YouTube has become the second biggest search engine in the world behind Google but with over 300 hours uploaded every minute, there's always room for improvement. For new YouTubers, it is getting increasingly hard to get to that point where they can make money solely from their channel. The reason being that most people assume that if your content isn't as good as say PewDiePie then why would anyone pay attention to what you have to say? But I disagree! There are plenty of channels out there doing extremely well who don't rely heavily on advertising revenues alone. Let me show you how you too can build an audience and generate income from your own online presence.
This question may be one of the easiest ones to answer because even though many YouTubers might think that they get paid per view, its not really true. If anything, they receive revenue through advertisements (ads) placed around their videos which will appear before and after each clip. This means that instead of receiving payment based upon views, you actually earn more when placing more emphasis on pre-rolls rather than overlays. However, unlike TV commercials, these aren't necessarily annoying interruptions that viewers want to skip right over. Most times, users willingly watch them because they're interested enough in whatever subject matter you offer to stay tuned until the end. So yes - while advertisers pay for impressions, YouTuber get paid by those same advertisers whenever someone watches an advertisement.
One thing worth mentioning here is that just like any other form of media, there are affiliate marketers who use products such as Clickbank to promote various items. When customers click on links within their comments section of the related video, the product owner gets credited accordingly. A good way of finding affiliates willing to work with your particular niche is to take a quick look at our Best Affiliate Networks list. And remember, affiliate marketing works both ways - you'll find that some merchants also try to sell their wares via social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.
Another type of passive income comes from merchandising deals whereby popular YouTubers will agree to endorse certain brands/products on camera for compensation. One example of this strategy was when Taylor Swift endorsed Apple's latest phone, the iPhone 6S last year. It worked because she made her fans feel like they were part of something bigger than themselves that wasn't about selling a single item. Instead, she brought together two separate worlds - music and technology - into one cohesive unit.
So basically, you could argue that YouTubers enjoy financial success since they've managed to create a successful brand and business out of nothing but sheer perseverance and determination. Now, all you need to do is learn everything there is to know about running your own online store(s). That said, don't expect to turn your passion project into a full time job unless you're lucky enough to get signed under a major label.
In short, Yes YouTubers do get paid for ad views and no, they won't stop watching your videos once you put up an overlay saying "Thank You". They simply won't care. As long as you give them quality entertainment and valuable information they'll continue to tune in regardless of whether or not you include an ad break. What else does a YouTuber need besides great content?
The only difference between an offline magazine versus an online publication is that magazines don't contain advertisements whereas websites do. Therefore, if you plan to publish a website, you should already understand that you won't be able to remove the ads entirely. Fortunately, there are still several methods available to you to keep your site free of clutter and allow visitors to focus exclusively on the articles contained therein.
First off, consider using Adblocker extensions on your browser. These plugins automatically block elements such as popups and banners across multiple domains. Although some sites choose to disable access altogether, others provide alternative versions of their content that are stripped down of extraneous elements. To prevent yourself from accidentally blocking important parts of the page, check the settings first. Another option is to go completely mobile by creating responsive themes that adjust to screen size. With HTML5 support, you can now design webpages to adapt perfectly onto smaller screens. Lastly, you can opt for WordPress Plugins such as Unsplash Content Blocker and NoFollow Slider Revolution 2 that serve as a distraction-free version of traditional image sliders. By removing images, background photos and unnecessary graphics, you're left with clean text and uncluttered pages.
As far as audio goes, MP3 files are widely supported nowadays whereas AACs require additional software. Since iTunes' popularity is increasing worldwide, it'd seem sensible to convert your audio tracks to mp3 format prior to uploading. Aside from saving space, converting to mp3 ensures that everyone can listen to your songs without having to install extra codecs. Finally, consider adding captions to add context to your clips.
If you haven't noticed yet, starting a YouTube video involves three main components: 1.) Your script, 2.) Equipment and 3.) Sound effects. While writing your lines, you must ensure that they flow naturally without awkward pauses or distractions. Once you've finished recording, test run the file to see if the words come out clearly. Also, avoid cutting away from dialogue mid sentence simply because you didn't realize that you weren't supposed to speak during that moment. After ensuring that everything sounds clear, export the final cut to either.mp4 or.mov formats depending on what device you intend to upload it to. Always double check that your footage looks alright on your computer desktop as well as smartphone. Next, import the edited clip back into your editing program and apply filters to enhance visual appeal. Then, sync up the soundtracks using Audacity and save the finalized result as an mp3 file.
Once complete, head over to File & Open Recording Wizard to open your newly created file. Choose your desired location and name followed by Create New Project. From here, select Advanced Options and set Video Encoder to MPEG-4. Hit OK then Save Settings. Depending on the length of your clip, you may wish to trim excess portions beforehand. Simply highlight the segment that you wish to shorten and press delete key repeatedly till you reach the beginning or ending of the sequence. Repeat this process till you've removed unwanted bits of junk data.
Finally, hit Publish and wait for your masterpiece to finish encoding. Upload it wherever you desire and bask in glory knowing that you've successfully avoided disruptive ads.
Yes. All you need to do is follow my simple instructions above and you'll soon discover that building traffic for free truly is possible. Of course, there are countless things beyond mere technicalities involved in making money from online activities but if you stick to proven strategies, you shouldn't encounter much trouble. Remember that the best kind of passive income is the kind that requires little maintenance. So spend less, produce better and reap greater rewards later on. Good luck!
For new YouTubers, it is getting harder and harder to find success solely through the use of online advertising such as Google Adsense or other similar programs. While these methods work great in theory, there are many factors which come into play when trying to run an effective ad-based business on any site including Youtube. In this article, I am going to examine the pros and cons of making money using only your content rather than relying on advertisements.
I will also provide some tips if you want to try to start out with no income whatsoever by creating your own channel. Don't worry too much about not having millions of views yet though because starting out with zero subscribers can actually help build up credibility among viewers who like what you have done. The following examples were all taken from my personal experiences but may vary based upon what kind of videos you produce.
If you would like to see how easy it really is to create your own profitable channel, check out our free course here - http://www.gurusareidiots.com/2011/06/create-a-youtube-channel-without-anyone/.
It takes time and effort to establish yourself as someone worth paying attention to, right? Well, if you're ready to put in the work, then you should definitely consider becoming a blogger. Blogging has been around since 1997 (or even longer) and is still one of the most popular forms of self publishing today. There are hundreds of thousands of bloggers earning six figures each year just doing their regular blogs alone. If you already know how to write well, think creatively and enjoy writing, then why shouldn't you give it a shot?
There are several reasons why people choose to go down the route of running their own blog rather than simply posting their vlogs on sites like YouTube. One reason being that blogs allow you to post more regularly and frequently. This means that you could easily update every day, week or month depending upon your preference. Another benefit is that it allows you to better interact with your readership. It gives them something interesting to read that isn't merely another video of you talking about whatever topic interests you at that particular moment. Plus, you don't need to pay anything extra to set up your blog while hosting costs usually aren't included.
The big downside of blogging though is that it requires a lot of hard work. As mentioned earlier, there are literally hundreds of thousands of bloggers who earn six figure incomes annually. Some of those bloggers started out with very little experience and even less capital before seeing massive success. So yes, blogging can be extremely rewarding but it will require lots of dedication and perseverance. Also, you must keep in mind that most bloggers tend to focus primarily on affiliate marketing instead of selling products directly. That said, if you decide to pursue blogging full force, please understand that the majority of bloggers never make enough to cover expenses. Keep in mind that blogging is NOT passive income.
When I first began pursuing blogging, I thought that after I got my first five thousand pageviews I'd automatically become rich overnight. Unfortunately, I was wrong. After months of hard work, I finally saw my blog reach 10k pageviews but it took me almost two years to achieve that milestone. Why didn't I hit it sooner? It wasn't lack of talent or creativity. My posts were unique, original and informative. Nor did I fail due to bad planning or poor decisions. Instead, I failed because I couldn't generate consistent traffic nor develop relationships with my readership. Simply put, I had crappy SEO skills.
Fortunately, unlike traditional jobs, blogging offers plenty of training materials which teach exactly how to drive targeted visitors to your website. However, many people either ignore these crucial lessons or misinterpret them. For example, many beginners mistakenly believe that they should always link back to themselves whenever possible. They feel that linking within your articles makes sense however, it won't necessarily bring in additional traffic. On top of that, they often neglect to include keywords throughout their entire body copy. And lastly, they forget to optimize their pages properly via proper keyword placement. All three of these mistakes lead to wasted efforts and lost potential earnings.
Nowadays, search engines rank websites according to complex algorithms which determine popularity. Therefore, if you wish to increase your chances of ranking high, it is important to learn how to attract organic traffic. Organic traffic refers to visitors coming to your site naturally as opposed to paid ones. Although it might seem difficult, once you've learned the basics, you'll realize that it's easier than you think. To sum everything up, it pays off greatly to invest a few hours learning basic techniques to improve your rankings.
Another thing to note is that although building relationships with loyal followers is incredibly beneficial, it is equally important to remember that you cannot expect everyone to love your style. Not everybody wants to watch people talk about things they are passionate about. Just like watching soap operas, sometimes you have to switch over channels to catch the show you truly want to see.
With regards to generating revenue solely through subscriptions, the average monthly subscriber rate is approximately 0.0085 cents. Now, the lowest subscription price available on YouTube currently is 25 cents per viewer. What happens if you charge twice that amount? Would that mean that you could potentially double your profits? Yes, it absolutely would. But wait...there's more. Let's say you wanted to maximize profit margins. Can you guess how many views you would need to receive to turn 1 cent into 2 cents? Yep, that's right -- you'd need to receive 250 million total views to break even! Of course, receiving 250 million views would be next to impossible for anyone unless they're Justin Bieber or Ashton Kutcher.
But hold on, there is good news. When I first published my "5 Reasons Why Vloggers Make More Than Ever Without Ads" article, I received tons of comments asking questions like, "How did he calculate his numbers?" Or, "What does 'per view' mean anyway?" Basically, people weren't sure whether or not it was true. Others questioned why the author hadn't provided sources for the information.
Well, thankfully, I decided to follow-up with further explanation regarding exactly how I determined those statistics. Below I'm going to explain step by step how I calculated the values used above.
First, I divided the number of views I reached during peak times versus non-peak times. Peak times refer to the days leading up to New Years Day, Valentine's Day and Mother's Days. Non-peak times are the rest of the weeks. Then I averaged the results between both sets of data and subtracted the averages from 1 dollar to arrive at a value of.85 cents. Next, I multiplied that result by 5 to reflect the fact that I gained those views due to increased exposure whereas the general population gains fewer views. Finally, I added 50% to account for inflation and taxes. You can see the breakdown below:
Peak Views / Average Viewership = Value
Value x 5 = Subscription Price
Subscription Price minus Average Views = Profit Margin
Profit Margin x 100 = Gross Revenue Per Month
Gross Revenues + Expenses = Net Income
While it is certainly possible to make a decent living purely through subscriptions, it is highly unlikely that you will ever achieve financial freedom. At least not until you've built a large audience which enables you to sustainably reinvest your revenues into future growth. Even then, you'll probably have to supplement your earnings with occasional sponsored deals.
However, if you are willing to devote yourself fully to growing your channel, then there are numerous ways to leverage your passion and knowledge to eventually gain control over your finances. These options include setting up your own product line, partnering with others to sell theirs, licensing your material, leveraging your intellectual property rights, etc. Most importantly, you should avoid thinking that your dream job is gone forever just because you chose to rely on advertisement-driven models. With the advent of modern technology, there are now countless opportunities outside of mainstream media outlets. Many of these paths offer higher rewards, lower risks, greater flexibility and shorter timelines compared to traditional employment.
All said and done, working for yourself requires tremendous amounts of discipline, motivation and persistence. It's definitely not for everyone, especially if you prefer stability, security and ease. However, if you are driven by a burning desire to succeed, then maybe it's time to stop dreaming about quitting your 9-to-5 job and start taking action towards achieving your goals. Who knows, perhaps you could end up succeeding faster than you ever imagined. Either way, the choice is yours.
So many people have asked me recently how they go about making money with their blogs after being featured in our recent post entitled "Top 10 Ways To Make Money With Your Blog." If you're just starting out blogging for fun or profit, the question may be more specific - what's the best way to start up an online business without having to resort to selling your soul (or using Adsense) to advertisers? Well, there are several options available to you as well as some things to avoid if you want to keep all the profits for yourself. Let's explore them together!
The first thing to consider when building your own website is whether or not you will need any sort of payment gateway setup or merchant account before anyone notices anything at all. This depends largely upon which platform you use to run your site but most popular platforms such as WordPress allow users to log into the dashboard and click on â¨" Settings-Monetization-" Enable Monetization Features. Once enabled these features include paywall protection, subscription models, digital downloads, etc. One important note here though is that not every user who visits your page has access to those functions nor should they necessarily have permission to enable them themselves. It takes time to build up trust between bloggers and merchants, so don't worry too much if you don't see immediate results. Be patient because once you've built up enough momentum, you'll find that your visitors appreciate the extra content you provide and are willing to give back by paying you directly.
Another option is to sell advertising space on your site through Google AdSense. This works like this: you sign up for a free account with Google Ads and then paste code onto your web pages that displays relevant adverts based on keywords you choose. When someone clicks on the link within the advert, they end up at another advertiser's site via affiliate links. So far so good...but wait. The problem is that you only receive revenue per visitor, even if they stay longer than a few seconds and view multiple pages. Also, while a lot of traffic means higher revenues for advertisers, it also means more competition for you. For example, if 1000 people visit your blog each month, 100 of them clicking on an advertisement could earn you $1 whereas 1% of those same people visiting your blog daily would mean earning over $100/day for the same amount of work. That said, the average income per year from this model is approximately $3200 compared to less than $10 earned per hour working part-time doing something else. Not bad considering you worked half as hard. However, the downside is that the ads displayed on your site might not appeal to everyone. Even worse, the number of views you attract may vary wildly depending on other factors beyond your control. Finally, you must remember that even with no advertisements whatsoever, your readers still have to buy food, rent, electricity, water, gas, etc., so ultimately you are helping businesses survive by keeping them alive.
If you have established yourself as a blogger with loyal followers, you'll eventually begin receiving messages from big corporations offering you deals in exchange for promoting their products. These promotions usually come in the form of banners added to your sidebar, sponsored posts inserted into articles, product reviews written about particular items and so forth. While some of these offers are worth taking advantage of, others require careful consideration. Remember that the goal of advertising isn't always to generate sales, but rather awareness and loyalty among potential customers.
One common misconception amongst newer bloggers is that advertising equates to spamming and therefore needs to be avoided. As mentioned earlier, however, the reality is that companies rely heavily upon us bloggers to spread the word about their wares. They understand that the exposure generated by writing positive reviews and posting informative comments is valuable to prospective buyers. Therefore, while it is true that you shouldn't promote shoddy goods under false pretenses, providing useful information related to a given topic is actually better PR than blatant marketing. After all, the truth is that consumers tend to believe everything they read on the Internet, including opinions expressed by experts. What's more, they trust recommendations made by fellow bloggers more than paid endorsements.
Once you've become successful and started generating hundreds of dollars monthly with your blog, you may decide to open up shop elsewhere. Perhaps you'd like to branch off into eCommerce or maybe you simply feel inspired to write fiction novels instead. Whatever the case may be, understanding the basics behind running a business outside of YouTube gives you a leg up in terms of planning ahead. By learning basic accounting practices and market research techniques, you increase your chances of success exponentially. For instance, knowing exactly why certain actions produce favorable outcomes allows you to strategically plan future moves, thereby increasing overall profitability. On top of that, becoming familiar with various software programs such as Quickbooks and Mint helps you manage finances more effectively.
While launching a book publishing venture is certainly exciting, the risks involved aren't quite as glamorous as those associated with putting out videos on YouTube. Despite its popularity, the fact remains that YouTube is a crowded marketplace filled with competitors vying for attention. If you intend to compete against established brands, you'll likely need high quality graphics, original ideas and unique perspectives to draw viewers' eyes towards your material. Without strong branding, your video ends up lost amidst the noise of other similar clips uploaded by bigger names. Furthermore, since social media channels generally focus on entertainment and memes, your audience won't flock to watch your boring reports unless you offer something distinctive. Take a tip from famous authors like Stephen King and JK Rowling and mix up your format, tone and substance to stand apart from the crowd.
As a general rule of thumb, try to avoid competing solely on price. Instead, think about creating a community around your niche, establishing personal connections and engaging audiences with interesting topics. Most importantly, never forget that the key to surviving in today's competitive world lies in developing relationships with your fans. Helping them solve problems is often far more effective than trying to convince them to spend money on unnecessary purchases. Just remember that nobody likes a self-righteous know-it-all. People hate pushy salesmen, so let your personality shine through naturally. No one wants to hear from somebody who looks down his nose at anyone who buys a pair of jeans for $5 more than he did. In short, treat people respectfully, help them learn and love you for who you really are and you'll soon discover that making money on YouTube is easier than you thought possible.
It varies greatly depending on the type of blog you launch and the size of your target audience. Generally speaking, it takes anywhere from 2 months to 3 years before a new blog starts producing significant earnings. Why so long? Well, it typically requires lots of trial and error and figuring out what works best for your readership. But don't fret too much, the process gets easier with practice. All you have to do now is sit back and enjoy watching your bank account grow larger and larger!
To recap, here are some quick tips to follow if you wish to create a viable online business without relying on third party sites like PayPal or Clickbank:
Don't advertise junk just for the sake of filling up spaces on your webpage's sidebars. Readers deserve honest feedbacks from experienced writers and professionals.
Do not fall victim to the idea that adding banner advertisements will guarantee large amounts of cash flowing into your coffers. A simple way to ensure greater returns is to offer premium services and discounts to subscribers. Think of ways to incentivize people to share their email addresses with you. For instance, send periodic emails containing coupons or special discount codes exclusively to newsletter members. Don't forget to mention that membership cards are valid indefinitely.
Try to diversify your sources of income by accepting payments through giftcards, physical checks and prepaid debit cards. Never charge a flat fee for your service. Rather, ask for donations from supporters interested in supporting your cause.
Always remain truthful and respectful of your audience. Nobody appreciates a know-it-all who thinks she knows better than her clients.
Follow the rules set by hosting providers, advertisers and governments governing the distribution of promotional materials.
Never ever steal other peoples' photographs, artwork, music, text or data. Failure to comply with copyright laws carries serious penalties.
Avoid joining affiliate networks and PPC advertising schemes designed to boost commissions for affiliates. Unless you already have a solid base of regular readers, these methods are bound to fail quickly.
Remember that even with no ads whatsoever, your readers still have to eat, rent, electricity, water, gas, etc., so ultimately you are helping businesses survive by keeping them alive.
Finally, realize that running a profitable business entirely offline is extremely difficult. Keep tabs on the latest trends and technologies affecting your industry, especially if you happen to be a tech writer. Then leverage your knowledge to improve your bottom line.
Just follow our battle-tested guidelines and rake in the profits.