37 | Ask the Expert - Amy Darley, Part 2: How to Monetize a YouTube Channel, Balance Multiple Social Media Platforms and Create A Community
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Hi, friends. And welcome back to the scale without social podcast. So today we've got part two of my interview with YouTuber, Amy Darley.
So last week we talked about how Amy launched her YouTube channel that has over 230,000. Subscribers and. Today, we are gonna be diving into how she. Balances, all the things while being a busy mama.
Creating content for her channel. Repurposing content for other platforms like TikTok and Instagram. And also how she creates a community that leads to conversion through the different monetization aspects of her. YouTube channel. So if you have been curious, About how you can actually make money from something like a YouTube channel.
Amy spills all a T today. And shares how she. Builds her business, how much time she spends. And how it is so worth it in terms of. Creating a flexible full-time income for her and her family. So let's dive into part two of the interview.
Heather: So, I kind of found you after my break from social media, so I really. Looked at your Instagram or your TikTok, but I know you're on there. So what does that look like? How do you integrate other forms of social media, like Instagram and and TikTok alongside your YouTube channel?
Amy: Okay. So YouTube, I realized, you know, this is my niche is cleaning and I have to have these really long videos. And I love making the videos. And like I said, it's so much more manageable now that it's only one a week, but I feel like with TikTok and Instagram, it's kind of my outlet to be able to share whatever I want.
And it doesn't have to be. Cleaning content. Now I do share a lot of cleaning content on there too, but it's kind of my outlet to be able to say, Hey, I found this really cute outfit at Walmart. You need it, you know or a recipe. I share lots, especially on TikTok. I've done a lot of not a lot, but a few recipes.
And it's just an easy place to put that kind of stuff. If people are looking for that kind of content and not wanting to watch the super long YouTube video, I can take specific things. So sometimes. When I'm filming a YouTube video, I'll do like the cleaning in there. And then I'll share a recipe in there.
And at the same time, as I'm filming my YouTube video, now I have to use a different, I can't use my camera for Instagram or TikTok because it films sideways. And so for Instagram TikTok, you have to be vertical. So I will take my phone, and I will film the recipe with my phone as I'm making it at the same time as I'm filming for YouTube, with my camera.
And so that way I can take that same content and kind of use it over there as well. And that way, if people aren't wanting to watch the whole YouTube video, they can go over to my Instagram or TikTok and find those things.
Heather: So I have to ask because I have a friend actually the very first time I posted one of my videos, I was just doing, I think, like a quick. Summer makeup look or something like that. And I was gonna send it out to my customers and I wound up posting it to YouTube and I shared it in a little group chat and she said, oh, you're back on social media.
And I was like, wait a second. YouTube isn't social media. Like, that's not, that's just a, a content hub. So I'm super curious. It's, you're obviously an expert and you do multiple platforms. Would you say, would you consider YouTube to be a social media channel and even if you do or don't, how do you feel like that compares in terms of.
Some of the I guess positives and negatives of social media accounts, like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and so on. And so.
Amy: I would say YouTube is a social media platform. And I think the reason I say that is because you have your videos, but you also have your comments. So you are socially interacting with all of the people in your comments.
You can also go live on YouTube. I don't ever do that. I've done it in the past, but I don't typically do it very often. But I would definitely say. It's just another social media platform. I love that.
Heather: I love your honesty in that and it totally makes sense, cuz I'm sure that engagement perspective and the connection cuz when I watch your videos, which I love them so much, they've been so inspiring to me in my own.
My, I, I cleaned my entire garage for my hub for his birthday
Amy: based off of your. Amazing. It, a garage video that you did.
Heather: I was like, oh, okay. If Amy can do this, I can do this.
So, you know, in terms of creating, for example, monetization through things like affiliate links, which involves your, your audience, your viewers trusting what it is that you have to recommend that does involve a level of engagement.
So I've noticed when I watch your videos, that you are so good at. Asking questions and having a call to action in your videos for them to go in and comment what it is that they're doing or what they're working on that week. And people do you get what, like thousands of comments on your videos and you go and engage with them.
Right. So how important do you feel like that aspect is in terms of building a following on YouTube?
Amy: I definitely feel like it's important because. People want, especially when they're watching YouTube videos. And I know my audience for sure, wants to feel like they're actually hanging out with you and they wanna feel like they're getting to know you.
And like I said, a lot of people carry their phone around or put me on the TV just because they wanna feel like they have a friend. Cleaning along with them. And a lot of my audiences also stay at home moms. And so I've seen that and, you know, stay at home, being a stay-at-home mom can get lonely. You're, especially with the younger ones, you feel like you're just around little people all the time and you don't ever really have enough time to get all that adult interaction that you need.
So I do like to. It's. I mean, I remember at the beginning, like it was so much fun just seeing that people actually cared what I thought. Or getting to know these people through social media. I have some people that literally comment on every single video and have for years. And so, like, I know them by name, you know, because I'm like, oh, and you know, I can ask them questions.
I have people that have messaged me on Instagram for years. So I'll have conversations back and forth about their kids. And so as it's grown, it's definitely gotten a lot harder to like, keep up with everyth. But I still feel like it's very important and not only am I asking questions because of the engagement, like, of course I want them to come and comment and engage with me, but also because I learn a lot from the people that are watching my videos too.
So people have given me tips and tricks, they have given me hacks for cleaning or new products that they've come. Even somehow, like, even in my last video, I'm like asking suggestions about what I should do with my kitchen sink or, you know, my hardwood floors. Like what do you guys think? What, and I love getting the feedback because some people have been in certain situations that I haven't been in yet, and so I can get their advice.
And so that's why I like to engage. Is because I feel like I'm also learning from them, but I feel like I've, I've got. Bazillion friends all around the world. oh gosh. Actually.
Heather: Yeah. I hadn't even thought about that. That's what's super cool about YouTube is it's totally global, right? Like yes. People watch and be inspired by your videos no matter where they live.
So you're right. This is, yeah. Here in, you know, in America, just like this. I, I just, I was laughing well, not laughing because I apparently have a very strong listenership in Cambodia. I'm like, yay. My Cambodian listeners. I'm so excited. That's so cool to me. But it's like, that's not something I ever really, really thought about.
So who knows? You might get some, some new YouTube Followers from, from Cambodia as well. so let's talk about, you know, as a business owner and I love that you touched on the difference between a hobby, like using a platform, a social media platform, like YouTube as a hobby versus a business. And it sounds like you've been very smart about.
Having this be a business which involves spending both your time and your money, as you already mentioned, and also making money. So being able to provide an income that can justify the time that you, that you do invest in it. So let's jump into that a little bit in terms of, you mentioned the monetization from YouTube, which that would be like ad revenue, is that
Amy: right?
Mm-hmm yeah. So what are the different
Heather: ways specific to YouTube that you can make money?
Amy: Okay. So ad revenue, which is the Google ads and they have there's different types of ads that are put in your videos. A lot of times when you click on a video, it might say like a countdown 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. So, and then there's also text overlay ads.
I don't pick those. So YouTube picks that they put it on there and that's just that. So Google ads and then I think the second. Way I started making some money off of YouTube was affiliate links and there there's reward style. There's also the Amazon associates program. And so this is where, like, if I am linking, if I bought a comforter off of Amazon, I can go through Amazon affiliates program and I can use my link to put it in my description box.
If people click it. You make just a tiny bit of money. I mean, literally pennies , but if they buy it, then you might make a little bit more, maybe a dollar 50, who knows. It just depends on the price of the product, but it's really not a lot, but if a whole lot of people, like you said, if, if you're following is growing, then you have more of an audience.
You have more people that are probably gonna click that link than that income can grow. And so that's reward style, reward style. You can actually link from a ton of different places. So Amazon is just Amazon, and then you have reward style where I can actually link my Amazon stuff too, but I can link from a whole lot of other.
Places that work with reward style. So that's the second way. And then the third way is through brand partnerships. And so this is where they will actually pay you to do a sponsored portion of your video. So you can either have a dedicated video where the whole video is just about that one brand, which I never do.
Because my audience doesn't come to just for me to just tell them about a vacuum cleaner, you know, they wanna see more than just about a vacuum cleaner. So I always do integrated videos sponsorships, where it might be 60 seconds to two minutes for me to. Talk about their product and kind of give a little review and share where they can purchase it and everything.
So almost like an ad, but that I do within the video. Now whenever I do that though, I always make sure to try the product first, because that's always been. One of my biggest things. I remember the very first time I ever got, you know, reached out to, by a brand and they're like, Hey, can we send you this product for free?
And you can try it and see if you like it. And so excited. I'm like, oh my I'm, you know, Really quickly. I realized all this stuff that I'm getting for free. Not all of it I'm gonna use and not all of it. Am I gonna tell people to purchase would hate for someone to go buy something that I ran and raved about?
I really didn't feel like it was worth it. And then they went and bought it and they're like, Ugh, why did I listen to her? You know, now of course there's gonna be sometimes where I love a product and I am die hard about it. And then somebody else is just not gonna like it. But yeah, I have always made sure that everything that I've shared, it's something that I've tried out.
It's something that I would purchase with my own money. So. That's been something that's been huge for me this whole time. And I still, I mean, no matter ma what, no matter how much they'll pay me, it has to be worth it. It has to be worth money. I love that because you're
Heather: building that integrity, even though you're doing it kind of in mass with thousands, hundreds of thousands of viewers on your video.
But like you said, what's gonna keep them coming back or what's gonna make them click that link again is gonna be because they trusted you last time for your recommendation. Right. And then
Amy: you, you
Heather: probably just feel like, you know, I know you as a, as a friend now and. I, I, I feel like from an integrity perspective, that's such a brilliant way to do it because you're not just in it to make money you're in it to serve the people whose lives can be impacted by even if it's something as simple as a dish cleaning sponge or something
Amy: like that.
Right. Yeah. And it's really cool because. There are so many products that I used before it ever starting YouTube. And now I've been able to work with some of those brands and I'm like, this is so neat. Like I love these products before, and I can't believe that they want me to share it for them. They wanna work with me.
And so that's really cool too. So I love that part of it. And it is, it is a, you know, it's just an extra way to make money on top of the ads and it definitely has helped. Way more than, you know, just even the links like the affiliate links.
Heather: So would you say like, as a percentage wise within those three, is there one that gives you a heavier return?
And is there one that you hope to grow? Like what does that ratio look like in terms of the affiliate, the brand partnerships and the, the monetization through the ads?
Amy: So at, I think it will all depend. It all depends on how big your YouTube channel is. How many views you get. That kind of thing. So that's kind of what, I mean, the more views you get, the more you're gonna make on Google ads, you know, so your ads that are just from YouTube, but also the more views you get, then the more a brand is gonna pay you to do that sponsorship.
So at this point, I do think I, I make a lot more money off of brands than in doing sponsored content than off of just. But before, you know, starting, it definitely was a lot more from YouTube than from. So as the FA I mean, and it doesn't really, I think at first you're like, everybody's always consumed with how many subscribers you have, how big your following is, because I think brands look at that a little bit, but they want more of how many views are you getting?
How many eyes are getting on your content and not, you know, it doesn't matter how many followers you have. It's how many people are actually watching. Your stuff. And so that's where, you know, they look at all of that as a whole, instead of just your following.
Heather: That makes so much sense. So it all kind of integrates together for sure.
And the most important aspect it sounds like is to create content that is gonna be inspiring enough that people are gonna sit there and watch it for a long time, which is gonna, like you said, kind of boost up that algorithm to where they're gonna show it to more people they're gonna recommend, like you said, maybe another one of your videos to where they're kind of binge watching it.
And then that in turn creates more views, more. Subscribers of course, which is then what the brands look for when they, when they reach out and sponsor you. Right. That makes sense. So then, yeah, on the time side of things, what does that look like from a time investment on your part? Like how much time a week do you devote to this and maybe specifically, like, what does that look like?
Like how you said three hours of content. So you're obviously cleaning and recording at the same time. I'm sure your house is to, so what does the time
Amy: involvement look. Okay. So obviously it takes me a lot longer to clean when I'm filming it than if I were to just go clean it because I'm having to move the camera around doing all these different angles.
And then, so when I first started, I feel like it took a lot longer because I wasn't, you know, I, I didn't know what I was doing. I was having to learn as I went, but now I. I mean, the good thing about my content is I'm killing two birds with one still, and I'm actually cleaning my house and I'm filming it and being able to monetize off of it.
But I kind of sprinkled the cleaning a little bit each day throughout the week when I first started, I tried to do everything my whole house and like one day all the time. And it was just exhausting. So I now try to do a few days a week, at least two to three days is what I will do filming. And then I try to take a couple days a week to edit.
So I mean, honestly, it just depends on the video about how much time I'm spending, but it's, I mean, it's definitely a full work week because I also have to take time to plan out my content. And so I have a planner. I like to write in it. I have a written planner because I like to physically. Highlight things off my list.
But also we have kids, so we have a very, very busy schedule after they get outta school. And so a lot of times I will actually edit in the car while I'm waiting for Gracie June to get outta cheerleading. Or if I'm like waiting after school for something, then I always am trying to get worked out on my phone or whatever I can.
So. But I also try to manage, like, I still have to go grocery shopping while their kids are at school. I still have to get my workouts in while the kids are at school, because once they're out I'm I can't. So I do feel like it's one of those jobs. It's a lot more flexible. I can make my own hours if I have to stay up because I didn't get it all done, you know, before the kids go to sleep, I can do that too, but really, I don't know.
I, I can't give. And exact time it takes me to do everything, but it's, it is a lot of work .
Heather: Yeah, that makes sense. But I love, I think the freedom that it gives you, and plus I can tell, you know, even just watching your videos, you can tell that you're passionate about, about what it is that you do. So I'm sure it doesn't, even though it is work it
Amy: because
Heather: it's got fulfillment attached to it probably doesn't feel like, you know, a typical
Amy: Workday, right.
yeah. And I love, and I, I think my favorite part is just like the finished product, you know? The, some of it is kind of tedious work. Like the editing is not my favorite , but once I'm done, I'm like, oh, yay. You know? So it does feel like, it feels like a lot of work, but it is fun work. And it's things that I, like you said I am passionate about and I get excited to share with people.
Heather: And that's contagious. Have you thought about outsourcing or bringing on like an assistant to help with any, any of that stuff or
Amy: do you have help at all? I have a manager who manages. She is the only thing that she, well, I say the only thing, like she is amazing. But I've had her for a couple of years now, but she is basically the one who manages all the brands.
So I don't have to deal with any brands. I don't deal with any of the emails. She does all of that. And she just brings me the brand. And you know, she's like the middle man. She does all the work for me. It's amazing. She has taken off or taken so much off my plate because before, like I said, I would get emails about the most random things and I'm just like, Ugh, I can't respond to anybody else today.
This is ridiculous. You know? So I have her and she's amazing. And I have thought about trying to find an editor, but the hard part with my videos is that I have to do voiceover. And so, so I do the voiceover, which is fine. But also because my videos are so long and because my footage is so long and because I feel like most people that are in this sort of niche where they're doing cleaning videos and all of that, they're very particular about their videos and what you're showing and making sure that, you know, you're not showing anything like any labels or, you know, Personal stuff, making sure.
Cause you are in your house, you know, it's not just a, it's not just a recipe you're in your house and you wanna make sure that everything is kept private. So I've thought about getting an editor, but then I'm like, I just don't even know how it would work. Mm-hmm so. And then I've also thought about getting an assistant to like come and help me, especially with like the filming and all of that kind of stuff.
But then I'm also all over the place. And like I said, I don't have like a set schedule that I do things. That might help me get a set schedule, but then also at the same time, I like the flexibility of being able to be like, oh, I think I'm gonna go eat lunch with Gracie June today. Or I need to go, you know, run errands today.
I don't know. I kind of like that facility no,
Heather: that makes sense. I'm I'm in the same boat. I just recently actually at episodes 30 and 31 of the podcast, which actually are going up as we're recording this. So if they're not for this second, but they will be up when this is when this podcast is out, it's all about delegation and, and how to, you know, kind of step into.
That role as you kind of take more of your time off of social media, whatever that looks like. So for some people like me, it might look like entirely or for others, it might just be taking that one or two hours back from your time each week to delegate that to somebody else in a way. So you might love, love listening to that episode.
Amy: When you, yes. I will have to do that.
Heather: be fun. Well, Amy I'm so
Amy: I just love, I feel like you and I could talk
Heather: all day and we I'm sure we, we will, at some point, especially since our kids are at the same school and, and hopefully we'll be able to get back to Bible study here soon. But as people are listening to this, if they wanna go and find you, I know you're super easy to find.
Right. But where exactly would you, would you tell them to.
Amy: So Amy Darley on YouTube and then on Instagram and TikTok, it's @amy.darley and then I also have a blog. I don't post on there too too much. But I do, if you want, like free printables, I have some checklists, like some cleaning checklists a few different I think I did some cleaning schedules on there.
Routines type things, all the stuff is free. You just, it's just things that I made and used myself and, and chore charts. I did some chore charts, so I explained all of that on my blog too. And it's just Amy darley.com.
Heather: awesome. And it's E Y a M Y D a R L E Y,
Amy: right? Yes. That's it.
Heather: Awesome. Well, thank you again for your time and sharing so much wisdom and pure gold.
You're just such a light. And I know this will serve so many people, whether they're interested in growing on YouTube or if they're like me where they're just like, how does this work?
Amy: yeah. So helpful. Aww. Well, thank you for having me. Of course.
