Most content creators still rely on brand deals and YouTube-channel monetization via AdSense in our increasingly fast-paced world. These are good options and will continue as primary ways creators monetize, but you can differentiate income streams to earn more.
AIR Media-Tech, a global company for digital-first creators and brands, shares 7 additional ways to deliver your content to a broader audience and ensure multiple revenue streams, including those that can bring in passive income.
Cross-Platform Content Distribution
Distributing your existing content to other platforms is a great way to expand your audience, get additional attractive brand deals, enter new markets, and earn more. Often, YouTube creators even manage to gain even more popularity on other platforms due to their specifics, lower competition in particular niches, and new markets as a whole.
For example, if your main platform is YouTube, distribution to Facebook can work well for you. The two platforms have comparable CPMs while the audience is diverse. However, keep in mind that viewers on Facebook often watch videos without audio, so consider adding subtitles.
Distribution to Chinese platforms is another great opportunity. Since YouTube and Facebook are blocked in China, local platforms are the only option for Chinese viewers who long for international content. Among the most promising Chinese platforms are Bilibili, Toutiao, Haokan Video, Xigua Video, and Douyin. All of these platforms have over 100 million users per month. In our experience, this option works best for crafting and handmade, entertainment, music, automotive, food & cooking, health, and sports content creators.
for AIR Media-Tech partners who reached 100 thousand subscribers
You can independently post content on most of these platforms but might face several challenges with support for overseas authors, legal issues, extra paperwork, and content localization issues. If you feel like you’re not ready to embark on this journey on your own, you can find a partner to be your guide through the process. Such companies usually work on a revenue share basis. They develop a content distribution strategy, translate and fully localize your content if necessary, and provide turnkey content management services to create a source of passive income for you.
Re-streaming Your Existing Content
YouTube’s algorithms prioritize streams over regular videos. The live stream format encourages viewers to watch more content and often also to subscribe to the channel. This has a positive effect on channel performance and monetization opportunities.
Streaming is often associated with a long preparation process that includes a special technical setup, going live in front of the camera, using a powerful computer and high-speed internet connection. But in some cases, streaming can be done differently without hassle. You can actually re-stream your current content in an automated way, monetize the stream, and improve your overall channel metrics along the way using a unique service.
AIR Media-Tech has recently partnered with Gyre, a service for the continuous streaming of pre-recorded content, and tested it on a range of our partner YouTube channels. Оn some channels, we observed performance increases of up to 40%. The service is fully compliant with YouTube requirements and also absolutely safe because you don’t need to give anyone access to your channel to use it.
Re-streaming with Gyre showed especially significant results for content in the kids, music, and gaming categories.
If you decide to try it, we recommend creating a one-hour-long video file out of videos from your channel related to the same popular topic to keep viewers more interested in watching.
Channel Translation and Localization
Even top-tier creators have to be resourceful in getting more views on their YouTube channels. At the same time, most Canadian and US YouTube creators focus their efforts on attracting an English-speaking audience without considering that it’s the most competitive segment of YouTube. Meanwhile, content translation and localization can help you increase your presence globally without the necessity to produce extra content.
The total audience of the 14 key languages spoken on the planet is 3.8 billion people. And the English-speaking audience accounts for only 21% of that number. The competition per viewer is the highest in the English language segment, while CPMs in Spanish or Arabic-speaking markets are also attractive. Given this data, content translation and localization makes even more sense for creators looking for additional sources of income and popularity.
You can start by adding subtitles in new languages to videos on your current channel. But if you want to play big and have ambitions for expanding your personal brand globally, content translation and localization with a professional dubbing is a better option.
Translating the script in your videos sounds like it’s not that big of a deal. But it’s just a part of the process. Think of comedy channels, for instance. Humor is not that easy to convey in a different culture. There are many AI translation services nowadays, and most of them require a thorough human quality assurance. The accent and emotions are also crucial for many types of videos. Thus working with native speakers and professional actors for dubbing proved to be the most effective approach for many of our partners.
Helpful Tips
- Create a separate channel for your content in each new language. Uploading translated videos on the same channel will harm its performance.
- Make sure that the main and translated channels share the same design style – name, header, avatar – but are localized for the respective market specifics.
- Be ready to invest into the promotion of your channel in a new language. Millions of subscribers and views on your main channel mean nothing to YouTube when you launch a new channel in a different language.
We regularly see how content translation and localization help to significantly increase awareness and gain a loyal audience worldwide to many talented creators. Our partner, Kids Diana Show, is just one of multiple success stories. This creator substantially increased her popularity by translating and localizing 12 channels in different languages and gained over 160 mil subscribers. They have now become a favorite children’s channel globally.
When localization is done professionally, the content is relevant for the chosen markets. 80% of channels make extra income within the 1st year that approximates or sometimes exceeds the main channel’s income.
Mobile Games and Apps Development
Mobile gaming is evolving so fast that, according to Unity, by the end of 2023, the industry will generate a revenue of over $100 billion. Many famous creators have already jumped on the bandwagon of this fast-growing opportunity. And they’ve realized one psychological factor for this element — all fans would love to live a day in the life of their favorite artist, actor, or creator. Plus, as with merch, mobile apps exit the YouTube zone and can generate significant additional income.
How are Mobile Games Monetized?
A huge number of brands work with targeted advertising on gaming platforms. The reason is simple: games make it easy to reach millions of consumers. For example, users will be happy to watch free advertising to grow crops faster in their farm simulator. This advertising method has become an absolute gold mine for many developers and advertisers as well as for creators who get a revenue share from ads displayed in their apps. In addition, creators can communicate their key messages and integrate and sell their own merchandise and personal brand.
The most profitable examples of celebrities who used game dev include the Kim Kardashian with Hollywood game-simulator and PewDiePie’s Tuber Simulator with 8-bit graphics.
Here are some examples of recent wildly successful games among teenagers by YouTube creator Lady Diana.
Diana’s city invites users into the fascinating world of fashion and beauty, where young fans can visit beauty salons, fashion shops, and restaurants together with their favorite creator. The app was developed by the GameDev team at AIR Media-Tech and was released in the fall of 2021. One month after its release, the game was downloaded by more than 3 million users.
In April 2022, Lady Diana also launched one more game called Diana’s Zoo, a zoo simulator with numerous missions and mini-games that was downloaded 550 thousand times during the first month.
This is not the first game development experience for AIR Media-Tech. Earlier, the company launched an online shooting game called Bent Barrels for Gerand, a YouTube channel with animated military battles based on the World of Tanks game. The game was downloaded over 500 thousand times with 200 thousand active players in the first few months, significantly increasing the creator’s monthly income. And downloads continue growing daily.
In 2020, the number of hyper-casual games exceeded 10 billion downloads. This suggests that users are purposefully setting aside their own lives for the excitement found in their virtual fan world.
Developing non-gaming apps is another opportunity to consider for growing your income. You can interact directly with your audience or community, and monetize apps in a number of ways: with paid downloads or subscriptions, in-app ads, by selling VIP access to exclusive content, and many more. This option is particularly popular among fitness creators – for example, Canadian fitness YouTuber MadFit with a great selection of workout videos on her channel has her own fitness app with subscription-based training programs. Travelers’ community can also network and share experiences via the JUST GO app launched by American travel vlogger Drew Binsky. Thus, there’s an effective solution for almost every content vertical that can bring you additional income and unite your audience.
Flexible Payment and Fin-Tech Instruments
If you wisely approach the routine process of withdrawing funds earned on YouTube, you will not only save money but also increase your income.
Some companies, like AIR, offer flexible financial management and more currencies, including the withdrawal of income in Bitcoin and Tether (USDT), which is a great way to increase revenue.
What are the benefits of choosing payments to a crypto wallet?
Fast investment. You don’t need to send funds to a bank account and then from an account to an exchange.
Stability. The tether rate is pegged to USD. 1 Tether is almost always equal to about 1 USD. However, you should note that Tether is unregulated, and decoupling from USD may occur at any moment.
Speed and anonymity. Tether combines the stability of USD with the benefits of anonymity in cryptocurrency transfers.
However, this process requires expert advice. Please, be careful, and it’s best to consult a financial advisor before you start your crypto payments.
Affiliate Programs
An affiliate program is another profitable way to increase passive earnings. A third party pays a commission to you whenever a shopper uses your unique link to purchase products or services from that company. More than 80% of brands offer such programs. The TOP programs are Rakuten Advertising: over 1K brands, including Sephora, New Balance, Ray-Ban, Amazon Influencers, and many more.
Before choosing an affiliate program, you need to consider a few crucial factors:
- The things you promote through your affiliate links should be relevant to the theme of your content.
- It’s a good idea to advertise products or services that you use and love. This will engender more trust with your audience and be even more efficient.
- Plan your promotion strategy and make sure this particular affiliate program of your choice is beneficial to you.
Affiliate marketing offers significant passive income opportunities. There are thousands of affiliate marketing programs you can choose from. Your choice will depend on your goals: making some serious money, monetizing your content, or creating a steady source of passive income.
AIR also has its own affiliate program. Do you have friends who are YouTube content creators and interested in boosting their channels and income? Join the AIR Affiliate Program and get rewarded for connecting them to us.
Funds and Investments for Creators
More platforms are investing in creators’ growth and additional income these days to attract the best and most talented creators. These efforts encourage creators to have a multiplatform strategy by adapting content from the main platform to others and thus uniting communities.
YouTube Shorts Fund
Last year YouTube launched a new fund for aspiring creators with a budget of $100 million. Bonuses of $100 — $10,000 from the fund have been paid to the authors of the most popular Shorts monthly.
Over the last 10 months, YouTube has paid thousands of creators. YouTube is also experimenting with ways to reward creators from the fund, expanding payments to more creators, and raising the amount creators can earn. Some creators who didn’t previously qualify have an opportunity now to earn bonuses under $100.
You can see more details on how to get a reward and the latest Shorts Fund updates here.
TikTok Creator Fund
TikTok Creator Fund was created to celebrate and support the best and brightest talents on the platform. Among creators who already earned with the TikTok Creator Fund are Mr. Beast, Hank Green, and SuperSaf. Creators receive funds based on a variety of factors related to their videos, including the number of views and the authenticity of those views, the level of engagement with the content, as well as making sure the content is in line with the Community Guidelines and Terms of Service.
Snapchat
In November 2020, Snapchat introduced Spotlight, its TikTok competitor. Since then the platform gained significant popularity with several users who became millionaires through the club. The company determines payout based on how many views a video gets compared to that of other highly viewed snaps.
In just 6 months after the launch, Spotlight has grown to more than 100 million monthly active users and started receiving over 175,000 video submissions per day.
How Else Can You Get an Investment
As with any business, you can grow your channel with the backing of investors.
But before looking for investors you need to prepare a channel strategy and an action plan. Basically, you need a solid business plan. You must have a clear understanding of where the investor money will go and how it will help you make money. Finding investors is intimidating to many creators. If you do it yourself, you may need to expect a lot of rejections.
At AIR, we also created the AIR Investment fund. We are looking for promising creators who are just starting their global growth. We put our expertise, services, traffic, and investments into selected channels to help them grow faster and to let the whole world learn about them.
In Conclusion
When searching for answers on how to increase your earnings, you can choose from plenty of options. Even the most out-of-the-box solutions do not necessarily require more effort and time if you find the right partner.
Besides the above-mentioned ways to earn additional income, you can also think of NFT, merch, content licensing, and many more. By trying out various income-gaining options, you can find the ones that best suit your niche, content goals, audience, and needs.
We develop advanced services for creators and brands to help them create and distribute content that improves people’s lives on digital platforms
