Sailing Uma Lithium Install

[ylop]

When you read YM or PBO - it enjoys peer review, the editorial staff soon detects partiality - and don't provide a platform for the contributor.

Really? Neither YM or PBO are “peer reviewed” in the usual sense of the phrase. The editors may well chuck out nonsense but they are responsibly for the economics of the magazine too so if you are buying adverts or providing equipment free of charge for review etc you stand a far better change of coverage. Less biased than YouTubers being paid to promote a product perhaps but it is not immune to bias and certainly not peer reviewed. Indeed de-platforming contributors can be just as big an issue (or threat) as enabling those with an agenda.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

Watched a few of their videos, and I agree with @PaulRainbow and @geem ..... they are not a channel to watch if you want to learn how to do things properly, but as entertainment their format seems to work for a lot of people .... I get the feeling that these YouTubers end up as "content slaves" as their lifestyle and income depends entirely on churning out content every week ... I certainly couldn't be arsed filming, narrating, and editing everything I do on my boat - it's basically a full time job.

This particular video can be summed up as "We were told not to do it, but we did it anyway, and our boat blacked out - so now we're trying again" - classic learning by doing. There is nothing wrong with that, everyone is always learning, but they say some things which make me question if they really understand what they are talking about ....

BUT ... this is the internet, and if you don't do your own due diligence before copying others then it's your own fault IMO. People copied others and did stupid things long before the internet, it's human nature - I remember as a student (electronic and electrical engineering) listening to the local NEDs discussing how to bypass their electricity meters and wondered why more of them weren't claiming posthumous Darwin awards.

Mads from "Sail Life", will say straight up that he doesn't understand, and then set about finding out. I find his channel very informative (for tech etc.) although I have no idea how Mads affords the equipment he accumulates, and he spends more time renovating than he does sailing.

Some of the other channels I watch regularly ....

For down-to-earth, honest to goodness boat restoration on a budget, I watch "Sailing Seabird"
Out of pure curiosity, and the weird mix of an arty type with little experience taking on a total wreck of a boat I've recently found "Masha B. Mishushat".... she seems determined .... see how long the enthusiasm lasts.

... and "Spear it Animal" makes for light entertainment, and a dose of youthful energy and persistence, and they certainly get stuck in to the problems, but in a very American way.

For sailing, "Sailing with Thomas" and "NBJS" ... I used to watch Patrick Laine but his posts are infrequent.

For everything gelcoat "Fish Bump TV"

The Raymarine and Victron channels are also good, if you ignore the Raymarine Advertising videos and watch the Q&A sessions, or tech videos.

Channels I watched and then downvoted in my YouTube algorithm .....

Lady K Sailing, Practical Sailor, Sailing Zingaro,

 

[lustyd]

Less biased than YouTubers being paid to promote a product perhaps

Although most people seem to hold that view I've no idea why. The sole purpose of organisations like that are to drive ad revenue. They do so by finding companies willing to pay for favourable reviews (one way or another) and ad space. There is literally no difference on YouTube except for the size of the team. More clicks = more ad revenue, favourable reviews = more products to review. If there's a difference there I can't see it.
Any suggestion of a difference in quality is purely subjective and based on personal prejudices (usually from older generation people who don't trust new platforms).

Even Tom Cunliffe is embracing social media and YouTube. I dare say his latest book wouldn't exist either, if he didn't already have contacts and contracts in place to publish in old media.

 

[potentillaCO32]

A few of their videos have 1m+ views but the majority far lower. Looking at the amount they spend, even on yard fees, they must have a good income from somewhere but of course do have some sponsors.

They have spent quite a few years covering vast distances to places most only dream of, all in an old unsuitable boat. I find their decision to strip the same boat back to bare hull, add lots of reinforcement and completely rebuild the interior, a strange decision when they could have bought a more suitable boat for far less money than this project must be costing. Must be they enjoy the challenge and enjoy hard work.

I think the lesson from youtube is that watching boat renovation content is more popular than sailing content.
Mads and sailife fiund that out. He is back in the game with the cat renovation.

 

[ylop]

Although most people seem to hold that view I've no idea why. The sole purpose of organisations like that are to drive ad revenue.

No, revenue comes from a mix of advertising, paid sponsorship and subscriptions. To some extent that’s true for both YT and magazines, but the ratios are probably different.

They do so by finding companies willing to pay for favourable reviews (one way or another) and ad space. There is literally no difference on YouTube except for the size of the team.

On a traditional YT revenue model you as a content provider have no idea which ads I as a consumer will be shown and so there is no reason for you to be favourable or otherwise to a particular brand. When XYZ offers you ££ (or just free kit) to cover in your video then you are somewhat compromised. Of course the same may be true for a magazine, but the income doesn’t usually go direct to the person making the editorial decisions. Both have brand equity and next years subscriber KPIs to consider too - but that’s much easier to do when your personal short term income is detached from the result of the decision.

More clicks = more ad revenue, favourable reviews = more products to review. If there's a difference there I can't see it.

Well does the reader/watcher want favourable reviews or honest reviews? The later *might* get you more clicks. It might even get you competitor products to review who believe they address the weaknesses. Courting controversy can be one way to drive clicks up - it probably works better on YT than infrequent printed media?

 

[lustyd]

On a traditional YT revenue model you as a content provider have no idea which ads I as a consumer will be shown and so there is no reason for you to be favourable or otherwise to a particular brand

This is not correct. Modifying content to be attractive to particular ads is the whole point of marketing and popular profitable channels know this.
Granted most on there are naive and think it’s the luck of the draw, but they’re wrong.

The whole subject of marketing is the same on any platform in any medium. Whether you use your own marketing team or someone else’s the game is the same.

 

[ylop]

This is not correct. Modifying content to be attractive to particular ads is the whole point of marketing and popular profitable channels know this.
Granted most on there are naive and think it’s the luck of the draw, but they’re wrong.

Are you saying that as a Youtube creator you can specifically drive say Musto to advertise on your page rather than say Henry Lloyd? or that the marketing manager at Musto can easily exclude your specific channel rather than just broad categories of channels / keywords? Given that vast majority of the ads I see on YT when watching sailing content are not marine related how is there a risk of bias between the content/editorial standard and the selected ads? In contrast the vast majority of print ads in YM/PBO are marine related.

The whole subject of marketing is the same on any platform in any medium. Whether you use your own marketing team or someone else’s the game is the same.

To some extent:
If I am making a magazine, I am marketing to readers (subscribers) and advertisers. I'm also (to probably a lesser extent in 2025) targeting magazine vendors for shelf-space.
If I am making video content, I am marketing to viewers, Patreon-type subscribers, advertisers and possibly sponsors. The equivalent of the shelf-space is the youtube algorithm: much more important than WHSmiths.
But I don't think the advertisers are the same group - from what I can see from reading magazines and watching videos. It you try to apply a print marketing strategy to youtube I think you will fail.

Certainly, you need to understand your viewers/readers either way - I suspect the majority of Uma subscribers don't actually own boats. Presumably, the majority of PBO/YM subscribers do?

 

[Marceline]

(sort of) out of interest are they still in the Med/EU ?

 

[lustyd]

Are you saying that as a Youtube creator you can specifically drive say Musto to advertise on your page rather than say Henry Lloyd?

To the same extent as the mags can, yes. YouTube and other platforms sell targeted ads, you just have to understand how that works and play to the system you’re in. If a magazine has an article about Musto then Henri Lloyd is more likely to buy an ad.
Add to this that direct ad placement is a thing on YouTube too. If Musto offer me £1000 and a set of HPX for a 30 second advert in my video then I’ll do it in a heartbeat. Sadly AG1 is where the money is right now and sailing companies for the most part are lagging behind.
Lewmar seem to have done some direct stuff with big channels, so some clearly get it. As a company selling boat gear a 30 second piece from Vagabonde with 2M views would be seriously more valuable than a full pager in one of the mags.

 

[ylop]

To the same extent as the mags can, yes. YouTube and other platforms sell targeted ads, you just have to understand how that works and play to the system you’re in. If a magazine has an article about Musto then Henri Lloyd is more likely to buy an ad.

My experience (in non-sailing print ad buying) is the mags make outbound sales calls which know the "editorial plans" for the next X months, only the very biggest youtube channels could be doing that, and I can't ever remember seeing an ad that seemed to have been targeted at the channel - so I'll stick with my reality that "you, as a content provider, have no idea which ads I, as a consumer, will be shown".

Add to this that direct ad placement is a thing on YouTube too. If Musto offer me £1000 and a set of HPX for a 30 second advert in my video then I’ll do it in a heartbeat. Sadly AG1 is where the money is right now and sailing companies for the most part are lagging behind.

Yes, that's what I referred to as sponsorship rather than adverts (although they obviously are ads). Youtube rules do not allow you to take ad advert from a customer and stick it directly into your video. You can take a product from a customer and you as the content provider talk about the product but you can't simply paste 30s of their pre-recorded video in.

Lewmar seem to have done some direct stuff with big channels, so some clearly get it. As a company selling boat gear a 30 second piece from Vagabonde with 2M views would be seriously more valuable than a full pager in one of the mags.

It might, but how many of Vagabond's 2M viewers are actually sailors? That's why sailing channels are promoting VPNs, seaweed powders, and online Therapy! If you build your channel to 2M actual sailors then I'm sure Musto will be knocking at the door asking what size HPX you want!

 

[lustyd]

It might, but how many of Vagabond's 2M viewers are actually sailors? That's why sailing channels are promoting VPNs, seaweed powders, and online Therapy! If you build your channel to 2M actual sailors then I'm sure Musto will be knocking at the door asking what size HPX you want!

I couldn’t say, but I guarantee they have more aailing viewers than YBW have readers.
VPNs are a good fit for the sailing community. AG1 I assume is lucrative enough that they don’t care and rich idiots buy into it because they have too much money. It’s not like mags are picky with adverts!

 

[RunAgroundHard]

I didn't know what AG1 is or what it does, so the recent posts were fairly meaningless. If you are interested: -

Discover AG1's Community-Driven Marketing Success in Our DTC Brand Crush Series | Tapcart

From Google AI

AG1's advertising strategy heavily features targeted influencer marketing, particularly through sponsorships on popular podcasts like those hosted by Andrew Huberman and Tim Ferriss. This is supplemented by a broad digital ad campaign on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, where they extensively test and A/B test different ads to find what works best. They also use community-driven marketing and brand ambassadors to promote their product.


Key elements of AG1 advertising:

• Podcast sponsorships: AG1 partners with numerous podcasts, using a strategy of leveraging a wide range of shows to reach specific audiences.
• Influencer marketing: The brand collaborates with both high-profile and micro-influencers who use the product and share their experiences.
• Targeted digital ads: AG1 runs a high volume of ads on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, tailoring them to specific demographics (e.g., moms, runners) or health benefits (e.g., immunity).
• A/B ad testing: They conduct extensive testing on various elements of their campaigns, such as copy, visuals, and messaging, to optimize ad performance.
• • Community and brand ambassadors: AG1 fosters a community around the brand, which includes community-driven marketing and a dedicated partner program for creators.
  • Other channels: Advertising also appears through other channels such as YouTube, email newsletters, and even some traditional media like TV and out-of-home advertisements in select markets.

 

[geem]

I didn't know what AG1 is or what it does, so the recent posts were fairly meaningless. If you are interested: -

Discover AG1's Community-Driven Marketing Success in Our DTC Brand Crush Series | Tapcart

From Google AI

Did you find the videos about what a total con it is?

 

[RunAgroundHard]

Did you find the videos about what a total con it is?

No, I was just curious about what was being talked about.

 

[lustyd]

Did you find the videos about what a total con it is?

I’m absolutely not a fan of it, but I disagree about the word con. It contains what they say it does, and they are upfront about the cost. Their partners are also upfront about getting paid to say it these days.
It might not be value for money but it is entirely transparent and up front.

 

[lustyd]

No, I was just curious about what was being talked about.

Almost every channel on YT pushes it. Get your name out there enough and every idiot will be desperate to get on board regardless of value, just ask Nigel

 

[geem]

I’m absolutely not a fan of it, but I disagree about the word con. It contains what they say it does, and they are upfront about the cost. Their partners are also upfront about getting paid to say it these days.
It might not be value for money but it is entirely transparent and up front.

You do realise that a lot of those good things in AG1 are traces of. There is so little of the quantity needed to make a difference that it's a waste of time

 

[lustyd]

You do realise that a lot of those good things in AG1 are traces of. There is so little of the quantity needed to make a difference that it's a waste of time

There is exactly the quantity they claim. Total transparency and useless expensive products are not mutually exclusive.

 

[noelex]

It would be nice to see more transparency both from print and YouTube media.

Free products, free holidays to visit the factory should always be made absolutely clear. This is rarely the case.

Print media seems to be the worst offender of these fundamental principles.

 

[geem]

There is exactly the quantity they claim. Total transparency and useless expensive products are not mutually exclusive.

Yet people buy it and Utubers promote it for financial gain