YouTube has fast grown into a major platform where many youths not only in Kenya but globally, are now earning a living from. This is a platform that has gained traction and opened doors for tens of hundreds of content creators.
One such content creator making a living from YouTube is George Misati. The Eldoret-based trained, and still practicing Journalism, Misati says he started creating content for YouTube just after graduating.
“What inspired me to go into content creation is, when I finished campus, I looked for internship on radio and you know the situation in Kenya, looking for jobs so hard…you keep applying and it’s not coming, I asked myself what I will do with my career if the job doesn’t come along. This is when I started doing random clips and do voiceovers and post them on YouTube.”
– George Misati, YouTuber
It is a decision the budding YouTuber has never regretted as under two years later, he is now monetized, with his YouTube Channel now with 8.91k subscribers and over half a million views
Getting your YouTube channel monetized is not a walk in the part – you need to have the channel get at least 4,000 hours of watch time and 1,000 subscribers.
So, how did George Misati manage to get his YouTube channel monetized? Here are some tips that you can borrow from his success story;
Choose your niche (Topic)
“YouTube has a lot of content creators and people look for specific subjects,” Misati notes, pointing out that you need to choose a subject that you will be creating content around it – and stick with it.
“Don’t do random posts, stick with one subject. Choose one line and run with it because you will have a community around it,” he says.
Misati focuses more on entertainment news, as he says, they are easily available on social media.
When picking your niche, make sure it is a subject you’re interested in so that you don’t give up midway, he adds.
Content
YouTube creation is all about content, and not just content but original content.
“You also need to have original content, I mean authentic content. You don’t have to copy someone else’s videos, you don’t need to be a lazy content creator. You need to be original,” Misati says.
To increase the chances of your videos getting more watch time, you can opt to upload longer videos, 10-15 minutes, but still if you stick to shorter ones no problem.
Know your audience
If you’re starting out in YouTube content creation, aside from picking a topic/subject that you want to focus on, you’ll need to find a way of knowing what your audience wants or likes.
Once you know the kinds of content that people like watching on your channel, try to do more of them.
Ride on trends
Trends are key areas YouTube content creators rely on to boost their channels. A person doing more videos on trending topics, people, or subjects is likely to have their videos get more views.
“A story done on trending subjects will likely pop up when people search for it on YouTube,” says Misati.
How-To videos
In case you’re stuck on the kind of areas you want to venture in, Misati advises that you consider doing ‘how to’ videos.
Many people will most likely watch videos on YouTube about some basic things like ‘how to cook pilau’, how to create a YouTube channel’, ‘how to make money online, etc.
All said and done, as a content creator, you need to be persistent, patient, and creative – you will need to do something new every day.
“YouTube haitaki uzembe, YouTube needs you to keep creating content consistently. Focus on something that you’re passionate about, and remember to pick a niche that you’re comfortable with.”
– George Misati, YouTuber
Visit Misati TV and sample some of the work that George Misati does. Don’t forget to subscribe to the channel as well.
Great insight bro. I’m encouraged and motivated… Proud of you