No matter how much we want to deny it, we often feel guilty scrolling our social media timelines and watching video content on the platforms only to realize it’s already 3 a.m., and work is only a few hours away.
Watching online videos on social media has now become our daily routine. It’s our daily dose of the internet.
Video marketing stats say that more than 55% of internet users consume online videos daily. Now it makes sense that by 2022, the number of videos crossing the internet per second will be close to 1 million.
Those staggering numbers only show us that more and more people are attached to online videos. It then leads to video monetization on digital platforms, including social media.
Video monetization is a logical strategy for you to get paid for the video content that you share on social media. Below are some of the best, handy ways to earn some bucks from your social media videos:
#1. Don’t Forget About YouTube
As YouTube is the world’s second-largest search engine, it’s safe to say that this platform is a home for online videos. Many people make a living off of YouTube by becoming a full-time YouTuber.
You can run ads on YouTube marketing videos. From pre-roll to mid-roll to end-roll ads, YouTube might seem an ideal social media platform you can take advantage of. You’ll get paid based on ad views and/or clicks. It means the more your videos get viewed, the more bucks you’ll earn.
Therefore, you should remember one thing here: make sure you create engaging content and be who you are, authentically, in your videos. It will help your YouTube videos stand out among the rest.
#2. Use Affiliate Links & Sponsorships
Affiliate links are about providing relevant links to your followers. In this case, you can post your video on your social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter and make sure to include links on the captions.
Put something like “swipe up to shop” or “click the link in my bio” to direct them to your online store and purchase your products.
You can also look for some sponsorships or endorsements. Here, you’ll get free products or from a brand or payments, and what you need to do is create a social video about the products they want you to promote.
#3. Show Premium Content Behind Paywalls
Another way to monetize your video is tapping into Vimeo Plus, Vimeo Pro, or YouTube Premium to host your premium video content behind a paywall. To do this, you need to have at least 30,000 subscribers– on YouTube.
You can create high-quality weekly episodes, documentaries, etc. and make the monthly subscribers pay to watch them. What’s more, YouTube Premium also provides alternative monetization such as channel memberships (subscriptions) and live chat features like Super Chat (donations).
On the other side, Vimeo allows its users to donate to your video through Tip Jar. There will be a “Tip this Video” button underneath your video. If users find your video valuable and helpful, they can seamlessly donate money directly to you.
#4. Create Merchandise
If you already have a solid fan base or some loyal viewers, you can take the relationship to the next level with the merchandise. Through videos, you can sell your own merch. It can be T-shirts, stickers, badges, caps, bags, etc., things that your audience and viewers love.
You can then host those videos on all your social media profiles to spread a word about your merch. On YouTube, you can showcase your official merch with the merchandise shelf feature. What’s more, you can also feature your merch collections on the end-screen of your videos.
#5. Sell Online Video Courses
The last monetization method we have on our list is selling online video courses. You can share the video trailer on social media platforms to nail the audience’s attention. After you get their attention, you can guide them to your online course platform.
As an alternative, you can also sell each online video course through an on-demand service such as Vimeo or Amazon Prime Video Direct. As the creator, you can set a fixed price for individual videos and full series or collections.
Wrapping Up
Monetizing your video content on social media platforms seems like a fun thing to do. On one side, you can share your content and spread your message; and on the other, you get paid for it. However, one thing you need to remember here: make sure to create engaging and informative video content that your viewers valued. There are a ton of videos on social media platforms, and your viewers always have a bigger fish to fry. So, make sure your video quality is worth every penny they spend on you.
