Ever wonder what sets successful businesses apart from those organizations that struggle year after year?
What do YouTube creators, Instagram influencers, and Snapchat personalities have that others don’t?
If you’re looking to create or grow a business, you’ve probably asked yourself this question.
And you may have arrived at a conclusion that they have something to do with video.
But did you know that a video is only worth anything if you can actually make money from it?
There’s a lot that goes into creating a successful video marketing strategy, and while many businesses struggle with this element, it’s important to remember that you don’t need to have all the answers to do this.
In this article, we’ll share with you everything from the basics – to the not-so-basics – of how to make money from online videos.
The Basics
Like many other online platforms, YouTube creators can make money from displaying advertisements on their videos.
If you’re an entrant in the Google Adsense program, you’ll earn money based on the number of times that your video is viewed.
You’ll have to have a minimum of 10,000 daily views to earn $100 in Adsense revenue per month.
However, if you want to earn more than $100 per month, you’ll need to hit at least 25,000 daily views.
Instagram and TikTok creators can use various types of revenue-sharing arrangements with brands and sponsors to make money from their videos.
On TikTok, creators can put ads into their videos, allowing viewers to click on them and be directed to a different website.
These advertisements can range from product and service offers to discounts and giveaways.
Snapchat allows creators to include advertisements into their videos as well as a “Sponsored Content” area that acts as a content farm.
These are basically videos that are narrated by a brand or product and include images and copy that are meant to be engaging and promote the brand or product.
If you’ve got a decent-sized audience on one of these platforms, you can take advantage of their partnerships with brands and companies to monetize your content.
The Not-So-Basics
While many may consider video to be the newest and greatest way to attract customers and gain traction online, this may not actually be the case.
In fact, according to HubSpot Blogs research, only 10% of consumers think video is the best way to learn about a brand or product.
While video may be the preferred method of storytelling for many, text is also very effective.
In fact, studies show that people retain more information when it’s presented in text rather than video.
Accordingly, if you’re looking to create educational content, you may want to consider using text rather than video.
Monetizing Video Content
Let’s get to the good stuff now!
While video can be quite the resourceful way to learn about a brand, product, or service, it’s still not immediately clear how much money you’ll (the owner of the video) actually make from this content.
This is because you have to actually perform the actions that the video teaches your audience to earn money.
However, as we mentioned above, many businesses earn revenue from displaying advertisements on their videos.
This is because advertisers can tie the performance of a sale or action to an individual.
If you upload a video to YouTube with the intention of getting money from ads, you may discover that you’re actually getting a free ad on the platform.
But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
You can also integrate Google Adsense into your text-based content to earn money when a user performs an action – such as installing your app – while on your site.
Video and Mobile
It’s important to keep in mind that video can be quite engaging and compelling on portable devices, such as phones and tablets.
Users interact with video content more than other content types on their phones.
Accordingly, if you’re looking to create content that will bring in the clicks and earn you money, consider creating video content for mobile users.
But it’s not just about creating compelling content for mobile users.
You may also want to create videos that will engage audiences on YouTube, Instagram, and other platforms.
YouTube creators with more than 500,000 subscribers may earn money from displaying advertisements on their videos, while creators with less than 500,000 subscribers can opt-in to make money from displaying advertisements on their videos.
As you may imagine, this can be quite the lucrative opportunity, considering that many YouTube creators can live off of the earnings from their videos.
Choose The Right Platform
While YouTube creators may be able to attract the most attention, it may not actually be the best platform for your video content.
If you’re looking to create a successful video marketing strategy, it’s important to consider where your target audience is.
YouTube is the second largest search engine after Google, and it definitely skews young.
Over 17 million people use YouTube every day, and it’s the second most-used app overall, according to Apptopia.
As such, if you’re looking for an audience that’s anywhere near your target age group, consider creating YouTube videos.
But it’s not just about the size of the audience.
YouTube creators can also make money from memberships, live chats, and merchandise sales.
If you want to create a successful video marketing strategy, it is important to find a platform that can help you monetize your content effectively.
Make Money With Affiliate Marketing
Creating video content to make money via affiliate marketing isn’t exactly a new concept.
Many popular YouTube creators, such as Pat Flynn and Jordan Ramsey, have been earning a modest living from showing other companies’ products and promoting various brands and products online for years.
In case you’re unfamiliar, affiliate marketing is when someone earns a commission (typically a percentage of the sale) by promoting a product or service that the company or brand sells.
This can be effective, as long as you follow the right procedures.
As a general rule of thumb, avoid using affiliate links in your content unless you’re trying to encourage users to make a purchase or subscribe to a service.
YouTube creators with more than 500,000 subscribers may earn money from displaying advertisements on their videos, while creators with less than 500,000 subscribers can opt-in to make money from displaying advertisements on their videos.
As mentioned earlier, the ability to make money from displaying advertisements on a video increases with the size of the audience.
However, this doesn’t mean that smaller audiences won’t want to visit your channel and take a look at what you’ve got.
If you’ve got a sizable audience that isn’t interested in making a purchase from your content, consider creating a blog alongside your YouTube channel to attract a new audience.
Make Money With Vlogging
If you’re looking to create a successful video marketing strategy, you may want to consider vlogging.
This is when someone creates daily, or occasionally weekly, videos explaining their personal travels, experiences, recipes, and so on.
The most successful vloggers can even turn their travels into a video series, where they visit different places around the world and document their experiences.
Traveling and documenting your travels is a great way to engage an audience, while also providing more value than simply showing a pretty picture of a sunset.