand that, and they like the content.

The Rambling Bard

I'm not really seeing a reduction in ad impressions, it's just the ad rates which tells me it's a buyer's market for advertisers. They can pay less in the bidding process and get the ads on more pages.

TAOFLEDERMAUS

Thank you!

TAOFLEDERMAUS

I never wanted to accept any money from any viewer. I thought dealing with the ads was bad enough.

TAOFLEDERMAUS

Patreon has become a huge life saver for a lot of content creators. I love your videos and follow you here so I can finally support y'all when able. My own channel is really a secondary focus to building my Patreon, and I think as we see more big channels move over here for income, we'll survive and bounce back.

The Rambling Bard

That's why I'm supporting people who post things I enjoy on the YouTubes on the Patreon now.

h0tline.actual

30% increase in usage isn't enough for me to draw any conclusions. As always, a relevant XKCD: <a href="https://xkcd.com/1102/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://xkcd.com/1102/</a>

A source that disagrees: <a href="https://pagefair.com/blog/2017/adblockreport/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://pagefair.com/blog/2017/adblockreport/</a> "Adblock usage grew 30% globally in 2016". Surprisingly (to me) though, only "11% of the global internet population is blocking ads on the web" - I'd have guessed more (although still substantial).

Jeff; Articles like this are worth a read: <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kateharrison/2017/01/09/top-10-trends-that-will-transform-digital-marketing-in-2017" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.forbes.com/sites/kateharrison/2017/01/09/top-10-trends-that-will-transform-digital-marketing-in-2017</a> - "8. Consumer Resentment of Intrusive Marketing Deepens ... As consumers seek to learn more about new products on their own time, expect continued resentment over intrusive marketing to deepen in 2017. Consumers will continue to vote with their feet … 'walking' away from social platforms that inundate them with brand marketing".

When I worked at [large undisclosed software company] the head management actually addressed the question of how big of a concern adblockers actually are and they said their use is negligible. I have to believe that the usage of adblockers have not increased dramatically over the last ~2-3 years since then.

The irony is that "real" adverts are more "honest" than carefully crafted (read "sneaky") infotainment that filters into our lives, suggesting that we really want a thing because it's cool because awesome people like it. I personally like straight up adverts and rather despise being patronised (no pun intended) and coerced by underhanded gumpf. Personal preferences aside though, the market (as we agree) has changed, and one way or another, the bubble had to burst (they all do). Content creators will just have to adapt - such as being patronised ;-)

Bingo. I work in the ad industry, and that's exactly what's happening. "Disruptive advertising" (e.g commercials) are going extinct because people will just choose to consume media that has less bullshit they don't want to see - commercials.

Although YouTube's algorithms, strategies and goals have shifted over time, so have general marketing trends; social media engagement has largely taken over from "normal" advertising online, as brand engagement has proven more successful in the long run. Combining this with the common use of AdBlocker software (because people don't like adverts (apparently) - which itself is another reason why potential advertisers are spending less on advertising and more on social media engagement), the end result is a sharp downward trend in potential advertising revenue for AdSense users (including YouTubers). And stuff \o/