As social networking continues to grow, and video has become more of the standard, thanks (or no thanks) to YouTube or TikTok, now Instagram has of course jumped on the bandwagon and is pushing video a lot more than stills.

You may want to be included in this trend, It can be worth your while, as Instagram now pays real money for views… it covers what I spend on fuel for my bikes most months.

They pay out monthly (via Meta, FB’s new trading name) once you meet their minimum requirements. I guess they saw Youtube and TikTok growing faster so joined in, paying creators.

Just so you know it’s not all smoke and mirrors and I’m not stringing you along…

Yes, the creation of video shorts is more time-consuming than you would think, but if it pays easier and more (for most people) than YouTube then it might be worthwhile.

If you are thinking that your helmet action camera is all you need to engage an audience, add a catchy snippet of a song, and you’re good to go, you might be mistaken. Generally, it will take a little more work, and maybe a drone can set you apart from the helmet cam guys.

But aren’t drones crazy expensive—I mean the ones that can follow you?

The quick answer is yes!

The detailed answer is, maybe not. Read on.

The Skydio 2 is pretty much the top-ranking ‘follow me’ drone out there for motorcyclists, but with a price tag of around $2000 to be well set up, it’s probably not worth it. You can do it on a tighter budget.

Jump onto the ADVriderFlea Market, eBay, or FB Marketplace and you can often find a used DJI Mini or Mini 2 for around $200-$400—but those drones don’t have have a “follow me” feature.

However, you can upgrade them if you are willing to spend another $25. There is a company out there called Litchi which offers autonomous flight capability for drones; look them up on Google, the App Store or the Play Store for more details. This technology won’t make your Mini 2 as food as a Skydio 2, but it will let you know for a fraction of the cost if you even like carrying a drone. And since it weighs less than 250 grams, no license is required in many areas.

There are a few drawbacks. You must keep the speed low, around 25mph/ 40kmh. Don’t ride into a headwind, and you must let the drone either follow you from behind or in front. Filming from the side just doesn’t work too well!

I’m still playing with this tech, and from what I see online, a few other riders are doing the same. They’re having mixed results; below, I’ll share an Australian YouTuber who seems to have his act together and has figured out how to use the Litchi app in combination with the lower-price drones. One important lesson (just in case you miss it in the YT comments on the video, because it’s not mentioned):

Make sure you turn on DYNAMIC HOME POINT in the apps main settings. Because if your drone loses signal or decides to return home, it’s going back to its initial takeoff location, which might be many Kilometers/Miles in the other direction.