Why Everyone Can’t Make YouTube Videos for a Living
Things to consider before making YouTube your side-hustle or full-time career
For the last 6 years, I’ve been told by countless family members and friends that I should start my own YouTube channel.
I’ve been a dedicated subscriber to hundreds of YouTube channels since 2008. I first learned how to do makeup from YouTube tutorials and even went on to freelance on clients as a side hustle. Naturally, everyone urged me to make my own YouTube channel to teach others what I had learned over the years. To be honest, who doesn’t want free PR packages and sweet brand deals for making content about their hobby?
I always dabbled with the idea but I never had the will to make videos. I preferred watching them. I also knew the complexity involved with making high-quality videos and as someone that isn’t particularly tech-savvy, I knew it would be a huge learning curve.
You see, making videos as a YouTuber today is nothing like making videos as a YouTuber back in 2008.
In 2008, when Youtube was still relatively new, there was an appreciation for simplicity. YouTube videos were often made on a webcam. No fancy camera or lighting necessary. Viewers cared about the content in the video more than the quality and editing style.
Nowadays, with so much competition, it is incredibly difficult to be successful on YouTube unless you already have a significant following on other social media platforms or your video unexpectedly goes viral.
The Video Quality
Not only do you need a good quality camera and lighting equipment, but you also need to know how to edit your videos. I’m not talking about iMovie here. YouTubers that create videos for a living frequently use Final Cut Pro X or Adobe Premier Pro. These editing software programs can cost upwards of $300. Not to mention, learning how to utilize the different features of these programs takes practice and patience.
Monetizing your videos
The YouTube Partner Program outlines minimum eligibility requirements for a channel to start making money from their videos. In addition to following the YouTube monetization policies, a YouTuber must:
- Be located in a country where the YouTube partner program is available
- Generate more than 4,000 public watch hours in the last calendar year
- Have 1,000+ subscribers
Now, you can imagine why it is difficult to grow a YouTube channel and make enough money to earn a living from it. Growing a subscriber base and engaging them requires self-promotion and consistent social media marketing. It also involves visiting other channels that have similar content to yours and leaving comments, responding to questions, and promoting yourself (oftentimes on various social media platforms). This can be a job in itself.
Clickbait Videos
Clickbait is defined as a form of misleading advertisement designed to attract attention. The use of Clickbait videos can be controversial yet useful in your growth. Even though these kinds of videos can cause a viewer to click on a video more quickly and generate more traffic, these videos are often unsatisfying for the viewer. They aren’t as juicy or entertaining as their title claims to be; hence, the name Clickbait. However, they can be an important component of gaining success on YouTube.
Finding Your Place
The most successful YouTubers will tell you to find your niche and create focused content. Ask yourself, “What is your value proposition? What value can you add to that specific audience?” However, there needs to be a balance. If you only make videos about comparing cat foods, you likely won’t reach a large enough audience to gain mainstream success on YouTube. It is also likely that there are several existing YouTube channels based on the content you plan to make videos on. So, you must set yourself apart. You also don’t want to create content about popular topics you don’t know much about simply to gain views. The disingenuousness will likely translate on camera. It’s all about balance.
The Waiting Game
For most, gaining success on YouTube (enough to make a decent income at least) will not happen overnight. It can be a waiting game. There is no guarantee of if or when you will be successful on the platform.
In conclusion, making a living on YouTube is possible but challenging. Several unpredictable factors can contribute to your success (or the lack thereof) on YouTube. If you plan to quit your day job to become a full-time YouTuber, do your research beforehand.
