Web Development niche earning through a forum?

[Gosu]

I have a Youtube channel based on Web Development tutorials where I average 1000 to 8000 views per video. I make around 1-2$ per 1000 views on Youtube. I have never owned a blog before just forums. How is earning from Youtube different from earning on a blog.

I have a lot of interest in this niche since I'm a professional developer and can post content on a daily basis. But I am doing it for mostly for side income. I want to create a forum for web development niche (I know there are tons already). I love having discussions and being creative with forums and sharing knowledge with like minded people but like I said, I have a family to feed and bills to pay, if I'm not earning money I feel like I am wasting time.

My question is, can I make money from a web development forum at all should I stick to doing Youtube or merge Youtube + Forum? I have heard that tech savvy people don't click on ads so these type of websites don't earn anything.

 

[HoustonSEO]

I know your costs for Hosting can be quiet a bit more for forums than say Blogs or static websites.

 

[LeadCrow]

For now, if your Youtube videos can regularly secure thousands of views, you might find more success by routing those viewers to a website you control, where those videos are converted to articles (easier to find on search engines compared to videos). Embedding videos on websites and forums helps promote them, since you 'project' them in front of viewers instead of waiting for people to find them.

Articles on your own sites should normally be much more profitable than a forum and Youtube page. It would open extra opportunities for you like direct advertising, newsletters with sponsored content/promotions/giveaways. Compared to a website, forums are risky since you're forced to depend on the presence and activity of other participants whereas you can maintain and populate an article-focused website alone.
Since you claim to hold authority on the subjects you discuss, it might be wiser not to dilute it running a forum, since other members will be challenging your own. Forums themselves are not the problem, but the fact you need a top-down relationship as an 'orator' rather than peers (better suited for non-profit communities).

To summarize your potential earnings:
- Youtube payout (negligible below 50.000 views per video in their first month - videos do not generate passive revenue if their view count doesnt keep growing at the same pace). Embedding on other sites is pretty much necessary to maintain growth.
- Patreon. A guaranteed 'minimum' revenue. Interested backers can chip in a monthly 1$ or as much as their interest in your content allows. Hitting +200$/month there should be easy. Consider perks worth offering backers, like a shoutout in your videos for the most generous (can be done per each video funded, instead of a generic monthly pledge).
- If posting your videos and article versions on your own website: ad/sponsorship revenue, on top of other revenues. Longterm return of investment. Patreon backers could be given early access to exclusive content there, like your videos and articles shortly before they're made public.

 

[haqzore]

I know your costs for Hosting can be quiet a bit more for forums than say Blogs or static websites.

I disagree. Unless you're hosting a big board, you can host a forum for a couple bucks/month.

 

[we_are_borg]

Youtube videos can be verry interresting a gamer made video’s for a living he made a video a day he could live of that if he had more then 100k viewers what he did with ease. This is 3 to 4 years back so it should be a little higher. Also content is not going away fast on youtube so sponsers are interested to they pay once and get good exposure instead of paying per view to Youtube. So companies might be interested.

 

[LeadCrow]

This is 3 to 4 years back so it should be a little higher

Payouts are lower than before. CPM is also not monetizable reliably after views stop growing, so you cant count on passive revenue from past uploads.

I dont think its too troublesome though. Any creator with an audience this engaged would likely earn more from a Patreon campaign, or at least enough to compensate the difference.

 

[we_are_borg]

Payouts are lower than before. CPM is also not monetizable reliably after views stop growing, so you cant count on passive revenue from past uploads.

I dont think its too troublesome though. Any creator with an audience this engaged would likely earn more from a Patreon campaign, or at least enough to compensate the difference.

Well the gamming commentaries where smart every day content except sunday and by making sure the got enough visits on the video the build reputation. With that reputation they got invited to other stuff to comment on so that was extra. Some of those guys made a good living but they build upon it and made good video’s.

 

[Gosu]

Youtube videos can be verry interresting a gamer made video’s for a living he made a video a day he could live of that if he had more then 100k viewers what he did with ease. This is 3 to 4 years back so it should be a little higher. Also content is not going away fast on youtube so sponsers are interested to they pay once and get good exposure instead of paying per view to Youtube. So companies might be interested.

CPM in general, is low for the countries I get traffic from. Countries like USA and UK make more money on the average youtube video than I would. I have a wide range of audience mostly from Asia, Africa and some from US, Canada.

To summarize your potential earnings:
- Youtube payout (negligible below 50.000 views per video in their first month - videos do not generate passive revenue if their view count doesnt keep growing at the same pace). Embedding on other sites is pretty much necessary to maintain growth.
- Patreon. A guaranteed 'minimum' revenue. Interested backers can chip in a monthly 1$ or as much as their interest in your content allows. Hitting +200$/month there should be easy. Consider perks worth offering backers, like a shoutout in your videos for the most generous (can be done per each video funded, instead of a generic monthly pledge).
- If posting your videos and article versions on your own website: ad/sponsorship revenue, on top of other revenues. Longterm return of investment. Patreon backers could be given early access to exclusive content there, like your videos and articles shortly before they're made public.

You made some interesting points. I will surely consider a blog along with my youtube channel. Thank you.

 

[Krazy12]

CPM in general, is low for the countries I get traffic from. Countries like USA and UK make more money on the average youtube video than I would. I have a wide range of audience mostly from Asia, Africa and some from US, Canada.



You made some interesting points. I will surely consider a blog along with my youtube channel. Thank you.

Gosu, we both are sailing in the same boat I guess. I want to start blog or forums with programming niche. I have many questions.. where to go.. how is the competition.. blog or forums