Passive Income

I got a surprise payout from Google Adsense today. I knew where it was from, but I had forgotten about it because I hadn't created any content on that channel for many months. I had a quick look at the analytics and what do you know, the same flat rate has been paid out for nearly a year, with minimal change.

So how is this happening? Well, there is a core group of videos that I created long ago that get roughly the same number of views every month, regardless. True evergreen content. They are not exciting, sensational or viral, but just useful. People that need to watch them for information watch them, and go about their way.

True passive income is actually pretty rare. What many people can "passive" income is actually very active. If they stopped doing what they're doing, the income would stop or drop dramatically. True passive income happens when you put in most or all the work in the beginning and then let the thing go, and it generates revenue into perpetuity.

I don't even know if or when those videos broke even. It cost me quite a fair bit of money to make them in the first place. When I did make them, I wasn't thinking about the money or that they were going to generate passive income. I just made them because I was deeply passionate about the subject matter.

I'm sure you're now starting to wonder what the "subject matter" is, since I've been vague about it till now. It's no big secret - it's vintage photography. They are video manuals of vintage cameras that are no longer made. So my videos are some of the very few, if not the only ones online about them.

I've been thinking of replicating this format with other things, but I haven't quite found something I know enough about that is now rare enough, but that people are still interested in. The search continues.

Meanwhile in other earnings

I put about zero effort into my Amazon affiliates promotions, which is probably why my earnings are pretty modest. They are earnings nevertheless. They were remarkably higher during the early months of the Coronavirus pandemic, especially at the zenith of the lockdowns, because people were ordering more things from Amazon.

The US seems to always be my highest payout zone when it comes to Amazon. Sometimes the UK outperforms the US, but very rarely. I also have payouts from other EU countries and Japan. I didn't sign up for Brazil or India because I am too lazy for the effort of creating a whole bunch of new links. I know there's a service that does some kind of regional redirect, but again, lazy.

The point is, though, the potential is there. The way it is now, it's kind of passive since I don't put in any effort at all. However, for the active creator the potential is there to make this into something substantial. For me, this is what pays for my coffee addiction and the odd cheap gadget from Amazon. :)

Peace & Love,

Adé