Ennovation
Member
- Region
- USA
I think Micah Toll CAN be trusted, and let me tell you why.
Originally, I was just going to post the video but ended up having so many notes and additional things to discuss that I decided it had its place here in the forums as well. I was also shooting for a four-minute video...and well you see how that turned out. Below is the outline for the episode and some additional tidbits I didn't necessarily discuss in the review.
MICAH TOLL
Micah Toll is a name we've all heard in the Ebike space and he has seen pretty much every Ebike that has been produced. He is an accomplished author, engineer, and Youtube personality that isn't afraid to say when something is not up to par with industry standards. The short format of his Electrek reviews can lend itself to coming across as a bit promotional, but at the end of the day, Micah does a great job of letting us know when things are his own preference or opinion. This video series is not meant to poke holes in anyone's review game, in-fact as I watch footage from Micah and other reviewers I find that the Ebike space is full of honest, good-meaning people who love electric bikes and probably feel grateful that they get to do this as a living, or in most cases as a side job. If you'd like to see more on Micah, he will be back again shortly when we cover https://www.ebikeschool.com/
WHO ARE THEY?
Micah Toll - Electrek (he also creates content for EbikeSchool.com, but that needs to be its own video, as there are a ton of differences between the two) The Electrek network is a large group of channels/blogs/websites that are comprised of 9to5Mac, 9to5Google, and 9to5Toys, Electrek, DroneDJ, and SpaceExplored. Electrek covers EV-related items, like Tesla, Solar power, but we're going to focus on the Ebike section, which is Micah's Department. He is also a published author and mechanical engineer, so he knows what he's talking about when it comes to Ebikes.
WHAT STYLE?
Talking head intro, Broll for most of the video with voiceover, and a talking head outro.
WHAT TYPE OF REVIEW?
More promotional, due to the somewhat sensationalized language. Not an Ad, by any means, but not always cold hard facts. The reviews are also shorter, so there isn't necessarily enough time to take a deep dive. They have/had about 170K subscribers on YouTube, so a decent base for companies considering getting some 3rd party reviews. They also have website traffic, which adds to the number of eyeballs these reviews can get.
HOW DO THEY MAKE MONEY?
It's unclear if they get paid by the brands to do the reviews, and since there are other methods for them to make money, they don't really have to. They do make money from YouTube Ads, and according to some online calculators, they probably make anywhere from $2,500 - $4,000 on ad revenue alone. They also utilize affiliate links (link to their page about that here) They go through Amazon for the most part, but also have a few affiliate links on the bikes they review, so they can receive a kickback from any sales that come through the review. This doesn't mean that their opinion is necessarily affected, tons of YouTubers use this to support their channel, and in most cases, they get to offer their community a discount if they use their code or links.
HOW MUCH OPINION?
6-7ish - Mostly due to the actual opinions (which are usually stated before or after) and sometimes the sensationalist language can lead to an opinion pretty easily.
DO THEY HAVE A TEAM?
Do they have a team...that's a hard question to answer without talking to Micah about their exact process. My guess is he does all of the filming and voice-over himself. Does he have an editor? Maybe. He also creates content for EbikeSchool.com, so it would appear he's capable of doing his own editing. So, is he a one-man band? Probably!
WHAT EQUIPMENT?
He has his exact list of equipment in all of his videos. So a gear list can be found in the description of any review. He uses GoPro, 360cams, and a DSLR.
WHAT OTHER ASSOCIATIONS?
9to5Mac, 9to5Google, and 9to5Toys, Electrek, DroneDJ, and SpaceExplored.
MY PERSONAL OPINION
Micah knows what he's talking about. He has seen pretty much every electric bike under the sun and has experienced everything the EV industry has to offer. His perspective may be diluted due to the nature of the reviews, short time, and exciting verbiage, but at the end of the day I think he makes some catchy videos and gives people a taste of the new Ebikes/scooters/EVs on the market, and that's pretty dope! Would I suggest Electrek videos to customers who are trying to find more info on an Ebike purchase? Probably not. Would I send them to EbikeSchool.com to get some general Ebike knowledge to help them make a decision on a purchase? Well, you'll have to wait till we cover that in another video.
Originally, I was just going to post the video but ended up having so many notes and additional things to discuss that I decided it had its place here in the forums as well. I was also shooting for a four-minute video...and well you see how that turned out. Below is the outline for the episode and some additional tidbits I didn't necessarily discuss in the review.
MICAH TOLL
Micah Toll is a name we've all heard in the Ebike space and he has seen pretty much every Ebike that has been produced. He is an accomplished author, engineer, and Youtube personality that isn't afraid to say when something is not up to par with industry standards. The short format of his Electrek reviews can lend itself to coming across as a bit promotional, but at the end of the day, Micah does a great job of letting us know when things are his own preference or opinion. This video series is not meant to poke holes in anyone's review game, in-fact as I watch footage from Micah and other reviewers I find that the Ebike space is full of honest, good-meaning people who love electric bikes and probably feel grateful that they get to do this as a living, or in most cases as a side job. If you'd like to see more on Micah, he will be back again shortly when we cover https://www.ebikeschool.com/
WHO ARE THEY?
Micah Toll - Electrek (he also creates content for EbikeSchool.com, but that needs to be its own video, as there are a ton of differences between the two) The Electrek network is a large group of channels/blogs/websites that are comprised of 9to5Mac, 9to5Google, and 9to5Toys, Electrek, DroneDJ, and SpaceExplored. Electrek covers EV-related items, like Tesla, Solar power, but we're going to focus on the Ebike section, which is Micah's Department. He is also a published author and mechanical engineer, so he knows what he's talking about when it comes to Ebikes.
WHAT STYLE?
Talking head intro, Broll for most of the video with voiceover, and a talking head outro.
WHAT TYPE OF REVIEW?
More promotional, due to the somewhat sensationalized language. Not an Ad, by any means, but not always cold hard facts. The reviews are also shorter, so there isn't necessarily enough time to take a deep dive. They have/had about 170K subscribers on YouTube, so a decent base for companies considering getting some 3rd party reviews. They also have website traffic, which adds to the number of eyeballs these reviews can get.
HOW DO THEY MAKE MONEY?
It's unclear if they get paid by the brands to do the reviews, and since there are other methods for them to make money, they don't really have to. They do make money from YouTube Ads, and according to some online calculators, they probably make anywhere from $2,500 - $4,000 on ad revenue alone. They also utilize affiliate links (link to their page about that here) They go through Amazon for the most part, but also have a few affiliate links on the bikes they review, so they can receive a kickback from any sales that come through the review. This doesn't mean that their opinion is necessarily affected, tons of YouTubers use this to support their channel, and in most cases, they get to offer their community a discount if they use their code or links.
HOW MUCH OPINION?
6-7ish - Mostly due to the actual opinions (which are usually stated before or after) and sometimes the sensationalist language can lead to an opinion pretty easily.
DO THEY HAVE A TEAM?
Do they have a team...that's a hard question to answer without talking to Micah about their exact process. My guess is he does all of the filming and voice-over himself. Does he have an editor? Maybe. He also creates content for EbikeSchool.com, so it would appear he's capable of doing his own editing. So, is he a one-man band? Probably!
WHAT EQUIPMENT?
He has his exact list of equipment in all of his videos. So a gear list can be found in the description of any review. He uses GoPro, 360cams, and a DSLR.
WHAT OTHER ASSOCIATIONS?
9to5Mac, 9to5Google, and 9to5Toys, Electrek, DroneDJ, and SpaceExplored.
MY PERSONAL OPINION
Micah knows what he's talking about. He has seen pretty much every electric bike under the sun and has experienced everything the EV industry has to offer. His perspective may be diluted due to the nature of the reviews, short time, and exciting verbiage, but at the end of the day I think he makes some catchy videos and gives people a taste of the new Ebikes/scooters/EVs on the market, and that's pretty dope! Would I suggest Electrek videos to customers who are trying to find more info on an Ebike purchase? Probably not. Would I send them to EbikeSchool.com to get some general Ebike knowledge to help them make a decision on a purchase? Well, you'll have to wait till we cover that in another video.
