Sunday Summary - 04.10.22
Reading
That Summer Update!
Now that I’m almost 40% of the way through the book, I can confidently recommend this one. Her writing style is so sneaky! One minute you’re innocently reading along about these two gal pals at dinner, and the next minute she subtly weaves in a major plot twist, and you’re like “well, I told myself this was the last page, but I guess I have to keep going.” It’s the true definition of a page turner!
Watching
Spoilers ahead! The Rock the Block Season 3 finale aired on Monday, and we were very pleasantly surprised by the outcome! The winners of seasons 1 and 2 were questionable, so we were cheering at the TV when Egypt and Mike took home the well-deserved W. Also, let’s all congratulate Kesler for predicting their win after episode 2. Their decision to connect the garage to the main house ended up being the clincher in the end!
We also started the latest Marvel TV series, Moon Knight. I feel like this show came out of nowhere, and, honestly, we have no idea how it fits into the overall Marvel Universe (yet!) However, there are a few things we do know: 1) This show is way creepier than any of the other Marvel shows to date. 2) Where Loki was confusing thanks to the multiverse, this show is confusing thanks to some weird psychological situation that we don’t have answers to after just two episodes. 3) It’s surprisingly good for someone who’s usually creeped out by psychological shows! New episodes air every Wednesday.
Cooking
From Half Baked Harvest
During Vlogmas I usually show a lot of cooking, because we’re vlogging everyday for an entire month. Aside from the fact that I work a full time job and there is very little interesting content from 9:00 - 5:00 each day, I just enjoy cooking and love to show it! Once Vlogmas concludes, I usually get an influx of comments and messages asking for more cooking content, recipe recommendations for different seasons, etc. While I serve up a lot of that info in these weekly newsletters, I’m excited to deliver the content in video form this week!
I’ve been working with a company to put together a video of some of my favorite weeknight meals that are equal parts easy and delicious. Stay tuned - it’ll release this Friday, April 15th :)
Here’s the menu for the week:
Simplest Zucchini Pasta from Half Baked Harvest’s blog
Cajun Sheet Pan Shrimp “Boil” from The Defined Dish Cookbook - the recipe link will take you to someone else’s blog that reposted Alex’s original recipe
Kale Caesar with Sweet Potatoes and Crispy Chickpeas from Half Baked Harvest’s blog
Brussels Sprouts and Gnochi with a Brown Butter Sauce from Half Baked Harvest Everyday - this recipe link is similar, but it’s not exact
The Latest & Behind the Scenes YouTube Talk
My Spring Essentials video ft. Nisolo went live on Wednesday! This video takes you through some classic wardrobe staples for the warmer months, my skincare routine changes, and even a lil somethin’ somethin’ for your pup!
Since this video included a product placement, I wanted to explain the differences between product placements, sponsored videos, and endorsed videos, for those interested in gaining some YouTube “insider knowledge.” The rules around this stuff are a little fuzzy, in my opinion, which is likely why there are always salty commenters waiting on the sidelines to yell at you if they feel you’ve misstepped along the way.
Here’s what every YouTube creator has to attest to when they post a video for which they received payment (and sometimes a product) from a brand:
This disclaimer includes the phrase “anything of value,” but the actual definitions of all three video types on the YouTube creator platform include the word “compensation.” If you look up the definition of compensation, you’re going to find the word “money” mentioned in most all of them. I’m no lawyer, but “anything of value” and “compensation” both seem to have broad and different definitions, which is why (I think) everyone is confused. After many years on YouTube I’ve learned - when in doubt, check the box.
Product Placement - This occurs when a brand or company sends me a product for free, and I mention it in a video. Sometimes a brand will send the product in exchange for a video mention, and other times there are no strings attached. If the brand stipulates that the product must be mentioned in a video, I sometimes check the box, even though no money changed hands and it technically isn’t required, just to be on the safe side. If a company sends me something out of the blue and I choose to mention it, I don’t check the box because there was no agreement or requirement that I talk about the product at all.
YouTube is primarily concerned with the disclosure of paid product placements, though. YouTube Definition: “Paid product placements are pieces of content that are created for a third party in exchange for compensation. This content is also where the third party's brand, message, or product is integrated directly into the content.” YouTubers often refer to this type of content as a sponsorship when it’s technically a paid product placement.
Endorsement - YouTube Definition: “Endorsements are content created for an advertiser with a message that users are likely to believe reflects the opinions of the content creator.” Most YouTubers call this type of video a sponsorship, too, even though a true sponsorship has a totally different definition (see below.)
Either way, this is why it’s important to me that I partner with brands that I believe in and that create products that I already have spent or would spend my own money on. For this type of video, a brand or company sends me a product for free and they pay me a fee to create the video about the product. This is how people make a living on Instagram and YouTube, in case you were curious. Google AdSense income (the money you get from ads shown on your videos) isn’t anything to sneeze at, but the big bucks are made through side income streams like video endorsements.
Sponsorships - YouTube Definition: “Sponsorships are pieces of content that have been financed in whole or in part by a third party. Sponsorships generally promote the brand, message or product of the third party without integrating the brand, message, or product directly into the content.” These types of promotions are much more prevalent in the podcast game. For example, the podcast episode may be about true crime, but it’s sponsored by Magic Spoon cereal. The ad has no relation to the content whatsoever, the brand just knew a lot of people would hear the ad because the true crime podcast was popular.
Now you know that almost every YouTuber uses the word sponsorship wrong, (myself included!) and that the content creation world is kind of confusing to navigate!
I know that was a LOT to take in and was probably more than you bargained for, but I thought you may enjoy a little peek behind the curtain. I also hope you know that I strive to have a platform that teaches you about products so that you can adequately determine if they’re right for your lifestyle. My goal is not to convince you that you need everything under the sun, because the reality is…you don’t!
Making videos and newsletters and instagram posts takes a lot of time and hard work that is never seen by the people voraciously consuming it, so it’s really nice when a company notices that hard work and wants to pay you for it. No one will fault you for exercising a little skepticism when you see a sponsored post, but I truly believe that content creators who take pride in their work and who have built a loyal community are exercising an equal level of discernment when they agree to put their name behind a specific product or brand.
If you liked these insider tips, let me know! Are you interested in another category that we’ve never covered in a Sunday Summary? Let me know that, too! All you have to do is click the Contact Me link below!
Have a great week!