Why I Purchased Some Shares in Vocal Media

Use what you own, and build up that nest egg, regardless as to what the economy is doing at any given moment. For some writers, Vocal Media is a site that is life changing, and for others, it can be quite misunderstood. Investing in Vocal Media shares is not a get rich quick scheme, and neither is being a writer (now part-owner and writer). Everything takes time. Egg hatching is no different to the time it takes for a caterpillar to turn into a butterfly.

You never know when opportunity strikes, and for when things surprise you. Having your desired emergency savings taken care of, combined with taking care of any debt and other financial obligations; as hard as it can be sometimes; it is then imperative to put aside your spare change bit by bit, so that you have enough to take advantage of such opportunities in this capitalistic age.

Now to the all important question: why did I take advantage of Vocal Media's CF Reg Community round, and brought some shares?

It is all well and good to receive a badge of honour (or just that all important piece of paper) that says that you are in, when it comes; however you need to read every piece of information that lands on your desk; even if you choose to invest in the barebones minimum. Therefore, my decision making came though thinking out the pros and cons (cost-benefit analysis) in my mind, combined with how much I am prepared to lose. In other words, some critical fundamental analysis was applied.

Reg CF in America means Regulated Crowdfunding, and the terms look good, provided the nominated subscription amount is reached. The option of a potential ROI of $10 USD per share seems to be attractive, with the promise of a quarterly dividend payment. Like any form of stock investment; these types of assets need to be held for a longer time frame.

Personally, I invest in ETF's in Australia (where I am from), and those investor-writers living outside of the USA need to be mindful of currency risks, in addition to the generic risks that all investors face, like a potential loss of initial capital, in part or in full. The traction graph was quite interesting (from someone who has studied data analytics), noting that a significant 2 million creators have made the switch from other mediums to Vocal since the company's inception in 2017. In case you are wondering about the ETF's I invest in on the ASX; they are mainly Vanguard index trackers, from property to tracking the ASX200.

Furthermore, like you might, I too might have my suspicions and concerns if Vocal Media pushed a community based investment opportunity like this one right off the bat in its early days of formation. However, the company waited at least six years to offer this opportunity up. And the shares can be transferred to someone else if s*!t (literally) hits the fan through some unexpected misfortune/s.

It is also interesting to see where Vocal Media stands to other creator platforms like Medium and Wattpad, with strong upside growth potential. Why would you even take the liberty to worry about WordPress (sorry WordPress, you are a great product) when you can freely publish your voice on here, provided you meet community standards.

Either way, plagiarism (with or without AI) is a massive no no, and not standard best practice for a writer or writer-owner/investor; even if they choose to host their own blog elsewhere.

On the other hand, if Vocal Media were to offer this opportunity a couple of years ago, or back when I started as a writer; my answer would be no.

With maturity and experience on the platform, and the countless non-monetary (and the monetary) benefits that came through allowing my voice to be published on this creative platform in a myriad of ways; it is now a no brainer to own a small piece of this company.

What other site allows writers to publish in more than one community, without affecting your subscriber base? There are a few; yet evergreen content is encouraged, and that is what attracts views - in addition to having keyword rich titles; even though I am still a student as to how this platform works. This platform allows us writers to publish podcast and video links, and allows you to use royalty free Unsplash images, where the photographers name is instantly attributed, or you would have to take your own photographs. The Vocal + fee in itself is worth it for the image use, and for being able to publish non-writing related work portfolios, without the stress of running your own website, and paying hosting fees that easily add up.

Of course, we live in an uncertain world, and as this is a foreign investment for yours truly; the entry point of $100 USD is what I feel comfortable investing in, in this Reg CF offer. With time, I am sure that that amount has the potential to be added to. The offer in exchange for my injection of funds (and those of other writer-investors who are choosing to participate); the exchange is seen to be tangible.

In short, it encapsulates a sense of ownership, maturity, and responsibility. This is a by-product of owning not only what you use; but owning what you work with simultaneously.

Every business requires some hark yakka, and that is why payments as a writer on this platform has been slow the majority of the time. The personal development wins along the way, as a by-product of taking action is second to none.

I say yes to my writing work on Vocal Media as a side hustle, and despite that, I also say yes to being an investor. It is like adding another layer of freedom to your tool kit.

In addition to reading my perspective on this offer, more information can be found by reading here.