They're a long way from making it to the rich list, but YouTubers are on a mission to monetise their videos, finds Ranjana Maria
Technology and the internet have made room for a fresh approach to information consumption and the way we work. If you want to dole out information on a visual medium, talk your head off on a subject of interest or simply offer entertainment -– and make money while pursuing your passion -– YouTube is the word that comes to mind.
That's how it has worked out for 23-year-old fitness enthusiast Ranveer Allahbadia, whose work begins post 12.30 p.m. He ideates, prepares a script and then mounts a camera on a tripod with a mike. His work station prepped, all is in readiness for the next instalment of his fitness channel BeerBiceps.
The independent YouTuber started the channel in August 2015 and has a subscription base of 111,255. "YouTube can be the best yet the most challenging thing to happen to you," he says. "During my initial few months, I would go on to the streets of Bandra and request people to subscribe to my channel, just to increase my subscriber base."
Increasing the number of subscribers was critical to monetize the channel, which sees Ranveer make about Rs.50,000 per month. The video sharing website allows YouTubers to monetize their content through advertisements played before the video. Tracked by AdSense, the YouTuber is paid based on the number of views a video gets and the number of clicks made on the advertisement. "I have noticed that if people in the US watch my video and click on the add, I get paid by the dollar rate," says Ranveer.
It's not as easy as it sounds though. For a newbie, the first year may often be difficult with no income and not enough subscribers trickling in. As 19-year-old Niharika NM, a second year engineering student from Bangalore who posts funny videos about life situations, discovered much to her dismay. Despite having 56,841 subscribers, the numbers fail to fetch her adequate returns. "I am able to upload just two videos a month for want of time, and earn less than Rs.1,000. This is obviously insufficient but am passionate about this," says Niharika.
Apart from the cool quotient of being on YouTube, posting videos brings in a sense of responsibility, adds 21-year-old Yash Sharma, who doesn't make too much money either. "A YouTuber is obligated to update him/herself and research the subject before a video is done," says the Delhi-based youth who posts videos about weight training. "People listen because they trust you. It's important not to mess with that," says Yash, who has 11,717 subscribers and makes between Rs.4,000-10,000 per month.
While Yash acknowledges that the amount is not much, he is confident that this will change once he devotes himself to posting YouTube videos full time.
For the likes of Yash and Niharika, Ranveer offers lessons from his journey — understand how to shoot, use the right angles and invest in a good camera. "I brought a partner on board to help me with production since my videos are doing well," says the Mumbai resident.
"It's not an easy process as each video takes more than two days to prepare and upload. It's a huge investment of time, energy and money along with a great deal of patience. The secret is to keep doing it, no matter what."
This is what enabled him to breach the 10,000 subscribers mark, after which YouTube itself gave his channel a boost. "Subscriptions for my channel increased by 10,000 persons every month after that," he says. "YouTube is a powerful space for marketing and will grow in the coming years. Many brands are reluctant to invest in advertising on the site because the concept is new. Also, once one has a fan base, a good chunk of money comes from brand deals, which becomes an additional source of revenue."
Advantages of working with YouTube
You're the boss, and it's your business
You work on a subject you are passionate about
Create your fan base
Get paid to do something cool
Connect with people all over the world, find common ground
Disadvantages of working with YouTube
You cannot comprehend what a viewer would like
There's criticism and sometimes nasty comments
Income is not fixed
Constantly need something fresh and new
Tips to making it on YouTube
Choose a subject that you are passionate about
Be yourself and be honest
Think of your audience while creating your video
Invest in equipment
Be consistent with uploading videos
Keep going no matter what
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