DriveTribe - online car community from Clarkson/May/Hamond
Discussion
Petrolhead95 said:
They do seriously well in engagement and views
Is there a longer term aim beyond you getting as many views as possible? if the content is banal and ephemeral, then it ony serves the purpose of proving that clickbait works, with no intrinsic value beyond that very act.Surely a more engaging process would be, for example, to write a incisive and detailed review on an array of well-respected books about some specific models/marques, then to add the quiz at the end, which really tests the user based on what you’ve helped them to learn. That way, both the author and reader get something out of it.
The current process of "Headline > Click > Instant Gratification > Nothing Learnt > Repeat” is soul destroying and ultimately propagates the very vapid and disposable society that "enthusiasts" are fighting against.
And there is the issue with clickbait. Technically, it works; hitting the metrics that advertisers want to see. But does it build loyalty? Does it make people buy stuff? Don't think so.
I find it amazing the success of individual vloggers gaining huge followers with largely crap content. Why can't someone with a bit of money behind them do it with great writers and drivers?
I find it amazing the success of individual vloggers gaining huge followers with largely crap content. Why can't someone with a bit of money behind them do it with great writers and drivers?
Jacobyte said:
Is there a longer term aim beyond you getting as many views as possible? if the content is banal and ephemeral, then it ony serves the purpose of proving that clickbait works, with no intrinsic value beyond that very act.
Surely a more engaging process would be, for example, to write a incisive and detailed review on an array of well-respected books about some specific models/marques, then to add the quiz at the end, which really tests the user based on what you’ve helped them to learn. That way, both the author and reader get something out of it.
The current process of "Headline > Click > Instant Gratification > Nothing Learnt > Repeat” is soul destroying and ultimately propagates the very vapid and disposable society that "enthusiasts" are fighting against.
I know a lot of media outlets just aim to get as many views possible but me as an individual just try to gauge as much interest as possible without silly click bait titles. What a lot of people skip over is that not everyone wants a serious read and that more are in favour of light reading, quizzes or pictures/videos. In the past I've tried to move away from that and into more mature writing but it just doesn't pull in views or engagement like the other stuff and the analytics back that up. I've written an article on how I think the Murcielago is the best supercar made which lists all the little quirks that come with the car but I haven't published it as it will ultimately fail regarding views.Surely a more engaging process would be, for example, to write a incisive and detailed review on an array of well-respected books about some specific models/marques, then to add the quiz at the end, which really tests the user based on what you’ve helped them to learn. That way, both the author and reader get something out of it.
The current process of "Headline > Click > Instant Gratification > Nothing Learnt > Repeat” is soul destroying and ultimately propagates the very vapid and disposable society that "enthusiasts" are fighting against.
Having an in-depth piece followed by a quiz simply won't work because people get bored very quickly. I've been doing 'light' automotive journalism since I was 15 so I've worked out what is better and what doesn't pull in views. Sadly things like car crashes, supercar burnouts etc are at the top of the list which isn't necessarily bad but it's not what I'd prefer to do.
Edited by Petrolhead95 on Thursday 26th October 14:00
hondansx said:
And there is the issue with clickbait. Technically, it works; hitting the metrics that advertisers want to see. But does it build loyalty? Does it make people buy stuff? Don't think so.
I find it amazing the success of individual vloggers gaining huge followers with largely crap content. Why can't someone with a bit of money behind them do it with great writers and drivers?
As said in the vlogger thread on Pistonheads, a large chunk of the 'YouTubers' audience are younger so anything to do with loud cars, fast driving and the expensive lifestyle appeals to them massively. Sadly a lot of car enthusiasts today just aren't interested in the details anymore, especially with anything other than supercars. I find it amazing the success of individual vloggers gaining huge followers with largely crap content. Why can't someone with a bit of money behind them do it with great writers and drivers?
Petrolhead95 said:
Having an in-depth piece followed by a quiz simply won't work because people get bored very quickly.
It's possibly slightly unfair to pull just this sentence out of context, but I think it's wrong. If you can write in a way that appeals to people then you should be able to keep the majority interested no matter what the subject matter. In my view, this is what makes the great writers great, the ability to write about anything and for it to be interesting. Petrolhead95 said:
Sadly things like car crashes, supercar burnouts etc are at the top of the list which isn't necessarily bad but it's not what I'd prefer to do.
If all you want is clicks, and that's how to get them, then fair enough. Enjoy your success. But I'd much prefer to read an insightful and esoteric Murcielago article explaining that a certain rivet would only fit perfectly if it had previously been forced through the eyelet of a Tricker's shoe to remove the burred edges (This isn't real; I just made it up, but you catch my drift).
leglessAlex said:
It's possibly slightly unfair to pull just this sentence out of context, but I think it's wrong. If you can write in a way that appeals to people then you should be able to keep the majority interested no matter what the subject matter. In my view, this is what makes the great writers great, the ability to write about anything and for it to be interesting.
Normally I'd agree, but the audience has completely different interests and varies over different ages and nationalities making it almost impossible to suit everyone, or at least the majority. I have to work with the facts which proves what provides the best engagement and what I do is the outcome of that. One thing you have to remember is that I'm not a writer, or have ever claimed to be. Yes, I write stuff on the internet but I'm the step below the people you're referring to. It's hard to demonstrate what I mean but unfortunately it's almost impossible to cater to everyone's needs and I have to create content that suits the largest audience group which happens to be younger people. I'll publish my Murcielago article at some point but it won't get anywhere as near as popular as the quizzes that I've been putting out recently.
Jacobyte said:
If all you want is clicks, and that's how to get them, then fair enough. Enjoy your success.
But I'd much prefer to read an insightful and esoteric Murcielago article explaining that a certain rivet would only fit perfectly if it had previously been forced through the eyelet of a Tricker's shoe to remove the burred edges (This isn't real; I just made it up, but you catch my drift).
Unfortunately clicks are what pays the bills and not detailed content, whether I like it or not.But I'd much prefer to read an insightful and esoteric Murcielago article explaining that a certain rivet would only fit perfectly if it had previously been forced through the eyelet of a Tricker's shoe to remove the burred edges (This isn't real; I just made it up, but you catch my drift).
Jacobyte said:
If all you want is clicks, and that's how to get them, then fair enough. Enjoy your success.
But I'd much prefer to read an insightful and esoteric Murcielago article explaining that a certain rivet would only fit perfectly if it had previously been forced through the eyelet of a Tricker's shoe to remove the burred edges (This isn't real; I just made it up, but you catch my drift).
You might enjoy this blogBut I'd much prefer to read an insightful and esoteric Murcielago article explaining that a certain rivet would only fit perfectly if it had previously been forced through the eyelet of a Tricker's shoe to remove the burred edges (This isn't real; I just made it up, but you catch my drift).
https://driventowrite.com/
If you're not already following it. It's a pleasant antidote to the drivel on 99% of other motoring sites that appear to be aimed entirely at the sort of reader who likes to read a car website for 30 seconds to make a change from shoving crayons up their nose.
AndrewEH1 said:
Jacobyte said:
Petrolhead95 said:
Unfortunately clicks are what pays the bills and not detailed content, whether I like it or not.
More's the shame.dme123 said:
You might enjoy this blog
https://driventowrite.com/
If you're not already following it. It's a pleasant antidote to the drivel on 99% of other motoring sites that appear to be aimed entirely at the sort of reader who likes to read a car website for 30 seconds to make a change from shoving crayons up their nose.
Nice one. That’s my evening sorted, cheershttps://driventowrite.com/
If you're not already following it. It's a pleasant antidote to the drivel on 99% of other motoring sites that appear to be aimed entirely at the sort of reader who likes to read a car website for 30 seconds to make a change from shoving crayons up their nose.
dme123 said:
You might enjoy this blog
https://driventowrite.com/
If you're not already following it. It's a pleasant antidote to the drivel on 99% of other motoring sites that appear to be aimed entirely at the sort of reader who likes to read a car website for 30 seconds to make a change from shoving crayons up their nose.
https://driventowrite.com/
If you're not already following it. It's a pleasant antidote to the drivel on 99% of other motoring sites that appear to be aimed entirely at the sort of reader who likes to read a car website for 30 seconds to make a change from shoving crayons up their nose.
CraigyMc said:
All the good independent content I've seen has been funded by patreon. Not motoring, but AvE and ForgottenWeapons are both quite entertaining (both youtube channels) and both funded by Patreon.
Thanks 
Yipper said:
PistonHeads = 2.0m visits in last 30 days.
DriveTribe = 1.8m visits in last 30 days.
It'd be interesting to see the amount of attention paid to each.DriveTribe = 1.8m visits in last 30 days.
Marketeers aren't ultimately interested in how many page hits there are. They are interested in how much attention their ads get.
And now they're wanting their users to run the website for them... https://drivetribe.com/p/want-to-become-a-drivetri...
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