It’s fair to say that YouTube has become one of the main platforms for gaming content online. Alongside Twitch, it dominates the online world. Millions of viewers tune in daily to watch their favourite creators play the games that they want to see. It may be less about the game, and more about the creator in some cases.
There are many different categories of games that are popular to watch. Often, new releases do well, but there are decade-old games, such as Minecraft, that will still pull in the big figures.
If you’re an aspiring YouTuber looking for the next game to play, or you’re just interested, then this article will be for you.
Battle Royale Games
Let’s start this list of popular games on YouTube with one of the rising genres of recent years. Battle Royale games have been popular to watch on YouTube since the rise of PUBG back in the ARMA days. The genre has evolved since, with many flops, such as Battlefields interpretation. But these flops have helped pave the way for the success we see now.
Games such as Fortnite and Warzone are easily some of the most popular games out there to play and watch, not just battle royale games. They are so popular to watch that millions watch even if they are not interested in playing. It’s the high-risk, high-reward quick gameplay that people love to watch.
The quick way these games wrap up also appeals to the modern YouTube viewer. Back in 2010, people would be happy to sit down and watch a 3-hour daily let’s play. Nowadays, a short 10-20min video of an edited game will be more than enough. There are plenty of examples online for you to watch, to understand how this trend has changed and how you could get involved if you wished to.
First-Person Shooters
Easily one of the pioneers of gaming on YouTube, first-person shooters are always popular. They first took off following the rise of the Halo and Call of Duty franchises. With Halo, it was all about the creative machinima videos that told a captivating story using assets from within the game.
For games like Call of Duty, it was all about the gameplay and the high-scoring multiplayer games. Gamers loved watching those highly-skilled at the game take on challenges and perform to the best of their abilities. In time, this led to gaming organisations such as OpTic and FAZE recruiting members and dominating the YouTube scene.
This hasn’t slowed down. Any new first-person shooter will get lots of views on YouTube, especially if they are well received by fans. Many gamers will watch their favourite players and streamers play the shooters online first, to see if it’s something that they would enjoy.
Developers are fully aware of this and will partner with top gamers and influencers to show off their game, and promote it accordingly.
Gambling Games
Gambling games have been popular on YouTube for quite a while now. There are many different types of games that fall into this category. One of the biggest games that led to this came in the form of FIFA, back when their Ultimate Team game mode was launched. In this game type, players could purchase packs, also known as loot boxes, which allowed them to earn some players for their team.
People loved the gambling element of the game and loved watching their favourite influencers and streamers have a chance of winning a big prize. This has evolved further, and now there are many games that offer micro transactions, that allow gamers to purchase loot boxes to receive cosmetics or other in-game rewards.
YouTube is also a place for many people to watch casino games, both online and in actual physical tournaments. When viewers watch these types of games, it can inspire them to want to play themselves. You can take a look at the offerings on OnlineCasinos.co.uk to see what sort of games can be played. These types of games will continue to be played and watched on YouTube, so it’s a trend you should keep a close eye on.
Survival Games
In a similar timeframe, survival games have also been popular on YouTube for a while. There are a few reasons for this. Firstly, survival games offered a great way for people to watch games they had no access to. This may have been due to console/equipment limitations, or just because they couldn’t afford it.
In some cases, some gamers may be too afraid to play some survival games, or even horror games, on their own. When they are watching others play these games, they find it is a good way to discover the story organically the way it was intended.
There are also some group survival games that are just good fun to watch. Some YouTube communities are formed around games such as Minecraft and Rust, and people will tune into episodes daily to see what people are up to.
MOBA Games
Some of the most popular types of games that exist in the world can be found in the form of MOBA games. These types of games are multiplayer games, with MOBA standing for multiplayer online battle arena. There are many popular games that fall into this category. You may have heard about games such as League of Legends and Dota 2. Not only are these games popular to play, but they are also popular to watch.
There are regular international tournaments that League of Legends and Dota players go through. The prize pools are also quite massive. For example, The International 2021 Dota 2 tournament had a prize pool of $40,018,400.00 up for grabs. This is quite exciting to watch for this reason, and fans will watch in stadiums as well as through streaming platforms such as YouTube
There is also plenty of space for casual players in these games. Many people watch their favourite MOBA players play these games casually, as they are more interested in this approach, as the personalities can shine through more.
There are plenty of reasons why people watch these games, whether it be for the competition itself, or just for the personalities of those who play. Consider tuning into some games to see why they are so popular.
YouTube is a great platform for watching videos, sharing content, and connecting with people from all over the world. But did you know that YouTube also offers a family plan?
This plan is designed for families who want to share a YouTube account without having to worry about sharing passwords or watching age-inappropriate content.
A YouTube family plan allows multiple users to share one account. This means that family members can all have their own personalized YouTube experiences, with their own watch history, recommended videos, and subscriptions.
This can be particularly useful for families with children, as parents can set up restricted mode to prevent their kids from watching age-inappropriate content.
One of the main benefits of a YouTube family plan is that it’s more cost-effective than having multiple individual accounts. With a family plan, each member gets their own YouTube account, but the cost is shared among all members. This means that you only have to pay for one account, rather than multiple accounts.
Another benefit is that parents can have more control over what their children are watching on YouTube. With restricted mode, parents can block specific channels or videos, and set up a passcode to prevent children from turning off the restriction.
This can give parents peace of mind when it comes to their children’s online safety.
When it comes to a comparison between a solo account and a family plan, a family plan is more suitable for a family, especially when there are children involved.
With a solo account, one user has access to the account, and the content watched, recommendations, subscriptions, and other features are personalized for that user, while with a family plan, multiple users can have access to the same account, and it can be customized to fit the needs of each member.
In conclusion
A YouTube family plan is a great option for families who want to share a YouTube account while maintaining individualized experiences and parental controls.
It’s more cost-effective than having multiple individual accounts, and can give parents peace of mind when it comes to their children’s online safety.
If you’re part of a family and you’re considering a YouTube family plan, it’s definitely worth checking out!
Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the YouTube family plan
How do I set up a YouTube family plan?
You can set up a YouTube family plan by going to the YouTube settings, and then click on “Family Link” section, follow the prompts and invite the members of your family to join the plan.
How many people can be on a YouTube family plan?
A YouTube family plan can have up to six members.
Can I remove a member from my YouTube family plan?
Yes, you can remove a member from your YouTube family plan by going to the Family Link section on YouTube settings, and then click on the “Remove” button.
Can I have a family plan for a YouTube channel?
No, a family plan is for a YouTube account, not a channel. Each member of the plan can have their own channels.
Will the members of my YouTube family plan be able to see my watch history and subscriptions?
No, each member of a YouTube family plan has their own watch history and subscriptions.
Can I set up restricted mode for my children on a YouTube family plan?
Can I have a YouTube family plan and a YouTube Premium account?
Yes, members of a YouTube family plan can also have their own YouTube Premium accounts.
How much does a YouTube family plan cost?
A YouTube family plan costs the same as a single account, but it can be shared among multiple members, so the cost per member is less than an individual account.
YouTube and TikTok are two of the most popular video-sharing platforms, but they attract different audiences and have different growth strategies.
In this article, we’ll compare the audiences of YouTube and TikTok and explore the best ways to grow your audience on each platform.
Audience
YouTube has a more diverse audience, with users of all ages and backgrounds. It’s a great platform for creating educational content, how-to videos, and vlogs. TikTok, on the other hand, has a younger audience, with the majority of its users being between the ages of 16 and 24. It’s a great platform for creating short, funny videos, and lip-syncing videos.
Growth strategies
YouTube:
Optimize your video titles and descriptions with keywords to help your videos rank higher in search results.
Create a consistent posting schedule to keep your audience engaged.
Collaborate with other YouTubers to expand your reach and gain new followers.
Engage with your audience by responding to comments and creating a community around your channel.
Collaborate with other TikTok users to expand your reach and gain new followers.
Engage with your audience by responding to comments and creating a community around your content.
Utilize the “duet” feature to collaborate with other users and gain exposure to their followers.
To grow your audience on both platforms, consistency is key. Posting regularly, creating engaging content, and interacting with your audience are all essential for building a loyal following.
Additionally, to be successful on TikTok, you have to be in tune with the current trends and culture of the app, on the other hand, in YouTube you can have more freedom in terms of content creation.
In conclusion, both YouTube and TikTok are great platforms for growing your audience and building a community around your content, but they attract different audiences and have different growth strategies.
By understanding the unique characteristics of each platform, you can create a tailored strategy that will help you reach your target audience and grow your audience.
YouTube is constantly evolving and updating to better serve its users, but with change comes the loss of beloved features. Here are some of the features that YouTube users miss the most:
The YouTube Video Editor: This feature was a game changer for amateur filmmakers, allowing them to edit their videos directly on YouTube. It was removed in September 2017, and users were left to either use third-party software or upload pre-edited videos. But don’t worry, there are still a few online alternatives to theVideo Editor.
YouTube annotations: Remember those little clickable notes that used to pop up on videos? Well, they were called annotations, and they were removed in May 2017. YouTube users loved using annotations to add extra information or links to their videos, but Google decided to encourage users to use end screens and cards instead.
Google Video: Google Video was a precursor to YouTube, but it was eventually merged with the video-sharing giant. Unfortunately, the Google Video website was shut down in August 2012, but its legacy lives on through YouTube.
Google Video Player: This stand-alone media player was a great way to watch Google Videos, but it was also shut down in 2012.
Google Video for Business: Businesses could use this feature to host and share videos on their own websites, but it was also shut down in 2012.
YouTube comments on Google+: YouTube comments were integrated with the Google+ social network in 2013, but in 2019, Google announced that it would be separating the comments feature from Google+ and bringing it back to the classic YouTube commenting system.
These are just a few of the features that YouTube users miss the most, but with every update, new and exciting features are introduced. We may miss the old features, but we can’t wait to see what YouTube has in store for us next.
A YouTube channel ID is a string of letters and numbers that uniquely identifies a YouTube channel. It is used to distinguish one channel from another and to associate a channel with its owner.
To find your YouTube channel ID:
Go to YouTube and sign in to your account.
Click on your profile picture in the top right corner of the screen and select “My channel” from the dropdown menu.
Your channel ID will be displayed in the URL of your channel page. It will be a string of letters and numbers after “channel/”. For example, if the URL of your channel page is “https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1234567890“, then your channel ID is “UC1234567890”.
There are several reasons why you might need to find your YouTube channel ID:
To link your channel with other social media accounts or websites, you may need to provide your channel ID.
Some YouTube features and tools, such as channel art templates and channel analytics, require you to enter your channel ID.
Some third-party apps and services, such as YouTube marketing tools, may ask you to provide your channel ID to access certain features or data.
There are several ways you can use your YouTube channel ID:
You can use it to create a custom URL for your channel, which makes it easier for people to find and remember your channel.
You can use it to promote your channel and its videos on other websites and social media platforms by sharing links that include your channel ID.
You can use it to access YouTube API services and build custom tools and integrations for your channel.
A YouTube user ID is a string of letters and numbers that uniquely identifies a YouTube user. It is used to distinguish one user from another and to associate a user with their account.
To find your YouTube user ID:
Go to YouTube and sign in to your account.
Click on your profile picture in the top right corner of the screen and select “My channel” from the dropdown menu.
Your user ID will be displayed in the URL of your channel page. It will be a string of letters and numbers after “user/”. For example, if the URL of your channel page is “https://www.youtube.com/user/abc123“, then your user ID is “abc123”.
There are several reasons why you might need to find your YouTube user ID:
Some YouTube features and tools, such as channel art templates and channel analytics, require you to enter your user ID.
Some third-party apps and services, such as YouTube marketing tools, may ask you to provide your user ID to access certain features or data.
You may need to provide your user ID to link your account with other social media accounts or websites.
There are several ways you can use your YouTube user ID:
You can use it to create a custom URL for your channel, which makes it easier for people to find and remember your channel.
You can use it to track the performance of your channel and its videos using YouTube Analytics.
You can use it to promote your channel and its videos on other websites and social media platforms by sharing links that include your user ID.
You can use it to access YouTube API services and build custom tools and integrations for your channel.
Note that the YouTube user ID is different from the YouTube channel ID, which is a separate string of letters and numbers that identifies a YouTube channel. The channel ID is usually longer and begins with “UC”, while the user ID is usually shorter and does not begin with “UC”.
I hope this information is helpful! Let me know if you have any other questions.
To set up the merchandise shelf on your YouTube channel, follow these steps:
Make sure you have a Google Merchandise Store account. You’ll need to use this account to manage your merchandise on YouTube.
Go to your YouTube channel’s dashboard and click on the “Channel” tab.
Under the “Channel” tab, click on the “Merchandise” option.
Click on the “Connect a Merchandise Store” button.
Select the Google Merchandise Store account that you want to use for your merchandise shelf.
Once you’ve connected your store, you can start adding products to your merchandise shelf by clicking on the “Add Product” button.
Fill out the product information, including the product name, price, and description. You can also upload an image of the product.
When you’re finished, click on the “Publish” button to add the product to your merchandise shelf.
Repeat this process to add more products to your merchandise shelf. You can also edit or delete existing products by clicking on the “Edit” or “Delete” buttons next to the product.
That’s it! Your merchandise shelf should now be set up and ready to go. You can promote your merchandise to your viewers by including links to your merchandise shelf in your video descriptions, or by promoting your products in your videos.
In addition to the Google Merchandise Store, there are a number of other platforms that you can use to sell merchandise on your YouTube channel, such as:
Teespring: This platform allows you to design and sell a wide range of custom merchandise, including t-shirts, hoodies, and more.
Redbubble: This platform offers a variety of customizable products, including t-shirts, phone cases, stickers, and more.
Society6: This platform offers a wide range of customizable products, including art prints, phone cases, and home decor items.
Zazzle: This platform allows you to create custom merchandise, including t-shirts, mugs, and more.
Printful: This platform allows you to design and sell custom merchandise, including t-shirts, hats, and more.
You can also consider using a fulfillment service, such as Printify or Printful, which will handle the production and shipping of your merchandise for you. This can be a good option if you don’t want to deal with the logistical aspects of merchandise sales.
To use one of these platforms or services to sell merchandise on your YouTube channel, you’ll need to sign up for an account and create a store. You’ll then be able to add products to your store and link to them from your YouTube channel.
Are you looking to improve the visibility of your YouTube channel and get more views on your videos? Look no further, because today we’re going to be talking about YouTube SEO!
Search Engine Optimization. In the context of YouTube, this means optimizing your channel and videos so that they show up higher in search results and suggested videos, ultimately leading to more views and subscribers.
Now, let’s dive into some key areas that you can focus on to improve your YouTube SEO:
Keywords: Just like with any other type of SEO, using relevant keywords in your title, description, and tags can help your videos rank higher in search results. Make sure to do some keyword research to find out what terms people are using to search for content related to your channel.
Video titles: Your video title is one of the first things that viewers will see, so it’s important to make it catchy and descriptive. Try to include your target keywords at the beginning of the title, as this can help improve your ranking.
Video descriptions: Your video description should provide more context about what the video is about and should also include your target keywords. Make sure to use a mix of short and long-tail keywords, and include a call-to-action to encourage viewers to subscribe to your channel or watch more of your videos.
Tags: In addition to including your target keywords in your title and description, you can also use tags to help your videos rank higher in search results. Make sure to use a mix of broad and specific tags, and consider using relevant hashtags as well.
Thumbnail images: Your thumbnail image is another key factor that can influence whether or not someone clicks on your video. Make sure to use a high-quality image that accurately represents the content of your video.
Consistency: Consistency is key when it comes to YouTube SEO. Make sure to upload new videos on a regular basis and stick to a specific content schedule to keep your audience coming back for more.
Playlists: Creating playlists on your channel can help improve your ranking, as it keeps viewers on your channel for longer periods of time. Make sure to include a mix of your own videos as well as relevant external content.
Collaborations: Collaborating with other creators can help expose your channel to a new audience and improve your ranking. Make sure to choose partners who have a similar target audience to your own.
Annotations and end screens: Annotations and end screens are a great way to encourage viewers to interact with your content and subscribe to your channel. Make sure to use these features to promote your other videos and playlists.
By focusing on these key areas, you can improve the visibility of your YouTube channel and get more views on your videos.
Don’t be afraid to experiment and see what works best for your channel – the more you practice, the better you’ll become at YouTube SEO!
Key factors for YouTube SEO and Ranking #1 on YouTube
Video Metadata and Optimization
Factor
Tips
Examples
Title
Use target keywords, keep it clear and concise.
“Easy Vegan Pasta Recipe in 15 Minutes!”
Description
Add keywords, links, and a summary of the video.
“Learn how to make a delicious and easy…
Tags
Use relevant tags related to your video content.
“vegan pasta, quick recipes, easy cooking”
Thumbnails
Use eye-catching, high-quality images.
A colourful image of the finished pasta dish
Engagement Metrics and Optimization
Factor
Tips
Examples
Likes
Encourage viewers to like the video if they found it helpful.
“If you enjoyed this video, please…
Comments
Ask viewers to comment with their thoughts or questions.
“Let me know your favourite pasta…
Subscribers
Remind viewers to subscribe and turn on notifications.
“Subscribe and hit the bell icon…
Shares
Make it easy for viewers to share your video on social media.
“Share this video with your friends…
Watch Time and Audience Retention
Factor
Tips
Examples
Watch Time
Create engaging content to keep viewers watching till the end.
Use interesting visuals, animations, …
Audience Retention
Monitor audience retention to identify drop-off points in your video.
“At 2:30, 60% of viewers stopped…
Playlists and Series
Factor
Tips
Examples
Playlists
Organize videos by topic or theme.
“Vegan Recipes”, “Quick Meal Ideas”
Series
Create a series of videos to encourage binge-watching.
“Pasta Lovers: Episode 1 – Vegan Pesto”
I hope this article has been helpful in your journey to improve your YouTube SEO. If you have any questions or want to share your own tips, feel free to leave a comment below!
Q1: How important are keywords in YouTube SEO?
A1: Keywords play a crucial role in YouTube SEO as they help your video appear in search results when users search for related content. Using relevant keywords in your video title, description, and tags can significantly improve your video’s visibility. According to a study by Backlinko, videos with an exact keyword match in the title have a slight advantage over those that don’t.
Q2: How does the length of a video affect its performance on YouTube?
A2: While there’s no strict rule on video length, longer videos tend to rank better on YouTube because they generate more watch time. Backlinko’s study found that the average video on the first page of YouTube search results is 14 minutes and 50 seconds long. However, it’s essential to maintain audience engagement throughout the video, as a high audience retention rate also contributes to better ranking.
Q3: What is the impact of user engagement (likes, comments, shares) on video rankings?
A3: User engagement plays a significant role in video rankings on YouTube. YouTube’s algorithm takes into account factors such as likes, comments, shares, and subscribers to determine the popularity and relevance of a video. Backlinko’s study revealed that videos with higher engagement levels (likes and comments) tend to rank higher on YouTube search results.
Q4: How important is audience retention in YouTube SEO?
A4: Audience retention, or the percentage of your video that viewers watch, is a crucial factor in YouTube SEO. YouTube favors videos with high audience retention, as it indicates that viewers find the content valuable and engaging. High audience retention can lead to better search rankings and more visibility. Aim to keep viewers engaged throughout the video by providing valuable information, maintaining a good pace, and avoiding long intros or unnecessary content.
Q5: How can I optimize my videos for YouTube search and suggested videos?
A5: To optimize your videos for YouTube search and suggested videos, focus on the following factors:
Video metadata: Use relevant keywords in your title, description, and tags. Make your title engaging and descriptive. Write detailed video descriptions with keywords and timestamps (if applicable).
User engagement: Encourage likes, comments, shares, and new subscribers by interacting with your audience and creating high-quality content.
Watch time and audience retention: Create engaging content that keeps viewers watching until the end of the video. Monitor audience retention to identify areas for improvement.
Thumbnail: Use high-quality, eye-catching images that accurately represent your video content.
Q6: How can playlists improve my video’s performance?
A6: Playlists help organize your content and increase overall watch time by encouraging viewers to watch more videos from your channel. When you group related videos into a playlist, it’s more likely that viewers will watch multiple videos in a sequence, leading to higher watch time and improved SEO. Additionally, playlists themselves can appear in search results, potentially driving more traffic to your channel.
Q7: Does backlinks help gain views?
A7: Growing backlinks can show authority. You can get those organically or use a service like LinkLifting.
YouTube is a popular video sharing platform that is used by millions of people around the world. It’s a great way to watch, share, and learn from videos. There are many benefits to using YouTube, including the following:
Access to a wide variety of content – YouTube has a vast library of videos covering almost any topic you can think of. Whether you’re interested in learning about a new hobby, catching up on the news, or watching music videos, there’s likely something on YouTube for you.
Convenience – With YouTube, you can watch videos anytime, anywhere. All you need is an internet connection. This makes it easy to watch videos on the go or at home on your couch.
Opportunities for creators – YouTube is a great platform for creators to share their work with a wider audience. Many creators have built successful careers by creating and sharing videos on YouTube.
However, there are some countries that have decided to ban YouTube for various reasons. Here’s a list of some countries that have banned YouTube:
China – China has a strict internet censorship policy and has banned several websites, including YouTube. In order to access YouTube, people in China need to use a virtual private network (VPN).
Iran – Iran has a history of censoring the internet and has blocked several websites, including YouTube. In order to access YouTube, people in Iran need to use a VPN.
North Korea – North Korea is known for its strict internet censorship policy and has banned several websites, including YouTube. It is difficult for people in North Korea to access the internet at all, let alone YouTube.
Turkmenistan – Turkmenistan has a strict internet censorship policy and has banned several websites, including YouTube. In order to access YouTube, people in Turkmenistan need to use a VPN.
Syria – Syria has a history of censoring the internet and has blocked several websites, including YouTube. In order to access YouTube, people in Syria need to use a VPN.
It’s worth noting that the list of countries that have banned YouTube may change over time. Some countries may lift their ban on YouTube, while others may impose a new ban. It’s also worth noting that while YouTube may be banned in some countries, it is still widely available in most parts of the world.
In conclusion, YouTube is a popular platform that offers many benefits, including access to a wide variety of content, convenience, and opportunities for creators. However, there are some countries that have decided to ban YouTube for various reasons. If you live in one of these countries, you may need to use a VPN in order to access YouTube.
YouTube is the most popular online video platform in the world. It allows users to upload, view, and share video content. Although it isn’t the only place to find video content, it’s easily the most popular and is the largest source of all video content.
Furthermore, YouTube has become a major part of many people’s lives, and it has revolutionized how people watch and share media.
However, there are many competitors to YouTube, and one of these is TikTok. Therefore, it’s important to know how these two platforms compare in order to determine which one is best for you and your needs.
One of the main reasons why YouTube is so popular is because it gives users more freedom to create content than other platforms allow. For example, users can create videos that feature any subject they wish as long as they are respectful and abide by YouTube’s community guidelines.
This not only lets you create videos on any topic you want but also gives you a lot more freedom compared to platforms like Snapchat or Instagram. You aren’t limited by a set schedule or format for your video-creation process, so you can create content at your own pace and time.
Plus, easily accessible video editing software makes creating high-quality videos very simple and straightforward for even less-skilled creators.
Another reason why YouTube is so popular is because of its diverse user base. On YouTube, you can find videos from a variety of different backgrounds and perspectives.
This lets you discover new ideas and get inspired by different ways of thinking. You can also discover your favourite channels or find inspiration from other creators. This diversity in content helps make YouTube a platform where everyone can find something they like and connect with others who share their interests.
For example, people can find inspiration from famous creators or learn new things from lesser-known channels. Finding new ideas and learning about new topics on YouTube is easy thanks to this platform’s diversified user base- something that doesn’t exist on TikTok yet.
YouTube’s interface is much more intuitive and user-friendly than TikTok’s. This makes it a lot easier for new users to find things without having to read through a lengthy tutorial or FAQ first.
You can also quickly find different categories or search for specific videos using the intuitive search bar at the top of the page. You can also easily browse through trending videos or watch your favourite channels right from the homepage with ease.
Compared to other services like Facebook or Twitter, finding what you’re looking for on YouTube is a lot easier than on those platforms- which makes it a great place for newcomers to learn and grow as creators.
On the other hand, one reason why some people prefer TikTok over YouTube is because of its auto-playing videos feature on the former platform’s sidebars vs YouTube’s request model. Auto-playing videos are usually prerecorded videos that play automatically when someone visits a certain website or app.
In addition, some fans prefer the younger hipper vibe that TikTok provides compared to YouTube’s more mature demographic target audience.
Another reason why some people prefer TikTok over YouTube is because of its younger demographic focus compared to YouTube’s focus on all ages under 18 years old.
While both platforms have preteens represented in their communities, TikTok caters to younger audiences by targeting teenagers specifically with its ‘hype’ filter system for rating videos.
Additionally, TikTok has also been known to remove accounts that feature mature content like alcohol or tobacco advertising despite its main demographic being teenagers- which may not appeal to all viewers interests depending on their age group focus
While YouTube provides extremely easy access for those with low computer literacy skills, many people already use YouTube regularly and are already invested in their communities there, whereas TikTok caters to newcomers or those who may not have access to a computer or mobile device for whatever reason.<
Overall, while both platforms have their pros and cons, it’s important to know how these two platforms compare in order to determine which one is best for you and your needs. Whether you prefer free expression over ease of access or prefer diversity over ease of use for all ages, both platforms have something for everyone who wants an easy way to share their creativity with others online.
Coined in 2010, ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) is a relaxing, often sedative sensation that begins on the scalp and moves down the body. Also known as “brain massage,” it’s triggered by placid sights and sounds such as whispers, accents, and crackles.
What is ASMR? It is an acronym for “Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response” (which is not officially classified as a condition by the sciences) that is first bandied about on the internet around the close of the first decade of the 2000s.
For the most part, the words making up the name are self-explanatory, but you might be wondering about meridian. Meridian generally refers to a high point in excitement, but technically it refers to any of the pathways along which the body’s vital energy flows according to the theory behind acupuncture.
Autonomous also has specialized meaning: it can refer to involuntary physiological responses or to the autonomic nervous system, which autonomously regulates bodily functions, including sexual arousal.
ASMR, however, is a nonsexual response.
According to the modest ones who answered questionnaires on the topic, it is simply a tingling feeling that starts at the top of the head and trickles downward—and is characteristically triggered by a person softly whispering into a camera and making random hand movements along objects.
ASMR stands for autonomous sensory meridian response. Autonomous means that the feeling is in your body, sensory means that your senses perceive the feeling, meridian refers to the energy of the feeling in your body, and response indicates that the feeling is a response to stimuli.
What are the benefits of asmr?
“I’ve received emails throughout my five years of content creation from people with many different backgrounds. Soldiers with PTSD. New mums who have just given birth and are in state of constant stress. People with anxiety disorders or depression who can’t sleep. All telling me ASMR helps them. I really think it could be used hand-in-hand with therapy. It’s not going to cure anyone, but it might make their life slightly better.”
“For example, people report ASMR helping them sleep. Is this because it puts you in a state of relaxation, which means sleep onset is easier?
Does it prevent pre-sleep cognitions, which are the things that stop you from getting to sleep in the first place? And does it do anything to actually improve the quality of your sleep? These are all questions that we don’t really know the answer to.”
As a scientist, Poerio is slightly more sceptical, but no less determined to find out. “We know about the immediate physiological benefits of experiencing ASMR, which are comparable to things like mindfulness and music-based stress reduction. What we don’t have is any data looking at the long-term effect of repeated exposure. There’s so much anecdotal evidence it has helped, but actually – does it help? And if so, how?
ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) has become increasingly popular over the years, particularly on platforms like YouTube. Here are some interesting statistics and facts about the ASMR community, creators, and content. Please note that these stats are approximate and may have changed since the knowledge cutoff date of September 2021.
ASMR Content on YouTube:
Total number of ASMR videos: ~15 million (as of 2021)
Growth rate of ASMR content: 200% YoY (2016-2020)
Top 5 ASMR Creators (by subscribers as of September 2021):
When getting started on YouTube—or even when you’re established—it can sometimes be tempting to engage the services of one of those “10,000 views for $10!!!” offers you find on places like Fiverr. And, if you seek the advice of any knowledgeable YouTuber, you will likely be told to stay well clear of those bought views for a variety of reasons.
Ultimately, however, the damage done by fake views is mostly one of disappointment. You pay for thousands of views only to find that your revenue doesn’t change because none of the fake viewers are legitimately engaged with your content. Where things get a little dicier is when it comes to YouTube terms of service, since breaking those can get you kicked off of the platform. Of course, for YouTube to penalise someone for fake views, they first have to be able to detect those fake views. So, can YouTube detect fake views?
Yes. To a certain extent, YouTube can detect fake views and will take action to nullify those views, as well as potentially take action against any YouTubers who are suspected of wrongdoing.
What do We Mean by “Fake Views”?
As with many things in the English language, the wording can get confusing when dealing with fake views. One of the main points of confusion is the use of “fake views” interchangeably with “buying viewers”, which may be true to some extent, but it is perfectly possible to buy viewers in a manner that YouTube deems acceptable.
We are, of course, referring to advertising. At the end of the day, paying advertising and other forms of promotion in which you pay money to promote your channel are forms of “buying views”, but YouTube does not have a problem with this. Not least because they hope you will use their advertising platform to promote your work
No, when we say “fake views” or “bought views”, we are referring to views that have been bought by the amount. Paying money for a guaranteed number of views will almost always fall afoul of YouTube terms of service, which takes a hard line against anything that artificially increases the number of views, likes, comments, or any other metrics you might care to pad out.
The use of the word “artificial” in that sentence is important. You see, if you just went out and paid 10,000 people to watch your video, like or dislike as they deemed fit, and drop a comment based on their actual thoughts about the video, YouTube probably wouldn’t have a problem. Those users would be engaging with the content and the fact that you paid them to do it wouldn’t be an issue.
The reality of fake views is not that, however.
Fake views are nearly always either bots or a captive audience, such as users who are being paid pennies to watch thirty seconds of video. These views are not worth anything to YouTube since they are not going to click on ads or dive further into the site where they can accumulate value for the platform.
This is not just bad in the sense that the fake view isn’t earning YouTube any money, but it’s also bad in the sense that it skews their advertising performance metrics. The more views that don’t result in clicks through to advertisers, the less appealing YouTube becomes for said advertisers.
Needless to say, it’s in YouTube’s best interests to crack down on fake views.
Can YouTube Detect Fake Views
So, with all of that in mind, can YouTube detect fake views? We said in a somewhat cagey fashion that they can, but what does “to a certain extent” mean?
Simply put, YouTube can make educated guesses about views based on a variety of factors. Things like IP addresses and their watching habits, how long views last, the views per hour ratio of a video or channel, and where the traffic sources for these views are.
All of these things and more are considered and allow YouTube’s systems to paint a picture of the user viewing a video. If there is a high probability that a view is fake, YouTube will treat it as such.
Will I Get Banned for Buying Fake Views?
You may get lucky. YouTube has been known to erase fake views without taking any action against the YouTuber whose videos were viewed. It is likely YouTube factors in the magnitude of fake views and whether a channel has a history of getting fake views. If you buy a few thousand fake views once, you will probably be safe from the ban hammer. If you buy tens of thousands every week, you’re going to get caught.
That being said, always remember that YouTube’s terms don’t specify an amount. Fake views are fake views, and you could have your channel erased if you buy them.
Do Fake YouTube Views Work?
The golden question then becomes; is there any benefit to fake views. And is that benefit worth the risk? Unfortunately, we have to come down on the side of no, there is no worthwhile advantage to fake views.
As mentioned, these views do not engage with your content, meaning they don’t earn you ad revenue or click your affiliate links or sign up to your Patreon. Worse still, they negatively affect your channel. Having a high volume of views with a poor engagement rate reflects badly on your content in the eyes of YouTube, and this could lead to your videos getting recommended less!
Final Thoughts
There are many shady things that can be done to increase your chances of success online, including on YouTube. But when the negative impact of buying fake views is weighed along with the risk of getting caught and suspended from the platform, it’s hard to make a case for buying fake views.
Building your audience organically will ensure that your viewers are engaged, there for the long haul, and, above all, you will be safe from being caught out by YouTube!
Top 5 Tools To Get You Started on YouTube
Very quickly before you go here are 5 amazing tools I have used every day to grow my YouTube channel from 0 to 30K subscribers in the last 12 months that I could not live without.
1. VidIQ helps boost my views and get found in search
I almost exclusively switched to VidIQ from a rival in 2020.
When I first started I threw things together in Window Movie Maker, cringed at how it looked but thought “that’s the best I can do so it’ll have to do”.
Big mistake!
I soon realized the move time you put into your editing and the more engaging your thumbnails are the more views you will get and the more people will trust you enough to subscribe.
That is why I took the plunge and invested in my editing and design process with Adobe Creative Suite. They offer a WIDE range of tools to help make amazing videos, simple to use tools for overlays, graphics, one click tools to fix your audio and the very powerful Photoshop graphics program to make eye-catching thumbnails.
Best of all you can get a free trial for 30 days on their website, a discount if you are a student and if you are a regular human being it starts from as little as £9 per month if you want to commit to a plan.
3. Rev.com helps people read my videos
You can’t always listen to a video.
Maybe you’re on a bus, a train or sat in a living room with a 5 year old singing baby shark on loop… for HOURS. Or, you are trying to make as little noise as possible while your new born is FINALLY sleeping.
This is where Rev can help you or your audience consume your content on the go, in silence or in a language not native to the video.
A GREAT way to find an audience and keep them hooked no matter where they are watching your content.
4. PlaceIT can help you STAND OUT on YouTube
I SUCK at making anything flashy or arty.
I have every intention in the world to make something that looks cool but im about as artistic as a dropped ice-cream cone on the web windy day.
That is why I could not live on YouTube without someone like PlaceIT. They offer custom YouTube Banners, Avatars, YouTube Video Intros and YouTube End Screen Templates that are easy to edit with simple click, upload wizard to help you make amazing professional graphics in minutes.
5. StoryBlocks helps me add amazing video b-roll cutaways
I mainly make tutorials and talking head videos.
And in this modern world this can be a little boring if you don’t see something funky every once in a while.
I try with overlays, jump cuts and being funny but my secret weapon is b-roll overlay content.
I can talk about skydiving, food, money, kids, cats – ANYTHING I WANT – with a quick search on the StoryBlocks website I can find a great looking clip to overlay on my videos, keeping them entertained and watching for longer.
Privacy on the Internet is one of our bigger concerns in today’s interconnected world, and YouTube is not exempt from those concerns. Given the sheer volume of YouTube videos that are watched at any given time, and especially by any individual person, there is a wealth of information that can be gleaned from knowing someone’s YouTube viewing history.
Unfortunately, the answer to “can YouTube history be tracked?” is a resounding yes, it most certainly can… assuming you are using YouTube as a logged-in user. YouTube will still track your usage when you are not logged in, of course, but there this data will be anonymised. This is not to say it’s not tracking you in a way, but more on that shortly.
YouTube Viewing History
The first thing to be aware of when considering YouTube’s tracking abilities is that it is baked into the platform. YouTube makes its money through advertising, and the biggest selling point for online advertisers is the fact that ads can be targeted to very specific demographics because of all the information YouTube has. YouTube knows your age, gender, geographical region, interests, and more, allowing advertisers to make sure their ads are being shown to people who are likely to be interested. Naturally, that system doesn’t work if YouTube doesn’t collect information about you.
Your viewing history is the most obvious thing, of course. You yourself can view your viewing history if you wish, a particularly useful tool for finding videos you’ve enjoyed in the past but can’t find now. Of course, in order for this feature to be available, YouTube needs to keep a record of what you have watched.
Your YouTube viewing history is private, and cannot be viewed by anyone else. If you don’t want certain videos logged to your viewing history, you can always log out of YouTube before viewing them. There are some limitations to this method, however. For example, YouTube will not allow you to watch videos it has deemed inappropriate for younger viewers unless you are logged in. This is mostly to prevent children from getting around content restrictions by using YouTube logged out.
You can also clear your viewing history if you’re worried about someone using your computer and stumbling across your obsession with videos of capybara playing with dogs, but that will only affect the viewing history you see—the data that YouTube uses to decide what to recommend to you will still be there.
Non-YouTube Tracking
It is possible for your YouTube history to be tracked by non-YouTube parties, but in the vast majority of cases, this would require you to have either agreed to something or been hacked by someone.
For example, if you are using YouTube through a device that has been opted into something like Nielson tracking, all of your online activity will be tracked, including your YouTube use, but this is something you will have actively sought out and agreed to beforehand.
It is also possible for your device to become infected with malicious software that will monitor your YouTube usage, but you should be able to avoid this with common sense security measures, such as having up to date anti-virus software and not clicking on untrustworthy links.
There are also perfectly legitimate (in the legal sense, not necessarily the moral one) ways to track your usage, such as Facebook’s “Off-Facebook Activity” settings. These can be disabled by you, but if they are not, Facebook can track a number of things you might be getting up to online.
Your Online “Fingerprint”
We often worry about our identity being out there because all of the scariest sounding forms of hacking and online fraud involve stealing our identities for something. It is possible to track you without your identity, however.
When you use the Internet, including websites like YouTube, there is a wealth of information that those remote servers have access to. These include things like the operating system your device is using, the browser, what screen resolution you have, even what fonts are installed.
While none of these things inherently give away your identity, there are sufficient variables to reliably identify a returning anonymous user. In this manner, a remote server can build up a tracking history for a user, even if that user never logs in or gives their name or any other personally identifiable information. Essentially, they can create a “digital fingerprint” corresponds to you and you alone, even if they don’t know who you are.
Now, if YouTube uses this method, nobody is being particularly open about it. However, we do know that they use browser cookies to keep track of what you’ve been watching.
Browser Cookies
Browser cookies are essentially little packets of information that are stored on your hard drive. The next time you visit YouTube anonymously, YouTube can check these cookies and see what you were looking at the last time you were there.
If you’re not comfortable with this, there are two options. You can either regularly clear your cookies so that there is no record, or you can browse YouTube in incognito/privacy mode. With cookies being stored on your computer, you are in complete control of whether they stay or go, as long as you know how to do it.
Final Thoughts
Your YouTube history can certainly be tracked, but, for the most part, the entity doing the tracking is YouTube. It is possible for nefarious parties to get into a position to track your viewing history, but in most cases, if they are in that position, your viewing history will be the least of your worries.
It should also be noted that, from a privacy standpoint, YouTube is a very different platform for children. COPPA regulations mean that YouTube cannot track nearly as much data on underage viewers as they can with adults.
For the most part, however, protecting your privacy and identity on YouTube requires the same common-sense approach that should be used whenever you are browsing the Internet or using connected apps.
Top 5 Tools To Get You Started on YouTube
Very quickly before you go here are 5 amazing tools I have used every day to grow my YouTube channel from 0 to 30K subscribers in the last 12 months that I could not live without.
1. VidIQ helps boost my views and get found in search
I almost exclusively switched to VidIQ from a rival in 2020.
When I first started I threw things together in Window Movie Maker, cringed at how it looked but thought “that’s the best I can do so it’ll have to do”.
Big mistake!
I soon realized the move time you put into your editing and the more engaging your thumbnails are the more views you will get and the more people will trust you enough to subscribe.
That is why I took the plunge and invested in my editing and design process with Adobe Creative Suite. They offer a WIDE range of tools to help make amazing videos, simple to use tools for overlays, graphics, one click tools to fix your audio and the very powerful Photoshop graphics program to make eye-catching thumbnails.
Best of all you can get a free trial for 30 days on their website, a discount if you are a student and if you are a regular human being it starts from as little as £9 per month if you want to commit to a plan.
3. Rev.com helps people read my videos
You can’t always listen to a video.
Maybe you’re on a bus, a train or sat in a living room with a 5 year old singing baby shark on loop… for HOURS. Or, you are trying to make as little noise as possible while your new born is FINALLY sleeping.
This is where Rev can help you or your audience consume your content on the go, in silence or in a language not native to the video.
A GREAT way to find an audience and keep them hooked no matter where they are watching your content.
4. PlaceIT can help you STAND OUT on YouTube
I SUCK at making anything flashy or arty.
I have every intention in the world to make something that looks cool but im about as artistic as a dropped ice-cream cone on the web windy day.
That is why I could not live on YouTube without someone like PlaceIT. They offer custom YouTube Banners, Avatars, YouTube Video Intros and YouTube End Screen Templates that are easy to edit with simple click, upload wizard to help you make amazing professional graphics in minutes.
5. StoryBlocks helps me add amazing video b-roll cutaways
I mainly make tutorials and talking head videos.
And in this modern world this can be a little boring if you don’t see something funky every once in a while.
I try with overlays, jump cuts and being funny but my secret weapon is b-roll overlay content.
I can talk about skydiving, food, money, kids, cats – ANYTHING I WANT – with a quick search on the StoryBlocks website I can find a great looking clip to overlay on my videos, keeping them entertained and watching for longer.
YouTube and blogging are two powerful ways to earn a fairly passive income online. YouTube is a visual platform that relies on video content while blogging gives you a little more licence to deep dive into ideas with writing, images and videos blended into a comprehensive article.
But how can you monetize your youtube channel and blogs, and what one is more profitable?
Lets look into making money online in the first place. You can make your site a profitable business by monetizing it in the following ways:
Affiliate Marketing
It’s one of the most popular ways that bloggers use to make money. with this type of marketing, you need to promote certain products that belong to other businesses. So, every time a person buys the product through your affiliate link, you earn a commission.
Some of the most popular affiliate programs include:
Amazon associates
Commission junction
ShareASale
Publish Sponsored Blog Posts
You can get paid to write and publish a blog post on your site. This is simply sponsored content, and it offers one of the best ways to improve your blog monetization strategy. A business organization, company, or individual can pay to create content about their products. In some instances, they might prepare the content themselves and then give you for publication. Some of the best blogger networks that can provide you with such opportunities include:
BlogDash
ValuedVoice
Sell Ad Space
If you have ad space on your site, you can sell it at a set price to an interested buyer. This sounds better than getting a small amount of money every time someone clicks on your ad, and you simply charge a flat rate.
Write Product Review
Once you have built your site and become a reputable writer, you can get paid to write reviews. You can try out a sponsored product, write a product review about it, and get paid to do that job. But it’s important to find a niche that you understand and products relevant to your audience. For instance, if your blog is about health and fitness, it will make sense to review supplements, smartwatches, wellness applications, and fitness apparel.
Get AdSense
When you start writing and publishing content for income, advertising is usually at the back of your mind since you want to profit from your work. The easiest way to monetize your blog is by using Google AdSense, i.e., an Ad Network run by Google. AdSense usually displays adverts on websites, and when a visitor clicks on it, you make money.
YouTube.
Just like blogging, there are several ways you can use to monetize your YouTube channel. If you are in the YouTube Partner Program, then you can earn money through:
Ads
If you meet YouTube’s advertiser-friendly content guidelines, then you can turn on ads. You can check your eligibility by checking out the self-certification examples and guidance found on this platform.
But understand that choosing to turn on adverts doesn’t mean they will automatically appear on your video. Your content must go through the standard ads process that includes human and automated reviews to determine if it meets the guidelines. Besides that, you need to have all the rights to the audio and visual elements in the video. YouTube has two types of ads options; hence you can turn on ads for:
Individual videos
Multiple videos
Merch
YouTube has a merchandise shelf that allows interested creators to sell their branded merchandise on this platform. Note that this feature usually appears on certain video pages that are eligible channels.
Memberships
Allow viewers to join your channels via monthly payments. However, you should be ready to give them members-only perks such as emojis, badges, and other types of goods. YouTube has policies and guidelines to help eligible account holders.
Chat and Super Stickers
You can turn on this feature and connect with your fans during live chat. Making super stickers and chat content can earn you up to$500. Viewers can purchase the super chats option to highlight your message in the live chat.
Premium Revenue
YouTube premium revenue will automatically turn itself on. If a viewer is subscribed to YouTube Premium, then every time they watch what you publish, you will earn part of the fee they pay for their premium account.
In this blog vs YouTube earnings overview, it’s clear that both platforms offer multiple channels of earning money. However, more people prefer to watch videos rather than read blogs, and this is because they have a better chance to view content in a “live” way.
Q: When to get AdSense
If you are a blogger, you can apply for AdSense once your site starts receiving at least 100 unique visitors daily. Blogging rules have changed, and it may be quite difficult to get accepted, especially if your site doesn’t generate a reasonable amount of traffic every day. Besides that, you need to have a Google account, e.g., Gmail, to use AdSense. With YouTube, you need to have at least 1000 subscribers with a total of 4,000 watch hours.
Q: Does AdSense Pay Per Bloggers Per View?
Blog: No. AdSense doesn’t pay bloggers based on ad views. Instead, people get paid using cost-per-click (CPC). This is an established payment system that allows you to receive a portion of your payment when a person from your target audience clicks on the targeted ads by Google AdSense. So, if one of your users clicks on your ad, you should receive 68% of the payment as the publisher.
Q: How Much Does AdSense Pay Per Click/View?
Blog: Your commission is 68% of the total click amount, but this can go down to 51% in AdSense for search. Generally, the amount you get in terms of the commission depends on the existing competition on the Google Search engine platform and the CPC in that niche. The commission per click usually ranges between $0.20 and $15.
YouTube: according to various sources, you can earn between $0.01 and $0.03 per view with YouTube AdSense, but this amount usually averages out at around $0.18 per view. Like blogging, Google will pay you 68% of the generated AdSense revenue, and so for every $100 that the advertiser pays, you get $68 as the publisher.
Q: How Can You Improve Your AdSense Earnings?
For bloggers, AdSense earnings matter. To maximize your AdSense revenue after monetizing your website, here’s what you need to do:
Craft High-Quality Content
Your content is what will make you stand out. Valuable content will always get more clicks, which will organically raise your revenue. This is because it will generate more traffic and leads. By doing so, your chances of getting more clicks will increase, making your site attractive for product or service advertisers.
When crafting content for a specific niche, look at what your competitors are doing first, including their writing styles. This way, you will know what’s expected of you and how you can uniquely craft your content for your audience.
Use the Right Keywords
A combination of engaging, high-quality content with the right keywords will be highly effective in revenue generation. Look for those keywords that people commonly use when searching for specific content. Optimize your keywords so that search engines can easily crawl on your site and rank your content on top of search results.
Of course, more traffic will lead to more clicks, and the result will be more earnings from Google AdSense.
Consider Best Ad Placement Best Practices
Ad placement is important in maximizing your earning. On your homepage, you can increase the click-through rate (CTR) by:
Using 728 x 90 leaderboard ad image unit just right above your homepage’s fold and below the main bar navigation.
Consider testing different ad units, i.e., 300 x 250 medium rectangle or 160 x 600- a wide skyscraper in your sidebar.
On your main blog page, use:
A 336 x 280 large rectangle image for your ad unit right on top of your article.
Consider using a similar type of ad unit before the comments section at the end of your post.
Ad size and style all matter in boosting a blogger’s AdSense earnings. This gives your visitors several chances to notice and then click on your ads. When considering ad style, understand that the goal is to make them more visible while simultaneously reducing ad blindness.
That’s why google usually recommends that you consider using different colors for your links and ad text to make them stand out.
There are three main ad styles that have been proven to be technically effective, and they include:
Color contrast: use ads with colors that easily stand out against your website’s background.
Blend: ensure that your ad units are the same color as your site’s borders.
Complement: use colors that preferably already exist on your website even though they don’t exactly match with the borders or background but easily blend.
Use a Plugin for Ad Management
Ads that generate good revenue must be managed. This makes it possible to group ads depending on the content and where they can be inserted. Some of the useful features of an ad plugin include:
Ad rotation: you can opt to use a timed or on-page rotation for your site’s ad group
Adblocker: it checks if the browser has an ad-block software and then issues notification for it to be disabled.
Expiry date: you can set an expiry date for your ads.
For YouTubers, you can only make money with your YouTube partner account to get AdSense Revenue. The best way to increase your YouTube earnings include:
Publish Quality Videos
In content creation, quality will always sell. There is more to creating videos, which means creating content that can easily captivate the viewer. There are already several other creators in your niche; hence, you should create videos that people can watch. But how can you effectively do this?
Create videos that meet YouTube guidelines
Create a schedule for your video posts- it is important to upload videos to create a schedule that your audience will be in-tune with. Do you want to upload videos twice weekly, 5x monthly, etc.? You can learn more about scheduling here
Create your Thumbnails. Even though YouTube offers you the thumbnail option, it’s great to create your own since you can customize it to meet specific user preferences. You can use a graphic editing app to do this.
Briefly describe what happens in the video in the description area. Note that the summary of the information you provide here should be accurate, and you can even add blogs or websites that you are affiliated with.
Ensure that you sparsely use the relevant keywords to fill out all the details outlined in the title, tags, and description. SEO is also relevant in YouTube.
Create a quick but captivating intro that highlights what the viewer should expect.
Manage your Channel
Only a great channel with a reliable number of viewers will earn you a good income. YouTube success doesn’t come easily, so you must build and manage your channel. Ensure your channel’s description, including colors and logos, matches your niche and user profile. Besides that:
Fill in all your profile information
Customize your site’s color scheme and background
Use a captivating cover photo
Use a captivating cover photo
Channel management also requires you to vary the presentation of your videos. There are those subscribers that love short videos while others love longer versions. Analyze the performance of different videos based on the length and use that information to create relevant content. This way, you can:
Publish video content of varying lengths to cater to the different needs of your target audience
Create your playlist featuring a series of various videos
Lastly, consider your community in content management. There isn’t any successful YouTuber who doesn’t have a community. How can you build your community?
Directly interact with your fans by replying to comments
Ask them to give you their opinions
Make them feel like they are part of your content creation journey
Improve your AdSense Ads
Use your YouTube partnership account to improve your AdSense. Do keyword research to drive more traffic and result in better showing ads. The more traffic you get and the better the quality of the ads, then the more money you will earn.
In this case, consider the type of tags you use. Tags should be ideally used to connect videos with similar characteristics. So, the more connections you get, the better your chances of getting more views.
Market Your Channel
It would be nice for your channel to get more exposure on YouTube and other platforms. A high level of exposure guarantees you more leads and traffic, which leads to more views that generate revenue.
Q: How Many Views Does a Blogger/Youtuber Need to Get Paid?
Blog: There isn’t a specific fixed number you need to get paid. You can get paid with as little as 100 visitors. However, you should understand that every page view generates $0.01 and $0.25. That means that you would earn $1 -$25 monthly.
If you want to make money from blogging, you need to get around 10, 000 views unique visitors monthly. This way, you can monetize your blog easily and use it nicely for a revenue stream. However, the biggest challenge for most people is getting these numbers. For a YouTuber, the views you need can be equated to 4,000 hours of watch time.
Q: What Kind of Blogs/Channels Make More Money?
You can flourish in any niche and earn a modest income if you put in the work. However, there are niches that if you invest in, you are guaranteed more revenue. This is because such niches are popular, and their content is highly demanded.
We “interact” with money almost every day. Whether it’s buying food, transport, paying for accommodation, or even accessing the internet, so, money is an important factor for the sustenance of our livelihoods, and that’s why starting a finance blog will put you a step ahead in ensuring you earn more.
People are always looking for effective ways to handle money, and finance blogs are the best in providing actionable insights that the user might need. Whether it’s a busy professional, a retiree, or a young college student, finance content will never go out of style as it appeals to most people. Some of the aspects of finance you can focus on. Include:
• Passive income – blogging is one of the best ways to earn a passive income or use it as a side hustle.
It is currently one of the best niches to focus on since most people are actively looking for ways to make passive or active income through marketing.
With your marketing blog, you can help your target audience learn how they can master e-commerce skills before starting a business. Some of the areas that seem to be attracting big numbers include:
• SEO
• blogging
• Email marketing
• E-commerce marketing
Travel Blog
Travel blogs have become a necessity in this era, with more people keen on exploring their locals, regions, or even international areas.
Travel blogs are quite popular, and you can always make good money, regardless of the zone you decide to focus on. You can make money through affiliate links, accommodation reviews, etc. Additionally, you sell travel apparel on your blog.
Food Blog
If you are a foodie, this is a new area for you to flourish. Food blogs are popular currently, and you can make yours the online recipe book. Teach your target audience how to prepare different tasty dishes, and you can even use some nice photos from your kitchen.
Besides that, you can prepare specific meal recipes that target a certain group of people e.g.
• New moms
• Those struggling with weight loss or weight gain
• Diet time limits
• Fitness enthusiasts
Some of the other areas you can focus on include:
• Restaurant reviews
• DIY meals
• Food and traveling
• Affordable outdoor dining
Fashion Blog
You don’t need your clothing line to write a fashion blog. You can still express your unique sense of style on your blog through product reviews. There are new fashion trends almost every month, and this means that people are always trying to keep up to date with what’s happening in the fashion world. The best thing about being a fashion blogger is that you can link your site to your social media page, become a social media influencer as well, and add affiliate links.
Not all YouTube videos are the same, and there are certain types of videos that tend to perform better than the others, regardless of the publisher. These videos generate more income, and they include:
How-to videos
They are quite popular since people are always looking for popular solutions to fix and do things. How-to videos top the charts since they are better off than instructional manuals. You can cover a wide range of topics ranging from education, travel, and photography.
Product Reviews
These are videos that involve a YouTuber testing out a product then giving the target audience a review, including the downsides and pros, based on their personal experience. According to Google, product reviews have generated more than 50,000 years of YouTube watch time in the last couple of years only.
Vlogs
These are videos that cover a wide range of niches depending on the creator. You can vlog about basically anything but lifestyle topics, including music, comedy, and entertainment
You can learn more about YouTube side hustles here
Q: What’s Easy Monetize, YouTube Channel or a Blog?
It depends on your content and the effort you put in. it takes about six months to start earning from your blog. With YouTube, your channel needs to have t least 1,000 subscribers and a total of 4,000 watch time hours within the last 12 months.
It will take you roughly a year to get to 4,000 watch hours, i.e., 240,000 minutes, if you maintain an average watch time of 20,000 minutes per month. But YouTube divides watch time across the whole channel, and so you can achieve the watch hours in less than a year if you produce a few high-quality videos.
To get quickly monetize your channel and get up to 4,000 hours of watch time, here’s what you can do:
Create fresh content
To be discovered on YouTube can be easy if you upload fresh content that appears on top of YouTube’s search results. Your goal should be to publish videos that remain relevant all year round, and this means that you can continue to earn revenue from the same video for months to come.
The best way to make evergreen content include:
• Interacting with your viewers and asking them about which content they prefer
• Answering their questions as much as you can
• Consider trending topics and offer valuable information regarding them
• Create videos that offer solutions or give deeper insights
Do Livestreams
Of course, your community of fans wants to know and interact with you on a one-to-one basis. The best way to boost viewership and improve your target audience’s confidence is by hosting live stream sessions. Understand that the numbers might be small at first, but the more you do, the better your chances of growing your channel and earning more revenue.
consistently Upload Your Videos
More hours mean that you need to have more videos under your belt. Create viral videos that will quickly give your channel the needed boost to attain those 4,000 hours. Don’t forget to be consistent. There’s a lot that goes in during video creation. Hence you must be ready to put in the work.
Go for Quality
The length of your YouTube video matters in attracting and retaining your target audience. But sometimes, to hit those high numbers, you need more quality content than quantity. A popular video with your audience will generate more traffic, and your channel will quickly hit those hours.
Q: Blog vs YouTube Earnings: Which One Should You Consider?
It all depends on what you have in your hands at your interests. There is a whole blog vs YouTube earnings debate that never seems to go out of style. But here are a few tips to help you consider the right type of platform that suits you:
Rate of earning income
A blog will quickly earn you a reasonable income, especially if you can monetize your ads and work with affiliate links. While YouTube has a better-earning potential, it’s more volatile and only seems more profitable for people who have fully established themselves with short- to medium-term goals. Overall, getting your foot in the blogging field seems easier, and you can get the job done within 3-4 months.
SEO Benefits for Growth
You stand a better chance to grow exponentially if you start with blogging. Blogging can help your YouTube channel to grow. Some of the benefits of starting a blog before a channel include:
• Understanding keyword research and its benefits in content creation
• Improving click-through rates
• Content length and what appeals to your audience
• How to describe photos and videos
With this information, you can create SEO-friendly videos that increase watch-time and more audience retention, leading to more revenue generation. Besides that, you will learn the importance of creating longer videos because they give you more watch time, a better chance of retaining viewers, and provide your target audience with more values. Lastly, you can use your blogging skills to caption and describe your videos using the right keywords. You can learn more about YouTube captions here
Startup Costs
Before you start blogging or vlogging, you need to invest a sustainable amount of money. While there are cheap ways to do this, it remains a fact that you need to put some money aside for content creation.
Blog costs
You will mainly invest in services. Here is a brief overview of blogging costs:
• Hosting: you need a host for your website. Expect to pay at least $60 annually, but this depends on the host you choose.
• Domain name: your blog needs a unique identifier in the form of a domain name. a basic domain name will cost you around $13.00. remember that you should choose a unique domain name that complements your site’s profile.
• Paid theme: while this isn’t a requirement, remember that you want to use your blog to generate revenue. Some bloggers may avoid this and opt to use free themes with limitations. To be on the safe side, ensure that you get a paid theme, and this can cost you around $30.00
YouTube Costs
You need a camera and a good microphone to start a YouTube channel. However, some may argue that you can use your smartphone. However, your success with a smartphone is quite limited based on the 720p to 1080p standard. You will be disadvantaged if you don’t produce high-quality content because your competitors are, and that’s why they are earning more revenue. On average, here’s what you need:
You can find more information regarding the tools from alanspicer.com
Starting a blog is cheaper, and you can leverage that to create a good YouTube profile. You will probably have better deals initially as a blogger, and the whole setup process is cheaper.
Selling Your Work
If you need a platform with a good exit strategy, you should probably consider blogging. People sell their websites all the time, which can generate up to 50x of the platform’s monthly average profit. Overall, it’s easy and quite profitable to sell a blog.
Meanwhile, how many times have you heard a person sell their blog? This is because it’s highly unlikely for that to happen. In fact, if you do so, then you will be going against the terms and services of YouTube/Google.
This doesn’t mean that people don’t sell their YouTube channels, but the whole process is complex and involves many backdoor deals.
In conclusion, if you want to grow your target audience quickly with a moderate income, then you should consider starting a blog. But if you are patient, want to build a community, and earn a significant amount of money in the long run, then YouTube should be your go-to solution. To learn more about starting a YouTube channel, here’s what Alan Spicer, a certified YouTube Expert, offers.
Whether you are considering starting a YouTube channel for business or pleasure, the allure of that big red play button can be hard to resist. YouTube is proven to be a great medium for expanding a brand, bringing attention to your business, or just connecting with an audience over something you are passionate about. And it is for these reasons that so many people want to start a new YouTube channel, even now when there are so many channels out there.
In this post, we’re going to look at some of the mechanical aspects of starting a channel, as well as some tips for how to go about getting those first views, but we wanted to start off by reaffirming your desire to start a channel (we’re assuming you do want to if you’re reading this!)
Is It Worth Starting a YouTube Channel?
One of the main roadblocks to a successful YouTube channel is a reluctance to pull the trigger on that “create channel” button. This can happen because of a variety of reasons—most of which we’ll cover in more detail in a moment—but the important thing to remember is that new channels are being created all the time, and plenty of YouTubers who are successful today started out recently or were shy to begin with or thought their chosen topic wouldn’t get much interest.
Ultimately, the majority of YouTube channels do not achieve the kind of success their creator hopes for, we can’t deny that. Whether they want to achieve financial independence through their content, become an internet megastar, or just find a small audience that is interested in what they are interested in, most don’t make it. But the one thing you can be certain of is that if you don’t start a channel at all, you definitely won’t succeed.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the biggest reasons why people don’t start YouTube channels at all. And then tell you why you shouldn’t let those reasons stop you!
“I’m Too Shy”
Many would-be YouTubers love the idea of starting a channel, but when faced with the prospect of sitting in front of a camera and speaking to strangers on the Internet, they soon find themselves wilting away from the idea.
We’re not going to tell you that the shyness just goes away—though it does get less severe if you stick at it—but we can tell you that you don’t necessarily have to fight that shyness to run a YouTube channel.
There is more than one way to make a YouTube channel, and not all of them involve showing your face. In fact, it’s entirely possible to run a successful YouTube channel without showing your face or speaking! Granted, the style would have to work with your content, but many popular channels are clips shows, use virtual characters in place of on-camera appearances, and make use of text-to-speech technology.
“My Interests Are Too Niche”
Okay, we won’t lie and say there is no such thing as a “too niche” topic when it comes to an entire channel. You can certainly limit your potential audience to the point that you’re never going to hit those YouTube Partner Programme goals if you choose something extremely obscure.
That being said, assuming your interest is not so niche that you could start a support group for it and get everyone in a single room, being niche is actually a good thing!
Having a niche subject matter makes it easier to get noticed and build an audience when you are first starting out. It’s generally better to be laser-focused at the start of your YouTube career, build a small audience, and then gradually expand your niche to broaden the potential audience. So your niche interest could actually be the thing that makes your channel succeed.
“I’m Too Late to the Game!”
YouTube is easily the most popular platform for user-generated video content at the moment, and that popularity can make it a little intimidating to dive in yourself. With so many people already on the platform publishing videos, how can you hope to make a splash of your own?
It’s true that it can be hard to make an impact on YouTube when you’re just starting out, but it is far from impossible. In reality, the vast majority of successful YouTube channels got started under these circumstances. Whether there are two million or twenty million other channels, you’re still going to be trying to make your mark in a very crowded room.
Ultimately, if you release good content on a regular basis, you stand a good chance of succeeding on YouTube, regardless of how many channels are already taking up space on YouTube’s recommendations page.
How to Start a YouTube Channel
So, hopefully, we’ve convinced you that the excuses you’ve been making to yourself for why you shouldn’t start a YouTube channel aren’t valid, now let’s get to how you actually go about it.
Create a Channel
We said we’d cover the basic mechanics of starting a YouTube channel and we weren’t kidding. The first thing you need to do is create a YouTube account if you don’t already have one. There are no stringent requirements for creating an account; as long as you have an email address, you should be good to go. After that simply follow these steps;
Sign in to your YouTube account and click on the user icon at the top right-hand corner of the page.
Click the gear icon to open up your YouTube account’s settings page.
Click “create new channel”.
Choose “Use a business or other name”, enter the name of your channel and away you go!
Choosing Your Channel’s Name
The last part of that list—entering the name of your channel—obviously requires you to know what name you’re going to use. It’s worth putting a good deal of thought into this part of the process before getting started, as changing your channel’s name after it is established can be a bit of a headache.
Now, we want to stress that, while this decision is important, it should not be a decision that keeps you from starting a channel. There is a fine line between giving something due consideration and using that consideration as an excuse to not get started at all.
If you are starting a channel as part of a business or an existing brand, that should make naming a little easier. If you are starting a channel as an individual, it’s important to consider what you want for the channel’s future. For example, if you have plans to one day grow your channel to the point of having a team working on it, perhaps bringing other content creators on board, you will want to steer clear of using your own name, as that links the channel to you specifically, making it a little weird when other people are on there.
Alternatively, if your plans don’t involve anyone but you being in front of the camera, you should consider using your name in the channel name, as it will make it easier for you to parlay any YouTube success into success in other areas.
Set Up Your Channel
With your channel made, you need to spend some time setting up your channel. This means adding things like profile and header images and filling out your about section. You can also arrange how your channel page looks, but don’t worry too much about this until you have a few videos uploaded.
In your about section, make sure you explain what your channel is about, but try to keep it as clear and concise as possible. Many viewers won’t even click to expand the about section, so try to get the basic premise of your channel into the first sentence, but in a way that grabs the reader’s attention.
If you are tying your YouTube channel to something larger—such as a business, brand, or other personal projects—be sure to put links in your information. These should show up in the top right-hand corner of your channel pages, just below the header image.
Start Making Videos
The most important part of being a YouTube is, of course, being a YouTuber! Simply picking out a good name and creating a channel isn’t much use if you don’t then create content for it, regularly.
There is a veritable cornucopia of excuses to not make videos, and we’re not saying they’re all bad reasons. But, as with the channel name choosing, you should not let this become a crutch that you use to stop yourself from doing the deed. Remember, the quality of your video can always improve. The quality of you can always improve. But there’s no reason you can’t be improving while you make content, and there is no better practice than doing.
Just make the best content you can, and always strive to improve.
Keep Going
Once you’ve gotten over that initial hurdle that so many people fall at, you just need to worry about sticking with it. This is one area where bloody-minded persistence isn’t necessarily the best road to take. You should be persistent, yes, but in a smart way.
By ensuring that your channel grows, you will find it much easier to stay motivated and keep putting out new videos. Here are some tips for ensuring that happens.
Work Your Niche
We touched on this before, but a good way to get started as a YouTuber is to really drill down into a niche, finding an audience through the simple act of providing them something that not many others are. And if it’s something nobody else is providing, all the better!
The problem with such a tight niche is that it can severely limit your growth potential. To give an extreme example, if you start a channel based around talking local news for a small town with a population of 700 people, you’re going to struggle to find millions—or even thousands—of viewers who are interested in your content.
As you grow, try to expand your niche slowly and organically to widen your potential audience.
Take Advantage of Search Engine Optimisation
You don’t have to become an SEO expert (though it will certainly help if you do), but you should familiarise yourself with the basics of optimising your videos for being found in YouTube search and even other search engines like Google or Bing.
We’re not going to tell you that you need to upload new videos every day or week to be successful—many popular YouTube channels have upload schedules that involve months between videos—but you do need to be consistent.
If you start off uploading weekly videos and then abruptly don’t put out another video for a few months without warning, it will be a turn off for your viewers, and it will cause YouTube’s algorithm to question whether you are a reliable content creator.
Build a Community
Playing an active role in the community that arises around your channel will ensure you have some degree of influence over how that community develops. It will also give your viewers a strong sense of connection with your content.
You can do this in a number of ways, such as regularly replying to comments, or setting up and actively participating in a Discord server or subreddit.
Monetise Your Channel
When you reach a stage where monetisation is an option (whatever form that comes in), you should strongly consider doing it. YouTube doesn’t need to be about the money, of course, but it is hard work, and it’s much easier to motivate yourself to make time for it if you’re getting something tangible back.
Final Thoughts
YouTube continues to be the premier video platform for user-generated content, and there is still plenty of opportunity there for those willing to put the effort in.
YouTube is a veritable cornucopia of informative and educational content, with much of it having the added bonus of being entertaining at the same time. It’s no wonder, then, that many people are looking to use YouTube videos in their online courses, but is that allowed?
As always, the answer to this question will be dramatically different depending on the circumstances in which you are using a YouTube video. There is no rule in YouTube’s terms of use that specifically prohibits the use of YouTube videos in online courses… but there are rules that indirectly make it impossible to do so.
We’re going to get into this, so make yourself a beverage and get comfortable.
Online Courses?
Online courses. They are a great way to impart knowledge and generate some extra revenue. If you are already sharing your wisdom on YouTube, putting together an online course is a natural extension of that, and one that can be very lucrative.
That being said, putting together an online course can be a lot of work, so it will make things a lot easier if you can use some of the content you have already created.
According to Mordor Intelligence, the online courses industry was worth $6,845 million last year.
Using My Own YouTube Videos In Online Courses
There is absolutely no conflict here. You own the copyright on any videos you upload to YouTube, and you are permitted to download your own videos from the site without breaking any of YouTube’s terms, so you can still use your YouTube videos even if you have lost the original files and the only copy exists on YouTube.
If you have the original files, however, YouTube needn’t be a factor at all. You own the rights to the content and you have the files already. In this case, it has nothing to do with YouTube.
Should I Use My YouTube Videos In Online Courses?
So, we’ve established that you can use your YouTube videos, but the next question is should you use them? We can certainly recommend leveraging your existing content to make life a little easier, but you need to consider what you’re putting in your online course.
If your course is just a collection of your existing YouTube content, it will severely reduce the potential revenue your course can generate since users can head over to your YouTube channel and watch it for free. You could take the relevant videos down from your channel, but then they would no longer be generating YouTube revenue for you. Every case is different, of course, but we’re willing to bet that if you’re considering turning your YouTube videos into an online course, they were doing pretty well on your channel.
Using Other People’s YouTube Videos In Online Courses
Here’s where things get a little trickier. Firstly, if you don’t have the permission of the YouTuber whose content it is, there is no way to use that content without breaking a YouTube policy or, more importantly, a law.
YouTube does not permit you to download YouTube videos unless it is through the YouTube app as part of YouTube Premium’s offline watching feature. While it is possible to download YouTube videos using third-party apps, this would be a violation of the terms of use and could see you suspended or banned from the platform if caught. This means that the only way to use the videos without breaking YouTube’s terms is to have the original video files from somewhere. The most obvious place, of course, being from the original creator… which will be hard to do if you do not have their permission to use the video files.
If you decide to go ahead and download the video files regardless—or if you were able to obtain those video files through some other means—and you use the content in your online course without the explicit permission of the creator, you could find yourself on the wrong end of a lawsuit.
The best-case scenario if you do this and the original creator notices is that they put in a copyright violation against you with the service that is hosting your online course and that course gets taken down. However, as we mentioned above, online courses are very lucrative, and if the original creator suspects you have made a good amount of money from their content, they may decide to pursue you for their share.
Realistically speaking, this shouldn’t be a concern. While there is a lot of money to be made in online courses, the vast majority of course creators will not be making the kind of money that warrants legal action. It simply wouldn’t be worth the legal expenses. But they probably would get your course taken down, putting an end to any earning potential, and they might even make the matter public, dragging your reputation down. This can be a serious problem if you are a successful YouTuber with a brand to look after.
Linking to YouTube Videos
What we have discussed so far is concerned with including the YouTube content itself in your course, but what about linking from your course to other videos? This is a perfectly acceptable way to incorporate YouTube content since you are only linking to it. It is then up to YouTube and the creator what they do with that incoming traffic. If the video is publicly available, the creator can’t complain about people watching it. And, if it is not publicly available, the incoming traffic will simply be told that the content is unavailable.
Final Thoughts
Online courses represent a great way to share your wisdom while getting paid for the privilege. They are a form of passive income since you make the course once and it will continue to generate revenue as long as it has relevant and valuable information for potential students to learn.
Using your existing YouTube content is a good way to lighten the workload, but be wary of putting too much of your YouTube content into your course, as it will just leave students wondering why they didn’t just go to your YouTube channel and save some money.
Top 5 Tools To Get You Started on YouTube
Very quickly before you go here are 5 amazing tools I have used every day to grow my YouTube channel from 0 to 30K subscribers in the last 12 months that I could not live without.
1. VidIQ helps boost my views and get found in search
I almost exclusively switched to VidIQ from a rival in 2020.
When I first started I threw things together in Window Movie Maker, cringed at how it looked but thought “that’s the best I can do so it’ll have to do”.
Big mistake!
I soon realized the move time you put into your editing and the more engaging your thumbnails are the more views you will get and the more people will trust you enough to subscribe.
That is why I took the plunge and invested in my editing and design process with Adobe Creative Suite. They offer a WIDE range of tools to help make amazing videos, simple to use tools for overlays, graphics, one click tools to fix your audio and the very powerful Photoshop graphics program to make eye-catching thumbnails.
Best of all you can get a free trial for 30 days on their website, a discount if you are a student and if you are a regular human being it starts from as little as £9 per month if you want to commit to a plan.
3. Rev.com helps people read my videos
You can’t always listen to a video.
Maybe you’re on a bus, a train or sat in a living room with a 5 year old singing baby shark on loop… for HOURS. Or, you are trying to make as little noise as possible while your new born is FINALLY sleeping.
This is where Rev can help you or your audience consume your content on the go, in silence or in a language not native to the video.
A GREAT way to find an audience and keep them hooked no matter where they are watching your content.
4. PlaceIT can help you STAND OUT on YouTube
I SUCK at making anything flashy or arty.
I have every intention in the world to make something that looks cool but im about as artistic as a dropped ice-cream cone on the web windy day.
That is why I could not live on YouTube without someone like PlaceIT. They offer custom YouTube Banners, Avatars, YouTube Video Intros and YouTube End Screen Templates that are easy to edit with simple click, upload wizard to help you make amazing professional graphics in minutes.
5. StoryBlocks helps me add amazing video b-roll cutaways
I mainly make tutorials and talking head videos.
And in this modern world this can be a little boring if you don’t see something funky every once in a while.
I try with overlays, jump cuts and being funny but my secret weapon is b-roll overlay content.
I can talk about skydiving, food, money, kids, cats – ANYTHING I WANT – with a quick search on the StoryBlocks website I can find a great looking clip to overlay on my videos, keeping them entertained and watching for longer.
![YouTube Channel ID and User ID [What is it? & How to use it]](https://alanspicer.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/youtube-channel-id-and-user-id-what-is-it-how-to-use-it-1200x675.jpg)
