Editors note: It is great to have Karin back on the site with this latest contribution about YouTube and its potential for money making. She always brings a unique take on things related to social media.
People would think that YouTube is primarily used for watching music videos or personal videos from friends and families of their pets or children’s school plays and birthday parties (in my case, I posted a tornado I took while storm chasing in Texas). Yes, that is indeed true, but you have to wonder if many of us regular folks know that there’s a potential profit to be made from posting videos to YouTube.
So, let me get this straight… I sit in front of my webcam, or GoPro camera, or iPhone, or Android, or Windows phone, or whatever technological recording video device I have, spew my spewage for as long as I’d like, discussing and doing about anything I want (within the boundaries of the law and YouTube’s Terms of Service, of course), and then potentially make money?
The answer is… yes! And many people are doing it, too. They are called YouTubers. Not only do you have the opportunity to bring in some extra coin, but you have the chance to meet people from all around the world. You have the ability to take part in national and international events, post them on YouTube, and then profit from them all over again. All from your videos on YouTube.
Huh?
Let’s explain this in order for it to make sense. For example, there’s a chili pepper world out there in the land of YouTube… a fast growing chili pepper world. People would post videos of themselves eating the world’s hottest chili peppers to date on camera, all while writhing in pain from the enormously intense heat, all for your viewing pleasure (as of now, that particular pepper is called the Carolina Reaper and was created by Ed Currie of PuckerButt Pepper Company in South Carolina). There are many other types of ultra hot peppers out there that can cause the ring of fire on both ends, and there are many individuals willing to take that challenge, too. Keep in mind, these YouTubers enjoy what they do, doing what’s called pod reviews, reviewing as a hobby, and as a way of making a little extra money while getting their name out there to the public. Plus they like peppers! Below you will find a list of a few of these folks… search for them on YouTube, watch, and subscribe!
Ted Barrus, The Fire Breathing Idiot (tedbarrus)
Bishop Brad’s Pepper Chamber of Love (dbaptizt)
The Chile Beast (gottagobideo)
Crazy Mike D (Michael Douglass)
Oh, and it’s not just chili peppers that people will eat (or attempt to). There are various types of food (and non-food) challenges out there, too. A variety of these YouTubers post them for gathering views and gaining what’s called subs (subscribers) to their YouTube channel. The more views, the more subscribers, the more friends, the more (potential) money. Oh, and don’t forget about that ever so important entertainment value. It can be rather entertaining to watch someone eat the world’s hottest chili pepper to date, the Carolina Reaper (see YouTuber Wickedhawt’s video… kudos to her!) Maybe even watch someone eat a prickly cactus, like YouTuber L.A. Beast has done (and it looked oh-so painful), or chug strong beers like they’re water (i.e., YouTuber The Metal Madman), or eat really weird concoctions like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups with oysters, clams, and sardines like YouTuber Chuck From The Bronx did. These people create audiences and fan bases, and in turn, create some revenue.
The possibilities are endless, and knowing the fact that if you have the guts in your mind (and in your stomach) to do some of these things on YouTube, you can actually make some extra cash for your hobby. It’s called account monetization. The first step in this process is enabling your YouTube account for monetization.
“Having at least one video approved for monetization makes you a YouTube partner, which provides you with opportunities to improve your skills and build your audiences. The YouTube Partner Program allows creators to monetize content on YouTube through a variety of ways including advertisements, paid subscriptions, and merchandise. In addition to joining the Partner Program, Creators can take advantage of the variety of resources, features, and programs that YouTube provides to help you build your channel(s) and your audience.” ~YouTube
Keep in mind, you don’t have to eat painful peppers, cacti, or peanut butter and oysters to profit from YouTube, because there are other ways to reach subscribers (one possible example, doing self-help videos). Either way, it’s not a shabby way to possibly earn some extra money from a free service like YouTube!
Maybe one day I’ll try that Carolina Reaper and post it to YouTube. If I happen to get enough views and revenue from it, I’ll probably need it for the hospital visit soon afterwards…