The ultimate goal for a budding creator is content monetization. Of course, creators make their content for the love of it, but to turn that love into a career is a goal for many. There are many different ways to monetize.
For video creators, monetization through platforms like YouTube with their AdSense program is the best fit. However, writers might prefer Substack as a viable monetization platform. For creators in between, Ko-Fi and other platforms offer creators a way to reach their monetization goals. With all these options, how do we know which monetization platform is right for you?
YouTube / Google Adsense
YouTube uses Google’s Adsense program to monetize creators who qualify. Making $28 billion in ad revenue in 2024, YouTube knows what they’re doing regarding monetization. Creators qualify once they have reached 1,000 subscribers, 4,000 watch hours over 12 months, or 10 million short views. Once the creator decides to sign up for Adsense, ads are then placed before, during, and after videos, known as pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll.
Take a look at our 10 Best Video Editing Apps for YouTubers.
Pros
- Generates passive income for the creator
- Parameters for content are flexible, there’s no need for a script provided by a branded partnership
- Longform content is rewarded in the long run
- Viewers are used to occasional ads across social media, so they will likely tolerate the ads
Cons
- Excessive advertising can be tiresome and annoying for viewers
- The pay is generally low – between $20 and $50 per 1,000 views
TikTok Creator Fund
For creators who specialize in short-form content, the TikTok Creator fund may just be the perfect monetization platform. TikTok ensures creators that the Creator Fund is not a grant or ad revenue-sharing program. Instead, it acts as a reward for TikTok users who cross a certain threshold.
Be sure to check out TikTok Alternatives: Which Short-Form Platform is Right for You?
Creators must be based in the US, UK, France, Germany, Spain, or Italy and be at least 18-years-old. They must have at least 10,000 followers and 100,000 views in the last 30 days and abide by the TikTok Community Guidelines. The amount a creator is paid depends on many factors, including originality and play duration.
Pros
- Generates passive income for the creator
- Parameters for content are flexible, there’s no need for a script provided by a branded partnership
- Any ad presence is not attributed to the creator of the video, making the creator look better to audience members less welcoming of ads
Cons
- Requirements are high for creator application
- Payout is low, with an estimated $20 – $40 per 1 million views.
Make sure you assess Long-Form vs Short-Form Content: Which is Better for Your Brand?
Patreon
Many creators have found success choosing Patreon as their monetization platform. Acting as a paywall, or a subscription base, creators who have established themselves on other platforms such as YouTube or TikTok can often offer extra premium content to paying members. Patreon creators can offer reward tiers based on what the member would like to pay, with more content being offered at a higher price. This allows creators to reward their audiences with exclusive content.
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Pros
- Can offer reward tiers based on the amount a member pays
- Offers a more reliable source of revenue than ad-based or other monetization
- Offers a low-pressure algorithm-free environment for creators and audiences
Cons
- Lack of branding and customization options
- Depending on whether you are on the Pro or Premium plan, Patreon takes 8% – 12% of your profits
- Chronological timeline – aka showing the audience member one video at a time in the creator profile – does not allow for ease of content discovery
Substack
The art of the newsletter is returning and this time it’s in digital form. Creators can join Substack for free, adding their written content usually in the form of essays or think pieces to the platform for their audience to enjoy. Many authors and other commercial writers take advantage of this, building audiences interested in buying their books or other media.
For prolific writers with a loyal following, articles can be placed behind a paywall of the author’s choosing. The reader gets one free article per week or day before being prompted to pay, or at least sign up for the rest of the free newsletter.
Pros
- Allows prolific writers to directly connect to their audience with both the paid and unpaid models
- For those with a well-established audience, it offers a consistent avenue of monetization
- Offers a Twitter-like community where writers can promote their own, and recommend other Substacks
Cons
- Only the “superfans” will likely pay for exclusive content, which is generally 1% – 5% of your readership
- Substack caters almost exclusively to nonfiction writers, so other content creators will find little to no success
Ko-fi
A wordplay on “coffee” as in, “buy me a ko-fi” this platform offers a way for audience members to tip their favorite creators. Often used by Twitch streamers, but still used by other creators, Ko-fi is a relatively straightforward monetization platform. Fans can directly tip their favorite creators, and although there is a membership subscription option, it is not what the platform is known for.
Pros
- Allows fans to tip their favorite creators directly
- Creators can sell physical and digital bonus content at no cost to the creators themselves
- Ko-fi can be used by any type of creator, from streamers to writers to video creators and more!
Cons
- Ko-fi’s use of Paypal charges the creator a fee during transactions
- Like Substack, there are limited internal customization options
Conclusion: Which Monetization Platform is Right for You?
Overall, deciding on a monetization platform is an important decision in a creator’s career. There is no one-size-fits-all, and taking into account what type of monetization is preferred not only by the creator but the audience as well. Perhaps some audiences would tolerate ads more or less, while others may be more interested in paying to remove a paywall or subscribing to a newsletter. These factors and more should be taken into consideration when deciding which monetization platform is right for you.
