With the multitude of different video hosting options available, trying to pick the right one for you can be a daunting task. Add the purpose of profiting off of your videos and you make the decision even more difficult. The big question is “What is the most effective way of monetizing video content?” Well, unfortunately there is not just one answer to this question. Instead you need to ask yourself “What is the ultimate goal for my video?”
If you want your video to reach every corner of the world, then putting your video on YouTube would be the ideal choice. Of course, you lose control over who has access to your video, who can download your video and who can re-purpose your video, but it is the best forum to reach a large number of people – it is the #3 site in the world, after all. However, how can you make money off of your video if you upload it to YouTube for free? YouTube will run ads during your video to profit that you could also benefit you financially, but those ads could also lead your audience to a competitor’s site. Well, thanks to Frank Besteiro and his article Four Simple Strategies for Monetizing Your Video Content, we can share a few ideas:
- Product Placement – think like Hollywood and get companies to pay to have their products featured in your video.
- Sponsorship – get a company to invest in your video in exchange for a featured ad at the beginning of your video
- Pre-Rolls – 15 or 30 second video that runs before yours
- Subscription - require users to pay a regular fee in order to access to your videos
While these are great suggestions for monetizing your video, the first three require you to approach big companies and convince them that your video is worth their investment and reaching an audience that would interest them. If you don’t have the capital to do the market research necessary to gain sufficient data, then you likely won’t find a company willing to invest.
If you want to maintain the rights to your video, then charging for a subscription is the optimal choice. According to Besteiro, there is not sufficient data to prove how successful subscription services are for making money. However, as long as you choose an appropriate video hosting service, a subscription will ensure your video remains in your possession. You will have control over who has access to your video and no one will be able to download it. Yes, you are sacrificing the quantity of people viewing your video, but this method comes with a few advantages of its own:
- You will be able to target a specific audience to get quality viewers
- You establish yourself as an expert in your industry whose knowledge and advice is worth paying for
- You can incorporate other methods of monetization – product placement, sponsorship, pre-rolls – in addition to the subscription fee to maximize your profits
One thing is clear, there are many options when it comes to video monetization. Anyone interested in pursuing the subscription route should take a closer look at our Private Media Channel. We take Besterio’s monetization models a step farther and provide you with a multitude of options. You can charge when a user joins your channel, a user views a video, a user subscribes to one of your communities, a video producer uploads video and/or when a user clicks on a video by one of your providers. By using PayPal, we make charging for access to your videos easy for users and for you. We also have the option to use Stripe or Authorize.net, if you prefer them over PayPal. We can even use Stripe to charge the customer and PayPal to receive the funds, or vice versa. Our Private Media Channel gives you the flexibility to monetize your video content in a way that you feel comfortable. Contact us to get more information about monetizing your video content and start your free trial.
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