As the second most populated or active site on the whole of the internet, YouTube is nothing short of a phenomenon. Within its hallowed halls, YT houses content of every shape and size, from the hilarious and depressing to the informative and absolutely terrifying. In short, it’s basically a microcosm of humanity’s collective knowledge, experience and grievances, but in video form. Why is this important, you might be wondering? Perhaps you just want a quick primer that will help you figure out how to begin raking in the dough from Google’s advertising model (which is fully integrated into YouTube, in case you didn’t know)? Truth be told…it’s not quite that simple. In order to really make money from YT you need to be mindful of the reality of the situation (stated above) and be able to develop one or more of the following selling points…
You probably need a gimmick
Let’s face it; there are probably already dozens if not hundreds of people shooting video projects which are similar or even identical to what you’re interested in doing. In short, your content and its purpose is the life-blood of your channel’s popularity. Assuming that you’re able to deliver something truly unique and entertaining to the masses then they will most likely respond in an extremely positive way. All it really takes is a few thousand followers or a viral hit to really jump start the engines popularity and then you’ll see the affiliate income start to roll in (if you’ve monetized your YT account, that is). Of course it never hurts to have a gimmick, or something that really grabs the viewer’s attention. Just remember to respect people’s rights if you do decide to play it fast and loose, there’s nothing worse than the backlash from hundreds of thousands of angry people barreling down on you.
Letting your own uniqueness sell your channel
Some people are natural born entertainers or possess some trait / characteristic which makes them better-suited to the YouTube format. If people seem to always respond to you in a weird way, chances are you could probably become a YouTube star. Whether it’s because you have 6 fingers or really love to furiously debate unpopular politics, an individual who many might consider to be non-standard actually has a bit of an edge when it comes to developing viral media content. In short, it’s often beneficial to let your weirdness hang out in order to develop a dedicated following, just don’t forget your original fan base as they were the one’s who helped you achieve fortune and fame.
Pairing up with businesses or individuals who bring something to the table
Lastly, consider pairing up with any high-profile individuals or businesses that might be able to bring some buzz to your channel. For instance, if you are a scientist and have a space dedicated to interesting home experiments, forming a sales strategy with a company that sells testing equipment could be mutually beneficial. This might require you to move outside of the bonds of YouTube itself when it comes to drawing up deals and contracts, but if you’re able to function as an independent advertiser for a major business, you might end up netting yourself a small fortune.