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Finding a job that works around a crazy college schedule can be difficult. But many students need the extra income to help cover tuition, books and other living expenses while in school. Many have taken to the idea of work that has flexible hours and the ability to work at home or on the go. Several different options are out there for the taking for just about any college student or individual willing to do some work to make some money. Some people have opted to use their cars as a means for making money through Uber or Lyft. Another option is to blog or create a YouTube channel. These two options are similar in their means that they can be done anywhere and at anytime. YouTube provides an easier platform for gaining an audience, since people will use YouTube like Google as a search engine for videos.

Finding a Niche for Youtube

You have decided to create a YouTube channel to help cover costs of school, but you need to find an idea that you are capable of doing with little to no research. Something you can record and do on the fly… There are tons of ideas out there already! Just because the idea is taken absolutely does not mean you can not copy it and create your own audience. With personality and a good idea people will watch your channel. Where there is an audience, money can be made! If someone else has already done it, it can make it easier for people to find your channel while they are searching for the other popular channels.

Popular ideas for starting your own channel include:

Live streaming of video games: Gamers will watch other games, just like people watch football on Sundays. It may seem strange but it’s true.

Bloopers: Video yourself trying new and strange things or products some may be successful ventures, but the ones that will get you the most views are the ones with unfortunate mishaps.

Cooking: Young people no longer have access to home ec. classes and people now use YouTube videos to learn how to cook. This gives you three different options a day seven days a week as chances to build your portfolio on your channel by recording what you were going to do anyway: cook and eat!

Your audience is worldwide, and the ideas are endless! The ability to work from home or anywhere is great! However, as any successful entrepreneur will tell you, the work can take over. While you can work anywhere anytime, it doesn’t mean you should or have to. Many entrepreneurs find themselves working 80 hour a week for themselves instead of setting limits. While you CAN work anywhere and anytime it isn’t always the best way to get ahead. Working for yourself can also be lonely, while many people are watching you, you actually aren’t getting real social interaction that you need to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Be sure to get out of the house, your basement, your office or where ever you record and enjoy life outside too!

Once your channel starts getting views and then you can eventually start earning an income. You can do it through advertising, subscriptions, selling your own merchandise et al. Your channel can be a great source passive income on past work, but you want to keep moving forward because the fad of your channel may lose its luster and the income could eventually dwindle away. It is rare that people become multi-millionaires through their channels, but don’t let that deter you from trying to get a piece of the YouTube pie!

Some notable success stories that you may not have heard of with success with YouTube and beyond are:

Blippi: This guy started making videos for toddlers back in 2014. He shows them places to play and how to play. Stevin John is Blippi and discovered that his nephew was watching low budget and low quality shows on YouTube and wanted to create something fun for him to watch. His desire to provide entertainment for his nephew grew to 2.8 million subscribers and has been viewed over 2.34 billion times!

His background in online marketing and digital creation has definitely paid off! Now instead of a one man show, he has a team of people behind Blippi helping him make his videos. He has not lost that touch even after great success for engaging children in watching him on his channel. He is like the modern day Mr. Rodgers for kids who grew up in the 70’s and 80’s. He talks to you as if you are with him and takes you on his adventures. As a well loved child character he is regularly requested as a character to meet with Make-A-Wish Foundation. All of this in only 4 years!

Ryan Toys Review: Ryan is a young child and his parents record him opening and playing with new toys. Thus, giving the public an honest review of toys from a child’s perspective. Ryan Toys Review started back in 2015, Ryan asked his mother why he wasn’t on YouTube when there are so many other kids that are on YouTube. She soon decided to leave her full time job as a chemistry teacher to work on building Ryan Toy Review. Clearly a good financial decision as of December 2018 the channel has seventeen million subscribers and the channel videos have been viewed over twenty-six billion times.

The channel is ranked as highest paid YouTube channel for 2018! They only just started this 3 years ago. YouTube was a lifestyle changer for their entire family. They have now brought in his twin sisters to help review toys and doing regular child friendly videos.

Philip DeFranco: This guy records himself talking about what he has read in the news and his personal reactions to it. With a totally different audience than the two previously mentioned YouTubers, DeFranco started his channel back in 2006. His subscribers are much older than the other two YouTubers, but this could also be because adults are much more likely to remember video channels without having to ‘subscribe’ to them. He has 6.32 million subscribers and has been viewed 2.51 billion times.

He has been nominated for numerous awards and even won some as well, like Sexiest Geek in 2008 by Wired and a regular nominee and winner for the Streamy Awards from 2010-2018. He won in categories Best News Series, Best News and Culture Series, Audience Choice for Best Series of the Year, and News and Current Events.

Each of these people once all started exactly where you are today. Their education and backgrounds did not impact their desire to build an audience and build it. The old saying ‘If you build it they will come’ if definitely true if you have a good idea and can deliver it in a way that your audience will want to watch! They wanted to make some extra money and be in control of their project. Anyone can start a YouTube channel. You don’t have to be skinny, beautiful or even talented! You simply need a good idea and a personality that people will enjoy watching. If you are an amateur baker learning step by step or if you are just talking about what upset you in the news today. Or maybe you are a master in your field and want to share and help other people. People will watch! So get started today, and yes there is a video on YouTube on how to get started on YouTube!