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Original poster

To give up my job and become a full time YouTuber?

62 replies

DiamondIntRuff · 11/03/2017 20:41

So I'm not going to go into too much detail here, but basically I'm fed up of my (self employed) job that is not exactly bringing in a lucrative income each month. I spend a lot of time on YT, there are people I've followed for years who have millions of subscribers from doing basic things (make up tutorials, vlogs, reviews etc) and it seems to be the 'thing' to do nowadays. I read an article about how a couple of the top YTers are earning four MILLION plus a year from the advertising after they have so many views. Am I deluded? Is anyone here a YTer?

OP posts:
Original poster
DiamondIntRuff · 11/03/2017 21:40

Pacific - I totally get your point.

I feel like right now I am just about surviving in a SE job that MAY bring me enough money in one week, but might not the next. I started watching a young lesbians couple who got pregnant through a sperm donor 12 months ago and now they vlog about buying their first home through their earnings, and they are about 22 and used to be broke? Maybe I'm optomistic... my life is pretty interesting for sure, and I feel a bit scared of the camera, but I'm now considering making a chanel. Would be interested to know if anyone here has started a channel, and paid for advertising etc in order to get noticed. One of my DC is very outgoing and really up for doing toy videos too. I know anyone could be watching, but anyone could be watching when I am playing with him in the doctors surgery IYSWIM? Obviously not planning on putting personal details up

OP posts:
millymollymandy82 · 11/03/2017 21:45

Kind of important question... have you ever tried to edit a video? It's not as easy as it looks... if it was easy to make big bucks from YT everyone would be doing it! A select few make a lot, the rest definitely don't make a living..

Original poster
DiamondIntRuff · 11/03/2017 21:47

For the people who asked, i currently watch:

Emily Hartridge (who now has a Channel 4 show commissioned)
Jesssfam
Domo and Crissy
D&B Nation
Britneyandbaby
Robinbirrel
Jess and Gabriel
A few other random UK and US vloggers who I watch 'now and then'
A few other 'mum' vloggers on a less frequent basis

OP posts:
Original poster
DiamondIntRuff · 11/03/2017 21:52

Milly Molly - yes I have Final Cut Pro on my Mac and Filmora on my Windows as I'm always filming the DC for family videos :) no expert at all but can do very basic editing. And interesting to see some of my favourite YouTube's and how shit they were at the beginning compared to a couple of years later. This is something I may have to think about for a while I recon

OP posts:
tigermoll · 11/03/2017 21:54

There is nothing stopping you from making a video, editing it, sticking it on YouTube and promoting it to see how it goes. Maybe start with that -- no need to quit your job or anything just yet.
Social media is a lot more work than it looks though -- I wish I had a quid for every one of my friends who have launched a blog with great fanfare and enthusiasm, then petered out after three posts because it's actually really hard to consistently create interesting content

Voice0fReason · 11/03/2017 22:03

You are approaching this in the wrong way. You don't give up your job to become a Youtuber, you become a Youtuber and when you are making enough money, you can give up your job.
Your content might be brilliant but if you can't get people watching it, you'll never make any money.

NotStoppedAllDay · 11/03/2017 22:08

Have a look k at channelmum. Lots of youtubers work through being affiliated through them

Katieandbaby
Themeldrums
Jessica Ashe
Umbumgo
Clairewitt
Kerry Conway

LilQueenie · 11/03/2017 22:09

you need an adsense account so that you can put ads on your videos. The money you get will depend upon what ads are paying. Expect a penny for around 1000 views of similar and that depends on people not using ad blockers or watching on a mobile phone as those views wont count. You will also need to earn at least £60 before you can obtain the cash. It can take months to reach that amount then it drops back to zero. It can take up to over an hour to render your video then more so to actually upload it. There is also the tax issue you will be responsible for. Not as easy as it looks but do go for it as it can be fun. Just keep this in mind. As for the companies who ask to help you most are not going to.They take a good percentage of your earnings for stuff you could do yourself.

millymollymandy82 · 11/03/2017 22:13

You sound like you want to do it, so get on and do it... but don't quit your job, that's just stupid.

Heinousfauxpas · 11/03/2017 22:14

I know anyone could be watching, but anyone could be watching when I am playing with him in the doctors surgery IYSWIM?

Unless someone in the GP surgery was videoing your DS and then sharing that video on a social media site, I think it's not comparable. There aren't going to be a slew of potentially vile and personal comments from someone watching him in the surgery. You are just open to every flipping nutjob, idiot etc on youtube etc.

FrizzBombDelight · 11/03/2017 22:14

I know a guy who makes mountain bike videos or some such rubbish. He puts and awful lot of time into it and gets thousands (1000-4000 usually) of views. He has made 2grand in 5months.

PNGirl · 11/03/2017 22:15

Zoella, PointlessBlog, Tanya Burr, Niomi Smart, the SJs and endless others are all signed by Gleam Futures which is a management company. This is where they get sponsorship, book deals, appearances on Comic Relief, and fashion week front row seats. Others like Fleur de Force are signed to James Grant. Most if not all started at least 7 years ago and worked while they got started. I think it'd be a long time before you had enough to live on!

bloodyteenagers · 11/03/2017 22:15

You child in the gps waiting room is vastly different to YouTube. Gp's have a handful of people. YouTube potentially millions. Big difference.
Having a bit of software and editing a couple of home vids is also different.

And yes I know a pro. They found a niche and went with it. Filming and editing takes a long time. So does the work with ad people. They started before it all became popular. Now it's like YouTube is saturated with people, the person and a few others (some do talk to each other away from the site) think that the bubble will pop and they are making investments elsewhere.
And no the person didn't pay for ads. They put up quality stuff that people are genuinely interested in.

NotStoppedAllDay · 11/03/2017 22:19

I also enjoy 'running' marathons with youtubers go pro's!Blush

LilQueenie · 11/03/2017 22:35

If you put your children in videos sit in shot with them so you can also be seen. Its a security measure I have taken myself. there was a spate of pervs a while back that were making new profiles just to watch certain videos with kids in. Cloth nappy ones - weirdos. I dont remember all the details but someone put a video up about it. and please please dont use your kids to make money. Let them be part of it but not the basis. Its not fair on them.

PacificDogwod · 11/03/2017 22:41

Ok, in the interest of full disclosure: I would never ever want to be a YouTuber Grin

Consider this: does your child give consent for their every move to be visible to the whole world? Do you know who owns the copyright to your content?? How will you child feel in the future if their childhood was played out in public??

My DCs follow a few YouTubers and I am deeply, deeply uncomfortable about the rights of the children featured - nothing outrageous, nothing inappropriate, but really?? What happened to being able to grow up in peace?

I don't like it, but appreciate that I may be a bit of a dinosaur in my opinions there Grin

EastMidsMummy · 11/03/2017 22:54

It's a great idea.

Other great ideas would be to give up your job to be a big movie star or a multi million-selling recording artist. Or why not become a top 10 tennis pro or a supermodel?

NotStoppedAllDay · 11/03/2017 22:55

Or just move to London? The paths are paved in gold!! Who knew!?

Flippingecktucker · 11/03/2017 23:11

My Dd is a pro YouTuber, and the thing about her and her successful YT friends is that they all seemed to have started their channels from a point of making videos just for their mates' amusement. They then created a trend and it grew from there. It was never about making money, it was for the love of making little films. They are all branching out into career stuff that has nothing to do with fame, and seem to think the YT market is saturated now. I don't know if this is particularly helpful, just what I've seen close up over the last 5 years.

Alpanini · 11/03/2017 23:15

Friend of a friend makes enough to live on. Hugely stressful and longer hours than a full time job. Wouldn't recommend

Flippingecktucker · 11/03/2017 23:34

It's undoubtedly different for every different content creator, but DD has found it pretty stress-free, and it actually only takes up a few hours each week! The only downside can be reading unpleasant comments left by viewers, so you can't have too thin a skin. It toughened DD up, that's for sure.

RakingUpBadMemories · 11/03/2017 23:42

DS has been doing it for some time and has made 36 cents at the last count.

Thefiveseas · 12/03/2017 00:03

I have a family channel on YT, we started just over a year ago and used to do a weekly vlog. We now daily vlog as the weekly was getting too long. As a guide I've had in total nearly 230000 views on my videos and have made the grand total of £148. No one on YT ever wants to say how much they make, not sure why.
It is way more hours than a full time job and I think if I knew that at the start I would have thought twice, but I really enjoy it now and watch other you tubers more than TV. Truly unless you make it big the money isn't really there, but as a hobby go for it.

londonfeather · 12/03/2017 01:34

Ok do you have quality camera equipment? Ring light? Are you a good editor and director? Do you understand loghting and are you naturally charamsatic? Do you have a content plan? Do you have a skill or interest that you could generate content from AT LEAST once a week targeted at one audience (make up and toy unboxing don't really go together)? Are you motivated and disciplined enough to film, edit and upload content to a regular schedule? Do you know how to build relationships with brands and sell yourself on and offscreen? Can you take people you don't know and have never been horrible to saying vile things about you for the pure hell of it? Do you have an an absolute starting point 30k + followers? if you say yes to the above you're probably already starting a 'career' in YouTube - otherwise it is far too early to be quitting jobs. It is really really hard to be successful - I don't think people understand the work that goes into these sorts of things. If you do decide to do it good luck and once you've got a decent amount of followers & income get a decent agent/manager and that is when you will start earning really good money - there is a whole world out there past ad revenue.

PyongyangKipperbang · 12/03/2017 02:53

My first thought?

Are you 14?

My DD has this ideas as a "career" a year or so ago. She has since realised that she is more likely to win the lottery than become the next Zoella and is aiming for Uni. She is 15.

Thats not to say that you should stay doing a job that you dont like that doesnt bring in enough money, but you need to find a realisitic alternative.