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7 Tips For Better Monetization For Content Creators
By Brendan Frye,
15 days ago
In the competitive world of online streaming and content creation, standing out and making money requires strategic planning and relentless effort.
Streaming has become a viable way to make money and turn a passion for gaming into a profitable endeavour. But it takes time and effort, and it can be really hard work for the streamer. Platforms like Twitch, YouTube, Kick, and TikTok offer a variety of methods to monetize content and build a following. Simply publishing content and live streaming every day doesn’t guarantee success. Below, we look at seven tips and steps to take to help explode your viewer figures and earnings.
Pick A Popular Niche That Isn’t Overly Competitive
The list of most-viewed games on Twitch and YouTube consistently includes games like Grand Theft Auto V, League of Legends, and Valorant. These games are hugely popular with viewers, but their ongoing popularity also means they are popular with streamers. The competition for views is huge, and new streamers, especially, can struggle to get eyes on their content. Research niches, find something you like, and try to stay away from overly competitive channels.
There are active audiences for most genres as well as first-person shooters and online multiplayer games. Show off your speed runs on arcade titles or help others with strategy guides for RPGs. Share your performance on casinos and sites like stake.com . Sports betting specialist Jonathan Askew points to the wide range of games that these sites have available, and not only does this benefit players, but it gives streamers a chance to offer diverse content, too.
Choose Your Content Type
Video game streaming is popular because viewers can pick up tips, watch interactions, and see other players play the games. But streaming is just one possible content format you can use. Other content types include:
Reviews – New games come out on mobile, game consoles, PC, VR headsets, and in other formats every day. Stick close to your niche and review new titles as they launch. You can include in-game footage of your endeavours highlighting your personal opinions.
News – Game news is very popular with gamers in every genre and on every platform. Let your viewers know when your favorite title is releasing an update, or even if a player has just posted a new speed run time for others to beat.
Tournaments – Esports is a booming industry, with teams like FaZe Clan and Team Liquid bringing in viewers from around the world. And you can find tournaments for the most popular games. If you can’t find a tournament, set one up yourself. You could even invite viewers to take part or get other streamers involved as a way to attract new viewers from other channels.
Highlights – Streaming requires a massive commitment with the most popular streamers posting tens of hours of content every week. Not everybody has the time to commit to creating and publishing that much content, but you can still make money posting in-game footage by putting together highlight reels and posting a few shorter videos several times a week.
Experiment With Platforms
There are a ton of streaming and content-sharing platforms available. Twitch is great for live streaming, YouTube for sharing videos of recorded footage, and TikTok is the perfect platform for sharing short clips that are funny or informative. The best platform for you will depend on the type of content you create as well as the audience you’re looking to attract.
Some of the most successful streamers are those that break the mould. Just because YouTube streaming doesn’t work for everybody doesn’t mean you can’t make it a success. Experiment with different platforms to see which brings you the most viewers and revenue.
Repurpose Your Content
Repurposing your content is a great way to optimize earnings from your gaming sessions. If you live stream five hours of your most recent Rocket League matches on Twitch, condense that down into four 20-minute videos to share on YouTube. Clip some of the funniest moments or your best goals and share these on TikTok. Don’t forget to link between your accounts to get your numbers up on all the platforms.
Use A Variety Of Monetization Methods
Getting viewers might be your immediate goal, but your ultimate goal is to make a profit. There are various ways to monetize your content, including the following:
Donations – Most streaming platforms, including Twitch , have a donate button that allows viewers to donate money to the channels they view. Donations can be taken in fiat or cryptocurrency, while some platforms use other methods. Tips can be good for the income of novice streamers, but they typically only make up a small portion of experienced streamers’ income.
Subscriptions – Subscriptions mean regular revenue from viewers. You will need to post regular, high-quality content to attract subscribers and keep them, but it is worth the effort. Subscriptions can form the basis for content creation revenue.
Ad Revenue – Platforms like YouTube embed video ads in content, and the content creator typically gets just over half of this amount. You do have some degree of control over the ads that are shown and how often they are shown, but the platform has the ultimate say in this.
Sponsorships – Once you have viewers, sponsored posts and in-post sponsorships can add a serious revenue stream to your content production. Make sure you negotiate every sponsorship deal that comes in not only to ensure you make a decent profit from the deal but also to ensure that the sponsorship is in line with your brand and channel values.
Affiliate Sales – With affiliate sales, you make a portion of sales when viewers click through links you post or use a promo code you provide in videos. You can even add QR codes to your streams to make it easier for viewers to follow the link and earn you revenue.
Launch Your Own Merch – Once you have a serious following and a large audience, you can create and sell your own merchandise. You don’t have to pay to have hundreds of items produced, either, as there are services that manufacture on a per-sale basis.
Engage, Engage, Engage
The most successful streamers and content creators are those that engage with the audience . It makes viewers feel like part of the channel, which not only keeps them coming back, but it means they are invested in your success. They will be more likely to click links, scan QR codes, and even promote your content for you.
Engage in live streams by thanking new subscribers. Engage in comments on your videos. Claim your social media profiles, and engage with viewers on these channels, too.
Be Consistent And Persistent
The early days of content sharing can be very difficult. Recording footage, editing, and uploading one hour of content can take several hours, and if you want the greatest chance of success, you need to post this kind of content regularly. You will also need to put in extra work to promote your channel, agree deals with sponsors, and engage with your audience. That time commitment is one of the reasons that many unprepared content creators suffer burnout.
Create a schedule that you can stick to, and then post consistently. And remember that persistence really does pay off. You might not make any money for the first few months, and when you do start to earn a few dollars, it will feel like a slow trickle, but you need a trickle for it to turn into a torrent.
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