Imani Lee

YouTube is a new source of income for many people. The introduction of the YouTube platform in 2005 has allowed many content creators the chance to build a career. The platform offers people a chance to create content that influences the masses and promote their brands and businesses.

It is simple to create a channel that targets a certain audience that enjoys certain hobbies and discussions. Although it is simple to create a channel, YouTube still requires time and effort to edit and upload videos for the audiences of channels. Also, a content creator is obligated to keep creating videos that appeal to their target audience.

YouTube is a legitimate way to earn a steady paycheck. But it is crucial for young adults to earn a college degree. College allows students to navigate the business side of YouTube. In addition to that, it allows students to apply in-class knowledge to their content. College is a great networking tool for content creators.

Working Specific Hours

Similar to how a 9-5 job has set work hours, YouTube has set work hours for their creators. Content creators are expected to have an upload schedule for when their audiences should expect a new video. In addition to making an upload schedule a content creator must complete projects in a timely manner to meet deadlines for branding deals. Brands expect for sponsored videos to be up to standard, especially if a content creator is contractually obligated to create videos based on the brand’s standards.

unsplash.com

Furthermore,  content creators must take time to write, edit, and record their videos. Noah Tatiano and Ryan Burton, aka Noah Boat and Rhino, the creators of the channel “Love Live Serve” are two college students that must make sacrifices to keep their channel growing. “Sometimes we have to let the grades sacrifice, which means putting in a little less effort than the teachers probably expect from us,” Noah Taitano told NBC News. According to the two creators, they estimate that they spend about 50 hours a week working on their YouTube Channel. Content Creators must sacrifice their time to write, edit, and record videos that are appealing to their audience.

Finding A Niche

Content creators have the freedom to create content they want, but the creation of content depends on the audience’s appeals. According to the Huffington Post, a content creator must create content that will engage the audiences and keep them watching. “That way we can spend more time doing the videos we know are going to get us instant feedback and we get paid for.” , Taitano told NBC News. “Long Live Serve” channel is known for blasting inappropriate songs in the library and impersonating famous rappers. Both Noah Boat and Rhino know that their target audience are teenagers and young adults and try to create content that appeals to this demographic.

unsplash.com

Moreover, it is important for a content creator to know their target audience. Similar to a business, a YouTube channel is geared towards a certain demographic. If a content creator’s target audience is 18-24-year-old females interested in fashion videos, then a content creator must create videos that are fashion related.  The same way a content creator must create videos that are geared towards pre-teens and teens who are interested in playing video games. In order for a YouTube channel to be successful, a content creator must be able to engage their target audience.

A Steady Paycheck

Another key to success on YouTube is promotion. In an era of social media, it is easier for YouTubers to promote their videos. When YouTubers promote their videos on their social media platforms they create a traffic for new viewers. Also, Google offers an ad service for YouTubers that run ads to target a particular audience.  Also, product placement is a great avenue for making money.

YouTube provides a steady paycheck for content creators. Many would say that YouTube is not the best option for building a career. According to Mathias Bartl, a professor at Offenburg University, 96.5% of all trying to be YouTubers won’t make more than $16,800 per year. But a YouTuber can make money on the platform by simply uploading videos that increases viewership. Also, since YouTube is owned by Google a content creator can enable the monetization feature that connects a creator to Google AdSense account. According to The Balance, content creators make the most money off of “roll out ads” that appear before videos and “banner ads” the pop up during the video.

A content creator gets paid more from viewer watching the ads for five seconds or more, rather than an audience viewing their videos. “Noah and I spent two years working every single day making videos that made no money. So if you think you are going to hop on and make a lot of money really quickly—it’s just not realistic,” Ryan Burton told NBC News. It is necessary for first time YouTubers to be consistent with their videos to gain viewership.

In addition to this YouTube is a great way for content creators to promote their businesses. According to The Balance, the YouTube Platform is a great way to drive traffic to a person’s business.

The platform gives business owners a chance to give show behind the scenes look of their business. It allows the  business owner a chance to introduce themselves and their business. Business owners can also have Q&A’s explaining their business and niche, and tutorials on their channel to interest their potential customers. A link for the business website can be placed in the video and description box to lead viewers to go support the product.

YouTubers can make money through product placements. For example, a content creator’s channel is doing make up tutorials, then a makeup company will allow a YouTuber to advertise their product to the viewers.

The YouTuber can arrange with the company a commission for each product sold on their channel. YouTube does ask that the channel owner be clear about the endorsement of a product. So, a YouTuber must click the paid promotions box in their video manager.

College Is Essential For Channel Growth

unsplash.com

Despite the fact that YouTube can be a great career, it is crucial that people earn their degrees. As stated by Daman Salas, Assistant Dean of Drexel University’s Entrepreneurship Programs, he sees YouTube as a legitimate business, but is in belief that college degrees are essential. “There’s the business side of the YouTube Model that students need to have more education about. Sure, you can create a YouTube Channel, but to grow the YouTube channel, to scale it, and to really understand all the aspects of having a business that is centered around a YouTube channel is something that students and individuals need to understand,” Salas told NBC News.

YouTube is a business at the end of the day, and if content creators are not educated about the business their channel will not thrive.

Both Taitano and Burton from the channel “Love Live Serve” attends Drexel University, where they study film. The duo was faced with the choice of going to college or continuing a career as YouTube stars. The duo’s family pushed for them to attend college, and still maintain their channel. So, young adults in particular needs a college degree not only to understand the logistics of YouTube but as a backup career plan.

On top of that college is a great networking tool. In college, a YouTuber has the chance to connect with people that may be able to help grow their channel. For example, a content creator may not know how to edit videos, but their classmate has the skills to edit a video. Also, a YouTuber might have a professor that is well connected to an executive of a hair company and that YouTuber’s channel is centered around hair. College is not all about hitting books but gaining lifetime social networks.

In addition to that college students can use their in-class knowledge to build their channel. “I’ve designed my course load such that the classes that I’m taking are focused on this really unique and fast-changing intersection between business and media marketing and digital and content creation,” said Cath Goetze, college YouTuber, told US Today. It is beneficial for a college student to take their knowledge from class and apply it to their content creation process. Also, a content creator can vlog their daily college life to gain more viewers. College is a great tool for building a channel.

unsplash.com

In conclusion, YouTube is a fast-growing way for content creators to build a career. Nonetheless, it is important that content creators understand that this platform is a business. A college degree is essential to understand the business model for this particular platform. Also, college is a great way for content creators to gain social networking skills. A content creator can also utilize in-class skills in their content. A YouTube career is a good way to make money, but a college degree ensures a backup plan.

Furthermore, a YouTuber can grow their channel with the right tools and mindset. Content creators have to be willing to sacrifice their time to write, shoot, and edit videos to meet deadlines. A content creator must be responsible enough to keep up with deadlines for branding deals and their upload schedule for the audience. Also, a content creator must find their niche and continue to keep their audience engaged within the video. As well as, be willing to promote their own videos on social media. Developing a career on YouTube calls for hustle, passion, consistency, discipline, and the motivational drive.