Gamers have seen Markiplier, Pewdiepie, and Jacksepticeye, comedy lovers enjoy College Humor, React, and Buzzfeed, while the educated geeks, and those looking to become educated geeks, love VSauce and how-to videos by various creators. So, what does it take to be a famous YouTuber and can you do it?
The Ever-Growing Change
It was much easier being a viral sensation in the early years of YouTube. Before monetization, people were becoming famous for their own content, songs, comedies, playthroughs, and clever edits of popular videos to make them more absurd.
With the introduction of monetizing videos, creators were finally able to make money from their content. This was, in a way, the Golden Age of YouTube. The problem arose when politics found its way into the platform, in addition to corporate policies that made it difficult for individual creators to continue producing their content that their fans came to expect from them. Copystrike claims that are now automated allow individuals or businesses to lodge formal complaints against creators with or without merit, which is something many YouTubers have complained about for several years.
Can You Do It?
Of course. You can still become a successful YouTuber, provided you have good content and you know how to market it. There are plenty of creators who post regularly and have some interesting ideas regarding humor, offering their opinions on music and movies, and playing games. However, the platform is profitable only to a small percentage of the creators. Most do it as a hobby and not a business venture.
One of the difficulties people face on a regular basis is the fleeting fame. You may make a viral video, but unless you ride the wave of fame then and there, you will get lost in the thousands of memes that are uploaded to the internet every day.
Be Passionate, Original, and Persistent
At the time of writing this piece, Minecraft is a very popular game. Also, everyone in the world wants to give their own two cents on American politics. If you’re planning on becoming a successful YouTuber, you should avoid jumping on the bandwagon. You need to come up with an original idea and stick with it. Post things regularly. Be passionate about your projects, because if they just turn into work, you will not be happy with your creations.
Explore other Platforms
Perhaps YouTube isn’t the way to go. Choose the platform that gives you the most artistic freedom with the best audience engagement. You could be a creator on YouTube, but you could just as easily be a Twitch streamer, or a content creator on Patreon. The sky is the limit. Just make sure you read the fine print on the terms and conditions of your prospective platform.
Going to other platforms is particularly of interest to gamers, as gaming channels on YouTube don’t receive as much promotion and recognition as some other channels. Also, it is reportedly easier to lose monetization on YouTube than on other platforms, even when things that happen to you are not your fault.