Looking to monetize your YouTube account? Find your niche, experts say
BNN Bloomberg
According to Andrew Peterson, head of content partnerships at YouTube Canada, "niche is the new mainstream."
TORONTO -- Gabi Soares was working as a hair stylist and makeup artist when a client suggested they'd be able to make some money together by partnering on a beauty YouTube channel.
The 35-year-old Waterloo, Ont.-based content creator took control of the planning and on-screen duties, while her client provided the lighting, production and search engine optimization responsibilities. The partnership lasted eight months before Soares took control of the channel, called Glam Girl Gabi.
During her early days on the platform, Soares primarily covered makeup and didn't garner many views. It wasn't until she created a video on her personal experience with traction alopecia -- hair loss caused by tightly pulled hairstyles -- that she went viral and started drawing a larger number of female viewers who could relate to hair loss and weren't seeing content tailored to them elsewhere.
Soares learned that to make a mark on YouTube, creators need to find a way to stand apart from the crowd.
"If you're going into YouTube, you have to have a pretty strong plan as to where you want to live on the platform and how you can fill a hole that isn't already 1/8filled 3/8," she said. "The best way to have your channel go somewhere is to serve a community that's not being served yet."
According to Andrew Peterson, head of content partnerships at YouTube Canada, "niche is the new mainstream." Alongside popular content areas like entertainment, comedy, fitness and gaming, niche topics can bring creators success.
