Over the last few years YouTube has evolved itself into the social networking channel that we knew it would become. Both small and large businesses uploading advertising material and messages has contributed to its huge growth. In 2012, YouTube opened its Partner Programme to all content creators, enabling all types of businesses to create lasting relationships with their customers and assist transactional marketing tactics through the use of video. The programme helps to provide those behind the scenes of the videos with tools and programs to enhance their skills, grow and build their audiences, and monetise their videos.
Video content can be effective in a number of ways and as a YouTube partner, you can have access to development programs, video equipment and other tools that will help to develop production quality and in turn, provide a cost-effective way of making video marketing work for you. As well as video related equipment, YouTube partners also receive additional marketing tools, including customised thumbnails and banners that help businesses grow a fan base both on and off YouTube. Partners are also
able to add in-video links to drive traffic to external web pages (most likely a company website). As with most things nowadays, all custom features aren’t readily available. YouTube gradually ensures that partners have access to various features over a certain period of time.
YouTube offers its partners an option to display adverts on their videos in order to monetise the content being displayed. The adverts can be skippable or non-skippable pre roll adverts, display adverts and overlay in-video adverts which pop up whilst individuals are watching. Of course this is just an option and monetising your content is not compulsory. However, the option may be preferable if you are trying to find a direct ROI from your videos. If you do choose this option, you will be eligible to earn money and receive payments from YouTube for hosting the adverts. With this being said, before you can take advantages of such payments you must monetise at least one of your videos and associate AdSense (Google’s ad serving application) with your YouTube account. As with any social network, YouTube also allows its partners to have access to analytics, where project earnings and measure ad performance are based on video views and reach.
On YouTube, it states that becoming a partner is ‘quick and easy’ and i can testify that it is exactly that. To take advantage of the Partner Programme you must fire enable your channel for monetisation by clicking ‘enable my account’ in account settings. Before registration is finished, you will be asked to agree to YouTube’s monetisation agreement, an agreement that states that you must not click on your own ads or upload content that you don’t have rights to, standard rules for video marketing.
Realistically, if you’re already using YouTube to help benefit your business, becoming a YouTube partner is a must. You will be able to test the features of the programme to see how it will help you enhance your YouTube presence, whilst providing a ROI through monetising your videos.
