How to Make Money as a Creator
Download Creator Cash in the App Store or Google Play Store today.
“Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.”
That’s what they tell us, but sometimes it’s easier said than done. When you’re a creator—especially a smaller one—the stream of income can be unstable. You’re not sure if this video will produce as much revenue as your last one. Or maybe you have a different job that eats up the time it takes for you to create content. Either way, you’re wondering where your next paycheck is coming from—and when.
The good news is that creating content and making money doesn’t have to be so disconnected. There are options to fit any type of creator. Say you’re not in the place to devout a lot of time to another project: there’s affiliate marketing. If you’re building a loyal following, your own merchandise is going to be an evergreen product.
Here are more examples of the different types of revenue buckets from our CEO, Eugene Lee’s, presentation at VidCon Now this year.
That’s a lot, so let’s break it down a bit.
Ad-Supported
This is the one most people are familiar with. These are brand sponsorships, influencer marketing, and percentages of advertisements run on whatever platform you’re on.
The YouTube Partner Program is a great example of an ad-supported revenue stream. Once you can monetize your videos, you can start making money. It doesn’t always work out for the best because if you’re smaller, you might not reach the $100 threshold to cash out your earnings. Or you find that getting paid once a month isn’t lucrative enough for you. In either of these cases, our app—Creator Cash—is a great tool to access your earnings. Download it in the App Store or Google Play Store today.
Memberships
Memberships are another common type. In short, your audiences pay to consume your content. The upside of memberships is that while your audiences come for the content, they stay for the community you’ve built.
“Memberships can turn casual viewers into core and loyal audiences, as well as increase subscriber retention through engagement and opportunities through these services.” — Kenny Ash, VP of Channel Frederator Network
Memberships come in different forms: subscriptions, newsletters, and courses.
Subscriptions are ideal if you want recurring payments. Patreon is a common subscription-based platform. Others include:
- Stream Labs
- Kofi
- Podia
- Memberful
- Buy Me A Coffee
Newsletters are private content that people can access by paying to be on your email list or through a paywall. This is a great way to stay in touch with your community. Popular platforms for newsletters or other paywalled content are:
- Substack
- Medium
- Mailchimp
- ConvertKit
- InPlayer
- Pico
Online Courses are great for spreading your knowledge. If your niche is to educate and inform, then this is a great way to distribute your content. You can host these courses on Zoom or Google Meet to be more personable. Or you try one of these other sites:
- Udemy
- Teachable
- LearnWorlds
- Click4Course
- Pathwright
E-Commerce / Sales
E-Commerce encompasses a lot different streams, but they all come down to selling products—either yours or someone else’s. Pay attention to this bracket if you’re more interested in passive income. Do the work up front, and reap the benefits as you go!
Affiliate Marketing is commission and referral fee driven revenue. It’s a low risk, easily scalable way to make money. There are three parties involved: the seller of a product, the affiliate/advertiser (this is you), and the consumer (your audience). The seller provides you with links and codes to give to your audience. The more people who make a purchase means more money for you! As you grow and build more rapport with your audience, the more likely they are to buy the products you recommend. We’ll dive deeper into affiliate marketing in another blog post, so follow us for updates!
“There’s a saying:You’ll never be wealthy unless you figure out a way to make money in your sleep. Affiliate links are like this, but instead of just when you sleep, it’s 24/7” — Dallas Korol, YouTube, TheTekkitRealm
Affiliate networks:
- Amazon Influencer
- Program
- Ebay Partner
- Network
- Rakuten
- ShopStyle
- Shopify
Affiliate tools:
- Kit.Co
- Magic Links
- Click Funnels
- Sellfy
- Twitch Affiliate
- Buildderall
- Markable AI
Merchandising is an evergreen stream. It will stay relevant as you grow and connect with your audience, and it works in tandem with your main content channel. The more dedicated and loyal you are, the more your audience will want to rep your swag.
“It’s hard to be a creator relying just on AdSense. Having a strategic merchandising plan can be the start of going from creator to media company.” — John Grunberg, VP Whistle Sports
This doesn’t even scratch the surface of different ways to earn money, but it’s a great start for small creators. And as you grow, so do the opportunities. Over-the-top (OTT) and syndication are in the horizon if you can build up a loyal, engaged audience.
As a creator, using these different ways to make money will propel you to make this a long-lasting career. All of these options work as a unit to support your creator business. Start thinking of yourself like a media company, and tap into the right resources to cement yourself as one.
Do you have any other ideas or ways to earn money as a creator? Let us know in the comments or on social media!
