People spend 17 hours a week watching online videos, according to a study conducted by Wyzowl. Because of that, you may have a promising career as a video content creator.
But what entails the job of video creators? How do they make money through video content creation?
If you have those questions, sit back and pay attention because this article will explain the basics of video content creators.
Let’s start with what is a video creator!
What Is A Video Content Creator?
A video content creator is a type of content creator who makes videos. Their job includes planning, scripting, shooting, and editing motion pictures.
You can find the work of video content creators on any media, including television and billboard. However, these days video content creation is mainly associated with online platforms, such as social media and websites. Due to that, video creators may also work alongside social media content creators and online marketers.
Video creators may work for businesses or independently. Those employed by businesses often create promotional videos, including product showcases, company profile videos, and customer testimonies.
Independent video content creators usually have a different goal than those who work commercially. Some of them, like vloggers, live streamers, and gamers, make content to entertain their audience.
However, there are also video creators who aim to educate others through their works. These educators enrich viewers through how-to guides, documentaries, and other insightful content.
Now that you know what is a video creator, you may wonder if independent creators can make money. Let’s find the answer below.
How To Earn Money As A Video Content Creator
There are a couple of ways to make a living through video content creation. The following are some of the standard options:
1. Sponsored Content
Independent video content creators, especially those with a large following, may earn money by partnering with brands. Or, if they are famous enough, brands are the ones who want to team up with them.
The partnership is usually in the form of sponsored content. In this type of content, creators feature a product in their video and provide a purchase link and a discount so that viewers want to buy it. Then, the brand or business will pay the creators after they publish the video.
For these partnerships to work, video creators must choose businesses related to their audience. For example, viewers of a cooking video content creator will most likely be interested when the creator features cookware or an ingredients store.
Read : How to Start Being a Content Creator
2. Affiliate Marketing
In a way, affiliate marketing is similar to sponsored content. Video creators must feature a product in their video and share its purchase link.
However, video content creators who do affiliate marketing will receive their commission for each sale through the link they provide. This allows them to earn more from just one product link.
Also, affiliate marketing is accessible to all content creators, even if they still have a few followers. They only need to join an affiliate program, such as Amazon Associates, where they can get up to 10% commission per purchase.
3. Ads
Even though not as profitable as the previous two methods, creators who upload their work on YouTube can also earn from advertisements.
Video creators may allow YouTube to display ads on their videos by registering with Google AdSense. Then, YouTube will show commercials tailored to viewers’ preferences before or during videos.
Some ads are CPM, meaning that video content creators will earn money after a thousand clicks on the advertisement. Meanwhile, there are also CPC ads, where creators get paid for each click.
4. Exclusive Content
Let’s say you are a video creator with a large following. In that case, selling exclusive content can be a good monetization opportunity.
Exclusive content can be anything that holds more value than your regular videos. For example, creators who make educational videos can offer longer premium content in the form of documentaries or courses.
Storytellers are another set of video content creators who can benefit from exclusive content. They may post one part of their video for free while the other is accessible for a price.
To sell exclusive content, creators need to use a content monetization platform like Gank. Using it, they can set a subscription fee for followers interested in their premium videos.
Read : Best Content Creator Apps in 2023
5. Merchandise
Video content creators’ way of earning money does not always have to involve their content. Selling merchandise, for instance, can be a promising business for those who have established a strong brand.
Many well-known YouTubers have offered their merchandise over the years. Gaming YouTubers PewDiePie and Markiplier, for example, sell clothing related to their personal brand.
There are a couple of ways to sell your own merchandise as a content creator. However, it is easier to use platforms like Gank since you do not need to set up a website. Gank, in particular, allows you to start selling for free.
Most Popular Platforms for Video Content Creators
Posting content on one or more widely-used platforms will help video creators to reach their audience. Now you might ask, which platforms are suitable for video content creators?
A HubSpot study shows that YouTube is still the number one social media platform for video content in 2022 with 35% of respondents. Meanwhile, Facebook and TikTok follow with 25% and 19% of respondents.
The study also shows that people consume video content on other popular social media platforms, including Instagram and Twitter. Nonetheless, these social channels are less known for their video content than the top three mentioned above.
You are free to choose any of those platforms to share videos with the audience. However, it is more important to know the audience’s preferred platform and type of content.
For instance, viewers who dig into short videos will more likely spend time on TikTok and Instagram. Meanwhile, those who enjoy long videos find YouTube a better place.
Read : Youtube Video Ideas for Beginners
How to Become A Successful Video Content Creator
Becoming an astounding video creator goes beyond producing motion pictures. Below are the steps you should take to do it:
Know Your Audience
It is possible to become a video content creator by posting a wide variety of content. However, that may not reward you with the right kind of audience.
Before creating videos, knowing what market you want to target is important. Think about the demographic of your ideal viewers, along with their age, language, and interests.
Determining the type of audience you want to appease and their preferences will make it easier to decide the kind of content you want to make. Also, your audience will be more likely to follow your channel or account since your videos resonate with their interest.
Apart from identifying your audience, do not forget to look closely at other video creators in your industry. Doing so enables you to imitate their success and modify it to suit your followers better.
At the same time, find out what failures they have encountered. That way, you can avoid falling into the identical drawback.
Build Consistency
As with other kinds of creators, video content creators have to be consistent. Not only in the type of content they make but also when they post it.
Social media users are like TV or radio audiences, they expect to see their favorite programs in a regular runtime. That said, you need to decide on a schedule for each type of video and social platform.
If you can stick to the schedule, there is a big chance that your videos get more views and engagement. Consequently, it will be easier for you to keep followers loyal, which is vital if you want to offer exclusive content or merchandise.
So, how to make a posting schedule for videos? You may read our article on creating a content calendar to start!
Engage Your Audience
Earning a large number of views or clicks on your videos is not the only goal to aim for in video content creation. Communication with the audience is not less important, whether by initiating a discussion at the end of your video or replying to comments.
By engaging your audience, you can set a positive impression among people who come across your content. That will keep followers close to you and attract others to subscribe to your account.
Talking to commenters can be overwhelming for those who have just started becoming video content creators. But do not worry! Check out our article on engaging your audience to get some inspiration.
Use Analytics To Your Benefit
Analytics is a means that social media platforms provide to let you monitor important metrics, such as views, comments, and subscribers.
Apart from that, social media analytics also show the number of viewers who do not finish watching your video and when your viewers interact with your content. In other words, you can use analytics to assess your channel’s performance.
The good thing is popular social media platforms already have a built-in analytics feature. So, you do not need to integrate third-party tools, which may be complicated.
Also, social media platforms provide a thorough guide on their analytics tool. Though you may also learn to use their analytics from external tutorials.
Top Software for Video Content Creators
Aside from practicing the steps above, using the right tools can help to improve your video content creation game. The following are some recommended software that you can use:
1. iMovie
Are you a Mac or iOS user who needs an easy-to-use video editor that gives a professional result? iMovie is one of the best options for that.
By using iMovie, you can trim videos, add transitions, and adjust audio with just clicks and drags. Not only that, it allows you to easily give special effects to videos, including slow motion and timelapse.
The best part of iMovie is that it is free of charge. So, you can use your budget for other means that improve your production value.
2. Frame.io
Looking for a video editor that also serves as a collaboration tool like Google Workspace or Microsoft 360? Say hello to Frame.io.
With Frame.io, your team can edit together and give feedback by posting comments or drawing on the video. You can add timestamps into comments, so everyone can be on the same page.
What’s more, Frame.io provides cloud storage where your team can share files necessary for your projects. With that in mind, you do not need to send footage or audio through other tools.
If you are interested in Frame.io, it comes in both free and paid versions. Also, it is available for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android.
3. Quik by GoPro
If you prefer to edit videos on mobile devices, Quik by GoPro is one of the best go-to apps. Despite its name, though, the app does not only support footage recorded in GoPro cameras.
Quik allows you to access features that simplify video editing. From adding color grading to syncing video and audio, you can do all of them within a few taps.
The video editor itself is free. However, it also has a premium subscription plan where you can store a large amount of videos.
4. SoapBox
For video content creators who make reaction or gameplay content, a screen recorder is an essential tool. However, professional screen recording software usually comes at a price or the free ones are challenging to use.
Thankfully, beginners can start with free options like SoapBox. This web app cannot only record your screen but also your video and audio through a webcam. So, you do not need separate software for each recording.
Furthermore, SoapBox comes with a simple built-in editor to trim, stitch, and add transitions to videos. You can utilize all of those features for free.
Though, SoapBox also offers premium plans that come with longer recording duration and removed watermark.
5. Murf.ai
If you want to add voiceover to tutorials, courses, or documentaries but do not wish to use your actual voice, Murf.ai can be an excellent companion.
You do not need to speak or record your voice to use Murf.ai since it turns text into speech. Interestingly, you can adjust the intonation of the computer-generated voice, so it can sound as natural as possible.
Apart from its text-to-speech feature, the software allows you to synchronize voiceovers to videos. With that in mind, you do not need to export your voiceover to a video editor.
Murf.ai is free to use, but you should get its premium version (starting at $19/month) to download your work.
Interested In Becoming A Video Content Creator?
In this article, you have learned about what is a video creator. Simply put, they are content creators who produce videos for a living or hobby.
Video content creators may work for companies or for themselves. Those who choose to work independently have a couple of ways to earn money, including sponsored content, ads, and selling merchandise.
If you wish to become a video content creator, shooting and editing videos is not the end of the line. You can be a better video creator by understanding your audience, engaging them, sticking to a content schedule, and learning from analytics.
Do you want more insights into video content creation? Please stay tuned to our blog!
