I remember the first video I saw on YouTube. It was the ever-inspiring man singing the “Numa Numa” song. That video was posted to Gary Brolsma’s channel in 2006. YouTube was created and launched in 2005 by Jawed Karim, Steve Chen and Chad Hurley. All three of the founders realized that there was no platform on the internet solely dedicated to video content, so they made YouTube in December of 2006. The site’s come a long way since then; today there are professional YouTubers. These content creators now use the site for monetizing social media as a way of income. Social media is becoming a huge career outlet.
How successful can you be by making YouTube videos?
Some of the top YouTubers are earning millions of dollars every year. One of the top earners, according to Business Insider, is Daniel Middleton, a 26-year-old who posts daily gaming videos and vlogs. It is estimated that he made $16.5 million in 2017. Other popular YouTubers who have been using the platform for a decade, such as Tyler Oakley and Jenna Marbles, are making huge profits off of their online personas. YouTubers are some of the most successful examples of how monetizing social media platforms can be immensely profitable.
How do they make money?
It is easy to think that anyone can just start a YouTube channel and start earning through monetization. But, sadly, that’s not true. There are now millions of diverse channels, and competition for viewership has gone up. YouTubers make the bulk of their profit by gaining sponsors. Sponsored videos can range from promoting a specific product to having an ad in the beginning of a video to just saying that a video was sponsored by a company. YouTube does have policies regarding sponsorships, but they believe in transparency. YouTube policy rules state that YouTube content creators “are responsible for ensuring their content complies with local laws, regulations and YouTube community guidelines.”
Viewers of videos do not like to be tricked into watching an advertisement. So most creators often include a #AD logo or put a description of what the product they are promoting is. In fact, it is required by the YouTube guidelines to include that a video is an advertisement or sponsored content. Failure to do so can result in the video being removed and a loss of profit.
This form of sponsorship, becoming a brand ambassador when you have a platform, is a smart way to increase revenue and viewership. It’s also a good way to continue supporting yourself off of a YouTube paycheck.
The Effects of YouTube
The popularity of YouTube is affecting what children want to be when they grow up. Children now have instant access to videos about science, history, the life of a firefighter and beauty gurus. This access is affecting how children find an interest in a future career. Girls in a survey wanted to become doctors, veterinarians and join other STEM careers. Boys in the same study wanted to enter civil-service careers such as becoming a police officer or a firefighter.
The findings also noted that a large influence of children’s decisions comes from video entertainment. This also shows the importance of monitoring what children watch online. YouTube realizes this and has age restrictions on more adult content. Parents also can set up parental controls as a way of preventing their children from watching noneducational or inappropriate content.
Takeaway
YouTube is an important part of our culture. Monetizing social media as a way of creating revenue from YouTube is a new form of career. Many online content creators have found success and make millions. But the road to that level of success involves hundreds of hours recording and editing. YouTube as a career fits a certain type of creator who is willing to put in the hours. The hundreds of hours uploaded every hour on YouTube are also having an effect on children. The instant access this platform gives is showing children the diverse world of careers they can aspire to.
Have something to add to this story? Comment below or join the discussion on Facebook.
Header image: Shutterstock
