Social Media and the demise of websites like this

[HB Vic]

I've been around long enough to remember the traffic sites like the old Hotboat.com used to have. I'm not going to compare the new Hotboat.com to the old Hotboat.com because I have not done this site justice, so I'm not going to compare this site to those that were booming back in the day. Nor will I compare this site to those that are still doing fairly well.

But I will say this, a few years ago when I invested a fairly large sum of money in to sponsorships, ads, promotions, giveaways, etc. I was right up there with the big boys, and I have receipts and cancelled checks to prove it. But those days are long gone. Even when I did have a few paying advertisers, that income paled in comparison to what I spent on boat races, boat shows, sponsorships, and other boating related events.

I've noticed a trend over the past several years and a transition from sites like this to social media sites, sites like Facebook or even Instagram. Many boating related social media pages have popped up over the past several years and I see new ones pop up all the time. For many of the boating industry advertisers, social media is a great way to reach your audience for pennies. Social media has already proven to be a great way to stay in touch with friends and family, now social media is capitalizing on advertisers. Good and bad for the boating industry.

The good is a fairly inexpensive way to reach your audience. You can capitalize on groups or a large user base that is already well established. Great for advertisers and a very low cost way to reach your audience.

Now the bad. Because advertisers are spending less and less on sites like this, the trickle down effect is less and less sponsorship or promotional dollars. For example, many of the small private boat racing teams have lost their primary source of sponsorship dollars. Even the bigger guys are feeling the squeeze. And its only going to get worse. The more social media is used to promote and advertise boating and/or boating related events, the fewer ad dollars are spent on sites such as this. And in the end, fewer dollars spent reinvesting in the industry.

Unfortunately I do not see this changing anytime soon. Social media is on fire and continues to grow at a staggering level.

Sometime back I set up Hotboat.com social media pages in an attempt to capture those who do not like forum structured websites, such as this. Ironically, the social media Hotboat.com pages appear to be doing much better than their parent website lol. I guess you could say that idea backfired. Most attempts to redirect that traffic to this site are futile. On occasion the redirects (pointing ads or info on social media websites back to www.hotboat.com) work, albeit temporarily. So after a few hours everyone goes back to social media and few, if any, post on the website.

Inevitably, this website will die a quiet death. And I'm afraid others like this too will eventually fall by the wayside.

The bigger community will eventually consume our little nests and our future choices will be limited to a couple social media websites.

Progress right?

Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. Fortunately for me my costs are extremely low and pretty much limited to hosting fees. If I had to count on this place as a source of income, I wound't be a fat fuck. I'd look more like a tweaker on the paleo diet wearing clothes that are 10X too big for me.

Hotboat.com will be 5 years old this December. Its been a great journey, and I'm extremely appreciative of those of you who are still here. And for those of you who post on a regular basis, God Bless you and thank you!!

I don't know if I'll make it to our 10yr anniversary, but I'm sure as hell going to try :partyguy:

[2manymustangs]

Thanks for the expense and all of the hard work/dedication. I for one see how you have been a stalwart when it comes to supporting the boat races/events, you're there because you are part of the community/interested/close friends/love boating/OWN a boat/etc etc etc........

I appreciate your efforts...


Going out on a limb here, I will tell my story... I started hanging on the HAVASUBARNEY site back in the dark ages, with folks from all across the U.S.... I had the good fortune to meet some of the folks over the last decades.... Some are now close friends that I cherish.... Some folks I grated on like a 40 grit belt sander, for which I am eternally sorry and wish I could have a DO-over.....

One thing led to another and I ended up on the OLD hotboat, then to PB and ultimately here....

And that is it in a nut shell... :)

[HB Vic]

Thanks for the expense and all of the hard work/dedication. I for one see how you have been a stalwart when it comes to supporting the boat races/events, you're there because you are part of the community/interested/close friends/love boating/OWN a boat/etc etc etc........

I appreciate your efforts...


Going out on a limb here, I will tell my story... I started hanging on the HAVASUBARNEY site back in the dark ages, with folks from all across the U.S.... I had the good fortune to meet some of the folks over the last decades.... Some are now close friends that I cherish.... Some folks I grated on like a 40 grit belt sander, for which I am eternally sorry and wish I could have a DO-over.....

One thing led to another and I ended up on the OLD hotboat, then to PB and ultimately here....

And that is it in a nut shell... :)

Honestly, in the beginning it was an investment opportunity, or so I thought lol.

But today it really is more of a passion and love for the sport and boats and boating. I don't spend the dough I used to by any means now, but I will still be there taking pics, posting them here, and giving them away. I'm fortunate enough to say that in 5 years I've never charged anyone for a photo. I do it because I love it.

Going forward I have no idea where this journey will take Hotboat.com, but I'm going to do my best to keep the old gal alive.

And to you sir I say thank you. You are one of the few who has continually patronized this site, and I truly appreciate that ��

[2FORCEFULL]

I think you are kinda right here.....but at the same time, I don't think the actual forum style web sites will go away, some people like to hide behind screen names, not just to be able to be ass holes...but to keep their life more private...I talk to a lot of people that know me, because I post a lot.and I have no idea who they are..I anit skeert...but, I should keep my private life more private.. some one will come up to me and say "hey 2ff !".... I really like the how to video or post you did....I'm 2dogsfucking on such and such web site...ahhh ok, but what's you birth name...SAM.... good to meet you Sam.....where as face book is more on a personal level....they know you and you know them,...you can choose who you let on your face book, and on web sites like this one, the constant a-holes you have to put on ignore.

..Boating forums are not just the over and over pics of the boat on the water.... but real events of how others fix things that go wrong..how a boat performs.... the ol, have you tried a different prop....boating forums are not about the owner of the site.... but more the members that post to support the site...we all seen what happened to the old hot boat...and why every one left.. web sites are trendy.. and the trendy followers will follow...

there seems to be a huge group of I wanna be "that" guy people in boating.... some don't even have boats...some people just wanna be part of a group.....I like the smaller groups of good down to earth people... not to say I don't like shit talkers , but , I don't like the lets mob this guy groups... they eat up the newbee's..
are always disrespectfull..

. I was banned from a site and was amaized at the reason... really?...lol never did any of thing blamed.. so now we don't get to play any of the raindeer games...another LOL.. I spend a lot of time try'n to share ways of fixing stuff.... but constant digs by the same members over and over... kinda get old,... the constant making fun of my stuff gets old.... you can't do that on face book..

I put up a how to build a house, sure . if you done it before.. it's easy...lot of work... but easy to do.. this was my reward... the mod took my home pic and photo shopped tom brown taking a piss in the kitchen...really??? every one got a good laugh out of that,... hurt my wife to see it... that would have never happened on face book,.. and would never happen again if I wasn't going on 65 yrs old.

.. so.... with all that said.. I still will support HOT BOAT... I like the name.... I like the this is where it all started...I have a lot of respect Vic as he is a truly respectful person, on a personal level...as far as where companys spend their advertising... most monitor what they get out of their money spent...boating companies wanna se boating content... they wanna see some R.O.I.... hard to believe... but most Like what I post about the different boats... the truth and facts....the this is how a Hallett runs videos... the this is how well a cheetah deck boat performs.. , this is how good or bad this rv will pull your
boat...you don't get that from face book..

. so I guess we will see what evolution has in store...bottom line.... HOT BOAT IS JUST PLAIN COOL...

[HB Vic]

While I agree with the keyboard cowboy part, unfortunately much like traditional paper magazines, I believe the forum style websites will eventually go in the same direction. Extinct. Lol. Even some of the third party app people like Tapatalk are styling their apps like social media websites. Tapatalk now has a "timeline" feature. And Tapatalk is now loaded with ad's, unless you pay for the non-ad feature.

But again, none of the social media style sites capture ad dollars so that those dollars trickle down to the guy racing his boat or the promoter promoting his event. Facebook and Instagram don't send checks to sponsors or promoters or racers. They keep every dollar.

Traditionally, the forum style websites survived on ad dollars. Exposure, hits, traffic, etc. are what gets those advertiser dollars. The advertisers don't necessarily care who gets their dollars as long as they're getting the exposure for their buck. This is the rub. If you're an advertiser and you have to choose between a website that has to earn their traffic, or a social media website where people simply flock to, who are you going to send your dollars to?

Its a no brainer in my opinion. And unfortunately we (boaters) lose. I think the future holds fewer and fewer smaller boating events. And I also see fewer and fewer larger boating events. Because boating does not have the TV coverage traditional events have (nascar, motocross, etc) there really is no mechanism in place to capture advertising dollars. And social media won't be spreading the wealth anytime soon.

I see a drought in the near future. It will be interesting to see if anything can be done to keep the flow of dough flowing to the people who put on the show :headscratch:

[2FORCEFULL]

While I agree with the keyboard cowboy part, unfortunately much like traditional paper magazines, I believe the forum style websites will eventually go in the same direction. Extinct. Lol. Even some of the third party app people like Tapatalk are styling their apps like social media websites. Tapatalk now has a "timeline" feature. And Tapatalk is now loaded with ad's, unless you pay for the non-ad feature.

But again, none of the social media style sites capture ad dollars so that those dollars trickle down to the guy racing his boat or the promoter promoting his event. Facebook and Instagram don't send checks to sponsors or promoters or racers. They keep every dollar.

Traditionally, the forum style websites survived on ad dollars. Exposure, hits, traffic, etc. are what gets those advertiser dollars. The advertisers don't necessarily care who gets their dollars as long as they're getting the exposure for their buck. This is the rub. If you're an advertiser and you have to choose between a website that has to earn their traffic, or a social media website where people simply flock to, who are you going to send your dollars to?

Its a no brainer in my opinion. And unfortunately we (boaters) lose. I think the future holds fewer and fewer smaller boating events. And I also see fewer and fewer larger boating events. Because boating does not have the TV coverage traditional events have (nascar, motocross, etc) there really is no mechanism in place to capture advertising dollars. And social media won't be spreading the wealth anytime soon.

I see a drought in the near future. It will be interesting to see if anything can be done to keep the flow of dough flowing to the people who put on the show :headscratch:

good point... R.O.I.

[2manymustangs]

For what it is worth 2FF, your house that you built and presented photos of is STELLAR... I was one that PMd asking about footings and the structure/foundation aspect in Arizona... I thought/think its beautiful and perfectly done for what you were gearing it for... RV hookups, flatwork for turning a boat trailer around... If a fellow boater can't appreciate what you did in the home build they have issues... Killer place, kudos... I hope to meet you and your wife someday...

Sorry, off topic I know....

Back to the topic at hand and OTHER folks views of forum/vbulletin sites/facebook/etc... :popcorn:

[2FORCEFULL]

For what it is worth 2FF, your house that you built and presented photos of is STELLAR... I was one that PMd asking about footings and the structure/foundation aspect in Arizona... I thought/think its beautiful and perfectly done for what you were gearing it for... RV hookups, flatwork for turning a boat trailer around... If a fellow boater can't appreciate what you did in the home build they have issues... Killer place, kudos... I hope to meet you and your wife someday...

Sorry, off topic I know....

Back to the topic at hand and OTHER folks views of forum/vbulletin sites/facebook/etc... :popcorn:

thanks for the kind words...I'm at the cross roads of a new build... and think that I gonna call it quits on building...got the lot ready to go, all the dirt work done...but... don't think I wanna put the effort to build

[HB Vic]

Cold feet now? What's up?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[2FORCEFULL]

here's what I don't understand about this topic??? how the hell do you make money on face book???? do they farm your personal info??? and if boating web sites are going away...when will advertisers pull the plug....how much could a company spend with no ROI....most all the web sites seem to have the same thing going on...a few posters, and more readers...I like the boating sites more as a how to tool....what works and what don't....how many times can you look at the same pics of the channel... I've been there and know what it looks like..I like the boat builds.... the resto threads....on face book the go away so fast that you miss out...lot of time I go back and look for interesting threads that are 4 or 5 years old... can you do that on face book??? do people really wanna take the time to do a build thread that is gone in 60 seconds???I think that boat builders, wanna see more about their product....I think the evo of boating come from real time feed back....sure the pics of some guys ol lady bent over getting a beer out of the cooler for him are part of boating....but some times you wanna read about try'n a different prop..:biggrin:

[2FORCEFULL]

Cold feet now? What's up?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

well, the big pic is this...Sue is telling me she is for real gonna retire in feb..she wants to do the riverbound trip, and more like it..so more motorhome'n... we have a home in havasu, rv garage , 3br 2 bath... I threw some crazy time and money at the place...the new build will take into next year... and a lot of money.... I have way north of a mil tied up in havasu..built a couple homes and carried the paper...nice little monthly coming in..so to me , I'm done with havasu.. and just wanna enjoy it more..I'm susposed to be retired....lol.. not just tired every day.... the ground hog day really sets in after years and years of going to the same place...I guess if you get drunk enough you for get... and it's easyier to keep doing it over...my some bought a boat so we are splitting the lkke trips now between mead and havasu.. and wanna throw powell and a few other places in the mix..

[314joey]

We moved again and have been tied up with lots of other stuff, but thought I'd add my two cents a few days late. We're not big fakebook fans, so I appreciate the work you do to keep the site up and running, thanks a bunch.

[2FORCEFULL]

We moved again and have been tied up with lots of other stuff, but thought I'd add my two cents a few days late. We're not big fakebook fans, so I appreciate the work you do to keep the site up and running, thanks a bunch.

HOTBOAT is getting a lot of readers...ever post helps right now..thanks for posting