You already have a camera and perhaps some video editing experience. Great! But how can you monetize your skills? The good news is that you don’t have to apply for an office job at a cable channel anymore. We live in the Golden Age of independent content creation, and you can easily make money creating videos!
There are multiple ways to monetize your video creation skills. For instance, you can start a YouTube or Rumble channel and get some sponsors. You can also create stock footage for platforms like Shutterstock. Or go professional and get some local businesses to pay you for creating video content!
In today’s guide, we’re spilling the beans on how to make money creating videos. These tips apply whether you’re an editor, a cameraman, or a jack of all trades!
5 Best Ways to Make Money Creating Videos
In reality, there are multiple ways to make money with your video creation skills. Still, not all of them are as stable or profitable as the following options.
1. Start a YouTube or Rumble Channel
We know what you’re thinking. Isn’t the YouTube market extremely crowded already? It is, believe us. But, here’s the catch: just as there are thousands of creators offering content, there are millions of people looking to consume that content.
But what if you don’t want to give your money to a giant corporation like Google? You can also migrate to a platform such as Rumble. It has fewer users, but it also has a lot fewer creators, which you can use to your advantage.
So, how can you make money from a YouTube or Rumble channel? Let’s take a look at your options!
- Affiliate links: This method is easy; just join an affiliate marketing program like Amazon Associates. You probably won’t get rich with it, but it’s definitely a way to start an income flow.
- Sponsors: Most people on YouTube or Rumble make money through sponsors. But before we keep going, this article is brought to you by Audible…Nah, just kidding! However, that’s something you might be saying soon and getting paid for it.
- YouTube ads: To start monetizing your YouTube channel, you’ll need to meet certain criteria. After that, your income will depend on the number of subscribers and views you can get.
- Official merchandising: Is your channel growing exponentially? Your viewers might want to get a t-shirt with your logo or some catchphrase you always use. You can sell mugs, clothes, accessories, and more!
Monetizing a YouTube or Rumble channel is obviously not the easiest or the fastest process. You’ll need consistency and good content to succeed, but we believe you can create great content. After all, that’s why you’re here.
2. Create Stock Footage for Shutterstock or Similar Platforms
We live in the Sacred Valley of the Incas in Peru, a beautiful place with many breathtaking sights. Just check out this photo we took from our upstairs balcony:
How can you take advantage of your surroundings? Well, you could, for example, create stock footage using your iPhone, drone, or professional camera.
This type of monetization is almost passive. Almost? Well, you still have to shoot and edit the footage.
If you don’t live in a place with beautiful sights, you can still create stock footage of different things. Here are some ideas:
- Animals: Extra points if you have a dog!
- People doing house chores: You probably won’t believe how many content creators use this type of footage in their videos.
- Nature: Long takes of different natural elements around your area. Sunsets and sunrises are used almost everywhere, but what about a red moon or falling stars? If you’re lucky, you can shoot those too.
- People working: It might not be the most glamorous work, but there’s a big demand for this stock footage.
- Love, love, and more love! People holding hands, mothers, daughters, fathers, sons. The type of footage that makes you believe in humanity.
So, you have the footage. Now what?
Go ahead and upload it to different platforms. Shutterstock is one of the most popular options, but it’s not the only one. For example, iStock and Pond5 are great alternatives.
You can even sell footage on your website. This method takes more time and effort, but the profits will be higher.
3. Create Content for Local Businesses
Have you ever stopped to think about how many local hotels, restaurants, and other businesses are in your area? If the answer is more than one, then this next method could be viable.
Businesses in a free market economy compete for customers. If a company isn’t competing, then chances are it will soon fail.
So, what’s one of the tools for competing in the modern world? You guessed it: content.
Content allows businesses to attract customers. It enables these companies to be discovered and possibly, even be chosen by consumers. Plus, content can be anything: website articles, videos, apps, and more!
So, what can you do as a video creator? Contact local businesses and pitch how your videos could help them. Offer them clips for social media, YouTube channels, websites, etc. You’ll be surprised how much money you can make with just a couple of client accounts.
4. Create a Digital Course
How good are you with maths? Maybe you’re excellent at history or excellent at creating engaging content. There are a plethora of people looking to learn those skills, and they’re willing to pay for them.
But, isn’t everything free on the Internet?… Well, a lot of it is. But that doesn’t mean people won’t pay for something they consider valuable. If you have something to offer, whether knowledge or experience, someone is willing to buy it.
The options for creating digital courses are endless. You have Crehana, Skillshare, or even your own website. But, before choosing a platform for your digital course, you’ll first need to create your content.
Here are the steps to follow:
- Choose your topic. You might know about cooking, but that’s a very general topic. It’s best to focus on a specific category: Indian cuisine, Italian, Peruvian, or desserts!
- Divide your course into different classes. They can cover an introduction, smaller subtopics, and so on.
- Scripting. You’ll need to know what each class will be about and how long it will be. You’ll also need to write your dialogue to get your message out there. This part is mandatory if you’re not going to be in front of the camera.
- Shoot your classes. It will take some time, probably even an entire week or more, to get your course on camera. But you’re a professional filmmaker, right? You’ve got this!
- Editing. Ensure the audio and image are synced, and everything looks professional. That’s key because people won’t pay for something that looks amateur.
Now, it’s just a matter of uploading your course to the platform of your choice!
5. Edit Videos for Content Creators
Maybe your skills are more technical, and that’s more than okay. If your thing is editing, well, you’re actually in luck. Many content creators don’t really have time to edit every video, especially once their channels become successful. That’s when most of them decide to hire someone to help with editing.
So, how can you make it as a freelance video editor?
Well, this career takes patience and some communication skills. The first thing to do is make a reel to showcase your talent. It can help to grab some videos of the person you’re trying to work for and edit them in a fun and unique way. That way, you can actually show them your worth as an editor!
Then, just start contacting the creators you want to work with. Success won’t be instant, and it might take weeks or months before getting your first client. However, things should speed up once you’ve landed your first gig.
As an alternative to that method, you can join platforms like Fiverr. We’ve used it (including for freelance writing jobs), and it’s not the best option since you’ll lose commissions on each gig. Still, it makes the entire process of getting clients a lot faster.
Here’s one example of the type of editing you can create from one of our favorite YouTube channels!
Unleashed Tip: Manage Your Time Effectively
Working as a video creator means you can choose where and when to work. But this career requires you to be disciplined with your time. Believe us when we say that managing your time might be one of the most difficult parts of making content creation your full-time job.
So, if you think that’s something you’re lacking, you can work on it. Get a calendar, create a schedule, and always meet your deadlines if you work as a freelance editor or content creator. As someone who has worked with freelancers, there’s nothing worse than people who don’t meet their deadlines.
If you’re disciplined and always on time, you’ll not only land good clients, but you can also keep them in the long term!
How to Make Money Creating Videos: Conclusion
Now you know your options for monetizing your video creation skills. So, let’s recap what we learned:
- You can start a YouTube or Rumble channel. This option takes time to get going, but it’s one of the best ways to make money creating videos. You can use affiliate links, sponsorships, merchandising, and YouTube’s monetization system.
- Create footage for stock footage platforms. This method is easy, and you only need a good eye for visual storytelling.
- Reach out to local businesses. There are hundreds of local businesses in our area. They live from tourism, meaning they need content to stand out from the competition. If that’s the same for your community, reach out to companies and offer them your skills.
- Make your own digital course. It can be anything. If you want to dissect the last Star Wars movie for the tenth time to teach people why it sucked, go ahead. Just ensure your course looks professional.
- Become a video editor for other content creators. This monetization method can be less glamorous, but there’s a lot of demand for reliable editors worldwide. You don’t even need to be in the same country as your clients!
As you can see, there are multiple ways to monetize your video creation skills. So don’t get discouraged if things start slow. Just keep creating!
Do you have any questions about how to make money creating videos? Let us know in the comments section below!
