Okay, I'll chime in...
@hidesertwheelin brings up an interesting point.
There is a difference between being
sponsored and being
sponsored. The problem with social media marketing is two fold. First, every bro'dozer who gets a 10% off code from a vendor somehow things they are now being
sponsored by that company. They share that code with all the bro'dozing friends and the next thing you know there's a little cult following going on with a fleet of stickered rigs and swag rocking fanboys. This is furthered by the second problem which is vendors aren't doing any real marketing any more. Social media marketing is easy and more often than not free for many companies to use. The little guys rely on it because it's free and they can't afford to pay for big marketing yet; on the other end the big guys rely upon it because it's free and they don't want to pay a fair price for content. It all boils down to a systemic problem on the internet and that is the seemingly free consumption of content.
As a (
struggling) professional photographer and author I fight the battle with free every day. Magazines don't want to pay professional authors any more because there are 10's of 1,000's of people willing to write for free just to see their name in print. Same for photography. Companies like Jeep won't pay freelance photographers for quality content because all they have to do is search their mentions and tags on Instagram and they have 1,000's of photos to choose from. They even have a form letter they will send you to ask for permission to share it. Oh, by the say, they won't pay you money for it but they make sure to tell you about all the "exposure" you'll get from.
The same is true for blogs and youtube. You can sit at home and access the content for free. If it's free to consume it must be free to create, right? That's why there is such distain in society for people like me. I'm sitting here trying to make a living off what I do and I can't. One half of the population feels entitled to the content for free because it's free to consume. Why should I pay
THIS YouTuber to make content for me when there's so many other YouTubers posting for free. Again, same for bloggers, instagramers, etc. The other half of the population looks down their nose at me for being less than worthy because i chose a creative lifestyle rather than a traditional career.
What it boils down to is this: people will pay 100's or even 1000's of dollars a year on entertainment at places like movie theaters, cable, and subscriptions like HBO. Very few would argue that such services should be paid for. They created Game of Thrones, if I want to watch it I should pay for it, right? Why isn't that true for YouTube? If someone poored blood, sweat, tears, and talent (
not to mention investing the money in the gear) into creating entertaining content why shouldn't they get paid for it?
Look at it this way. If you went to a restaurant and enjoyed a nice cheese burger at the end of the meal you'd pay for it. Someone created it, you enjoyed it, and you'll pay for it without a second thought. Yet you go to YouTube and watch something someone created, you enjoyed it, and then you feel like you don't need to pay for it. Why is that? Not saying you should for pay for content that's crap, nor pay for content you don't enjoy. But if you find yourself enjoying something someone is putting their heart and soul into, shouldn't you pay for it? Or at least shouldn't they get paid for creating it the same way the cook got paid for cooking your burger?
The issue is how do creative professionals get paid? Right now it's nearly impossible. As mentioned, most of the mainstream sources have died up. If stick to my own platform, I can create content for my blog semi-weekly. I spend hours researching materials, shooting photos, and writing. I get 1,000's of views each month. Obviously people enjoy my content. It obviously has value or else people wouldn't read it. So how do I get paid for that? How do I subsidize the expenses I incur? Coming full circle, one way is to pursue sponsorships. Not the wannabe bro'dozer "I'll run your sticker for a discount" sponsorship but legit professional deals. Sadly as mentioned those deals are harder to come by for a variety of reasons. Also, they tend to be more gear sponsorships rather than anything financial. The only other option is crowd funding. I've done it. I've been one of those GoFundMe'Bros. Even had a Patreon for a little while and I'm about ready to revive it. Am I less of person for doing it this way?
It's easy to make fun of those of us on the creative end of the spectrum as not adulting because we've chosen to pursue our passions. Truth be told, I can't "adult." I can't put up with the bullshit 9-5 corporate life. I tried it and it nearly killed me. It cost me a relationship, it cost me my health, and it probably cost me a small chunk of my sanity. Before that I was in the education field. Don't get me started on being a white, straight, male, with a rural, middle class, Christian upbringing in higher education right now. Some of us just are able to conform no matter how hard we try. I don't "fit" anywhere which is why I do my own thing.
The sense of entitlement and superiority that society has over the creative arts is extremely discouraging. If you're already rich and famous people will flock to theaters and pay $10 a ticket and spend $30 on drinks and popcorn to see your movie. If you're someone like me people scoff at the idea of spending that same $40 (
once a year mind you) to support the content we're creating. Even though they'll still watch it, for free, because it's YouTube or a blog and that somehow de-validates the intrinsic value of the content.
Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of shit content out there. I'm not saying every YouTuber, blogger, or Instagramer is worthy of fame and fortune. Hell, i'm not seeking fame or fortune. Some of the stuff I see out there that gets a lot of attention is downright cringe worthy. However, the same is true for Hollywood movies. Seen a few shit movies make it big. Proves the old adage that even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then. Sometimes people are just lucky and are in the right place at the right time.
I guess to sum it up, my point is, at the end of the day we collectively pay for creative content all the time. We have magazine subscriptions, cable bills, buy movie tickets, go to shows, and invest a lot of money on our entertainment. We obviously do not have a problem paying creative people for the entertaining content we enjoy. I think as the creative arts continues to evolve and creative professionals such as myself get squeezed out of the mainstream markets we seek asylum on the platforms that best suit our talents.
And yes, I know it's nearly impossible to sort through and figure out who's legit and who's a wannabe. The blessing and the curse of social media is it's a great platform for creative professionals to share their work; it also means anyone regardless of talent, content, or integrity has access to the same platform. It's just hard to be one of those creative professionals right now. Some of the comments in this thread are a real kick in the balls. It's honestly why I keep a relatively low profile and more often than not keep my mouth shut.
