YouTube is inarguably the most popular video-streaming website in the world, and with every minute, it grows stronger and bigger. However, it is more than just a simple video sharing platform and can actually make you a millionaire if you use it right.
Big stars such as Lilly Singh did not make it big just because she is funny. She effectively utilized the platform in such a way to reach a global population and keep engaging herself in content creation which is engaging. If you want to join the bandwagon, there are a few tips we have for you to keep in mind.
In this article, we will explore ten things which can help you get the best use of YouTube:
1. Know What YouTube Is
Before you start making and publishing videos, you need to figure out what YouTube is all about. You should know how YouTube is operated, what features it provides, what options people have to market their videos, and what not. This is preliminary, but a fundamental step without which you cannot move forward.
2. The Area Which Interests You
Once you get down to creating content, you must know what you want to create. While you can create anything, there must be some objective. You cannot venture into myriad things at a time without a clear direction.
So, the first thing you need to do is to figure out which area interests you and what kind of videos in that area you should create. Research extensively about that area and then decide whether you will be able to supply related videos regularly.
3. Give Something Different
When we say you should give something different to the audience, we do not mean to ask you to come up with something on which no one has ever created a video. Instead, we want you to take up that area and treat it differently.
For example, if you want to create a comedy channel, you should know where the competition is high and how you can deliver content which is different from what is there in competition. Of course, for that, you will have to go through YouTube thoroughly.
4. Understand When You Get Paid
There is a common misconception that YouTubers get paid on the number of likes, subscribers or views. What you need to know is that YouTube offers a global platform to run advertisements, and how does it run these advertisements?—it broadcasts them through video streaming.
Mostly, you get paid every time a viewer gets engaged in an advertisement. That is to say that he has watched the ad wholly, for 30 seconds or more, or has clicked on it. Sometimes, advertisements are displayed around the video, and every click they receive adds money to bank accounts.
5. You Must Be Regular
Whether or not you are starting anew, you need to maintain a good rapport with your audience. One of the ways you can achieve this is by being regular in posting videos.
If your audience is increasing consistently, then it is an indication that the content of your channel is being appreciated. You need to keep up this influx of appreciation, and for that, you must keep posting good videos regularly.
Now, you must understand that posting videos is one thing, and posting qualitative videos is another. You cannot compromise with the quality of the videos just because you must be regular in updating your audience.
6. Know Tools That Can Help You In Video-Making
There are plenty of tools to record a video and post it online. The simplest one is available on YouTube itself that allows users to record videos through a webcam. Other tools include Google Story Builder, Pixorial, etc.
If you wish to use images in your videos effectively, there are tools available such as CamStudio, Camtasia, and Jing. These tools let you record all kinds of activity you engage in your computer. Don’t understand? Remember those “how to use PowerPoint” etc. type of videos on YouTube in which the video owner himself uses PowerPoint to demonstrate.
7. Know YouTube Editing Options
Once you have recorded your video, you might want to give it some polish before final publication. While there are many video-editing programs available, there are certain editing features which YouTube also provides.
The features offered are not very advanced, but can provide basic help in doing edits such as changing brightness and adding filters, etc. If you find the use of these features confusing, you can access the creative commons library which will provide you with necessary help.
8. Sell Brands On Your Channels
You must have come across YouTubers advertising brands on their channels. They are usually not doing this because they necessarily like the brand; they are doing this because there is money behind it.
As your numbers grow, you should engage more and more in brand deals because this will provide an additional source of income—and mind you, the income here is good!
9. Upgrade To Freemium Style
Freemium is a concept which you must have come across frequently. So, what happens is this: you give away a bunch of free content on YouTube, but restrict access to better content subject to payment of a certain amount. This concept is workable when you have a huge following on YouTube, as there will be a larger portion of the population which would pay for the additional content.
10. Don’t Forget Patreon
While we are quite sure that you must have heard of Patreon, but in case you haven’t, let us give you an idea of what it is all about.
Patreon is a platform that engages in online crowdfunding. There are videos which require substantial investment into their making which you may not be able to provide on your own. So, you can ask your followers to contribute an amount, as small as $1, to help you create more and better content.
YouTube is a massive tool one can have to earn money. If you want a career as a freelance YouTuber, you should know that there is everything you need to get going with life happily. However, inspiring it may sound, you need to be strategic with the way you go about using YouTube for business.
In this article, we have dealt with a few essential aspects of the YouTube business model which can help you get the best out of this platform. However, if you think we have missed out on something, we would like you to comment on it. Otherwise, you can also give your views and boost our morale by sharing this article to the world at large.
