Youtube subscribers, Twitter followers, Facebook fans, and all analogous relationships are not defensible assets in the way that someone expecting mail from you is. They're dependent on the week-to-week policies and quarter-to-quarter strategic imperatives of the platform.
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The platforms offer incredible reach! Incredible! Reach! And the bargain they offer is Faustian. Platforms need their creators to bake the cake; they then propose allocating 60~80%+ to them as an opening bid, do not contractualize that (for smaller creators), and smile.
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"What do you mean they do not contractualize that?" I mean that you have neither a contract *nor even an understanding among equals* that the terms you currently enjoy are the ones you will have in the future. Businesses sign contracts with vendors important to them.
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Do you remember the contract negotiation? No, because doesn't work at scale but also because You Are Not One Of Their Important Accounts. Any term you think you're entitled to is going to be renegotiated by Darth Vader: "I have altered the deal; pray I do not alter it further."
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So back to the question of building your own platform: 1) You want your own place on the Internet; I think that is, for most people, a website. 2) You need, need, need an email list. Software for them is cheap to get started with. 3) Above all things:
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"As an independent creator, I will comport all my conduct on other people's platforms with the intentional, strategic goal of enticing some portion of the audience to join me on my platform, where the lion's share of value I produce is, and where I make meaningful money."
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Thanks. You'll see in the thread that email/newsletters are discussed at length. The comics community is not talking about only relationship-building but a replacement, possibly co-op run, for processing payment.
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I have some opinions on payments (see day job) but I think that your efforts are better allocated ~2% to payments and 98% to getting reliable, repeatable access to your fans. "Membership" plugins for e.g. WordPress exist in quantity, though most have terrible UX.
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Reminded me of the "Professional Sharer" post by
@cgpgrey :http://www.cgpgrey.com/blog/the-professional-sharer …Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
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Preach! For years we at @BounceExchange have been evangelizing the virtues of a direct line to your audience via email. Own those relationships rather than rent them. Just like diet and exercise, in a year's time you'll be happy you started today. :)
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
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