Out of the 5.3 billion internet users across the globe, YouTube has over 2.5 billion users. If you are a content creator on YouTube and have not established your presence on any other video-sharing platform, you will have to up your game to stay relevant in the market. Missing out on more than half of internet users who could be your potential audience is not a strong game. Rebuild your strategy by establishing your presence on a YouTube alternative platform.
Why Is YouTube Lacking as a Video Monetization Platform?
It has been leading the video-sharing platform space for several years. But in the last 2-3 years, several video-sharing platforms have garnered audience attention and developed a large user base. This has led content creators to explore YouTube Video monetization alternatives. These are why it needs to catch up as a video monetization platform.
1. Reliability
The platform’s bot screens the videos for compliance with advertiser-friendly content guidelines. Each video is marked eligible for monetization only after it passes the screening of the bot. The issue lies in the algorithm that limits monetization even on videos that comply with the guidelines. Also, older videos are screened, resulting in revenue loss. Hence the bot is highly unreliable.
2. No advanced monetization options
The platform uses the Google AdSense ad network for monetization. But it lacks advanced monetization options and features. This has led video content creators to look for ways to make money without YouTube.
3. High revenue sharing
The video hosting platform retains 45% of the revenue earned by every YouTube channel. In addition, taxes are deducted before releasing the payout to the channel owner. Since content creators lost more than half their revenue, they began moving to YouTube membership alternatives.
4. Minimal security
Being a public video-sharing platform, it offers minimal security. There is always a risk of cyberattack. If you have put in a lot of effort in creating content and nurturing a community on the platform, you could lose all of it in a nanosecond. Best YouTube alternative platforms offer the option of password-protecting videos and tokenized URLs to secure the video content.
5. Lack of control
The algorithm of YouTube changes frequently. This leaves the YT Channel owner or the content creator helpless. Every policy and algorithm change affects future video uploads and the older content hosted on the platform. This means any of your older videos can get demonetized at any time, and you might begin to lose your revenue.
6. Create comparative analysis
Drawing your target audience towards your content, engaging them and building a loyal user base requires investment of effort and time. Experimentation and innovation require recording the response of the target audience. Releasing different content involves the risk of losing a part of your fan base that only resonates with the new format. Collecting feedback and response for a different type or format of video content from your audiences on a different platform enables you to constantly refine your content strategy.
7. Restriction on the type of content
Only pre-recorded videos can be hosted on this platform. The world has moved ahead with several other types of videos. When you create your membership channel on an alternate platform, you can experiment with different types of content.
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A comprehensive guide to monetizing your Youtube Channel
The Effect of the new YouTube rule on content creators
Video content creators on YouTube must cater to the following rules rolled out by YouTube.
- YouTube channels must have at least 1,000 subscribers.
- A total of 4,000 hours watch time is required to be recorded in a period of 12 months.
- The geographic location of the creator must be in the list of eligible countries in the YouTube Partner Program.
- YT Channel owners should have linked their Google AdSense account to their YouTube channel.
These rules make it difficult for independent creators and small channels to be eligible for monetization.
Video monetization methods
Three standard video monetization methods are implemented across the globe. We’ve discussed them below.
1. Providing access to videos
You can provide one-time or lifetime access to an individual video or a set of videos. This is one of the best tips to earn money without YouTube. You can also set up a model where the user pays to download a video.
2. Product Promotions
Brand mentions and product or service promotions to your audience base are referred to as sponsored ads. The advertiser pays you to gain access to your audience.
3. Subscription
Offer monthly, half-yearly, or annual subscription plans where the user can pay to receive unlimited access to the complete content library.
Video monetization models
When you host your videos on an alternative platform to YouTube, you can monetize the video on your own. There are three standard video monetization models for video-on-demand (VOD). VOD refers to videos that can be accessed on demand by the user. Pre-recorded videos are hosted on the video-sharing platform. The video monetization models discussed below are applicable across industries worldwide.
Subscription video-on-demand (SVOD)
As the name suggests, it is a subscription model. The user pays a fee for unlimited access to the content library for a stipulated period. SVOD models usually offer monthly and annual plans. This is the most profitable revenue model since it offers recurring income.
Transactional video on demand (TVOD)
TVOD is a one-time payment for temporary or lifetime access to one video content. This model is most beneficial for businesses and individuals who cover a wide range of topics. When the users have access to a large repository to choose from, it results in repeat visits to check out the latest content.
Advertising video on demand (AVOD)
In the AVOD model, you can generate revenue by granting access to an advertiser to display their advert to your audience. However, adopting the AVOD model on your branded platform is wise after you have built a large audience base. Advertisements put off users who have paid for premium access to video content. So, also be choosy in selecting the right advertiser.
How to monetize without YouTube?
1. Own a subscription platform
Create a video hosting platform that reflects your brand. It will be an exclusive space for your audience. You can draw insights from detailed analytics reports generated from your platform. This helps curate content constantly and determine the type of ads to display and the monetization models to implement for different user groups.
2. Affiliate marketing
Promote products and services of other brands that will benefit your audience. It is crucial to pick the right brands to promote to your audience, as they will reflect your business. You will earn a commission every time a member of your audience purchases from your affiliate link. You can generate revenue for a prolonged period by promoting the product only once.
3. Premium membership community
Create a private community for your members. Anyone who wants to access or be a part of the community must pay a fee. The benefit is that your community members can access your video content, and you can interact with them via live calls, chat, email or any other communication medium on your platform. You can nurture your community and establish your brand. This, in turn, will bring you more customers through word-of-mouth.
4. Pre-recorded online course
After you have grown and nurtured a loyal base audience, they will have the curiosity to learn more. You can cater to their requirement for educational content by creating an online course on the same or similar topics as your actual content. The course you create must help them accomplish their goals through your content. The level or size of the goal does not matter as long as your content is beneficial to them.
5. Sponsor shoutouts
You can mention a sponsor in your video content. Instead of running an ad in between your video content or adding affiliate links below your video, this is directly plugging the sponsor into your video content. The advertiser pays on a cost-per-view model for sponsor shoutouts.
6. Reach out to audiences of other content creators
Partner with other content creators who have a large audience base. Promote your products and brand to their audience through an affiliate program with the other creator. Under this program, you promote specific products of yours to their audiences and share a link to make a purchase. Every time any member of your partner’s audience makes a purchase through the link, you pay the decided commission.
Key takeaways
Adapting to change is the secret to staying in business and ahead of competitors. Now is the time to make that change and switch from YouTube to an alternate platform. This will enable you to build a steady and thriving source of revenue from your videos. Create your platform, establish a strong brand presence, provide high-quality content regularly to your audience, engage with them and choose the suitable monetization model. You can build an audience without relying on YouTube for monetization.
