Should You Be Concerned When Ads Are Played with Your Content?

Monetizing user generated content (UGC) is the latest way platforms are keeping users on their platforms. With so many social media, video, picture, etc platforms out there, it is a battle to just get users, let alone keep them. Platforms such as Meta, YouTube, and Musk (not sure if X has a parent company) dominate the lion’s share of users not only creating content but consuming it as well. They are also the most prolific with advertising placements. To keep creators, they share some of that revenue with the more popular UGC’s out there. Is it bad they advertise on UGC’s that are not monetized, therefore not receiving a portion of that money the platform is making?

If It Is Free to Use, You Are the Product, or Your Content Is

Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/drug-store-drink-coca-cola-signage-on-gray-wooden-wall-210126/

Users as well as content creators must understand, if the platform is free to use, YOU and anything you make available on it is the product.

There is no real other way of saying it.

This means, these platforms will run advertising around user content no matter if it is actual content or comments on content. Both are valuable to the platform as they keep users engaged and advertisers getting views on their ads.

Bills to Pay

It should be obvious that someone has to pay the bill for these platforms to be available. It is only natural that they are going to do that any way they can.

Advertising is the easiest way.

Some platforms will go overboard with advertising, this usually happens on the more costly to run services – video.

Video content of any kind costs money for the platform, a lot of money, to make available to users. Some, such as Instagram, have started downgrading the quality of the video based on how popular it is. This is one cost saving measure that is obviously not popular with creators.

Advertising is a necessary evil with any platform that offers a hub for users to congregate and enjoy content. Even if that content is not user generated such as Netflix, Amazon, etc, ads are part of the cheaper access points.

The Upside to Ads On Your Content When NOT Monetized

Believe it or not, there is an upside to the platform running ads on your videos when you are not monetized.

It means that you are on the right track. Your content is gelling with advertisers the platform has available. This is great news when you think about it.

When most creators get monetized, they complain about a lack of views on their content. This is often due to their content not fitting into the available ads the platform, here let’s say YouTube, has available.

Considering the platform is paying you per view, that means whether an ad runs or not, they are more subjective on how hard they push your content out. Obviously, being pushed by the platform is key to success, and maximizing your earnings with ads.

If you see ads on your content on YouTube, then congratulations! You have successfully completed a goal many never realize is even there, others deny it when it is brought up, and some don’t care. The point is, you are ahead of most other content creators when ads are being played. As far as making money on the platform (outside of sponsors) this is the most valuable part.

If YouTube has ads to run on your content, guess what. They are going to push your content to more viewers. This can potentially speed up your getting monetized and earning.

Do not get mad when you see advertising on your videos. Instead, rejoice because you are much farther along on your journey than you realize.

Alternatives to YouTube

There are plenty of alternatives to YouTube but only one really stands out to me for longer video content makers.

3Speak. This video platform is connected to the Hive.blog platform giving you instant access to tons of potential viewers. There are no ads that I know of and you are monetized from the start, just like on Hive.blog.

The only concern I have with new content creators coming over to 3Speak is the focus on views. People are so addicted to total views whereas I am addicted to quality views. That interaction with viewers in the comments means so much more to me than people simply watching and leaving.

3Speak and Hive.blog are still growing platforms and once you find your niche, I can honestly say, interaction with others is very much worth it here. Especially if you are tired of the disdainful comments that are so popular on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, etc.