Dangers of YouTube As Your Primary Revenue Source
Over the past decade or so, there have been countless stories of people making a full time income through YouTube. You could record videos, upload them to YouTube, and then earn advertising revenue on the videos. Under this scenario, you could use YouTube as your primary revenue source.
However, over the past few months, Google has made some changes to the way YouTube matches up advertisers to videos. As a result, many people are now finding that their videos are not eligible for advertising money. This has caused a bit of a panic by some, as YouTube revenue was their main income source. These recent changes highlight the dangers of YouTube as your primary revenue source.
The Changes
The changes came about after several large advertisers complained that their ads were being shown on content that was deemed offensive. As a result, these advertisers pulled their money from Google, and in turn Google decided to make some changes.
Now Google decides which content on YouTube is deemed “offensive”. If your content qualifies, it will not be eligible to receive advertising. This goes for both videos you have up now, and any you make in the future.
Google did introduce a place to appeal the decision, allowing you to state your case on why your video is not offensive or inappropriate. If you win, your video is then allowed to receive funding going forward. However, many YouTubers have said this process is clunky, and Google has not left clear guidelines as to what is or isn’t offensive.
How This Impacts Content Creators
For many of you out there, you probably don’t have to worry about your content getting flagged. If you’re making videos on how to fix a car, chances are no one is getting offended by this. However, Google’s decision to be the arbiter of what is appropriate underlies a larger issue.
If you are relying on advertising revenue from YouTube as one of your primary sources of income, you are helpless should Google change its policies. While today they are removing it from “inappropriate” content, tomorrow it could be something else. Maybe those videos where you repair Ford vehicles will be flagged because Ford decides it doesn’t want their cars shown in repair videos, and pressures Google to remove ads from them.
While advertisers have the right to display their ads on content that they deem acceptable, that doesn’t mean you should let yourself be at their mercy.
What You Can Do
The best course of action is having multiple sources of income, so that if Google changes its YouTube policies again, the impact isn’t too hard. For instance, you could have your videos sponsored directly, in which you mention the sponsor and plug their product in the video.
Another option is to use your videos to promote outside revenue sources. For example, direct viewers of your video back to your website, where you have a store or a subscription service. You could also sign up for a site called Patreon, which allows your fans to sponsor your content themselves.
Avoid Having YouTube As Your Primary Revenue Source
For anyone looking to make money from home, it’s important to diversify where you get your revenue. YouTube advertising is no different. You don’t want your income decided entirely by some outside company’s policy decisions. The best way to guard against this is to have multiple sources.
For more help getting past YouTube as your primary revenue source, you can visit these two links:
- Learn about making money from your blog
- This article from Niche Pursuits on the importance of diversifying your revenue sources.