Being Part of Youtube Network ForelaDigital Update
In February of this year, I joined a Youtube network called ForelaDigital. You can read about my initial experiences in a March 2014 post on this blog: (http://jessicalgray.blogspot.com/2014/03/taking-leap-joining-youtube-network.html)
Before I did an update on whether I thought it was a good decision, I wanted to give it several months. For one thing, I wasn't going to receive my first paycheck until April. However, for me, Youtube also tends to be seasonal. I make better money some months than others. In general, earnings are rather lean at the beginning of the year.
So, I have been with ForelaDigital for almost six months now. I have had no reason to regret my decision, BUT I do caution those who are considering this move that they shouldn't expect to earn tons of money right away. My feeling as to why you should consider a network is that it offers the ability to grow.
Get rich schemes are as common to society as gossip. How many of us have heard about the person who sold on ebay and is now a millionaire? Many times, these stories are urban legends and are at best greatly exaggerated truths and at worst all out lies. Even if it is true someone was hugely successful and became a millionaire, what the stories neglect to tell is how much work went into it and how long it took. People hear about this success story and form ridiculous expectations. They sell on ebay, and they don't become millionaires. It isn't that ebay is a bad place. It is legitimate. I've been selling on it for close to three years now. The first year I made $650, which was exciting for me since my income before then had been $0.00. The next year I made $1,800. This year, I'm hoping to surpass that--and it looks like I probably will.
I'm hardly a millionaire, but gradually I am increasing my income. It is possible as I grow, I could one day become self-sufficient. That is certainly a goal of mine, though I always form a plan B because I realize that none of my online businesses may ever make me financially independent.
I have to admit, though, that though I tried to keep my expectations low when I joined ForelaDigital...my excitement had been sparked by the stories of people becoming so successful that they could live off their Youtube earnings. I fantasized that I would get this huge paycheck, and I would cash it into dollar bills, which I would put into a kiddie pool. Then I would jump in and rub myself with dollar bills going, "Youtube's money! Youtube's money! Oh, it feels so good on my skin!"
Alas, that did not happen...and it doesn't look like it will happen anytime in the near future. However, let me assure you of this: I've never been treated unfairly by ForelaDigital. I still think this was a good decision. I believe that I can grow with them, and perhaps one day I will be able to bathe in a kiddie pool of money. However, like with ebay and other business ventures, it doesn't happen overnight.
So here is the breakdown of my experience thus far.
Am I making more money?
Yes and no.
Before I was with ForelaDigital, I was with Google Adsense. With Adsense, I made anywhere from $1.00-$2.00 a day. The average was probably a dollar a day. I made anywhere from $50.00-$60.00 a month.
With ForelaDigital, I seem to make on average $2.50 a day. I usually make around $80.00 a month. So yes, I am making more money. However, once I pay out all the cuts, I usually wind up making the same amount I did with Google Adsense, though at least it is the high end of what I used to make. I usually make $60.00+ a month. On some of the lean months, I have made less money than I did with Adsense--but only by a dollar less.
Youtube takes their cut--I don't know how much. It isn't a lot. ForelaDigital gets 30% of my earnings. As I've opted to be paid through Paypal, there is also a fee Paypal charges me.
Frankly, I'm just glad I'm not making less money generally than I did with Adsense. The advantage of joining a network is that you get higher paying ads than you do with Google Adsense. The networks will give you a ballpark figure of how much the ads will pay. I caution you to not concentrate on the highest amount. ForelaDigital claimed their ads could pay between $3.00-$15.00. Though I believe they do pay higher than Adsense, I believe it is more accurate to say their ads pay a little less than $3.00. As I've said, I believe I average about $2.50.
Supposedly, ad campaigns can vary according to the country in how much they make. My videos can be seen all around the world, but the ads put on my videos may not earn the same amount. An ad in India may pay less than an ad in the United States--or so I have understood it. Even in the States, ad campaigns probably are not equal. Joe's Plumbing probably can't pay the same amount for advertising as the Coca Cola Company can.
So are there really any advantages to joining a network?
I think so. As I've said, I believe networks provide you with the opportunity to grow.
These are the advantages:
Before I did an update on whether I thought it was a good decision, I wanted to give it several months. For one thing, I wasn't going to receive my first paycheck until April. However, for me, Youtube also tends to be seasonal. I make better money some months than others. In general, earnings are rather lean at the beginning of the year.
So, I have been with ForelaDigital for almost six months now. I have had no reason to regret my decision, BUT I do caution those who are considering this move that they shouldn't expect to earn tons of money right away. My feeling as to why you should consider a network is that it offers the ability to grow.
Get rich schemes are as common to society as gossip. How many of us have heard about the person who sold on ebay and is now a millionaire? Many times, these stories are urban legends and are at best greatly exaggerated truths and at worst all out lies. Even if it is true someone was hugely successful and became a millionaire, what the stories neglect to tell is how much work went into it and how long it took. People hear about this success story and form ridiculous expectations. They sell on ebay, and they don't become millionaires. It isn't that ebay is a bad place. It is legitimate. I've been selling on it for close to three years now. The first year I made $650, which was exciting for me since my income before then had been $0.00. The next year I made $1,800. This year, I'm hoping to surpass that--and it looks like I probably will.
I'm hardly a millionaire, but gradually I am increasing my income. It is possible as I grow, I could one day become self-sufficient. That is certainly a goal of mine, though I always form a plan B because I realize that none of my online businesses may ever make me financially independent.
I have to admit, though, that though I tried to keep my expectations low when I joined ForelaDigital...my excitement had been sparked by the stories of people becoming so successful that they could live off their Youtube earnings. I fantasized that I would get this huge paycheck, and I would cash it into dollar bills, which I would put into a kiddie pool. Then I would jump in and rub myself with dollar bills going, "Youtube's money! Youtube's money! Oh, it feels so good on my skin!"
Alas, that did not happen...and it doesn't look like it will happen anytime in the near future. However, let me assure you of this: I've never been treated unfairly by ForelaDigital. I still think this was a good decision. I believe that I can grow with them, and perhaps one day I will be able to bathe in a kiddie pool of money. However, like with ebay and other business ventures, it doesn't happen overnight.
So here is the breakdown of my experience thus far.
Am I making more money?
Yes and no.
Before I was with ForelaDigital, I was with Google Adsense. With Adsense, I made anywhere from $1.00-$2.00 a day. The average was probably a dollar a day. I made anywhere from $50.00-$60.00 a month.
With ForelaDigital, I seem to make on average $2.50 a day. I usually make around $80.00 a month. So yes, I am making more money. However, once I pay out all the cuts, I usually wind up making the same amount I did with Google Adsense, though at least it is the high end of what I used to make. I usually make $60.00+ a month. On some of the lean months, I have made less money than I did with Adsense--but only by a dollar less.
Youtube takes their cut--I don't know how much. It isn't a lot. ForelaDigital gets 30% of my earnings. As I've opted to be paid through Paypal, there is also a fee Paypal charges me.
Frankly, I'm just glad I'm not making less money generally than I did with Adsense. The advantage of joining a network is that you get higher paying ads than you do with Google Adsense. The networks will give you a ballpark figure of how much the ads will pay. I caution you to not concentrate on the highest amount. ForelaDigital claimed their ads could pay between $3.00-$15.00. Though I believe they do pay higher than Adsense, I believe it is more accurate to say their ads pay a little less than $3.00. As I've said, I believe I average about $2.50.
Supposedly, ad campaigns can vary according to the country in how much they make. My videos can be seen all around the world, but the ads put on my videos may not earn the same amount. An ad in India may pay less than an ad in the United States--or so I have understood it. Even in the States, ad campaigns probably are not equal. Joe's Plumbing probably can't pay the same amount for advertising as the Coca Cola Company can.
So are there really any advantages to joining a network?
I think so. As I've said, I believe networks provide you with the opportunity to grow.
These are the advantages:
- Payments: With Google Adsense, I got paid in $100.00 increments. I had to wait until I reached $100.00 before I got paid, which usually took two months. ForelaDigital also pays every two months, but as it turns out you get paid monthy once you are with them whether you reach $100.00 or not. Let me explain how this works. I joined in February, so I had to wait until April to get paid. However, after that, I got paid every month. In May, I received payment for March's earnings. In June, I received money for April's earnings, etc. You get each month's earnings two months later, but you get it whether it is over $100.00 or not.
- Customer Service: If something went wrong with Youtube, the only help you had was to go to their forum. Usually you didn't receive individual attention. With ForelaDigital, I can reach a person. I prefer emails, though it can take longer for ForelaDigital to get back with you by this method. They seem to prefer instant messaging through Skype, which I don't do as of yet.
- New Features and Better Music: Actually, I'm not sure if the new features I have are part of being a network or something given to all Youtubers. I seemed to get them after joining the network. It took me some time to discover them, and I don't use many of them. However, I appreciate that they are there. I have the ability to enable age restriction and prevent younger audiences from seeing my videos. I don't use it, but if I ever have any weird desire to do some naked videos (not going to happen--particularly as it would violate Youtube's policy), I appreciate the option. There is also automatic captioning, though when I've watched other people's videos...this doesn't always work so well. I do, though, like the free domain music that ForelaDigital offers. The other day, browsing for some kiddie music for a new series I plan to be doing soon, I discovered this delightful track Boogers on the Van.
- More Views and More Subscribers: I saved the best for last. I am definitely getting more views and way more subscribers. When I first joined ForelaDigital, I think I had around 150 subscribers. Almost six months later, I have 800.
I'm not losing money. I feel there is potential here.
I hope for myself to improve my ability to make videos. As I make more money, I will probably invest in better equipment. I think I will also learn how to make more professional videos. I am cautiously optimistic about my future.
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