2.5 billion people play video games around the world, and the number of gamers in Russia exceeds 65 million . And this trend is getting stronger every year. Representatives of the Admitad Affiliate affiliate network, together with a gaming YouTube blogger with an audience of 343K subscribers, discussed how to turn a hobby into income and what methods of monetization really work.
Which game to choose for your channel
A common opinion among newcomers is that a channel can become popular through a rating game alone. But the more famous the product is on the market, the more channels have already been created, which means that the competition is higher. To maintain a channel for a well-known game, you need to search for a unique idea and original presentation. Some bloggers are betting on a freer niche – new releases that may also become popular in the future.
Choosing your favorite game will also help with content regularity, which is an important part of successful content management. Working on a blog is the same constant and energy-intensive work as any other. Playing and filming every day, communicating with the audience, coming up with new entries – all this is easier when you yourself are a fan of the game.
The channel started in 2013. At that time, I was shooting videos on the game Minecraft, but it was just a hobby – there was no clear understanding of how YouTube works, how to promote your videos and optimize content for algorithms. For a long time the channel was empty and in 2017 the game Fortnite was released. I started playing it from the very beginning. I really liked the game and exactly one year later I shot my first video – from that moment my channel began to grow. Until now, the basis of my content is news on the Fortnite universe, – Sergey , the author of the MendesHD channel and the webmaster of the Admitad Affiliate affiliate network.
1K, 10K, 100K+… Recruiting an audience.
A huge loyal audience of already well-known gaming bloggers suggests a possible easy and rapid growth of the channel. But to shoot a few videos and get an audience of many thousands is rather an exception to the rule.
I remember the first 10,000 subscribers in Fortnite were extremely hard for me. I reached this figure after six months of active channel management, – Sergey , author of the MendesHD channel.
Channel management requires perseverance, self-discipline and time. What is important to consider:
Regularity . The first and most important thing that bloggers note for a successful start. Many shoot videos daily, which increases the chance to reach their audience.
Conducting streams (live broadcast of the passage of the game.). Streams can be about an update or an in-game event. At the same time, starting to stream is quite simple: connect a webcam, set up a clear picture, give the audience sincere emotions or team up with other streamers.
From my experience, I can point out that the most successful thing on my channel is the Fortnite streams that I still do. When a new update starts in the game, an in-game event (for example, a concert or the end / beginning of the season), at these moments several thousand players gather on my broadcasts, the peak figures are 20,000 viewers, – Sergey, author of the MendesHD channel .
Conducting giveaways for subscribers . It is also a great option not only to increase activity among an existing audience, but also to attract a new one.
Advertise your channel . Mutual PR with other bloggers, cross-promotion through other platforms, targeted advertising.
A couple of times I launched thematic targeting ads for my community on VKontakte, the results were not bad. But then the growth went even faster when he began to overtake the audience from YouTube – a gaming YouTube blogger.
Blog Monetization
Making a profit from a blog is a desirable goal and justification for the effort invested. There are many opportunities to earn money from what you love. Let’s consider some of them in more detail.
Streaming earnings . You can earn donations (donations from subscribers) or a paid subscription to the channel.
Direct contracts with advertisers . Brands are increasingly choosing to advertise with bloggers. They know how to present information natively, they have a huge loyal audience and people are ready to listen to a trusted blogger.
Collaboration with game developers .
I, as a Fortnite content creator, am a partner of Epic Games, I have my own author tag, and if my fans enter this tag in the in-game store, the author receives a small percentage of the purchase of his fan, ”- Sergey, author of the MendesHD channel .
Monetization through the sites themselves . Profit from advertising that appears at the beginning and during the course of your video or stream after reaching a certain threshold in the audience and the number of views.
Affiliate Programs . Direct advertising contracts are more often available to bloggers already with large coverage. But lesser-known players can also start making money on games and in-game products. There are affiliate programs for this: it is enough to recommend this or that product, add affiliate links to the description, and the blogger will receive a commission from sales or installations. And in this segment you can make good money.
So, in the first half of 2021, the most active blogger on the VKontakte social network made a profit of over 3.7 million rubles, having managed to bring more than 25,000 targeted leads from the social network. In addition, the affiliate program is an excellent tool for audience analytics: the personal account displays all the statuses and actions of the users you have attracted.
He started working with the partner network back in 2018, when the Fortnite program had just been launched. I was offered to join this program, since I already had a small audience, useful and interesting videos that collected good views, and I did not refuse. The advantage of the CPA model is a transparent understanding of what they pay for and the convenience of tracking actions, – Sergey , author of the MendesHD channel.
Everyone can play and make money on games. The main thing is to take the matter seriously and remember a few simple tips:
Create more content . One that is interesting to the audience of your chosen game. The more active you are, the faster you will get an influx of a new audience.
Don’t give up . Both beginners and experienced bloggers have fakups: the result did not live up to expectations or development is too slow. Stay confident in your business and don’t stop.
Be prepared for criticism . Stress resistance is also an integral part of the work. There will always be criticism. The task of a blogger is to treat it correctly and bring out useful things.
