Have a tween or teen in your home?
Chances are they follow a handful of YouTube stars – and a good number
of them would love to be one, too. Don’t be so surprised this is a
“thing.” Popular YouTube personalities can enjoy considerable fame and
fortune.
According to Forbes, the 12 top YouTube celebs raked in a combined $70.5 million over 12 months ending in June 2016, with PewDiePie
(real name: Felix Kjellberg), a Swedish gamer and jokester, earning top
spot at $15 million. Even if you’re not in this esteemed list, you
could be making a very comfortable living.
Just ask Justine Ezarik (a.k.a.
iJustine), an L.A.-based creator with 3.7 million YouTube subscribers
on her channel, and with more than 630 million views on her videos.
“Essentially, I’m a content creator who gets to talk about everything
that I love – namely, cooking, tech, travel, and video games,” explains
Ezarik in a telephone interview with USA TODAY. “YouTube is an extension
of myself.”
Ezarik’s
first passion was editing, says the 33-year-old, but recalls “no one
wanted to be in my videos, and so I put myself in them to give me
something to edit. Then people wanted more.”
Ezarik declined to comment on how much she makes from YouTube.
Creating a successful channel
There are a few different ways to make money once your YouTube channel is successful. Here’s how to get going:
Step 1: Figure out your ‘thing’
Fancy
becoming a YouTuber? You first need to figure out your passion –
whether it’s gadgets, celebrity gossip, religion, politics, pets,
make-up, and so on. “The most important thing is find out what you want
make videos about, and have fun,” says Ezarik. “It’s also ideal if
you’re doing something unique, some niche content, you can become the
best at.” Create a free YouTube channel. Sign up for AdSense to monetize
your videos (see below).
Step 2: Get your gear
You
don’t need expensive hardware to get going. Content is far more
important than having 4K or 360-degree video. Great quality helps, but
today’s smartphones are more than good enough to start with. That said,
good lighting is very important: natural is great, if you can be
outdoors, or near a window, or pick up some lighting kits that start at a
couple of hundred dollars. Clear audio is critical, too; you can buy a
highly-rated clip-on lavalier (“lav”) mic starting at only $23.
Step 3: Upload a lot
Flesh
out your topics and start creating fresh content on a regular basis.
Just tap record on the camera, and talk. Be natural. You’ll also get
better at hosting these segments as time goes on. If your videos require
other people and/or editing, find some friends who can help pro bono.
With videos ranging from five to 35 minutes, Ezarik says she spends more
time editing than shooting, but is starting to enlist some help to free
up her time.
Step 4: Manage, promote your channel
Remind
your YouTube viewers to subscribe to your channel, during or after the
video plays, and in the description or comments section. Tag your videos
with relevant keywords, so people can find your work. Push traffic to
your YouTube channel from other social platforms. “Boosting your
subscribers won’t happen overnight, but keep it up. Consistency is key,
and you can reach out to other creators for advice or collaboration,”
adds Ezarik (YouTube says collaboration is critical, too). Interact with
your viewers by responding to comments.
There are three main ways a popular YouTuber can make money:
From YouTube:
The main revenue stream is often allowing YouTube to run ads with your content.
The more traffic you get, the more you can make, says Ezarik. There are
many variables that could determine how much you’ll get (and YouTube
recently changed it so you need at least 10,000 lifetime views to start
making money). Once you enable your channel for monetization, you’ll
connect your YouTube channel to a Google AdSense account to earn money
for your monetized videos.
Note: you cannot be paid if there is copyrighted material in your video.
YouTube is overflowing with food videos, but very few hosts have
more than 8 million loyal subscribers. Rosanna Pansino is now a
well-paid YouTube star.
Time
From sponsors:
Ezarik
and many other YouTube stars are often paid as a brand “ambassador” or
“influencer.” After all, if a popular YouTube personality has direct
access to millions of fans — who could watch their videos anywhere,
anytime, and on a multitude of devices — a sponsorship or endorsement
arrangement could be smart for companies big and small. And it could be
extremely lucrative for the YouTuber, too. With TV viewership on the
decline, millennials are turning to YouTube in big numbers. YouTubers
can be creative on how they integrate products or services into their
videos. Ezarik has worked with major brands including Mattel, Microsoft,
Ford, GE, Intel, Sharpie, Doritos, Taco Bell, eBay, P&G, Banana
Republic, Samsung, AOL, and Carl’s Jr.
From fans:
As
“iJustine,” Ezarik has broadened her brand outside of YouTube. She
often hosts or emcees live events around the world. She’s written a
book, I, Justine: An Analog Memoir (2015), and has dabbled in
merchandise, mobile apps (yes, more than one), and has starred in TV
commercials. Ezarik says YouTube creators could also engage YouTube’s
“Super Chats,” announced in May, where fans can pay small amounts to
interact with YouTubers during live streams. “Fan funding is fairly new,
but these donations are another way you can make money,” says Ezarik.
Comments
Post a Comment