What's moving YouTube?

The COVID 19 pandemic has taken away employment and livelihood – on the other hand, social media is creating new ways of generating revenue. Tens of thousands of YouTube individual content creators have swarmed social media, and more are joining. And, companies, content creators, media houses are all competing with the existing channels and vying for the already crowded space. How do you get noticed in this melee?

Raj Gopal Madishetty forayed into the world of digital space a decade ago with his concept of providing quality video content from the business world, in English. And recently, when most of the business world is going for cost-cutting and crunch in revenue, he expanded his business and started Hybiz Telugu targeting the two Telugu speaking states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Internet as a trend can be divided into Before Jio and after Jio. When Mukesh Ambani made cheaper phones and then made internet cheaper, every individual even from the remotest corner of India managed to have a phone and internet, and technology made viewing content extremely easy. From the time when the internet was available only through desktops to now, when just with the help of voice commands we can watch or read our favourite content, we have come a long way. And today, it is regional content that is reigning," shares Rajgopal. He says YouTube content in Hindi and Telugu will have more audience in today's times, in India.

There are two types of content creators in the digital space – professional ones creating unique content for entertainment and infotainment, media houses providing news-based content, and professional channels providing niche content; Hybiz comes under this umbrella with content like including business news and interviews of business heads, industry experts, etc. Then there are individual content creators. During lockdown there has been a mindboggling spike in the number of YouTube content creators with their own channels adding to the existing ones. While some among them re-introduce existing knowledge in newer formats, there are those that are creating their own vlogs and content and enjoying viewership. Many are also resorting to sensationalism and provocative headlines for views.

The last category does not make any money, reveals Raj Gopal. "In today's competitive space, it is not easy to make money and followers on YouTube, unlike in the past. We have observed that since January YouTube revenue has considerably dwindled. Despite many claims, no one can actually say how much YouTube pays for content. Revenue differs for different types of content. Quality surely plays a role," he adds.

Even though there are other video streaming platforms like Vimeo, Metacafe' YouTube continues its reign in South Asia and developing countries, and content remains the king with music, cinema, kids content and cooking videos topping the list, not necessarily in the same order.

Niche content creators like Hybiz also make money through targeted advertising. "We have made over 750 unique videos in the first three months of the lockdown, by calling various experts to the studio to discuss the state of business and way forward. We have become more popular in the last three months," relates the first generation entrepreneur, who has always tried to stay ahead of trend; a quality that comes in good stead in the digital space.