you need to build an audience and then monetise them yourself.
EXACTLY!!!!! This is what the SMT is going to create. It will prevent censorship being the reason people lose millions of views, and being demonetized.
That's what I project will send the STEEM to the moon. People don't say that much anymore; but, if the SMT is a success, it's going to build entrepreneurs in ways other platforms have not...decentralization, with the NSFW label protecting the community from posts for adult-audiences only.
I'm with you on the advertising. It's not effective when forced on viewers. But, I do think there's a way that members of the community will be able to buy/sell advertising between 'channels' for lack of a better word.
Peace.