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When you’re looking to attract advertisers to your content, it’s easy to be tempted into changing your content into some thing that’s more advertiser-friendly. Last week, we talked about how advertisers love safe content, but this week we’re taking a look at the other side of that coin.
As a content creator, there’s undoubtedly a reason behind the content that you create. Whether it’s a subject that you’re passionate about, a way for you to build your content creating skills, or even just a hobby, the reason you’ve come this far is that you love making the content that you publish.
So, when you’re faced with the daunting task of deciding whether to make safe content or stay true to your vision, you should know that there are plenty of advertisers who are specifically looking to partner with authentic content creators.
Put simply, authentic content is any form of content that stays true to a content creator’s vision and that doesn’t filter their natural personality. In some ways, authentic content might be seen as a polar opposite to safe content, particularly when a content creator might normally make videos around sensitive topics.
That’s not to say that authentic content can’t also be considered safe, as there is a wide range of genres and content creators that inherently fit this category. It’s easier for creators in the recipe, family, travel, and pet genres to make safe content than it is, for instance, for creators who talk about true crime, political issues, and business controversies.
When we talk about authentic content, it means in essence that the content hasn’t been self-censored to attract advertisers or sponsorship deals. Rather, the creator continues to make the content that they’re passionate about and doesn’t focus on widening their advertiser pool.
Advertisers can often see authentic content to be a risky choice, particularly if that content surrounds a sensitive topic that can be seen as controversial by some viewers. However, there are significant benefits to advertising on authentic content.
First, it’s a great way to make your brand seem more authentic. With the majority of advertisers choosing safe content, working with creators without demanding that they change their vision or content demonstrates that you respect the creator.
Plus, advertising on authentic content gives your brand the reputation of being bold and unafraid to take risks. Certain genres often struggle to attract advertisers as some traditional advertisers don’t want to associate their brand with more controversial content. However, when you choose to advertise on this content, it shows your audience that you’re willing to take risks and support these often smaller creators.
As authentic content creators are known for their willingness to speak their minds, advertising with them can even lead to an increased ROI. Because their audience respects their opinion and understands that they won’t advertise a product or brand they don’t believe in, it has the potential to improve your sales from that ad campaign.
When you’re thinking about monetizing your content, you need to remember that you don’t have to hobble your vision just to get advertisers. There are a wide variety of advertisers who are looking to work with content creators like you and aren’t afraid to take risks with content in riskier genres or surrounding more controversial topics.
As we talked about last week, there are plenty of advertisers who perhaps can’t advertise on TV, or can only do so if their ad campaigns are heavily regulated. These brands will be on the lookout for channels to advertise through, and if they fit your content and brand, they’re a fantastic opportunity.
Brands are also increasingly looking for ‘found’ content they can use to build brand trust and a reputation for authenticity. This gives content creators a great chance to work with large brands who are specifically looking to advertise with authentic content and personalities.
Not to mention that, if you’re a content creator that’s known for being authentic, softening your content can lead to you losing credibility and respect with your audience. Smaller creators risk losing their audience to the perception that they’re ‘selling out’ if viewers notice that their content changed to attract advertisers and sponsorship deals.
We’re experts in helping advertisers and content creators find fruitful partnerships. If you’re an authentic content creator, or you’re a brand looking to advertise with creators who pride themselves on their authenticity, we can help you partner with someone who shares your ideals.
To learn more about what we can do for your content monetization or your advertising campaign, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our friendly team of advertising professionals.
It seems that every other day, we learn something new about our favorite content creators. Few of us can forget the multiple controversies surrounding Jake Paul which, in 2018, led to YouTube temporarily disabling ads on his channel.
However, it’s not only content platforms that want to make sure that creators are playing by the rules. Advertisers, as you might expect, also don’t want their brands to be associated with personalities that are in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
So, let’s take a look at why advertisers are always searching for ‘safe’ shows and what content creators can do to increase their advertising revenue.
The definition of a safe show can often change depending on the brand. Put simply, a safe show is content that aligns with a brand’s identity, ethics, morals, and personality. More than that, it’s content that isn’t offensive, egregious, or has the potential to be embroiled in or has a history of controversy.
Whether something is considered safe also has to take into account not only the content that brands want to advertise on but the creator and their Internet reputation and presence.
Again, it’s worth noting that what a brand considers safe will change depending on that brand. As an example, a kid-friendly brand like Danimals will consider family-oriented content free from cursing and adult content as safe for advertising. However, a brand like Tango with advertising that’s already tongue-in-cheek might consider content involving pranks, cursing, and more adult topics as a safe choice for advertising, because it fits with their persona.
The biggest benefit of advertising on a safe show is the protection of your brand’s image. While there’s no guarantee that previous safe shows won’t become controversial - see the case of Myka Stauffer and how it led to brands that partnered with her being flooded with negative comments -they’re a better bet than pairing with a content creator who’s already seen in a negative light.
Not only that, but advertising on specific safe shows can boost a brand’s reputation and image. For example, a brand like Lush that prides itself on social activism and inclusion can further strengthen that image by working with an LGBTQ+ content creator or advertising on content that works to educate people about climate change.
It’s not all about advertising with massive content creators, either. Smaller content creators often have more dedicated audiences, and brands can use these smaller safe shows to closely associate themselves with that content creator’s ethos and community.
As a content creator, we know that you’re constantly looking for ways to expand your monetizing potential. However, we also know that it’s important for you to be authentic and continue making the content you’re passionate about.
The good news is that unless you’ve been embroiled in a controversy before, have a negative online reputation, or make content that’s egregious and harmful, the chances are that you’ll be a "safe show" for most brands.
However, that’s not to say that content creators like you can’t improve their chances of finding advertising partners by being a safe place for them to advertise.
With that in mind, the best thing you can do to attract advertisers looking for safe shows is to be consistent in your content and tone. If you’re producing wholesome story time content one minute, and then violent pranks the next, advertisers are less likely to consider your content to be a safe bet because it shows that your content is unpredictable.
Content creators can, and of course should, push the boat out from time to time. After all, you’re going to want to try out new ideas from time to time, and nothing is stopping you from doing that. However, too much variance can scare advertisers away, particularly if the content you’re experimenting with is wildly different from your current content or image.
At Arcasect, we regularly work with both advertisers and content creators to make sure that they work together harmoniously.
Our advertising teams are experts in helping advertisers understand what content represents a safe show for them to advertise on, allowing them to micro-target their audience by specific niches and interests. We’re well-versed in matching brands and messages to similar content, so as an advertiser, you can count on us to help your next campaign be as successful as you’ve envisioned.
And, if you’re a content creator, we’re here to help you find the right advertising partners that work with your content and image. Our experts can also help you to make your content a safer bet for advertisers so you can maximize your monetization potential.
One of the biggest challenges that traditional TV advertising has faced is the increasing amount of regulations that govern what can and cannot be shown. As you can expect, the biggest, unchanging regulation is that you can’t run ads that are misleading or deceptive in anyway, and that also applies when you advertise on platforms like Roku, YouTube, and TikTok.
However, there is also a myriad of other restrictions, both legal and voluntary, that come into play with TV advertising, to the extent that in some cases, it’s more viable to advertise through non-traditional channels than it is on TV. So, let’s take a look at these restrictions in more depth, and how non-standard advertising can affect your content.
Non-standard advertising is any form of advertising that would either be banned from traditional TV advertising slots, comes under heavy regulations if it is aired on TV, or would be considered conscientious.
For example, in the US, alcohol and liquor ads can only be shown on TV if at least 70% of the audience is over 21. In practice, this means that alcohol advertisements are typically limited to late-night programming and channels that cater primarily to adults.
While there are restrictions on alcohol advertising online, with some platforms like TikTok banning it entirely, other platforms like Google simply prevent these ads from targeting users under 21. This typically results in these advertisements having more reach, as they’re not restricted by programming slots or time constraints as they may be with TV.
As you might expect, political advertising is a highly contentious issue, regardless of if it’s on TV or online. However, TV advertising comes with significantly more regulations on political advertising.
For instance, TV channels have to give political candidates equal treatment in their advertising slots, which is thereto prevent channels from giving candidates of their choice free advertising, extended slots, or discounts.
However, this typically isn’t the case with online platforms. In most cases, platforms will only limit targeting options, but otherwise, advertisements can be swayed heavily in one way or another depending on the channel and their demographics.
With all of that in mind, as a content creator, you might be wondering whether it’s worth hosting these non-standard ads on your channel. After all, if they’re restricted on TV, then there’s got to be a good reason for that, right?
Unfortunately, some content creators might not have a choice. Some platforms don’t always let you choose which ads get shown before, during, and after your content, and they’ll just deliver ads that are generally targeted towards your audience.
However, if you do have the choice, it’s worth considering whether non-standard advertising works for your channel. Here are the key pros and cons you should consider with hosting non-standard advertising.
● Might better fit your channel content. If you have a channel where your content regularly includes products like alcohol, or you’re politically active with your channel and support a specific political candidate, then these types of ads will be more relevant to your audience.
● Grabs users’ attention. Because these types of ads either aren’t shown on TV or are shown in a different format, they’ll draw the users’ attention naturally because they won’t necessarily have seen that ad before.
● Higher payouts. As these ads aren’t typically shown on TV, it’s not uncommon for those advertisers to be willing to pay more to host those ads on your channel. Plus, you can often command higher rates for non-standard ads if that brand is looking to specifically advertise to your audience.
● Strengthens your community. If you support a certain political candidate or brand, then showing their ads on your channel over non-relevant ones demonstrates to your audience that you truly care about your cause.
● Can be divisive. Some advertising content might alienate part of your audience, particularly if it covers politics or government, so you may lose followers, subscribers, or credibility with certain groups.
● Can sometimes violate Terms of Service. While platforms that manage their own advertising should already have weeded out non-compliant ads, if you’re managing ads yourself, you need to make sure that non-standard advertising doesn’t go against the TOS.
It can be tricky to figure out whether you should host non-standard advertising or not, which is why we’re here to help. Our Ad Ops team can help you to find the right categories of advertising for your channel, so whether there’s a non-standard ad you want to run or categories you want to blacklist, we make sure that your chosen ads don’t harm your credibility. Whatever you want to do with your channel, our expert teams of advertising specialists are here to make that happen.
One of the biggest questions content creators have been asking since the beginning of the pandemic is whether they’ll still be able to monetize their content with advertisements. After all, during the2008 financial crisis, 60% of brands ‘went dark’, resulting in a vast drop in advertising spend.
However, despite the statistics showing that ad spending in the US has dropped by an estimated 13%,content creators shouldn’t take this to mean that there’s no money left in advertising.
So, let’s take a look at why you shouldn’t panic about a drop in advertising spend, and how you can make sure you still get a cut of the advertising revenue pie.
Ad spending has been growing steadily over the past few years at an average rate of 6%, and every year has seen an increase in digital advertising spend at the expense of traditional advertising. This year was, too, estimated to see an ad growth spend increase of 7%, but that was before the pandemic hit.
However, most experts believe that ad spending will bounce back in 2021 and a post-pandemic economy, with an estimated 20% growth in online advertising spending and an average rate of 14% until 2024. Digital advertising spending is also expected to overtake traditional ad spend for the first time this year.
When there’s a recession, it’s understandable that everyone looks to trim the fat from their budgets. In the past, and particularly during the 2008 financial crisis, this has led to certain businesses deciding to reduce their advertising costs - or stop advertising altogether.
All of this is despite a 2001 study that found that businesses during the 1980-85 recession that continued to advertise saw 256% higher sales compared to businesses that stopped advertising.
The 2008 financial crisis continued to prove the value of advertising, as it showed that when a business ‘went dark’ - or stopped advertising - it led to a significant drop in stock prices, brand awareness, and post-recession sales.
With that in mind, brands looking to survive the recession and the COVID-19 pandemic will still be spending money on advertising, although it’s likely that their advertising strategies will change.
A significant change in the advertising world is that businesses aren’t just advertising their products. Rather, they’re advertising how their brand is helping and supporting their customers and working with messages of hope and reassurance.
Advertising has also been forced to become more creative, particularly given that audiences are spending more time consuming online content than ever before. Not only that, but given that social distancing protocols and local laws are preventing advertising shoots from going ahead as they once did if at all, it’s led to a significant change in the imagery brands use to present themselves.
With that in mind, it’s not surprising that 45% of brands have moved away from performance-based advertising to focus on delivering timely, tone-sensitive messaging.
But what does this mean for content creators?
The biggest thing to remember is that ad spending isn’t as dire as some brands might attempt to convince you. There’s no need for you to reduce your advertising fees simply because some brands aren’t willing to pay as much to advertise on your content as they were before the pandemic.
While it might seem counter-intuitive, now is a surprisingly good time to pitch yourself to advertisers, particularly if you have a desirable audience demographic. With an increasing amount of people consuming online content to pass the time, it gives you a great opportunity to pitch your content and services to advertisers, particularly if they fit your content and brand.
There’s still plenty of money to be made from advertising. Despite there being an overall drop in ad spending this year, it’s clear that advertisers are changing their approach to promotional material, and they’re not simply cutting their budgets. We anticipate that found content is going to be a significant money-maker for content creators for this very reason.
At Arcasect, we’ve got years of experience in connecting content creators like you with advertisers. Not only that, but we’ll work with you so you get paid the advertising rates you deserve, so you can rest assured knowing that your advertising income won’t drop significantly despite the ongoing pandemic.
Don’t let brands try to convince you that there’s no advertising money in the pot. We’ll match you to advertisers who aren’t just willing to pay your rates but are passionate about your content and how you can both work together for mutual benefit.
In the past few years, we’ve seen holiday ad campaigns take a wild turn. Instead of being sales-focused with a festive theme, modern holiday video ads are taking a more narrative approach. These ads do, of course, still serve to improve brand awareness and sell products, but these are now wrapped up in stories that encompass family, compassion, and togetherness during the holiday season.
Well...most of them do, anyway.
Here’s a look at some of the the best holiday video ad campaigns from the last decade.
The smash-hit Christmas track from Mariah Carey has featured in plenty of ads, but this campaign from Walkers took it to a new level. Playing on Carey’s perception as a diva, this video has the popstar performing All I Want for Christmas (Is You), and when the shooting wraps, giving gifts to the crew.
That is until she reaches for the last bag of Walkers’ at the same time as a crewmate. To get him to drop the bag, she sings a high note and takes the snack for herself.
This ad aired as part of Walkers’ overall Too Good to Share campaign and plays on the traditional holiday concept of sharing what you have with strangers. This new take on an old holiday advertising trope makes it one of the more creative holiday advertisements we’ve seen in recent years.
Fans of Parks and Recreation will know how much Nick Offerman’s character, Ron Swanson, loves his whiskey. And, fans of Nick Offerman will also know how much he also loves whiskey. So it’s no surprise that Nick Offerman teamed up with Lagavulin to film a 45-minute video of him sitting in a chair next to a log fire, sipping Lagavulin - and saying nothing.
This isn’t your typical video ad campaign, mostly because it’s 45 minutes long. However, this ad seems to have been designed as a replacement for the yule log fire video streams that have become increasingly popular over the past few years. It’s certainly a memorable video and one that will inevitably connect Lagavulin to the classy vibes of Nick Offerman in a smoking jacket for years to come.
Despite being a UK retailer, John Lewis’ holiday adverts have grown to capture the hearts of the world. So much so that, as we near Thanksgiving, people around the world speculate what their ad campaign will feature in the coming holiday season.
This 2011 holiday ad campaign sparked that hype, and arguably paved the way for narrative, non-product focused holiday ads. We see a young boy impatiently waiting for Christmas, attempting to use magic on the clock to speed time up and shoveling down his dinner the night before in the hopes that morning will come sooner.
The twist is that the boy isn’t waiting to open his gifts, as we’re led to believe. Instead, he’s impatient for his parents to open the gift that he bought them.
This ad gives us all the warm fuzzy feeling that we want at Christmas, and it perfectly encapsulates the feeling of anticipation and family.
In a sequel to the previous years’ ad campaign, Heathrow Airport’s 2018 ad shows two teddy bears living abroad and enjoying the sun. It then cuts to their family at home, who are busy decorating their home for the holidays. The bears hop on a video call with their family, which is when the two older bears decide to pack their things and travel home for the holidays.
At the end of the ad, we see the two grandparent bears landing at Heathrow Airport and reuniting with their family back at home in a scene filled with emotional embraces. Not only are the teddy bear models nostalgic for those of us who had those toys as kids, but it fully evokes the joy and excitement of spending the holidays with your loved ones.
The story starts at the beginning of 2020,with Satan finding a match on Match.com’s app and going on dates in empty cinemas, football stadiums, and gyms. The campaign plays on the fact that 2020has been filled with unexpected life turns, but we can still find fun and excitement even in a bad situation.
While it’s not entirely a holiday campaign, the end message of “make 2021 your year” with “2020” going up in a puff of smoke plays on our sentiments that this year has truly been a write-off for our goals and aspirations.
As the law is beginning to catch up with newforms of entertainment, it’s never been more vital for you to understand the law around content creation and marketing. In particular, if you create content for kids or families, it’s vital that you know the ins and outs of COPPA and how to keep your content compliant.
COPPA, or the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, was recently amended following a string of controversies around online platforms allowing inappropriate marketing towards children. With online content creators facing heavier restrictions if they market their content to children, or have content that could reasonably be watched by children, here are the key things you need to know about COPPA.
One of the biggest misconceptions about COPPA is that it was designed purely to ensure that any marketing that children under13 see is appropriate for their age. While this is indeed a part of COPPA, it was designed primarily to protect childrens’ personal information online and prevent companies from collecting their data.
According to the FTC, prosecutors look at a variety of factors when it comes to determining if content was created for children under 13. Even if you don’t publish content that’s marked as for children, you might still violate COPPA if you use material considered “kids’ content”, such as (but not limited to):
● Child actors or models, either as a subject or as part of your content,
● Characters, toys, activities, celebrities, animation, or cartoons that may appeal to children,
● Song, stories, and poems that appeal to children,
● Content for which children are the intended audience.
However, it’s important to note that COPPA only comes into effect when a user is confirmed as being under 13. If a child lies about their age to gain access to a platform, content creators and platforms can’t be held responsible when their data is collected.
Because platforms can’t legally collect data from users who are confirmed to be under 13, this removes the ability for you to use personalized ads on your content. While it doesn’t remove your ability to monetize content with ads entirely, this does mean that the the ability to generate revenue from your content may be limited. Platforms like YouTube Kids won’t allow channels aimed at children to run personalized ads at all, which helps content creators like you stay COPPA-compliant when you create child-friendly content.
As with most ethical questions, experts are often in debate about whether brands can morally advertise to children. As a content creator, it’s even harder to determine whether you should remove advertising content from your child-friendly videos, particularly as on some platforms you have very little control over what’s advertised.
However, as a content creator, you have to monetize your content. And, in short, you’re not going to stop brands from marketing to kids. However, there are things that you can do to prevent harm to your younger audience members.
Most platforms that allow you to monetize your content with ads will allow you to select what categories of ads you’re happy to be used with your content. While most platforms don’t let you blacklist certain brands, companies, or products, you will at least be able to deselect categories that aren’t appropriate for your audience.
One of the best ways to make sure that your content is COPPA-compliant is to hire professionals to monitor your content and ensure that any data you collect doesn’t violate the Act. We know that it can be difficult to understand the legal jargon behind COPPA, which is why we’re here to do the leg work for you.
As a content creator, you understandably want to monetize your content, but you’re also worried about the ethics of monetizing content aimed towards children. That’s something we care about deeply, and it’s why we work hard with every client to ensure that not only is their content compliant, but it’s also monetized in a conscientious way.
Let us worry about COPPA regulations for you, so you can stay focused on creating the awesome content your audience loves.
User-generated content has been a small, but significant part of the advertising world for a while now. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic has shut down advertising shoots and campaigns, a new form of user-generated content has taken center stage in advertising.
While found content is still a relatively new concept, we’re expecting to see greater amounts of advertisers licensing content from content creators like you for their advertising campaigns. Not only is found content cheaper, but it’s vastly more authentic and down-to-earth, making it extremely valuable to advertisers and brands.
But how is found content different from user-generated content, and why is it so valuable?
Found content is, quite simply, content sourced from the Internet. Unlike other forms of user-generated content, found content doesn’t necessarily reference a brand or company and can be any kind of content that an advertiser feels represents the message behind an advertising campaign.
Once an advertiser has found content that they think is valuable for their campaign, they’ll get in touch with the content creator to procure licensing rights and discuss usage terms.
As we briefly discussed earlier, found content is widely regarded as more authentic and trustworthy, even over some forms of user-generated content. While you as a content creator aren’t necessarily referring to the product or brand, found content has been shown to increase brand trust by as much as 39%, making it extremely valuable for advertisers.
Licensing fees are often significantly cheaper than hiring actors, running shoots, and editing footage. That’s not to say that found content doesn’t require editing into an advertisement, but rather that the initial costs of gathering footage is greatly lowered. With content creators publishing authentic, approachable content every day, there are fantastic opportunities for advertisers to connect with consumers in a way that scripted content simply can’t achieve.
This offers a significant advantage for both advertisers and companies during the pandemic, particularly given that nearly every business is struggling with low staffing levels and vastly reduced footfall. By commissioning advertisements from agencies that use found content, companies can still market themselves while making the necessary cutbacks they need to survive.
One of the biggest advantages of found content for content creators is the potential not only for income from licensing, but also additional opportunities that come with your content being used by a named brand.
Whether you make bite-sized content on TikTok, or you’re a YouTuber making hour-long videos, your content can be extremely valuable to the right buyer. It’s not unheard of for content creators to be offered four figures in licensing agreements, and there’s every chance that number might skyrocket as competition increases.
And, of course, there’s the exposure to consider. Now, I’m not saying that you should license your content for the promise of exposure, because we all have bills to pay. But, having your content used in an advertising campaign by a major brand can lead to increased traffic to your content. You could even find that the brand who licensed your work wants to work with you on a long-term basis, or other brands will begin to take notice of you.
In October 2020, TikTok launched an advertising campaign using a viral video of a user drinking Ocean Spray, listening to Fleetwood Mac, and skateboarding. The “It Starts on TikTok” campaign licensed this video, along with a series of copycats, to highlight the platform as the home of new internet trends.
While there’s little information on how much this user was paid in licensing for his video, the content creator, Nathan Apodaca, has since received $10,000 in donations from fans. In an interview with TMZ, Apodaca said he’ll be using the funds to find a place to live. Since the advertising campaign went live, he’s also been contacted by Footlocker, and he says he’s hoping for an advertising deal with Ocean Spray.
Despite Ocean Spray not being involved with this advertising campaign, Apodaca was still gifted a truck and free products for his part in advertising the brand.
As a digital content creator, you know better than anyone else that uncertainty is the name of the game. Content monetization can be difficult in a marketplace that’s getting more crowded by the minute. How do you manage this highly volatile field of online advertising? Quite simply, having a good ads ops team is the best way to survive the challenges and thrive as a video content creator.
At the height of the pandemic, video streaming had reached record levels. It seemed that it was the perfect time for solo content creators and small teams to monetize their content. But that unprecedented growth may be slowing down as communities are entering a post-lockdown phase. One moment you are getting enough traction to rank among the top and the next, you are not even getting the average views that you had expected.
In these tumultuous times, an experienced team of online ad experts is what you need if you hope to make the most of programmatic advertising and content monetization opportunities. Here are 5 reasons why you should get in touch with a credible ads operations team to take your monetization streams to the next level.
5 reasons for content creators to get an ad ops team
1. You can focus on your core competency
You don’t want to chase the latest online advertising metrics and updates to social media platforms’ policies. You want to put all your energy into creating quality content that people will watch, and share. Getting in touch with advertisers and platforms and entering into negotiations can be time-consuming and you don’t want to waste any time.
With a good ad ops team, what you get is the freedom to focus on what you are good at. Think about it this way. It’s not that only successful musical acts have managers. A good manager is what makes acts successful.
2. You get domain expertise
Online advertising needs specialized skillsets. You need well-trained professionals to analyze a channel for its past performance, ranking, brand identity, competition, brand extension, and partnership opportunities. Social media marketing and search engine optimization are not skills you can either afford to ignore or decide to develop on your own.
Organic growth will take its time and disguise true potential. With experienced digital advertising experts, you get relevant insights on your category that will help you chart your growth trajectory.
3. Their services are measurable
One of the advantages of digital advertising is that everything is quantifiable. You can know the reach of your content, the number of viewers you have, their level of engagement, and the conversion rates, among other things. With a digital agency, this means that all their services can be measured.
When you decide to avail of their services, you can set down certain objectives and lay down their KPIs. As they partner with you, you will regularly receive updates on their performance that you will be able to compare to the KPIs.
4. They can get you partnerships
An experienced digital ad operations team would know the ecosystem in which content creators operate. They would know about other artists and entrepreneurs who are in similar genres. Importantly they would also have tie-ups with brands and businesses that partner with content creators.
This means that you won’t have to start from scratch and look for brands to partner with. The agency will be able to initiate conversations with advertisers and ensure that the deal you get will be in your best interests.
5. They help you plan your content
Sometimes as a video content creator, it’s easy to lose sight of the big picture. If a video gets a high number of views, it also presents an opportunity to define the brand identity, brand character, and think of content extension from those parameters. With a digital ad ops team, you will get professionals with experience in branding who will help you plan your content and develop mastery over that niche.
With our expertise and experience in the digital ad spaces, we can help content creators get the most out of their videos through programmatic advertising, and content monetization. More than that, we will strive to create long-term partnerships with businesses that benefit both brands and content creators.
If you're like us, you're spending more time online than ever before – shopping, working remotely and helping your kids with digital homework assignments that you never dreamed you'd have to do.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to change the way we interact, the digital advertising ecosystem's effect remains a mystery that needs solving as soon as possible.
Digital advertising heading into 2021 stands poised to become more critical to reaching consumers who've changed their purchasing behavior than ever before.
The in's and out's of content monetization change in ways no one saw coming, so advertisers have adjusted on the fly.
Since programmatic advertising is an old hat, what are a couple of digital trends that could affect how advertisers respond during the pandemic?
Advertisers are, indeed, getting better at targeting consumers with relevant, valuable information at precisely the right moment, and this is a good thing for consumers.
Exponential content growth across digital channels, but where are the metrics?
Content's exponential trajectory is on schedule to surpass the wildest expectations in 2021.
Maybe, you're well into your content marketing but still don't have an ideal ROI? The issue could be alack of integration across content types, especially video on social media platforms, making metrics tracking more problematic.
Combine the volume of SEO content required with the tidal wave of social media content needed to reach consumers, and you have the perfect storm.
Data revealed by Statista this summer show that more than 3.6 billion people worldwide used some form of social media in 2020.
Statista also discovered that 4.41 billion people might use social media by 2025.If history is any indicator, who knows how much consumers will turn to the web over the next four years?
What's on the horizon are bleeding-edge platforms that can integrate content metrics across devices and streaming services down to the individual level.
The early success of cross-device tracking in the affiliate marketing industry is a first indication of what to expect down the line.
The problem is that advertisers are still awash in so much data that it remains challenging to glean actionable insights in real-time.
As 2021 approaches, it'll be interesting to see how companies leverage different data streams that may reveal new ways to hyper-target consumers.
The benefits of hyper-targeted advertising for consumers will only grow
Today, so much of digital advertising is about capturing consumers' attention at the right moment with the right content.
The number of touchpoints between consumers and brands keeps growing as more of us become digital natives to ride out the pandemic.
Hyper-targeted advertising may be a godsend during the COVID-19 crisis because you can reach more consumers with relevant messaging to coincide with the "hot topic" of the day.
Producing high-quality video is key to maximizing every dollar spent on digital advertising, and this trend began several years ago.
Consumers always respond positively to video as it's the most engaging media today.
When consumers have access to information on-demand, the opportunities to make emotional connections don't last long.
It would be best to capture their attention at the most optimal moment, and you can't do that without hyper-targeting and segmentation down to the individual.
But COVID-19 changes things– perhaps for the betterment of all.
Digital advertising, programmatic advertising especially, is adjusting to a new norm as automatic bidding for impressions becomes more granular and could be changing context.
With public health top of mind, there could be an opportunity to leverage informative yet on-brand videos to shepherd consumers through troubled times.
We're getting better at targeting consumers with or without cookies, yes, so the takeaway moving forward is that digital advertising can play a vital role in the anticipated economic rebound.
Bloomberg intelligence reports that around 3.5 million people cut the cord in 2020’s first half alone. AT&T CEO, John T. Stankey, predicts that millions of more people will follow before it stops. The stats also show that at the end of 2019, the number of pay-tv subscribers was 91 million, including online-tv subscriptions such as YouTube TV and Hulu.
This dramatic cord-cutting affected businesses such as Charter Communication Inc., Comcast Corporation, and other TV service providers who mainly focus on delivering internet services. That's because the more people who are cutting the cord, the lower the subscription fee will be, which is a key revenue stream for these companies.
Cord Cutting Stats
In recent years the pay-TV industry has shrunk drastically. In2018 the industry lost three percent of its customer base, followed by a 6.5percent drop in 2019. In 2020 the decline broke all the previous records by losing 11 percent of the traditional pay-TV subscribers.
According to eMarketer estimation, the total number of cord-cutters will reach a whopping 55 percent by the year 2022. Their prediction also shows that by the end of 2023, that number will reach 76 million.
More People are Moving to Streaming Services
The stats show that more people are subscribing to streaming services instead of cable TV. It’s making even more difficult for the cable service providers to survive. What’s even worse is that if people in the future can access line TV services from other than cable, it might kill the cable industry.
The people are cutting their cable cords because only 34 percent of the people feel satisfied with the value they get from cable TV subscriptions. Additionally, COVID-19 has also contributed to why more people are adopting alternative technologies.
Measures that Big Companies are Taking
Companies that provide digital streaming services have now begun to dive into the content creation business, in order to combat cord cutting. John T. Stankey says that AT&T and its team are now focusing on enhancing their internet streaming services. They are now focusing on HBO Max more than ever to fill the gap for future sustainability. The X1 Platform from Comcast is also a bold step to meet the changing customer needs and usage of technology.
The telecom and cable operators are also offering surprising alternatives, such as free programming to entice users to retain their services.
Altice, which is one of the renowned USA's cable operators, offered thousands of free programming hours for Curiosity Stream streaming service. It will pay for science and technology shows that this service contains for its more than 4.9 million subscribers. Otherwise, this service costs $19.99 US for one year of subscription.
Comcast is also planning to offer a free Peacock streaming service to all of its 28 million customers. It will have over 15,000 hours of general entertainment, sports, and news content with subscription only and ads-supported tiers. Comcast is also planning to provide its subscribers with “free to me” programming services. It points the customers towards the shows they’ve subscribed to already as well as free ad-supported online content. The company is also negotiating to purchase Xumo, which is a free ad-supported programming service. It is another sign that will help the company to beef up a free platform.
Conclusion
While the cord-cutting trends continue to grow, it’s a golden chance for the original content creators and ad space purchasers. The cord-cutting trends and stats show that ad-supported content will probably become more popular in the years to come. It will help the original content creators to get more coverage. Additionally, it will also make sure that each dollar that they spent actually counts.
Traditional advertising avenues are designed to deter small businesses and entrepreneurs. They are the reverse of big brands that have millions of dollars at their disposal. Forget getting a 30-second ad, grabbing even a 5-second ad in any of the top networks is outrageously expensive. But there are better options like digital and streaming platforms that give much more value at a fraction of the cost. Specifically, digital commercials that run before, during, and after a particular online program or content.
Every business wants to benefit from mass media advertising, specifically on television. That gives brands reach, and visibility. Importantly, being on television also makes businesses feel good about themselves as they perceive that it builds credibility. But it comes with a plethora of problems and being prohibitively expensive is just one of them.
To begin with, targeting is still at a macro level. Television is a mass medium, and it’s suitable for big brands that are targeting everyone. They are spreading the net wide, hoping to raise awareness and top-of-the-mind recall. They are not focusing to get the attention of specific groups of people based on their psychographic or behavioral nuances.
But as a small business, you don’t have to talk to everyone. If you are targeting working women in a particular age group, you don’t have to waste top dollars for ads that also reach teenagers and senior citizens. While the medium doesn’t give razor-sharp segregation of audiences, that never forces them to reduce their ad rates. So, you are paying for things you don’t want but can’t say no to.
The second reason is that traditional advertising platforms like television, print, or outdoor come with no accountability. They can’t tell you how many people would have seen your commercial, or what their level of engagement was. With a lack of accountability, there’s no room for improving the communication or strategy.
Digital and streaming advertising has taken off because it solves many of the problems associated with their traditional counterparts, and offers a whole lot more. It offers substantial reach, with YouTube itself having 2 billion viewers every month. The platforms also deliver flexibility, focus, accountability, and strong feedback. Importantly, they are the ideal option for small businesses as there are no entry barriers.
For all budgets
The budget isn’t a big concern for digital and streaming platforms. You can start low and slowly build up incase the need arises. There is no significant minimum plan that you have to commit to. Once you have your commercial ready, you can try a sample campaign with minimum investments.
Hyper-focus
This is the fundamental reason why you should choose digital and streaming advertising. It gives businesses the freedom to focus according to several metrics that are unthinkable in traditional platforms. You want property owners in a locality who are interested in traveling to the Caribbean? They can get you that audience. Skaters who like to meditate? They too can be found.
Accountability
Digital and streaming advertising comes with complete accountability. When you run an ad before, during, or after a particular program on any online platform, you will also get a wealth of data. You will know how many people saw your ad and for how long. Accountability also gives you the freedom to make changes to a campaign that’s not having the intended effect.
Content Partnerships
For small businesses and entrepreneurs, digital platforms now offer an added advantage. You can partner with individual content creators who have significant numbers of followers with high levels of engagement to create programmatic advertising. Plus, they are niche-specific and therefore, deliver audiences with common interests and shared lifestyles. These micro-show creators have millions of dedicated viewers who can be reached at a fraction of the cost of traditional platforms.
To make the most of this incredible ecosystem, what you need is a partner with domain knowledge and experience. We have been partnering with small businesses across sectors to get the maximum bang for their buck with targeted digital advertising, audience mapping, and creator partnerships. It’s cheaper than traditional platforms, easier to run and manage, and is significantly more effective. In short, it’s the ideal avenue for small businesses.
Advertising remains a significant aspect of businesses, drawing new customers while retaining regulars. The digital revolution adds to advertising complexity, where malicious individuals innovate fraudulent methods that manipulate advertising budgets. Security experts have identified online spaces’ threats since the inception of digital advertising - attributing to the vulnerabilities in internet open standard technology.
Juniper Networks predicts that companies worldwide will lose an estimated $100 billion due to advertisement fraud by 2023, based on fraudsters’ growing complexities. There have been multiple recent fraud reports globally, with one notable case involving Monarch ads.
Monarch Ads’ case affected political campaigns and consumer brands through an exploited loophole within CTV channels (connected TV). Buyers believed that the purchased video ads appeared on CTV channels. Instead, fraudsters broadcast the ads through screensaver and passive viewer apps - leading to drastically lower ROIs (costing advertising companies millions).
The operations occurred via Monarch Ads’ affiliate company, Aragon Creek, using the company as a scam vehicle and has since withdrawn its services.
Digital advertising will continue to assume varied mediums as technology advances. CTVs is one channel that rose in popularity due to its convenience and accessibility. Unfortunately, the channel also provides a hotbed for digital fraud. Some of the most common issues include limited transparency/standardization and a CPM that offers a higher margin for fraudsters.
CTV remains a vulnerable advertising channel that requires integrated action plans from security specialists when considering the factors involved.
Experts believe that the world of digital advertising will continue to face a flurry of fraudulent attacks from various channels. Fraudsters may target multiple channels, including OTT and programmatic audio advertising via podcasts and live-streams.
One common issue faced by companies is that brand marketers, and UA (user acquisition) managers already have their hands filled with daily operations. A company can benefit significantly from an outsourced team with the expertise and tools to track the latest digital fraud trends and alerts to achieve the most favorable outcome.
Trusted outsourced digital ad specialists will implement the latest fraud detection tools to identify, mitigate, and prevent suspected malicious activities and build a customized stack that automates security efforts. As such, the outsourced team will work closely with brand marketers and primary decision-makers to optimize advertising budgets based on practical threat analyses.
More importantly, digital ad specialists will keep a finger on the pulse, providing a proactive approach that takes advantage of the latest insights accrued from daily fraud-monitoring practices, significantly reducing the risks of an attack or ad manipulation.
Ad specialists may consider applying updated click validation standards that make fraudulent activities less cost-effective and increasingly tedious for malicious parties. New click validation measures will refine connections between clicks and impressions, such as the added requirement of unique identifiers attached to resulting clicks.
Fraudulent parties will have no choice but to add additional steps to their routines, which reduces the appeal (financial sustainability) of an attack. Ad specialists can focus on fine-tuning the data points that prove the hardest to imitate, providing fraudulent actors with additional obstacles.
Machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI)permeates nearly every aspect of the online world, including digital advertising. Fraudsters have modified previous scamming methods to target new advertising mediums while staying undetected. For example, modern malicious parties tend to produce click spam from malware rather than conventional servers.
A trusted partner specialized in fraud detection can help companies anticipate the manipulation of fraud detection mechanisms to track novel or hybrid fraudulent attacks.
Managed digital advertising specialists have the expertise and skills to upgrade and enhance existing anti-fraud technologies. The partnership could improve AI functions and smarter algorithms with an integrated ML approach that reliably identifies automated spoofs such as non-human (smart bot) ad clicks.
Fraudsters constantly work to devise alternative methods that circumvent existing fraud detection mechanisms. A trusted digital ad expert understands that the focus on specific fraud techniques and rules does not provide an effective solution in the long-term. Alternatively, experts will engage in well-researched analytical methods that assess large pools of data to gain a thorough understanding of ad trends.
The analytics can help companies establish a machine-driven fraud detection system that eliminates the risks of fraudulent attacks at present and through the future.
Arcasect is a trusted specialist in digital advertising that will guide your business through the modern market’s security challenges with advanced anti-fraud initiatives. Speak with one of our team to learn how you can protect your precious digital campaigns without guesswork.
Big changes are coming: Don't get caught with your hand in the cookie jar! Google Chrome is to phaseout third-party HTTP cookies entirely by 2022, changing online advertising forever. But the big G isn't the only one making these changes. In response to calls for greater privacy restrictions, Firefox, Safari, and Duck Duck Go have blocked (or plan to block) third-party cookies from their internet browsers.
This could have a seismic impact on advertisers that rely on cookies to track customers across the internet, from website to website, accumulating valuable marketing data in the process. Without cookies, advertisers won't have access to this information anymore. Now content creators are worried about the money they make from ad revenue. And that sucks.
But that's just the way the cookie crumbles.
In a post-cookies world, advertisers will no longer have access to users' browsing behavior. (Not from any of the major browsers, at least.) So we can draw parallels to life B.C. (Before Cookies), somewhere in the mid-90s, when HTTP cookies didn't even exist. Back then, how did advertisers target consumers when they had practically no data?
Pretty easily. Leo Burnett, one of the most famous advertisers in history, who created Tony the Tiger and Marlboro Man, didn't use cookies. Nor did
Rosser Reeves. Or David Ogilvy. Or William Bernbach. Or any other of the most influential advertisers in history.
And, no, Don Draper didn't use cookies either.
As creators, there's no need to worry. As long as advertisers make changes now, we think this is good news for us all.
Cookies are teeny-tiny text files that track users across the internet. Advertisers (and, in turn, creators)use them to learn about the people who use their online services — peoples' browsing behavior, interests, likes, dislikes, you name it.
While, on paper, this sounds rather alarming, it's not as Orwellian as some think. Browsers download cookies onto devices but don't cause viruses or malware. Plus, cookies are completely anonymous. Advertisers can't use cookies to find out someone's name, address, or what they had for breakfast.
Still, there's been a concerted shift toward greater digital privacy in recent years. And rightfully so. We've all heard the data breach horror stories — Facebook, Yahoo, First American, take your pick. Collective confidence in brands has fallen to an all-time low. (Fifty-seven percent of consumers don't trust how brands use data.) Strict new laws — GDPR in the European Union, CCPA in California, etc. — have made it harder for advertisers to harvest and share data.
Since Google announced the phase-out of cookies in January, much has been written about the death of online advertisers, leaving content creators shaking in their boots. Headlines like "The Cookie Apocalypse is Here" and "Google Chrome Killed the Cookie: What Now?" might scare some creators. But not us. We believe this is an excellent opportunity. If advertisers formulate anew marketing paradigm — one that doesn't rely on cookies — they can still promote products and services in the same way. This is good news for us creators!
As we said before, advertising existed long before cookies were even a thing. B.C., advertisers focused on specific TV and radio shows popular with the demographic they were trying to target. For example, soap manufacturers used to advertise during daytime TV drama series because they shared the same audience. (Hence the name "soap opera.") Advertisers should go back to basics and use a similar marketing model.
In a world without cookies, hyper-focused marketing that targets the people who watch streaming channels and shows proves lucrative. Us creators tend to attract specific demographics, and advertisers should shift their focus to these mediums.
As a creator, you know your audience better than anyone. You probably engage with your viewers in comments, private messages, and social media posts. You know what viewers like (and what viewers don't like) because they tell you. You know what content your audience likes the best. You have a stronger connection with your audience than any marketer, advertiser, or brand.
This is what makes YOU so powerful. Advertisers want to advertise with YOU.
B.C., advertisers were heavily dependent on large media companies (namely TV/radio networks and newspaper conglomerates) because they didn't have much data of their own. Sure, they carried out market research(cookies on a much smaller scale!), but insights were limited. Now, as the cookie drawer closes, advertisers will become heavily dependent on others again.
But this time, we think streaming will benefit. Every year, network TV audiences plummet further and further and further, fewer people are listening to the radio, and even fewer people are buying print newspapers. Streaming, on the other hand, is booming.
Here are some eye-watering statistics:
• Six out of 10 people would rather watch online video than TV.
• Ninety-two percent of people watching video on a mobile device share videos with others.
• The online live streaming sector grew a massive 99 percent from April 2019-April 2020. Experts predict live streaming will be worth more than$184 billion by the year 2027.
The current pandemic has made streaming advertising opportunities even more attractive. Stay-at-home orders increased streaming viewership significantly. ("Tiger King," anyone?)
Advertisers need to act fast. Advertisers need to be smart cookies. As Google Chrome (and other browsers) phase-out cookies, the most successful streaming channels will become prime advertising real estate. So keep creating content and build your audience because you could be worth a lot more money than you think.
There's no cookie apocalypse. Online marketing isn't dead. But agile marketers will shift their focus from advertising cookies to other mediums. We predict content creators will benefit from this shift the most, providing advertisers with hyper-focused advertising opportunities that could generate millions of dollars.
This is advertising 2.0. This is the new normal.
So, you want to create some content on YouTube? Maybe you’re already a content creator? You’ve done your research and you know the process. You start a channel, create content, and after you reach a certain number of subscribers you can start to monetize your videos. Easy, right?
But you’ve wondered what YouTube earns on any given video you’re creating. It’s easy right, Google it.
Not exactly. You see, it’s easy to search for what other YouTubers make. There’re earnings lists that show how much the top YouTubers are making. You’ll also find calculators you can use to work out how much you’ll earn per view. There’re even blog posts discussing how the YouTube model works and how much you’ll earn. All of these can give you an idea of potential earnings. What’s important is that most of these sites themselves say that what the creators earn are only estimates.
But YouTube itself, not so much. Is it even possible to find out how much it makes on any video? Let’s have a look.
No, you’ll likely not be able to Google how much YouTube makes on any given video. In fact, up to 2019, YouTube’s earnings was a secret. At that stage, financial analysts speculated that YouTube makes about $16billion to $25 billion in annual revenue, enough to crack the top half of the Fortune 500. As is always the case with speculation, it is, at best, a guess.
The problem with YouTube’s earnings is that it is grouped with the rest of Google. Google earned $161,9 billion in the 2019 financial year with a net income of$34,23 billion. Figuring out how much YouTube earns as part of Google’s earnings is impossible unless they tell you.
But this is not only the case with YouTube, as other big tech companies are also not big on giving insight into their business. As such, they have been under increasing pressure from regulators to give more insight into how their businesses run.
At the beginning of 2020, Alphabet Inc disclosed the earnings of the various units within Google for the first time. According to CFO Ruth Porat, this was done “To provide further insight into our business and the opportunities ahead, we're now disclosing our revenue on a more granular basis, including for Search, YouTube ads and Cloud,”.
Be that as it may, the financial results show that YouTube earned $15,15 billion in ad revenue during the 2019 financial year. This figure is up by36% from 2018 and 86% from 2017. These results also show how much YouTube makes from paid subscriptions and Google Play sales. This figure is not really relevant as you actually want to know how much YouTube earns on a given video.
From here it’s easy right? You just need to divide the ad revenue by the number of monetized videos on YouTube. Not so fast. At best this could give you an average of what a video makes. But, alas, to calculate it this way also presents several problems.
The first problem you’ll run into is that you’ll never know how many monetized videos there are on the platform. This information is not freely available and even if a figure was available, it would change by the minute with Content creators are constantly churning out new content. Even if you only use the total number of videos on YouTube, your result would be skewed.
Secondly, you have no way of telling how many ads are in each video. As creators allow more ads to their videos, YouTube’s ad revenue goes up because advertisers pay YouTube for every view the ad gets. For example, a video with three ads will earn more in ad revenue compared to a video with only one ad.
Finally, the costs of advertising on YouTube are, well, complicated. It’s not as simple as just paying a fixed amount for your ads to be aired. The ad costs vary according to:
· The advertiser’s ad type. The advertiser will pay more for bigger ad space and increased ad exposure.
· The advertiser’s bid. The amount the advertiser is willing to pay will influence how much YouTube earns.
· The advertiser’s bidding selection. The choice of what the advertiser is willing to pay for will increase or decrease ad spend.
· The advertiser’s targeting options. To target a competitive market will cost more compared to a less competitive market.
As you can see, all these factors influence the advertising rate n different ways. Depending on these choices, the advertiser can pay more or less which has a direct influence on YouTube’s ad revenue.
Let’s for one moment accept that you knew how many monetized videos were on YouTube, how many ads they have and what each advertiser is spending on ad spend. At best, in these circumstances, you would still only be able to calculate an average amount earned per video.
Because of this, you can accept that it’s impossible to calculate what YouTube earns on any given video. But what about other platforms?
What about platforms like Vimeo, Dailymotion, Twitch, Snapchat and TikTok? How much do they earn per video?
Like YouTube, these platforms are part of a bigger corporation or only disclose a global figure they earn in ad revenue. Also, like YouTube, you’ll run into the same problems should you wish to calculate the amount they earn on any given video.
Thus, without knowing the number of videos, the ad spend by advertisers and the ad spend attracted to each video, you’ll never know exactly what they earn.
There you have it. There’s no easy way to know how much the popular video streaming and sharing platforms earn on any given video. You can also accept that it’s nigh impossible to calculate any form of average that will be reliable and close to right.
When you’re looking to monetize your content, you might have heard some horror stories about how some platforms are making it impossible for content creators to earn a living. While some platforms have notoriously been tightening up their rules around monetization, that doesn’t mean that you can’t monetize your content. Rather, it means that you have to be more aware of how to qualify for monetization and the factors that can prevent this from happening.
Let’s take a look at the top platforms for content monetization and their rules around how you can earn money from your creative content.
The first platform that always comes to mind whenever anyone talks about monetization is YouTube. It’s not only one of the first video platforms that allowed content creators to monetize their videos, but it’s grown to be one of the biggest platforms for content creators.
However, that’s not to say that YouTube doesn’t have competitors. 2020 has been a big year for TikTok, and the platform announced in July that it was going to start a monetization program for its creators.
For creators who like to live stream, Twitch also offers a host of monetization options. While other platforms only offer passive monetization options, Twitch allows streamers to earn money during their streams.
Having launched its monetization program in2007, YouTube’s payments to content creators and who can be monetized has changed dramatically over the years. As of 2020, you’ll need to meet these requirements to monetize your content:
● Have 1,000 subscribers,
● Have 4,000 Watch Time hours over the last 12 months,
● Comply with YouTube’s guidelines and policies,
● Have an AdSense account.
While there’s little information available about how much money you can earn on YouTube, you have multiple options for gaining revenue. These are:
● Advertising: You gain 55% of advertising revenue from pre-roll, mid-roll, end-roll, or overlay ads shown on your video. This is typically paid as cost-per-click or cost-per-view.
● Super Chat: Restricts your video comments only to subscribers who pay for Super Chat.
● Channel memberships: Subscribers can pay a monthly fee for exclusive perks, videos, and other privileges.
● Merchandise: Subscribers can purchase your merchandise directly through YouTube.
● Sponsorships: A person or company pays you for ad space in your video.
You can monetize content on YouTube as long as it’s deemed to be “advertiser-friendly” by their algorithm. If your content features certain topics or imagery, then it may have its advertising status limited or removed altogether. You can find a full list of what content will be demonetized here, but here’s a quick summary:
● Adult content (sexually explicit or suggestive, nudity, etc.)
● Violent content (gore, bodily fluids, abuse, hunting, animal cruelty, etc.)
● Adult language (more than occasional use, includes titles or thumbnail image)
● Dangerous acts (inappropriate pranks, harmful challenge content, etc.)
● Hateful content (content that attacks people under protected demographics)
There’s not much information currently available on TikTok’s monetization package, but we know so far that you’ll have to meet certain requirements to earn revenue. Creators must be:
● 18 years old,
● Based in the US,
● Comply with TikTok’s community guidelines,
● And have a certain number of followers, which has not yet been disclosed.
Unlike YouTube, TikTok’s creator fund seems to currently be capped at $200 million, and payments are set to be made monthly and released manually by the company. This means that it might be harder to qualify for monetization, and if you do, you’ve got to make sure to play by the rules to continue earning revenue.
TikTok content creators also have the following options:
● Sponsorships: Partnering with brands to sell their products.
● Live streaming: Viewers can tip content creators during live streams.
● Selling products: Content creators with a large platform can use TikTok to advertise their own products or services.
While there’s no specific information available about what content TikTok is happy to monetize, we can assume from their Terms of Use that there is a range of things that will prevent a video from earning revenue, such as:
● Content that infringes copyright,
● Content created to harass, scare, embarrass, or upset viewers,
● Racist or discriminatory content,
● Content that you are not qualified to provide (such as medical/legal information, etc.)
● Adult content
● Content that is obscene or defamatory towards any person
Twitch has two monetization platforms - Twitch Affiliate and Twitch Partner.
To become a Twitch Affiliate, you’ll need to meet the following criteria over 30 days:
● 50 followers,
● 500 total minutes broadcast,
● 7 unique broadcast days,
● 3 concurrent viewers.
Affiliates can earn revenue through advertising on their channel, which is done through mid-roll ads. They can also turn this feature off if they wish.
Viewers can use Twitch’s currency, Bits, to Cheer in the channel. Twitch Affiliates earn 1 cent per Bit used by their viewers.
Twitch Affiliates can also have subscribers on their channel, which are tiered at $4.99, $9.99, and $24.99. Subscriptions give viewers extra perks like ad-free viewing, and Twitch Affiliates collect 50% of this monthly subscription.
It’s harder to become a Twitch Partner, but it gives you more monetization opportunities. You can only become a Partner once you’re an affiliate and you meet the following criteria over 30 days:
● Stream for 25 hours,
● Stream on 12 different days,
● Average of 75 viewers (excluding hosts, raids, and embeds).
Once you’ve achieved this, then you’ll be able to apply to become a Twitch Partner. Your application will be reviewed manually by the Twitch team.
As well as the monetization features available as a Twitch Affiliate, Twitch Partners gain a myriad of new features that can persuade viewers to subscribe, such as subscriber-only streams.
They’re also eligible for other promotional activities run by Twitch, such as Partner Panels, Partner Spotlights, and more.
Twitch is designed to be a gaming platform, however, there is a list of banned games that Twitch won’t allow you to stream. Similarly, you can’t stream gaming content from closed alphas/betas and pre-released games unless the developer has lifted any embargoes or NDAs. You also can’t stream any gaming content in which you conduct any cheating activity or use cheating software. If users are found streaming these things, their account may be temporarily or permanently suspended.
You also can’t stream the following things:
● Self-destructive behavior(including pranks or stunts),
● Adult content,
● Acts of violence (including hacking attempts and threats),
● Harassment and hate speech,
● Scams and other malicious information,
● Extreme violence and gore,
● Copyrighted material.
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