How to Start a Vlog That Makes Money in the Philippines

A couple of decades ago, you would have switched on the TV if you wanted to watch your favorite shows and see your favorite entertainers. You’d have few choices about what type of material you could consume, and you’d be at the mercy of the TV’s schedule. But the digital era has changed everything for everyone. Much of the world’s top television entertainment has moved to the web, thanks to streaming platforms like Netflix. Better yet, viewers can choose between bite-sized or full-length episodes of material they like, anytime they like, from an infinity of web channels on YouTube.

If you enjoy video content, see a lot of potential in new media, and even want to try it for yourself, consider starting a vlog. Vlogs, or “video blogs,” will entail regularly posting videos to a platform like YouTube with the goal of reaching a wide audience. Many vloggers start vlogs just for fun, but in recent decades, they have also been able to monetize their channels. Famous vloggers like Jeffree Star, PewDiePie, the Paul siblings Logan and Jake, and Colleen Ballinger have earned millions of dollars for their vlog content. We have our own celebrity vloggers in the Philippines, like Erwan Heussaff, Michelle Dy, Bretman Rock, and Ranz Kyle. These personalities have been able to make bank from vlogging as well.

Starting your own vlog will give you the chance to make your own video content for topics that matter to you. It could also lead you to engage with a wide audience and, if all goes well, earn money of your own. Here’s a feature on everything you need to know about vlogging and how to monetize your vlog, courtesy of leading fintech company Maya.

How Do You Earn Money from Vlogging?

Before anything, perhaps you would like to know how exactly you can earn money from keeping a vlog on YouTube. It’s important to know that you will not be able to make money right after you create a channel and post your first video. You can only monetize your channel through a YouTube partner program if you do the following:

• get 1,000 subscribers to your channel
• accumulate at least 4,000 hours of watch time in 12 months

When you hit these two milestones, you’ll be eligible to apply for YouTube’s partner program with Google AdSense. This program allows you to make money off of the ads that are shown in your videos. You will get paid each time a viewer clicks the featured ad.

YouTube pays per 1000 views, at a rate that’s usually between $0.10 and $0.30 (PHP 5 and PHP 15) per view. Google does take a cut from the revenues, however, so you can realistically expect to earn between PHP 150 and PHP 250 per thousand views. The money you earn from these views goes to a Google AdSense Account linked to your YouTube channel. You can link these earnings to your bank account and then, consequently, to other money channels like Maya. After you do so, you can start using your vlog earnings to fund everyday purchases.

Bear in mind, however, that ad revenues aren’t the only way you can make money from your vlog. If you attract a big enough following, you can apply for an affiliate marketing program outside of YouTube. You can also reach out to individual brands and see if they are willing to sponsor or partner with you. In addition, you can use your vlog to sell products of your own if your video content relates to your own business.

Admittedly, it’s not easy to make a vlog your primary source of income. It will definitely take time to earn a wide and loyal enough audience to rack up views by the thousands. But if your vlog takes off, it could be very rewarding for you—both in terms of your personal passion and your finances.

The 10 Best Tips for Creating a Successful and Profitable Vlog

Running a successful vlog in the Philippines is a matter of strategy. You’ll need to know how to make great content, how to sustain your audience, and how to diversify your earnings. To that end, here are ten awesome tips for newbie vloggers that will surely help the vlog get off the ground. Try these for yourself in order to get the numbers—and the loyal following—for your vlog!

Decide on Your Vlogging Personality and Brand

The world’s most popular vloggers have this to say for those who are just starting out: it’s important to be authentic and true to yourself. As a new vlogger, you may be experiencing a lot of pressure to find your own voice, aesthetic, and personal style for your vlog. But in vlogging, there is such a thing as “trying too hard,” and viewers can often tell if this is the case for you.

When deciding on your own vlogging personality and brand, start with what’s natural to you. If you’re already known around your friends as a natural jokester, you can do your vlogs in a lighthearted and humorous tone. But if being funny is hard and you’d rather be earnest, don’t force the jokes and try vlogging in a straightforward, conversational way.

Many vloggers will find it a challenge to replicate their real-life personas detail for detail. But a large part of it will shine through, and that unique appeal is what will earn vloggers new viewers. If you make this your base strategy for vlogging, it will be easier for you to make unique, valuable, and profitable video content.

Find a Niche and Decide on Your Vlog’s Format

Another consideration you should make is what niche or market you want to vlog for. A viewer may sometimes stumble upon your channel by accident. But more often than not, they’ll find you because they were looking for something in particular. Good questions to ask yourself are: what niche do you want your vlog to fall under, and what type of content will you offer? Answering these two questions will help you get direction for your vlog.

Popular niches for vlogs right now include tech, gaming, music, makeup, comedy, cooking, parenting, and personal finance. Viewers appreciate vlogs that use formats like tutorials, product reviews, countdowns, reaction videos, or comedy skits. Find your own niche and choose the appropriate formats for your vlog content. Vlog about things that both you and your audience are passionate about, in the manner that best informs and entertains them.

Understand Your Audience

When vlogging, never forget that you’re doing so for an audience. Try to visualize the people who’ll be watching you from another screen. Not only will they be responsible for getting you those views; they may have a lot to contribute for the future direction of your vlog.

You have any favorite vloggers yourself, think about why they’ve got you hooked. See how they engage their audiences and try those strategies for yourself. One example of a strategy that works is asking a viewer a question, then inviting them to leave comments on your vlog entry. Another is asking your viewers for suggestions on your next vlog entry. This can get them even more excited about your material, because it’s a topic that they’re explicitly looking for.

Paying attention to your audience is one of the best things you can do for your vlog. It will help you gain not just occasional viewers, but a base of loyal subscribers who will patronize you.

Invest Time in Learning New Technology

In order to produce high-quality videos, impress your audience, and keep them on your channel, it’s a good idea to invest time in vlogging-related technologies. For example, you could learn how to use open broadcasting software to give your videos a more streamlined, appealing look. You can also broaden your knowledge of video editing techniques using various video editing programs and apps. If your videos look well-made, it’ll be a greater pleasure to watch them, and it will keep your audience tuned in.

You may also want to find new technologies to support the money side of your vlogging endeavors. For tasks like managing your earnings outside of AdSense, consider using a digital money management platform that’s up to speed. There are Maya products for freelancers that will prove extremely helpful to part-time vloggers.

Invest in New Equipment for Your Vlog

Technically, a starter kit for a vlog can include nothing but a camera and an Internet connection. But if you want to make money off your vlog, it’d be good to improve the quality of your videos with a little more equipment. Aside from a decent camera, consider getting a microphone, a camera stand, and good earphones. These will go a long way in upgrading the audiovisual aspects of your videos, as well as make it easier for you to shoot.

It’s just as easy to buy equipment online as in a regular store. Either way, you can pay for these new items with a Maya virtual card, or you can link existing payment cards to Maya.

Be Consistent

Several pro vloggers can attest that you have to be consistent about vlogging in order for your vlog to be successful. If you suddenly stop making content, it will be hard to find momentum for a comeback. The best way to cultivate your vlog’s following, and therefore earn money regularly, is to be consistent. Plan vlogging habits that go beyond just a few videos and occasional uploads to your channel.

Set a schedule for each video release and try to follow it. If you can’t vlog short episodes every day, try to vlog at least weekly. Make that your resources, such as your Internet connection, can support a regular vlogging schedule. You can buy a data package for yourself so that you can stay online and upload your vlog content whenever you need to.

Actively Market Your Content

When you finally put up a vlog and upload your first few videos, the initial excitement may only last for a few days. But to get those views, you shouldn’t allow your content to go stale. It’s good to remind people about your presence and to convince them to stay tuned into your channel.

Whenever you have a new vlog entry up, make it a habit to spread the word. Post about the vlog on different channels, like social media. This keeps you in your viewers’ line of sight, and in turn motivates them to regularly check your vlog.

Consider Affiliate Marketing

As mentioned above, YouTube’s AdSense program is not the only program you can use to monetize your vlog. You can also enroll it in another affiliate marketing program, where you get a commission for referring a viewer to a brand’s goods or services.

If that viewer goes through with the purchase thanks to your vlog, you’ll get an added reward from your affiliate brand. This works especially well for products that are in the same niche as your vlog. For example, if you run a music vlog, you can advertise instruments or music lessons from an affiliate brand. If your vlog’s niche is health and wellness, you can get your viewers to check out your affiliate’s exercise equipment or healthy food products.

Use Your Platform to Sell Your Own Line of Products

An alternative to marketing an affiliate’s products on your vlog is marketing your very own products. It’s possible to use your vlog’s following to advertise goods and services of your own. There are many vloggers who have earned a fair penny with this strategy, selling items like self-authored eBooks or clothing from their own lines.

If you are already involved in a business or you intend on starting one, you can use your vlog for your own entrepreneurial ambitions. Your vlog may be one of the most effective ways to reach your target market and sell directly to them.

Monitor How Your Vlog is Doing

The last thing you should do to ensure the success of your vlog is to monitor its performance. The more exact you can be about how many people you’re reaching and what type of content is popular, the better. Having knowledge like this can help you decide on the most appealing topics and formats for your vlog, therefore giving it better appeal.

Use a system for tracking the numbers that matter to your vlog, such as number of views, number of new subscribers, and total watch time. These should lead you in the right direction for your next vlog entries.

Be the Philippines’ Next Big Vlogging Sensation

One thing’s for sure: a successful vlog has many rewards. Setting up a consistent, watchable, and engaging vlog could really put your name out there. Through your vlog, you may eventually become someone of influence in your niche. And your viewers may do more than help you earn a little extra income. They may inspire you in what you do, and make you feel as if you are involved in a bigger community. That’s a big advantage that vlogging has over traditional television media, and why the medium is going to last.

Use the suggestions above as a starting point for your future vlog content. Who knows? With hard work, consistency, and engagement, yours could be the next big vlogging success story in the Philippines!