WordPress content creators buying YouTube views 🔗 **Source:** [WordPress content creators buying YouTube views](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAtn-BOw7dM) > [!note]+ Document Notes > tags: [wordpress-media, content-creation, sponsorship] > author: Matt Medeiros > source: YouTube > reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAtn-BOw7dM > date created: 2024-12-28 10:30 > > # 🏷️ Title: WordPress content creators buying YouTube views > <!-- deep-read:sections start --> ## 🧰 Action Inbox - [H1] Investigate suspicious view counts on WordPress media channels — protect sponsor relationships #media-integrity - [H2] Build professional content team to scale beyond single-person brand — reduce business dependency #business-growth - [H3] Establish transparent sponsorship pricing based on genuine engagement metrics — maintain market standards #sponsorship ## 🧭 Table of Contents - [📝 Summary](#-summary) - [📖 Main Content](#-main-content) - [🗒️ Notes](#️-notes) - [📚 References](#-references) - [🗣️ Paraphrase](#️-paraphrase) - [📰 Newsletter](#-newsletter) - [✅ Action Items](#-action-items) - [🧪 Hypotheses](#-hypotheses) - [📊 Methodology](#-methodology) - [❓ Questions](#-questions) - [🔮 Future Research](#-future-research) - [💡 Implications](#-implications) - [🧠 Learning Styles Assessment](#-learning-styles-assessment) - [📊 Accessibility Assessment](#-accessibility-assessment) - [🌍 DEIB Assessment](#-deib-assessment) - [✅ Logical Validity](#-logical-validity) - [🛡️ DARVO Analysis](#-darvo-analysis) - [🎯 Conclusion](#-conclusion) ### 🔗 References - [WP Minute](https://wpmmin.com) - [Seahawk Media YouTube Channel](https://youtube.com/@seahawkmedia) ## 📝 Summary - Matt Medeiros accuses WordPress content creators of buying YouTube views to inflate metrics and charge higher sponsorship rates - The practice undermines legitimate WordPress media creators who rely on authentic engagement for revenue - WP Minute is transitioning to a professional omni-channel brand with paid team members to scale beyond single-person dependency - Key stakeholders include WordPress media creators, sponsors, and the broader WordPress community - Bottom line: Artificial view inflation hurts the entire WordPress media ecosystem by creating unrealistic pricing expectations ## 📖 Main Content Matt Medeiros argues that some WordPress content creators are purchasing YouTube views to artificially inflate their metrics, then using these inflated numbers to charge sponsors significantly higher rates than authentic creators. He specifically mentions Seahawk Media as an example, noting unusual view patterns on content featuring him that exceed his typical engagement with high-profile guests like Matt Mullenweg. The practice creates a market distortion where sponsors pay premium rates for artificial engagement, then become disillusioned when campaigns underperform. This leads to reduced sponsorship budgets across the entire WordPress media space, affecting legitimate creators who rely on authentic metrics. Medeiros contrasts this with his approach at WP Minute, which focuses on building a professional omni-channel media brand with paid team members like Eric Karkovack (managing editor) and the Agency Action podcast hosts Kurt Vonahn and Toby Cryns. This strategy aims to create sustainable business practices and reduce dependency on single personalities. ## 🗒️ Notes #### ⏱️ [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAtn-BOw7dM&t=0) — [H1] Annual WordPress media integrity vent - Key idea: 18 years of WordPress community involvement drives passion for media integrity - Evidence: "This is something that is 18 years of hard labor and love and interest for WordPress" #### ⏱️ [01:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAtn-BOw7dM&t=75) — [H2] Suspicious view patterns on Seahawk Media - Key idea: Podcast views exceeding typical high-profile guest performance indicates artificial inflation - Evidence: "Numbers that I don't ever see on my own podcast, even when I'm interviewing stakeholders in the WordPress economy" #### ⏱️ [02:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAtn-BOw7dM&t=150) — [H1] Purchased views impact sponsorship markets - Key idea: Artificial metrics allow creators to charge inflated rates that hurt legitimate competitors - Evidence: "Sell advertisers or sponsors against that content which directly affects how I put food on the table" #### ⏱️ [03:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAtn-BOw7dM&t=225) — [H2] WP Minute as professional media business - Key idea: Taking content creation seriously as sustainable business model rather than side project - Evidence: "The WP Minute is something that I'm trying to build into a true business that sustains itself" #### ⏱️ [05:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAtn-BOw7dM&t=320) — [H2] Omni-channel brand strategy differentiator - Key idea: Multi-platform approach provides more value to sponsors than single-channel creators - Evidence: "Audio, video, newsletter, blog, community, live streams, education now that we have courses" #### ⏱️ [07:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAtn-BOw7dM&t=430) — [H3] Team building reduces single-person dependency - Key idea: Scaling beyond founder dependency requires professional team development - Evidence: "If you were running an agency and it was just you, you are the roadblock" #### ⏱️ [08:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAtn-BOw7dM&t=510) — [H2] Strong sponsor relationships validate approach - Key idea: Quality sponsors recognize professional content approach over vanity metrics - Evidence: "Pressible, Elementor, Kinsta, GoDaddy, 20I, Gridpane, and Hosting.com just signed on" #### ⏱️ [09:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAtn-BOw7dM&t=585) — [H3] Eric Karkovack's professional development - Key idea: Team member growth from writer to on-air talent demonstrates professional operation - Evidence: "Eric the blogger to Eric the producer to now Eric the on-air personality and talent" #### ⏱️ [11:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAtn-BOw7dM&t=680) — [H3] Agency Action podcast success story - Key idea: Kurt Vonahn and Toby Cryns partnership provides valuable agency owner perspective - Evidence: "Boots on the ground, what's happening in the trenches of an agency owner" #### ⏱️ [13:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAtn-BOw7dM&t=790) — [H2] Professional growth expectations for team - Key idea: Raising standards across all team members to maintain professional brand quality - Evidence: "Everyone has to take this more serious now" #### ⏱️ [14:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAtn-BOw7dM&t=840) — [H1] Purchased views harm entire WordPress media ecosystem - Key idea: Artificial inflation creates unrealistic sponsor expectations that damage legitimate creators - Evidence: "You are bringing down the entire stack of WordPress media" #### ⏱️ [16:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAtn-BOw7dM&t=975) — [H2] Content strategy evolution from news to education - Key idea: Expanding beyond WordPress news to comprehensive education and entertainment - Evidence: "Shifted gears from WordPress news and community to education, information, and entertainment" #### ⏱️ [17:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAtn-BOw7dM&t=1050) — [H3] Community platform for professional networking - Key idea: Slack community provides free networking platform with engagement expectations - Evidence: "Don't just sit on your hands waiting for more sales, engage with others" ## 📚 References - [WP Minute Sponsorship](https://wpmmin.com) - [WP Minute Community Memberships](https://wpmmin.com) - [Agency Action Podcast](https://wpmmin.com) ## 🗣️ Paraphrase - Some WordPress content creators artificially inflate their YouTube metrics through purchased views, then charge sponsors premium rates based on these fake numbers - This practice hurts legitimate creators like WP Minute who rely on authentic engagement metrics for fair sponsorship pricing - Building a professional media brand requires scaling beyond single-person dependency through team development and omni-channel content strategy ## 📰 Newsletter WordPress media integrity matters for our entire ecosystem. When content creators buy fake YouTube views to inflate sponsorship rates, it creates unrealistic market expectations that hurt everyone. Matt Medeiros from WP Minute highlights this growing problem while showcasing a better path: building professional media brands with dedicated teams, authentic metrics, and omni-channel strategies. His approach with team members like Eric Karkovack and the Agency Action podcast demonstrates sustainable WordPress media business practices. For WordPress professionals, this means supporting creators who prioritize genuine engagement over vanity metrics. Quality content and transparent business practices benefit sponsors, creators, and our community long-term. Resources: [WP Minute](https://wpmmin.com), [WordPress Community Meetups](https://www.meetup.com/pro/wordpress/), [WordCamp Events](https://central.wordcamp.org/) ## ✅ Action Items #### DevRel - Developer advocacy: Document authentic engagement metrics for WordPress media partnerships - Education: Create workshops on sustainable content monetization strategies - Community management: Establish guidelines for transparent sponsorship practices #### WordPress - Community: Develop integrity standards for WordPress media creators - Marketing: Support authentic content creators over artificially inflated channels - Meta: Consider verification systems for WordPress media partner metrics #### Community - Contributors: Support legitimate WordPress content creators through engagement - Sponsors: Implement due diligence for verifying content creator metrics - Ecosystem: Promote transparency in WordPress media sponsorship practices ## 🧪 Hypotheses - WordPress content creators purchasing views charge 4-5x higher sponsorship rates than authentic creators - Artificial view inflation leads to sponsor disillusionment and reduced overall market budgets - Professional team-based content operations outperform single-creator channels long-term - Omni-channel WordPress media brands provide better sponsor ROI than single-platform creators ### 📊 Methodology - Audit view patterns across WordPress YouTube channels for artificial inflation indicators - Compare sponsorship rates between verified authentic creators and suspected view purchasers - Track sponsor retention rates across different WordPress media channel types ### ❓ Questions - What verification systems could WordPress implement to ensure media partner authenticity? - How can sponsors better evaluate genuine engagement versus purchased metrics? - What professional development pathways exist for WordPress content creators? ### 🔮 Future Research - Comprehensive audit of WordPress media ecosystem metrics and pricing - Impact study of artificial engagement on sponsor ROI and market health - Best practices for building sustainable WordPress media businesses ### 💡 Implications - Practice: WordPress professionals should scrutinize media partner metrics before sponsorship deals - Policy: WordPress community may need integrity guidelines for content creator partnerships - Education: Content creators need training on sustainable business practices versus short-term metric inflation - Funding: Sponsors should develop due diligence processes for verifying authentic engagement ### 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment Reading level estimate: 12th Grade #### 👀 Visual learners - Present: YouTube video format with speaker presentation - Improve: Add metrics comparison charts, sponsorship pricing infographics #### 🔊 Aural learners - Present: Podcast format available for audio consumption - Improve: Create 3-minute audio summary highlighting key points #### 🗣️ Verbal learners - Present: Clear explanations of business terms and WordPress ecosystem context - Improve: Add glossary of sponsorship and media terminology #### 🧩 Kinesthetic learners - Present: Call-to-action for community engagement and sponsorship contact - Improve: Create checklist for evaluating content creator authenticity #### 🧠 Logical learners - Present: Clear cause-and-effect relationships between fake views and market impact - Improve: Add decision tree for sponsor evaluation process #### 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Social learners - Present: Community discussion prompts and Slack engagement opportunities - Improve: Facilitate group discussions on WordPress media integrity #### 🧘‍♀️ Solitary learners - Present: Individual reflection on content creation practices and business ethics - Improve: Add self-assessment worksheet for content creator integrity #### 🌿 Naturalistic learners - Present: Ecosystem thinking about WordPress community health - Improve: Use ecological analogies for media ecosystem balance ### 📊 Accessibility Assessment #### Screen reader semantics - Present: Clear heading structure and logical content flow - Improve: Add detailed video transcript with speaker identification #### Keyboard navigation - Present: Standard YouTube accessibility controls - Improve: Ensure all embedded links are keyboard accessible #### Contrast and readability - Present: High contrast video with clear audio quality - Improve: Provide text summary for visual learners who need high contrast #### Media and captions - Present: Audio content with clear speech - Improve: Add closed captions and downloadable transcript ### 🌍 DEIB Assessment #### Cultural breadth - Present: Focus on global WordPress community impact - Improve: Include international perspectives on content creator economics #### Inclusive language - Present: Professional business terminology without exclusionary jargon - Improve: Define media industry terms for broader accessibility #### Representation - Present: Mentions diverse team members and community participants - Improve: Highlight diverse WordPress content creator success stories #### Psychological safety - Present: Respectful critique of business practices rather than personal attacks - Improve: Add community guidelines for discussing creator integrity ### ✅ Logical Validity #### Strong reasoning - Causal reasoning: Clear connection between fake views and market distortion - Inductive strength: Uses specific examples to support general claims about ecosystem impact - Analogical strength: Compares content creation to traditional business operations #### Fallacies - Ad hominem: Minimal - focuses on business practices rather than personal character - Appeal to authority: Uses 18 years of experience appropriately to establish credibility #### Tone of voice - Overall tone: Passionate but professional, frustrated entrepreneur defending business interests and community standards ### 🛡️ DARVO Analysis - Deny: No denial patterns detected - acknowledges bias and personal interest - Attack: Critiques business practices rather than attacking individuals - Reverse victim/offender: No victim/offender reversal present - Emotional cues: Genuine frustration about market manipulation affecting livelihood ## 🎯 Conclusion The WordPress media ecosystem requires integrity to remain sustainable for creators, sponsors, and the community. Artificial view inflation creates market distortions that ultimately harm everyone involved. Professional content creation with authentic metrics, dedicated teams, and transparent business practices offers a better path forward. WordPress professionals should support creators who prioritize genuine engagement and community value over vanity metrics. ## 🧱 Refactor Appendix ### 📚 Literature Split Pad Purpose: Stage CEE units that become Literature notes. Split level: H3 ### [H1] Artificial metrics distort WordPress sponsorship markets > [!quote] WordPress content creators buying YouTube views by [[Matt Medeiros]] via [[YouTube]]. Published 2024. Accessed 2024-12-28. > "You are bringing down the entire stack of WordPress media." Demonstrates how purchased views create unrealistic sponsor expectations that damage the entire creator economy. [view highlight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAtn-BOw7dM&t=840#H1) #xref #articleseed ID:rw_wordpress_media_integrity ### [H2] Professional teams enable content brand scaling > [!quote] WordPress content creators buying YouTube views > "If you were running an agency and it was just you, you are the roadblock." Explains why single-person content brands limit growth potential compared to professional team operations. [view highlight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAtn-BOw7dM&t=430#H2) #xref ID:rw_content_scaling ### [H3] Omni-channel strategy provides sponsor value > [!quote] WordPress content creators buying YouTube views > "Audio, video, newsletter, blog, community, live streams, education." Multi-platform approach offers more touchpoints and engagement opportunities for sponsor partnerships. [view highlight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAtn-BOw7dM&t=320#H3) #xref ID:rw_omnichannel_media --- ### 🔖 Atomic Split Pad ( <!-- deep-read:sections end --> ## 📺 Video  --- # 📄 Full Transcript *Auto-generated from YouTube captions · timestamps roughly every 30 seconds · [watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAtn-BOw7dM)* **[00:00]** every year or so, sometime twice yearly, I have to get on the soap box of WordPress media and vent. Uh, this is something that is 18 years of hard labor and love and interest for WordPress, the community, and how it impacts web professionals around the world. This is sort of what I've been covering um as a freelance content creator alongside full-time jobs for many many years now. **[00:31]** And it [clears throat] came to me when I was on a recent podcast by Seahawk Media. And I started to see my views of that podcast go up, up, up, and up some more. Numbers that I don't ever see on my own podcast, even when I'm interviewing stakeholders in the WordPress economy. People like Matt Mullen don't see the numbers that I'm seeing on Seahawk Media. And they're not the only ones. They're just well, they're the flavor of **[01:01]** the month because they're the ones that I'm seeing do it now. And I know that there are so many other folks who have purchased YouTube views and have bolstered a following that is largely just vanity. The problem is when brands like that are kneede in what I'll say what I'll call capital W and M WordPress media. like they are trying to build a presence and **[01:34]** not only build a presence but also sell advertisers or or sponsors against that content which directly affects how I put food on the table. The WP Minute is something that as you know I've been taking in a a real professional capacity for the last few years and something that I'm trying to build into a true business that sustains itself. Um I I don't do it as like I mean it is a side thing but mentally in my head it is **[02:05]** something that I am taking in a very professional capacity. I don't know if that aligns with like what your expectations are or how you define this stuff. And I know I have I have friends out there who do newsletters and do WordPress content but they have full-time jobs or they have other offerings. the the content and the media side of it is is just a nice to have. And yeah, it helps. And sure, maybe they do sponsorship and and they get some extra money around that, but they're not taking it with this like **[02:38]** professional approach, like this longevity. Let me try to frame this a little bit better because as I often do on the Matt Report is these things are just like emotionally driven off-the cuff episodes. [snorts] I want to remove myself from the WP Minute. And your knee-jerk reaction to that is because folks have told me this. Oh, I don't listen to Eric and his **[03:08]** interviews. I want you. or I don't listen to the agency action podcast because I don't really know Kurt and Toby. You know, we want you and and that is completely fine for that individual. But I don't know of any other brand, any other media brand that is actively paying employees or paying a team to help create content, **[03:42]** which is like the first bar of trying to do this like seriously and remove myself from it. The WP Minute is you know what I call an omni channel brand. It's a audio, it's video, it's newsletter, it's blog, it's community, it's live live streams, it's education now that we have courses. There are people out there who just do blogs and newsletters. There are people out there who just do audio podcasts. There are people out there who just do **[04:13]** YouTube. We are trying to be a brand that is omni channel for sponsors in the WordPress space to have a great place to spend their sponsorship dollars. That's my secret ingredient. [snorts] And it is quite shocking to some to say like why don't you just focus on one piece of content or why don't you just make it you because it's **[04:44]** just me and that is thus the issue right like if you were running an agency a WordPress agency or a service consultancy or an accounting firm and it was just you you are the roadblock and over the last few months one of the greatest achievements For me personally, for the WP Minute, aside from landing a lot more sponsors this year, this year was a really good **[05:16]** year for sponsorship, for revenue. It's not something that I could live on and it's not something that I can just, you know, exponentially [clears throat] grow the team with. But we have great pillar sponsors, Pressible, Elementor, Kinsta, GoDaddy, 20I, Gridpane, and Hosting.com just signed on. And then our Foundation Plus hosting are Big Scoots, uh, Masterio, StellarWP, Deploy HQ. **[05:46]** These are folks who have looked at my brand and said, "You do good work. We want to be there with you." But back to the thing that has like been the best thing for me. And even though I've received, and I know this going into it, like I know removing myself from the majority of content, there will be, you know, a backlash to that, not [snorts] really a backlash, but I I can understand people just want like my take all the time. The greatest achievement here has has been **[06:17]** Eric Caravac. You know, I have this working title. He's the managing editor of the WP Minute. Um, to see him go from like just Eric the blogger to Eric the producer when he was helping me, you know, produce and edit shows to now like Eric the onair personality and talent is tremendous to me. I love the fact or love the fact that Eric is able to **[06:50]** expand his um I guess portfolio of of work or breadth of work here at the WP Minute to go from you know air quotes just the writer to now hosting the podcast and hosting fantastic interviews and I don't see this coming from any other WordPress media brand. I don't see an outlet asking the questions, providing the details, and **[07:21]** doing this every single week like the WP Minute does, not only across the WP Minute channel, but also the Agency Action podcast. like real insightful, real stakeholder content that educates, informs, and entertains WordPress professionals. I know I'm biased because it's my team, but I challenge you to to look at what **[07:53]** we do. Like, there are people out there who who praise a lot of like what I'll call solo content. I love the newsletter. It's got it's a must. It's a must readad. I love this pod. I love this YouTube channel. It's a it's I must watch. That's great and more power to them. But we are doing what I feel is the most prof well, you know, one of the most professional takes of an omni channel publisher for for the for WordPress. And you know, I should find some solace in we've got a lot of great **[08:24]** sponsors. So that should be a testament to yes, we're doing great work and the sponsors are happy to sponsor us and continue to to do so. So I am thankful for that. So it wasn't it's not just Eric but Agency Action Podcast, Kurt Vonin, who's a who's a Stalworth podcaster, like content creator, audio, video guy, presentation, public speaker. I mean, I already knew he was going into this and going to like knock it out of the park. Toby Cryins on the other hand **[08:54]** from Mighty Mo. He is someone who when I had the idea of what's now called the Agency Action podcast when I had the idea of sitting uh of placing two people together who run agencies to give us that boots on the ground. What's happening in the trenches of an agency owner that used to be me that's not me anymore. I wanted to find two personalities I could put together that could really work off of each other and really provide value. [snorts] **[09:25]** And Toby was I mean he was all in on the idea. His first apprehension was I'm not a podcaster. Like can I do this? And there's nothing I love more than like listening to Toby's first episode when it was when they were running the WP Minute um over the summertime to where they're at now with the newly named Agency Action podcast or just Agency Action. It's leaps and bounds better. You know, **[09:55]** again, like same thing with Eric to see his first interview and listen to his first to see where he's at now. I I love that and and [clears throat] what I have found is I want to operate on that. I want to grow the WP Minute and and get more of that like get people in who want to take this serious who are also getting something out of it whether it's um paying you or whether it's a trade and exposure. **[10:27]** I want to do it professionally and you know I put this out in one of the last episodes like everyone has to like take this more serious now. You know [clears throat] I I take this content stuff serious which goes back to the root of this episode [laughter] which is when I see folks like Seahawk Media buying YouTube ads and clicks or excuse me buying YouTube ads buying views and subscribers. And I know other WordPress content creators have and **[10:57]** other WordPress, you know, products do. And then also sell sponsors against that to be like, "Hey, look, we're doing 20,000 views a video. We're going to charge you four, five times what the WP Minute charges because look how much views we have." And then when it doesn't work out for them at four to five times my fees, my sponsorship fees, and then they look at my stuff and they go, "Well, you're **[11:27]** not even doing those kinds of views." Well, we're we're not going to not only not going to continue with them, we're not going to continue with the WP Minute. It you are bringing down the entire stack of WordPress media and there's only on one hand people who like cover all of this. So I always take the gloves off when I am defending number one my business and my livelihood and **[12:01]** right after that is the business and the livelihood of the team that I support at the WP minute and then the greater economy of WordPress media. So, yes, this is a soapbox moment of I don't like it and it drives me nuts. And when you're when you're seeing like if you see insane numbers on a WordPress podcast, there's something **[12:33]** arai and it ain't right. I've got 90% of my voice, so I can't be ranting like this because it starts to dip and go away and and then [snorts] I don't have it I don't have [clears throat] it for my uh for my day job. So WordPress media is is serious to me and I feel like I'm I'm finding a good stride and I'm really happy with what I've built, you know, as I kind of reflect on the year as we head into the holiday season. really happy **[13:04]** with what I've built with the WP Minute. More importantly, what Eric and team have helped me build this year, especially as we got into courses and shifted gears from like, oh, it's WordPress news and community to, you know, education, information, and entertainment. I think we do it the best. And that's just me. If you want to sponsor us, go to the wpmin.com, click on the sponsors tab or hit me up on the contact form. Your support helps **[13:34]** us make great content for WordPress professionals and web professionals around the world through education, podcasts, and videos. So, thanks to all the sponsors, thanks to all the community members in the WP Minute. You can join the community for free. I mean, I'd love for you to donate. like five bucks helps us keep the lights on here or join as a $79 member. But if you go to the WP Minute, click on memberships in the upper right hand corner, sign up for one of our free courses. It's the only free course that's up there for **[14:04]** right now anyway. Sign up for a free course and once you get to the dashboard, you can join our Slack community. Network with others, connect with others. This is the thing. for providing this platform for people for free to connect to to show off your stuff to chat with other people. Yes, you might be in many slacks. You might wear many slacks, but what I'm doing is inviting people into the Slack community to say in the channel of sharing your content or sharing your new **[14:36]** product, put it in. Ask people what they think. Engage with others. This is a membership that I wish I had, you know, when I was building my stuff. [snorts] It's okay to pitch your stuff, but engage with others. Provide feedback on other people's posts and product updates. Don't just sit on your hands waiting for more sales, more feedback, more engagement. I am giving you the platform **[15:07]** to do it. The wpmmin.com. Thanks for listening as always.