I recently hit 60k subscribers on Youtube and as I reflect on my time creating content on the platform, there are a lot of things I’ve learned along the way. In today’s episode, I’m sharing three surprising lessons I’ve learned while growing my Youtube channel!
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3 Unexpected Lessons I Learned on Youtube
I started my Youtube channel for aspiring and established photographers at the advice of my brother, who is also a Youtuber. My channel is very much an education channel of talking head videos for business owners. Let’s talk about some of the unexpected lessons I’ve learned while creating for Youtube.
1. There are a ton of ways to make money on Youtube, and it’s not always smart to go after all of them
Most of us consider launching a Youtube channel in order to monetize, because so many Youtubers talk about how easy it is. The reality is, there are a lot of ways to monetize your content on Youtube and I like to break this down into two camps: the business that is on Youtube or the Youtuber that treats their channel as the business.
As a “Youtuber,” I’ve learned that if you try to be both of these things, your channel becomes a contradiction. For example, I have videos that have gone semi-viral with 100’s of 1000’s of views. If I continued to create videos like that, I decided I wanted to be a business on Youtube. You can’t be everything to everyone—the content of your videos will attract or repel your audience, in which the ladder can hurt your channel.
Pick your approach to monetizing on Youtube so that you get your ideal audience on your channel.
2. Subscribers don’t equal income or much of anything (sadly)
I hate to burst your bubble, but subscribers actually don’t equal income (or anything really). They are simply a vanity metric that could lead to income, but it’s not guaranteed.
Want in on a secret? I have 60k subscribers and I don’t make any money from Youtube for those subscribers. I do get money each money for views through Google AdSense, but not from subscribers.
Instead, I rely on the community I’ve built, my email list, and by having aligned offers for my audience. If you want to have long-term success on Youtube, you need a strategy beyond getting subscribers.
3. You don’t have to sell as hard when you have youtube videos doing the selling
When you show up on Youtube, your audience feels connected to you, which means you don’t have to sell as hard. Your Youtube videos will do the selling for you.
I’ve specifically seen this in my own free consulting calls, where those that came from Youtube are more warmed up to who I am and ready to work with me, versus the person that came from Google and is a much colder lead.
Ready to take your hobby to the next level?
I know just how many steps and pieces it takes to set up a professional photography business that you can feel confident in. So I created a one stop solution. It’s called Hobby to Pro Toolkit, where you will get every tool, template, and guide you need to confidently go pro.
In your business so that you can get back behind the camera and spend more time doing what you love. Hobby to Pro includes email templates I’ve been using for eight years in my business, pricing guides, three contracts, consultation guides, and more. It is quite literally a one stop solution for all.
If you’re enjoying the content we’re creating on the podcast and want to connect with others who are called to both, make sure you come join us in the PhotoBoss Facebook Group!
Mentioned in this Episode:
Episode 3: How a Youtube Channel Could Fit into Your Business
Connect with Joy:
Instagram: instagram.com/joyymichelle
Youtube: youtube.com/channel/UC-Ou6jRKxcjMrVMxWxLO_fQ
Facebook: facebook.com/joymichellephotography
Coach with Joy: joymichelle.co/coaching
If you decide to use any of the links above and buy through them, I’ll receive a small commission back. All of those affiliate income commissions really add up over time and help generate revenue to help support this podcast.
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