The internet and its most recognizable sites have changed the way we view the world, and also the way we look at time. When we consider some of the brands we encounter everyday, so many of them did not even exist at the start of this century. Twitter wasn’t a thing until 2006, and took a few more years to become prominent on a worldwide scale. Wikipedia has been around a little longer, but still only entered the world in 2001. And YouTube has been with us for a little over 16 years, having debuted in the first half of 2005.
Much of our information-gathering and research, much of the news content that we consume, and a lot of the entertainment that we enjoy, comes directly from services that are younger than Kylie Jenner. And that means that when someone is famous for a YouTube channel, some of us find it hard to view them as a legit celebrity. But in that case, the joke is on us, because it’s possible to make big money as a YouTube star.
Can anyone make it big as a YouTuber?
A glance at the most successful YouTube channels makes one thing clear immediately - it certainly helps your cause if you’re already famous or have a traditional media company behind you. Some of the bigger channels are the official platforms of names like Justin Bieber, Blackpink, Ed Sheeran, and BTS. Others are media companies that are well-known to an Indian market, but largely unfamiliar to an English-speaking audience. Then again, viral videomakers Dude Perfect, seen below pulling off unimaginable ping-pong trick shots, have harnessed their own ingenuity to amass more than 55 million subscribers.
What’s interesting about that is that if you can manage a million followers, it can lead to a yearly income of at least $60,000 purely from YouTube. It can also open the door to merchandising opportunities and tie-ins that can expand that earning potential by a lot. A million subscribers isn’t easy to hit, but if you have a fresh idea and the confidence to make it happen, it’s far from impossible. 22,000 channels had crossed this mark by November of 2020, and those numbers will only have grown since.
Do you need a specific talent to make it happen?
As a concept, talent is very much in the eye of the beholder. As previously mentioned, popular channels include trick shot experts and multi-million selling pop acts. Let’s consider those people to be particularly blessed, and not consider them to be your model for success. As successful YouTube channels go, a recurring theme is the ability to harness a particular area of knowledge and hitch it to something that makes your channel especially watchable. Makeup tutorials work well and do even better if the presenter is charismatic and naturally funny. The same can be said of DIY and home improvement, or cooking channels.
In truth, what sets the channels that work apart from those that don’t is a level of commitment to making good videos. If you just sit in front of a cell phone camera and do what you’re good at, your videos will become lost in the mix. If you take the time to write a decent script, put a convincing set together and learn how to add music to iMovie, your videos will have better production values and will hold more people’s attention. Crucially, as more people subscribe, the algorithm will pay closer attention and recommend your videos to people who are interested in your niche.
Will that cost money?
It’s possible to start a YouTube channel with nothing more than the mobile device you use to watch YouTube content. Possible, but not ideal. Unless your content is staggeringly good, you’re not going to reach a million subscribers with shaky footage and poor sound quality. That means you’ll need a tripod rest for your camera (you can use your phone camera, but it’s a good idea to invest in a more dedicated one eventually). You’ll need an external mic, because the one on your phone will make your audio sound like it’s literally been phoned in.
You’ll also need to acquire editing software, spend some money making your recording area look good and well-lit, and set aside the time to make your videos. From recording to editing to shooting a decent thumbnail, you may be looking at a few days (unless you have help, which will also start to cost money). But - and it’s a big but - none of this is a reason not to start with what you have. The longer you’re doing this, the better you’ll get, and the more fans you’ll accumulate. So yes, you can have a future as a YouTuber - and if it’s something you fancy, the sooner you start the better.
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