Introduction
To succeed in a career requires individuals to pursue their passion. The passion that one has can propel individuals to higher echelons in their career path since it is born out of personal perception and ability to deliver (Austin, 2017). A career should be fulfilling and worth dying for if at all it makes one happy and satisfied. Most people develop their passion from childhood to adulthood because of the inspiration that comes with it. This paper seeks to shed more light on the career that I find exciting and that I want to be engaged in for the next 30 to 40 years despite it not being my major in my studies. The paper will discuss the nature of this career and outline the benefits that come with it notwithstanding the challenges that are faced in the pursuit of its realization.
Growing up as a young man, I had a passion for innovating and discovering new ideas each new day. My desire to do things differently made me a new person, and this made me a happy man too. My family was strict on academic work and pursuit for a formal career since my two sisters are lawyers and my brother a dentist. Being in such a family comes with challenges, and as a result of this, I had no option but to come up with a career that could keep me at a competitive level, at par with the rest of my siblings. I have a passion for surfing the internet for creative ideas, travelling, reading widely and wildly and above all, watching the latest and trending movies and documentaries. It is for this reason that I find my appropriate career for the next thirty to forty years to be related to the use of the current online technology.
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Through experience I have discovered that this is one of the most untapped market segments that one can invest in, especially using the social media platform to make money and achieve satisfaction. One of the leading businesses online is the creation of videos on YouTube, which I am interested in after having done extensive research. According to research studies, approximately 1,325,000,000 people are loyal users of YouTube where they are exposed to over 4,950,000,000 videos each day of the year (Influencer Marketing Hub, 2016). Additionally, the estimated time consumed watching YouTube daily is 3.25 billion hours. This is a significant number that could translate into my clientele base, and as pundits of YouTube state, most of the stars on YouTube have got more influence than those celebrities we know of (Influencer Marketing Hub, 2016).
Benefits making YouTube Videos and How It Works
YouTube has revolutionized online marketing being a new way that YouTube partners can gain good returns worth of their investment. For starters on You Tube, being a partner, one gets to share the monies received from advertising with Google. This is so because Google benefits by keeping a 45% stake of the money paid by advertisers and the partner, in this case me, gets to earn in the range of $1 and $2 for 1000 views (CPM) (Austin, 2017). This is how money is made online because of the number of the people who like the work produced online on a YouTube channel. The amount of money earned then multiplies as the followership and business grows. There is no limit to the amount an individual can earn on a YouTube channel. What matters are the followership and the activity on an individual’s channel.
Research indicates that YouTube always promotes its partners on a worldwide scale in various channels for advertising, which could be online or offline provided one is considered an effective partner. Working with YouTube has numerous advantages such as when a YouTube partner joins a Multi-Channel Network (MCN); chances are that there will be more connectivity and avenues for earning more revenue. These MNCs broker deals on behalf of YouTube partners with other YouTube talents available. Some MNCs could offer studio space for the production of a partner’s content (Austin, 2017).
Once an individual establishes a substantial following/client base, there are provisions for merchandising own brands. Most followers would be happy to purchase most of the merchandise one recommends or sells online, which could include a range of product lines such as footwear or sportswear on your site. Influential YouTubers have an extensive following and as such have a traction and fame that their channels could be used to launch new products to the market. By launching new products on their sites, they get paid for this service because of the advantages ripped from their fame.
By producing wonderful videos for a channel on YouTube, companies get to recognize your potential which could just be in the range of mainstream media. For this reason, the channel could attract sponsorships, product placements and endorsements (Austin, 2017). Using affiliate links is also another avenue for getting additional revenue. The channel owner gets a percentage of the purchase price indirectly, but at the end of the day what counts is the amount received. Seasoned YouTubers with enhanced channel viewership do have loyal followers who would subscribe to their channels. This could be achieved through the creation of gated content that could only be accessed through premium-paid subscription, and thus would be referred to as Subscriber-Only Channels. This provision cannot work for beginners since they do not have a detailed profile and credibility (Austin, 2017). Finally through the crowd funding business model, most YouTubers have gained much from the pooling of their resources when they donate money. It is a redefined model of fundraising unlike the traditional way of fund raising that required the presence of a contributor.
Turnover rate
According to Bateman (2019), the turnover rate on YouTube is below 50%, which is an indication that some viewers quit watching YouTube videos, even before they are over and in most cases before the videos are halfway. Statistics do indicate that the most certain approximation of an ideal viewer retention rate should between 60% - 70% (Bateman, 2019). It is advisable therefore that for success to be realized by publishers on sound viewership and retention, a benchmark of 50% and above should be set (Bateman, 2019). This could be increased by initially creating short videos, focusing more on quality than quantity, narrowing the titles and finally ensuring the accuracy of the descriptions and titles. However, long videos that are of high quality attract YouTube adverts because of their increased watch time.
Competitiveness
The social media is changing with much preference of online marketing taking their promotional mix to a new level. Videos being aired on YouTube have impacted the viewership on company information, especially for marketing purposes. By producing the most engaging, global and heart-warming videos, happens to be the secret behind the competitive edge for YouTube channels concerning getting to attract more followers, who also generate more revenues (Dawson, 2019).
On a typical day for a Vlogger (YouTuber), the introduction is often paramount. Most individuals are usually interested in knowing the person they are dealing with daily since each day brings new challenges. People are interested in current affairs, and as a matter of fact, any new and exciting stuff posted, maybe in a video format, would attract many new followers, which is the underlying principle of Vlogging. Self-introduction could involve mentioning the names of the channel owner and their particular areas of interest (DeMers, 2018). People are more interested in the person’s more comprehensive view of the world on specific issues that they are interested in. When dealing with a video on the gaming world, it is always good to give insights on how the game could be in the end. Sharing one’s perspective on a certain idea on the game encourages the viewers to watch the way the game is reviewed since most viewers appreciate honesty. As a way to promote more viewership, it will be advisable to keep your followers engaged by informing them on the new upcoming games, expansions, and consoles. It could be more encouraging to film yourself playing the game. Such activities show your level of dedication to the clients’ needs and preferences. Good managers could also endeavour to make a comparison of similar games and highlight their differences.
When dealing with educational videos, it is advisable that you post public service announcements that could be engaging to the interested persons in your channel contents. Some channel owners like engaging their viewers on “how it is made” tips involving different recipes or assembling of individual appliances. By so doing, it tends to engage the viewers and hence attract advertisements to your channel. It is interesting to note that this area of video production has many topics that could be discussed to a meaningful level. What should be considered is the extent of one’s innovativeness and competitiveness (Studio Binder Inc., 2019).
Workplace
To engage in this business does not require a lot of space and people to surround you. The most important aspects include your daily presence, a computer, laptop or tablet and internet connectivity. The environment should be conducive and devoid of distractions to facilitate smooth communication and synthesis of ideas that will be relevant to your target clientele. Most of the work presented on the video could be obtained from the external environment but the editing and uploading of the videos, require careful thought and focus, hence the need for some serene atmosphere.
However, some situations could warrant real-time information that should be reported when and how it is happening. The workflow will depend on the kind of videos being produced. It is worth remembering that creativity carries the day and as earlier mentioned; the most engaging stories are ones that sell most. The best of this job is that it is what I enjoy doing most. I have that inner passion for being the first one to know what is happening around us. And by making videos that will motivate and inspire people, I will have a life full of delight, and that is financially rewarding. However, the worst part of this job is when I post my videos and receive no likings or subscriptions at all. This could translate to having wasted my valuable time and could be equally demoralizing.
Reflection
I got a chance to interview one of the significant YouTube video producers. From the interview, I could gather from his response that he was a successful man as indicated by the confidence that he exuded. His advice was straightforward since he advised me to take up the challenge and be like him. Having been in the industry for only two years, Sam who is the person that I interviewed told me that all this business required was my interest and availability. More still he asserted that it did not take him one day to build his empire, all he did was to consistently improve his channel by posting the most current and exciting video clips that attracted more traffic to his channel. He began by earning $550 a month, but currently, the sky is the limit for him since he makes over $45,000 a month from his educational videos and documentaries that he posts and updates regularly, with the figure still projected to go a notch higher. This is my dream career because it is captivating and has excellent financial rewards considering that I am also my boss.
References
Austin, I., (2017). Can You Make YouTube a Full-time Job? Retrieved from: https://www.entitymag.com/can-youtube-full-time-job/
Bateman, S., S., (2019). YouTube Retention Rate Thrives on Simple Tips . Retrieved from: https://www.promisemedia.com/content-development/youtube-retention-rate-thrives-on-simple-tips
Dawson, M., (2019). How to Make a Successful YouTube Channel . Retrieved from: https://www.convinceandconvert.com/social-media-marketing/how-to-make-a-successful-youtube-channel/
DeMers, J., (2018). 7 Reasons To Start A YouTube Channel Now (And First Steps To Take). Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2018/05/30/7-reasons-to-start-a-youtube-channel-now-and-first-steps-to-take/#1fe78c366a04
Influencer Marketing Hub, (2016). How To Make Money on YouTube: 9 Ways Influencers Monetize Their Youtube Channels. Retrieved from: https://influencermarketinghub.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/how-to-make-money-on-youtube.pdf
Studio Binder Inc., (2019). 161 Creative YouTube Video Ideas to Try [with FREE Channel Ideas List]. Retrieved from: https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/creative-youtube-video-ideas-
