10.1 Introduction

Your vlog channel is up and attracting viewers! That's a great achievement. Your topics are relevant, and your content is fresh. The views are adding up, and people are leaving comments—good comments. This is what the prior modules were created to do: prepare you so your launch would produce these encouraging results. If your goal for your vlog channel is purely fun or informational, you are all set. But, if you want to exponentially increase your subscribers and use your vlog for advertising products or making money, this final module gives you tips and tricks on how to do just that.

Vlogging, in its un recognised infancy, was merely people having fun making videos and uploading them to channels like YouTube. Few companies used this video platform to advertise their services or sell products. Facebook was new to the social networking scene and didn't have the live video ability. After a while, marketers saw the potential for a growing an online customer base and developed methods to reach them more efficiently. From that, marketing and selling took off, creating a plethora of vlog channels aimed at consumers.

Each vlogger's money-making goals are different. You may enjoy your vlog and simply want to make a little bit of money for yourself while you entertain and inform viewers. After all, you put a lot of time into your vlog channel.

Or, your goal may have higher goals. You would like to earn enough money with your vlog to actually make it a full-time job.

The great part is you don't have to be a vlog superstar to earn money. Of course, there are vloggers who are making large sums of money with their channel. You can aspire to reach that level, but starting smaller and watching how your vlog grows allows you to have realistic goals. And you never know: your humble beginnings may grow into a smash hit, earning you more money than you expected! Let's take a look at the ways to gain followers and earn money!

Fact

The 2016 top 10 highest-paid YouTube stars in the UK

made a collective sum of $70.5 million US dollars, with the top earner raking in a bit over $15 million.

Source: Dailymail.com

10.2 Create Your Vlog and Gain Subscribers

When considering your vlog channel for income, the first task is to grow your subscriber base.

This is crucial, but the viewers you gain need to be interested in your product or information. If a casual viewer is attracted by your advertising or promotion, your targeting may need adjusting. Besides targeting, which we will talk about later in this module, consider your branding design. Our discussion of branding included a recognisable logo or at least design and video content. Your topic must be clear so when a possible subscriber sees your vlog channel, they are interested at first sight.

With your branding in place, you can enlist a few other tactics to increase your visibility. Post related fun or interesting snippets on your other social networking sites like Twitter or Instagram, linking back to your vlog. Volunteer to create a video, write content, or send tweets for other users who allow you to link back to your vlog channel.

Anywhere you can embed your vlog channel URL will increase your SEO and search ratings. Once you lead viewers to your vlog, and your content is engaging and fresh, they will gladly sign up to be a subscriber. Subscribers are like a game of dominoes—they post about your vlog to followers and so do their followers, creating a virtual endless reach for your channel. Let's outline ways to gain the viewing audience right for your vlog.

10.3 Get Up Close and Personal

Now that you have an idea of how to get your vlog channel link out there, what happens when visitors arrive?

If you created your vlog with a great first-look design and great video content, it is a good guess the viewers will look around and translate to subscribers.

The other important factor is to create content that lets your viewers feel involved; they want to feel involved!

Your subscribers are viewing your vlog channel for beauty tips and help, advice, home decorating, computer software techniques, and more, but your welcoming on-screen personality makes them feel part of your community.

You can provide the feeling of belonging and build loyalty for your YouTube channel by creating content that is specifically designed for your fans. Some great ideas for this include:

Videos with Q & A

Add a question and answer section near the end of your video and encourage viewers to post answers in the comments section. Choose the top three answers and highlight them in the beginning of the next video of your series as a recap of your prior video. Give credit to the viewers' answers you choose, also taking the time to add a general thank you to all the commenters. If you actually have the time, include written replies to each comment in the previous video. People love any bit of recognition and will return for more.

Request topic ideas

In a general video, one not about a particular subject, ask viewers for ideas or requests for future vlog topics. This is, at times, a dangerous venture, as some of the topic ideas may be outlandish. Comments suggesting unreasonable topics can be ignored.

When you use commenter's ideas to create one video or a series of videos, once again, be sure to announce the subscriber who offered the subject for consideration. These are steps you can use on a regular basis to pique the interest of your viewers and gain more followers.

Consistency

Previous modules emphasised the value of having a schedule for uploading your vlog videos. It creates an expectation and excitement for viewers. They want to know when their 'favourite show airs.' The same is true when considering the benefit of a consistent schedule on returning viewers. Producing really cool videos and posting regularly attracts more views and creates subscribers who enjoy your channel.

They will want more great content and also want to know when the next one is uploaded. Email messages go out from most vlogging platforms, but a constant day and time works better. Emails do not always get read, and often they go to spam.

Pick a day and general time to upload your videos. Stick with this schedule and add the days and times for each playlist of sub-category. Maintain this schedule with your main topics, excluding special one-time videos.

You have got a vlog channel? Build it and they will come. Schedule it and they will stay!

Go the Extra Mile

A racer runs the course and is subject to fatigue at the very end. The finish line is in sight, but their legs want to collapse. Still, they go that extra mile to win. It is exhilarating to cross the finish line. Okay, so vlogging is more of a 'desk job' kind of race. But at this point, you may be feeling overwhelmed and a bit worn out. Stay the course and the results will pay off. This includes part of the 'getting personal with your subscribers' idea.

The stronger relationship you have with your viewers and subscribers, the more your numbers will increase. This takes work, but anything worth doing does. People will be posting comments questions, critiques, and suggestions under your videos. If you make the effort to answer all or most of them, you create a community and personal touch to your vlog channel. The key point is to answer these comments politely and in keeping with your brand.

If you are a gaming vlogger, answer with accurate information and use gamer terminology. This may even come naturally to you as, hopefully, you are an expert in your vlog topic. If there are nasty comments or rude reviews, resist the urge to reply. No reply gives a silent indication their comment is inappropriate and avoids a word war. It also gives you a professional look and builds respect for you as a vlogger.

Create applicable questions for your vlog viewers and post them on your vlog channel and social networking outlets, always adding the URL of your vlog. The interaction with your viewers tells them you care about their ideas and thoughts and leads to a stronger community.

Activity

Estimated time: 10 - 20 minutes

If you haven't created your vlog channel by now, this activity should be done after you have created your channel and uploaded videos. If you have created your vlog channel, this will only take 10 to 20-minutes to put together, but you will follow the results for at least a week or more.

Think of a topic for your videos or use a playlist already created and populated with videos. Create a regular schedule - a solid schedule and do not deviate from the days and times. Include this one topic or playlist schedule on your vlog channel under its description and within the actual playlist information. Take note of the number of subscribers to your channel and views on these videos before you start this exercise.

Announce it, including a direct URL to the playlist, on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and any other social platforms you have. Use proper keywords in your description for good search results, applicable hashtags and keep the announcement under 75 words. Any more and you lose your viewers. In fact, 50 words of tight and concise text is even better.

Give yourself a week before you begin checking your statistics like new subscribers and view counts. It is like losing weight: the more you get on the scale, the less excited you are about your results. After a week, look to see where your numbers are. Compare them to the starting numbers. Was there a jump in subscribers to your channel and views in that playlist? You should find an increase and if you were successful with your campaign, bigger numbers will result.

10.4 They Are Here, Now Earn Some Money!

Once you build a large group of subscribers, it is the perfect time tomonetise your vlog channel.Don't look to do this before you gain enough followers or your advertising and promotions will not matter. Your audience needs to be excited about your channel and eager to see what you have going on next. There are several ways to make money with your vlog, based on your goal. Do you want to earn some side cash for a vacation or personal purchase? Or earn an actual income to pay your bills and more. Earning money through your vlog channel is not complicated; but do your research first. Consider the type of monetising method you want to use and find out what you need to add or improve on your vlog channel to make it work.

Branded Merchandise

Branded merchandise is a great way to promote and make money on your vlog. Branded products are items you design, upload to a site, and choose whether you want mugs and tee-shirts or stationery and greeting cards.

By using, wearing, or demonstrating products in your videos, you generate interest and clicks as viewers decide to purchase the product.

It is great timing for this money-making technique: companies like this method of sales. They know a successful vlog channel will result in successful sales. Most online companies will provide the production, inventory, and shipping of the product. It is your showcase that brings the sales. Everything is done somewhere off-site and the price of the materials and production, and at times a base fee, is taken out of your sales price. The added bonus is when people use, gift, or wear your branded merchandise in public, providing endless free advertising for your vlog. You are earning money and advertising your vlog channel at the same time.

Product Sponsorship

What brand of clothing do you like the best? Is there a popular game you play often? Or a product related to your vlog you just love? These questions can provide ideas for product sponsorship. Product sponsorship is everywhere: on race cars, motocross vehicles, in baseball parks, football stadiums, on websites, written blogs, and vlogs. What is the benefit of product sponsorship and how can you find a company to allow you this marketing advantage?

Product sponsorship is a huge value for your vlog channel. It bumps up your SEO hits, views, and subscribers. Also there are fringe benefits like free product samples. Before you can approach a company, you must have a backlog of video content: plenty of videos and interesting topics pertaining to that company's product.

You can create an offshoot to your vlog as a playlist for this type of video content and even stretch the category of product as far as its relation to your vlog. Companies want to see you already have an established vlog channel and subscribers.

The design, layout, and visual appeal of your vlog channel also matters. Sponsors will visit your channel and review your content to see if they find it applicable and appealing. Things they will look for is relative content, number of views and subscribers, and if your channel has regular uploads and lots of activity. Do not consider approaching a company for product sponsorship if you haven't uploaded any videos in a year!

Obtaining product sponsorship

Obtaining product sponsorship sounds like a monumental undertaking only for the top vloggers. This isn't typically the case: obtaining product sponsorship involves a series of good choices and research, but it is not unheard of for a smaller vlog user to become a product sponsor.

Top vloggers with millions of subscribers and views they gained in a short period of time are noticed by companies; they eagerly seek out that vlogger to be a sponsor. This is an appealing goal, but not the average scenario. And it is not the only way to become a product sponsor. Once you have a brand you would like to attempt product sponsorship for, you can get in touch with them through their telephone number or contact form. You can also choose an online sponsorship gateway like Sponsorship.com.

Your proposal

Part of the application process is to write a product sponsorship proposal. This is one portion that scares many potential product sponsors, so get help from a friend with good writing skills and authorship to help you, if needed.

Your proposal is not going to be one form letter to send to all companies with only their name and address changed. A template will not work. Create a proposal, using a similar format for all of them with all the needed elements, and make it unique for the brand you are seeking out.

Good writers know their writing has to relate to and be geared for their readers; not themselves. This applies for your product sponsorship proposal. These companies already know you want to make money: what they want to know is how your sponsoring their product on your vlog will help them.

Before you do this, have a few videos of yours already commented on or demonstrating their product. Not a lot of videos: maybe even one. Make sure it is top notch, so they see you already promote their product. Websites have ideas and paid services to write your proposal. But your enthusiasm for the product shows through when you write your own letter. Include details the company is interested in and not off-topics about your skiing accident or newest clothing purchase.

Let them know:

How you will advertise their product through your videos and vlog channel Be specific, citing social network sites you will share the URL to the product video How you will demonstrate the awesomeness of their product Share the statistics of your vlog channel.

It is likely you will receive many rejections or sometimes no reply at all. Don't give up. Keep submitting. A famous line for writers who submit their work for publication is, 'If you can wallpaper your office with rejection letters, you're ready to get published.' Taking a chance and putting your requests out there could even result in a first request approval. You don't know unless you try. Product sponsorship creates small and large returns for your effort; all worth it!

Google AdSense for YouTube Users

Vloggers can certainly find their own advertisement clients by approaching companies and submitting requests. This can turn out to be more time-consuming and not worth the income from the product sponsorship. Google offers AdSense for you to create an account with and find ads for your vlog channel in a few steps.

AdSense is free; a great proposition to a vlogger starting out with monetising their vlog. You register with your Google account to be part of AdSense and give them permission and access to placing ads on your YouTube vlog channel. When a visitor to your vlog engages or clicks on that ad, Google pays you a commission based on click-throughs and actions taken by viewers. Google has a monetisation page where it allows you to enable your account for AdSense. You have a few design settings you can choose and preferences for the subject category. That is all you have to do to watch the money build in your account.

One thing to stay away from is trying to get your viewers to click on these ads by way of messages and comments.

This is frowned on by people and you are setting yourself up to lose many subscribers.

Fact

Popular vloggers can earn almost $200,000 for one product sponsored post on Facebook, $150,000 for one product sponsored photo on Snapchat or an Instagram post, and over $50,000 for a product sponsored tweet on twitter. Source: Dailymail.co.uk

10.5 Realistic Expectations for Making Money with Your Vlog

'Don't quit your day job,' is the warning given to dreamers and creative minds. And it is good advice. Taking a plunge and quitting steady work to make money on your vlog is dangerous and unwise. Either have an abundance of savings in your bank for backup, or keep your expectations realistic.

That is not to discourage you, but to advise you on the best approach to monetising your vlog channel. If done correctly, it may afford you a pleasant surprise instead of being a desperate attempt to pay the bills!