Hello there, from the Zim house here in southeastern Washington!
I want to give you an update on what's going on with my YouTube channel...
And let you know about something new that I'm starting.
You may have noticed that I haven't been on very many cruises lately...
And that I haven't bought any new model trains in a while either.
I did five cruises in 2019...
Three in 2021...
I've only done two cruises this year...
And I just have one cruise booked for next year.
I think you can see the trend!
And as far as model trains...
It's been eight months since I added a new one...
That put my collection at 25 locomotives.
And at this point, I have no plans to buy any new model trains.
You're probably wondering... why is that?
I was doing five cruises a year for a while there and...
Adding new model trains to my collection left and right.
"What has changed?" you ask.
Well, you may have already guessed...
It's all about the money. Or my lack thereof!
I retired from my "real job" two years ago.
And I've got a pension, and social security, and money in a retirement account...
Enough to keep a roof over my head and pay the bills around here for the rest of my life.
But my "fun money"...
The money for the cruises and the model trains and the drones and the cameras...
Has always been coming from the advertising revenue that I make from my YouTube videos.
And the good news is that last year, 2021...
I made more money from YouTube than I did in any of the previous years.
It was a very good year, as far as YouTube views and advertising dollars.
Thus the three cruises last year, and a lot of money spent on model trains...
Not just locomotives, but more tracks and switches and some new rail cars, too, last year.
But this year... something has changed at YouTube...
Some kind of change to their algorithm, or something.
Apparently in 2022, YouTube is no longer interested in recommending model train videos and cruise ship videos from 65 year old retired guys!
Well, I think basically YouTube thought I was cool, for a while...
And they recommended my videos to a lot of people for a few years there, but...
These days, not so much.
Now I'm not really doing anything hugely different on my channel these days...
Than I've been doing for the last couple of years, am I?
You've seen what I've been doing for the last few years. Is it any different lately?
But in the first 8 months of 2021 I had about 22 million views to my videos...
And in the first 8 months of this year, I've only had 8 million views.
From 22 million, to 8 million. That's a bad trend.
And the advertising revenue they send me has been down by about 45% over the same period last year.
So, that's the truth about why I haven't bought any new model trains in a while...
And why I haven't been doing a lot of cruise ship videos lately.
I pay for those things with the money I make from YouTube...
Lately that money has just dried up.
So, what am I going to do about it?
Well, I think it's time to do something that a lot of YouTubers do...
But that I've really resisted doing until now.
I think now is the time, for the good of the channel, because...
If I don't go on any cruises, I'm going to lose all my cruise fanatics...
And if I just keep making model train videos with the same old model trains over and over...
I'm going to lose all the model train fanatics, too.
And by the way... If I just make Thomas The Tank Engine videos... I'll lose my mind!
So, you've probably already guessed...
I'm starting a Patreon for my channel.
If there are any model train fanatics out there that want to see me get some new trains...
This is your chance to help make it happen.
And you cruise fanatics... if you want to see more cruise ship videos here on this channel...
This is your chance to help me with that.
I've set up a couple of different membership levels...
Starting at as low as just $1 a month...
And if there are enough people willing to chip in and help keep this ship afloat...
Pardon the pun!...
I think it will make a real difference...
So that the huge drop off in advertising revenue doesn't end up sinking this ship!
Because honestly...
Having seen the number of views my videos get...
Go from 22 million in the first 8 months of 2021...
To only 8 million in the first 8 months of this year...
I have thought that maybe the time has come to just shut the whole thing down.
But instead of doing that...
I think what I should do is just stop trying to fund this whole thing with ad revenue only...
And give folks like you... the people that actually watch my videos...
A chance to help out with the costs.
Because I make videos about two very expensive things!
A new G-scale locomotive is typically about a thousand dollars.
And going on a cruise... that's thousands of dollars.
While American Cruise Lines and Viking have been great about inviting me aboard at their expense...
All the other cruises that I've done with Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian, Princess...
I've paid full price for those.
So, if you want to help out by becoming a Patron...
That will definitely make a difference in what I'm able to do, and make videos about.
As I mentioned, I set up a couple of different membership levels, with perks for some of the upper levels.
And one of the perks that I think people in the top level will really get a kick out of...
Is a personalized birthday video, one per year...
For either you, or your kid, or for whoever you think would enjoy it.
Hey Jonas! It's Jim Zim from YouTube!
Your Dad told me it's your third birthday today...
And that you're getting a bunch of model trains for your birthday...
So, I just wanted to make this video for you to wish you a very happy birthday!
And for your birthday I want to give you a special salute by firing my train whistle!
(TOOT TOOT!)
(SCREAM!)
I guess I should have warned my wife that I was going to do that!
I've put a link in the description of this video to my Patreon page.
Or just go to Patreon and do a search for Jim Zim, and you'll find it.
Take a look at the different membership levels...
And give some thought to whether you want to help keep this ship afloat!
Now before I wrap this up, I do want to mention that...
I have to pay taxes on any money that comes in from Patreon, so...
My plan is that whatever money people kick in on Patreon...
I'll set aside 20% of it for taxes...
And put 40% towards getting new model train stuff...
And 40% towards cruises and travel.
And one last thing...
I've had a Facebook group for the last several years...
It's called Jim Zim on YouTube...
A place where you could share stuff with me, ask me questions, and things like that.
I want to let you know that I'm going to be shutting that down shortly...
And using the social media features on Patreon instead.
That will be the place, from now on...
Where you'll be able to ask me questions...
And participate as part of the group of Jim Zim patrons.
That's the latest from here.
Hopefully, enough people will want to be a part of the Patreon group that...
I'll be able to keep this channel going for many more years.