I have a diverse collection of business interests, including an online marketing company, real estate investments and more. I also have one of the fastest growing slot play channels on YouTube. That’s right, a YouTube channel.
I started The Big Jackpot to memorialize a pastime — high limit slot play — but it’s developed into an entrepreneurial venture of its own. My success with The Big Jackpot made me think of ways YouTube can be a tool for different individuals and businesses.
Below are the principles I’ve used to grow my channel and make real money filming myself doing what I’d normally be doing anyway.
You can benefit from YouTube.
My channel may have come about accidentally, but you can set yourself up for success right away. Are you an expert in your field? Create tutorials talking about key topics. Do you perform a service? Demonstrate your abilities on video. Arts, crafts, fitness and technology are areas that lend themselves visually to YouTube, but anyone can get in on the action. Don’t overlook interests you’ve never considered a source of revenue, such as fishing, botany or playing video games. But remember …
Demographics matter.
Consider your audience carefully. This is the single greatest factor in determining your earning potential. A channel about fidget spinners would be hot right now, but your target audience would be young children with no disposable income. Compare this to the The Big Jackpot, which draws an audience that’s 78 percent male, with 73 percent between the ages of 25-54. That’s a valuable demographic to casinos, who skew female and older, as do competing slot channels. So my channel can potentially deliver clientele casinos want to build, while other channels cannot.
To whom does your content speak? To whom is that audience valuable?
Content is king.
To succeed on YouTube, you must produce quality content, and a lot of it. I go live twice a week, but also re-edit the footage to produce highlight reels each day. My subscribers get constant notifications featuring new and repackaged content. The rumors about millennials having short attention spans are true! You must consistently provide your viewers with a reason to check in.
Go live!
Originally, I filmed my jackpots to post later on, when I had time. I had some subscribers, but my channel didn’t blow up until I started going live. I’m lucky that my show lends itself to live webcasts. I can film myself playing slots for hours, and my easily addicted fans stays tuned. But anyone with a message and a personality can retain an audience.
Establish your brand.
I’d love to say I had it all figured out when I posted my first video, but I didn’t. You are going to refine your brand over time. What distinguishes me from…
