This is perhaps nature's way of reminding me that I've been meaning for a little while to post an update about my Great Switching To Video-Blogging experiment and also about the progress of the fundraiser I've been running to try to bridge the gap during the prolonged period it's taking to find out whether YouTube is a viable alternative funding model. The intention is to try to give a little boost to the fundraiser, which got off to a fantastic start, but has since stalled a few hundred pounds short of its target figure.
Basically the situation is that I reached the two thresholds for monetisation on YouTube several weeks ago (1000 subscribers and 4000 watch-hours), but I still haven't reached the minimum earnings threshold for a first actual payment. As I understand the payment schedule, the earliest it's now possible for me to receive any money at all is in the second half of February, so in the meantime I will unfortunately need to keep promoting this stopgap fundraiser to stay afloat. The target figure is £1700 (I know it currently says £1100 on the GoFundMe page, but that's because they're using a new-fangled 'dynamically-changing target' system which supposedly produces better results).
So is the YouTube idea going to work as a funding model in the long run, or will I have to switch to my Plan B of Substack? The jury is still out. At the moment the videos are only netting a few pounds per day, and if that's the way it stays it obviously won't be sustainable. However, the average number of views per video has markedly increased over the last few months as my number of subscribers has crept up, so the hope is that increase will just keep continuing at a steady pace. If it doesn't, and if I eventually reach a sort of plateau, then I'll have to reconsider the plan, but for the moment I remain semi-hopeful. Realistically I'd need to multiply my number of daily video views by about four, which is a tall order, and if it does prove to be feasible it's going to take a lot of work and a lot of time to get there. If all else fails, there are supposedly sponsorship opportunities on YouTube, although that may be a bit of a circular argument because to be attractive to a potential sponsor I'd probably need a much greater number of average views anyway.
One thing I will say in favour of this experiment, though, is that it's proving to be a really simple and effective way of promoting to the general public favourable results in opinion polls, both for independence itself and for pro-independence parties. As you know, YouTube promote new videos in their sidebar, and I've been using the actual full results of opinion polls as the thumbnail for each video, so even if people don't click on the links, they're still becoming passively aware of the latest poll results, and of the fact that Yes are in the lead in many polls. I think that's quite a useful public service, even if I do say so myself!
If you'd like to help keep the lights on while I try to make this madcap project work, there are three options for supporting the fundraiser:
Card payments can be made via the main GoFundMe crowdfunder page HERE.
Direct PayPal payments (which can have the advantage of eliminating all fees, depending on which option you select from the menu) can be made to my PayPal email address, which is: jkellysta@yahoo.co.uk
Bank transfers are the third option. I've been advised not to publicly post my bank details, but if you'd like to donate that way, drop me a line and I'll send you the details privately. My contact email address is different from my PayPal address, and can be found on my Twitter profile, or on the sidebar of this blog (desktop version of the site only).
Bit late, but we use Diaclara case £13.59 in 2024. I've dropped, wife dropped a few times, and on concrete, no damage at all. Get one for your new one! Quite slim unlike my old thick rubber one.
ReplyDeleteOt - I read the ramblings of Robin McAlpine in the Seven Days pages of the Sunday National. What a lot of rambling for no benefit. Apparently he has heard “..worrying things about central belt working class attitudes towards the SNP” without explaining what they are. Drivel. What he doesn’t have is any self awareness of what his “leadership” of Scotland would bring. The parties of his leanings of 2-3 years ago aren’t even mentioned as to their abject failure. He looks towards 2026 without enthusiasm. I would say to the National if they want people to purchase their paper then articles such as this is not the way. Depressing.
ReplyDeleteI spoke with a LibDem councillor over the festive period, he says they're coming across a lot of shy Reform voters.
DeleteThis SNP obsession with identity has disconnected them from ordinary folk. Normal folk trying to get by don't care about anyone's race, sexuality or gender identity.
I'll vote SNP, and hope they do really well, but they really need to draw a line under the nonsense distractions of the late Sturgeon era.
Not a National subscriber, myself, so I'll take your summary of the topic of McAlpine's remarks at face value.
DeleteHe's obviously talking about identity politics like trans rights vs. women's rights. Even mentioning the topic here will trigger a cascade of "toilet obsessives…" troll comments, let alone mentioning it in uni or in a branch meeting of any of our "progressive" parties. The whole subject is forbidden in the active political (aka "middle") class.
But just you try to doorstep someone about it in working class Scotland. "Look, just, shut up and listen to me for a moment. That is prejudiced. You are wrong." Winning hearts and minds again…
Anon at 10.50am: If people are turned off by obsessions with identity, it's hard to see why they would turn to Reform, who are obsessed with ethnic background.
DeleteSNP support has definitely dropped since 2021. Whilst few of those voters will have headed to Reform, the SNP hardly fills folk like me with enthusiasm due to their latter focus. Whilst, as I said, I'll still vote for them as the best placed party to oppose Reform, they need to be doing more to connect with reasonable, liberal-minded voters.
DeletePeople are often illogical.
Delete1052- my quote is verbatim. However McAlpine also promotes the idea that the SNP is ignoring Gen Z (what a terrible term). From my observations and conversations as it is linked to gender issues they are more liberal in their ideas than their Daily Heil reading Grandparrents.
ReplyDeleteThat would be the same McAlpine who was buddies with Rev Campbell ?
DeleteWorking class for Reform, it hasn't penetrated their thick skulls that Farage will scrap the NHS ?
DeleteThose of us who were expelled from the Scottish Green Party for signing the Scottish Green Womens Declaration (https://scottishgreenwomensdeclaration.scot/) see no signs that the SGP or the SNP have learnt any lessons on what a vote loser for the left the whole issue is. It may be one of Reform's greatest assets and it certainly worked for Trump.
ReplyDeleteThe growth of the private company called Reform in Scotland is just another indicator of SNP failure. A bunch of useless SNP leaders supported by thick SNP members. No I don’t support Reform or any unionist party. It is appalling that Reform get support in Scotland but this has happened under the governance of the SNP and its bonkers identity politics.
ReplyDeleteYou reap as you sow. Most young people are ambivalent to the issue of gender aspects. The extreme right wing line that every transgender person is a sexual predator against females is just nonsense. Based on recent court cases the greatest risk is from heterosexual men.
ReplyDeleteNow Trump and his soldiers run Venezuela I think we can say that he is one of the worlds main drug barons.
ReplyDelete