When we mention “making money off of videos,” most people think that means using social platforms: sponsored videos and ad revenue from YouTube, videos in partnership with brands on Instagram, the TikTok creator fund, etc.
Those are all great ways to generate revenue off of videos, but not everyone is a big fan of social media and not everyone has enough followers to earn a substantial enough income off of those avenues. Getting big brand partnerships or getting enough views to be able to monetize videos on YouTube can take time; it often involves years of growing your audience and authority. And it isn’t for everyone.
But did you know that you can monetize your videos without having to rely on social media platforms?
Yes, it is possible. And, yes, you can do it, too.
First, let’s cover what video monetization actually is.
What is video monetization?
Video monetization is the process of generating income through the videos you create, publish, and share online on any platform. So, simply put: video monetization is basically getting paid for the videos you make.
Monetization occurs in a number of different ways, but it all comes down to access. Access to your video content. Access to your audience. And access to your platform. Essentially, people will pay to watch your videos or be able to relay a message (whether it be about a product, service, or something else entirely) to your audience.
Now let’s get into how you can monetize your videos without social media.
Sell an online course
If you have a growing audience, it means your fans are coming back time and time again to watch you deliver valuable or entertaining content. This applies to both if you are sharing video or image content on social platforms or are producing written content on a blog. You can leverage this engagement by creating educational content in an online course that goes further in depth on the topics that you typically share on your channels.
For example, if you are a beauty blogger that typically shares product recommendations, you could create a course around the differences in products, important ingredients to look for and what they do, or how to determine the best skincare routine for your skin type.
Do online courses take more effort than a 3-to-4 minute video or a 500 word blog post? Definitely. Is it worth it? Also definitely. Here’s why.
You can earn a significant income selling online courses. Successful creators on content monetization platforms like Retrieve, Skillshare, and Podia can make five to six-figures from their online courses alone. While the work upfront can be a lot, once your course is launched you can sit back and watch the passive income come in. With courses, you can make money off the same video content for months, even years.
Create a paid membership for access to your content
If the idea of a course doesn’t feel right for you, either because you don’t want to create educational content or you don’t have the bandwidth to take on such a big project all at once, a paid membership or fan subscription might be the better fit.
A membership or subscription means that audience members would have to pay to get access to exclusive content that you would create specifically for them. This is where you can really capture your superfans who are particularly interested in learning from you, about you, and are willing to pay more for it.
With memberships or fan subscriptions, it will require you regularly making and updating content. But if you are already doing that for your other channels, this allows you to put a paywall in front of some of it.
One of the biggest benefits of having a membership or subscription, is that you can charge a recurring fee every month. A.k.a you get guaranteed recurring income each month. In a space that is dominated by one-time partnerships, income is often not steady. And having a membership or subscription can turn that around.
Host live classes and sell recordings
Live videos or classes are not everyone’s forte, but if you’re someone who regularly utilizes those video tools, you can use that to your advantage.
First, you can sell tickets to a live online class. If your audience is already coming to you to try and learn and you’re getting lots of questions in your inbox or DMs, this is the perfect avenue. You can give small groups of your audience personal attention, while also teaching them about a specific topic or skill. This allows you to teach and answer the questions of multiple people at one time, versus trying to message or have a session with them individually, which can be very time consuming.
Second, you can then record those live classes and sell the recording to your followers who were unable to attend but are still interested in what you have to teach. This doesn’t require any extra effort on your end, and can allow anyone to later have access to the knowledge that you share in your classes, regardless of where they live!
So, as you can see, social media isn’t the only option for video monetization. Courses, memberships, and live classes are great alternatives that can allow you to create a steady income, possibly even passive revenue. If you’re ready to start making money of your content today, check out Retrieve.com to see how we can help you sell your knowledge and expertise and leverage your fan base.