Why I Continue to Do What I Do On YouTube Despite No Income

I've been making videos on YouTube since about September of 2018. Although I am still a few hundred hours away from joining the YouTube Partner Program and don't make ad revenue from the videos, I continue to make them.

Having a very small niche audience doesn't rake in the viewers.

So, why don't I shift and do something else to make that "mad YouTube money?" Actually, there are several reasons why I continue to do what I do.

Delivering Factual Information

A lot of similar creators often jump on trend bandwagons and regurgitate the same exact information just for clicks and views. Others offer wild ideas while making it seem like it's valid information. Some will even make viewers believe that success is instant or guaranteed.

The videos I create are based on personal experience, evidence, and logic. Unfortunately, some people don't like to be told the truth about something they thought was going to be the answer to their money prayers.

In fact, my video about the reality of AdSense on a blog gets a lot of views and a lot of hate. That's because I demonstrate with real numbers just how difficult it is to make money with AdSense. And a lot of people don't want to hear that. They're mostly looking for the "quick fix" or "instant" riches.

The point is that I don't sugarcoat or inflate anything I've done, used, or experienced just for the sake of getting clicks. Because of this, I've often been told that I'm one of the few YouTubers with "integrity."

That, alone, is probably one of the most amazing things people say to me and drives me to keep providing the best information I can.

Helping People Learn Without Selling Courses

I've been asked a lot of times if I was planning on selling courses for writing, blogging, or using WordPress. And there have been a few times when I seriously considered the idea. But I'm the type of person who believes in a right to an education. I don't want to charge someone to learn how to do what I can do.

I know that I should probably reconsider the idea. After all, there are a lot of talented people who sell high-quality courses. I just feel kind of weird charging people to learn what I learned through spending years researching through Google.

I guess that's the point, though. A lot of people would spend money to cut the year and a half I spent learning all I could about AP Style writing and succeeding as a freelancer into a 30-minute course.

Still, I thoroughly enjoy helping people with the YouTube videos and love when someone says, "Thank you for this."

Helping Others Deal with Depression and Creativity

It feels like most writers I've personally met also deal with higher-than-normal levels of depression, self-doubt, and anxiety. If I can help just one person break out of that mindset and see his or her value, then to me, the video was a success.

No, I'm not a doctor, and I let everyone know that when they ask for advice. I'm just someone who has spent most of his life dealing with various levels of depression. So, I know what it's like and how it can be debilitating at times. It's one of my goals to get people to see their worth and to accomplish all they can while improving their outlook on life.

I care about the welfare of all my viewers and have spoken at great length to many of them about their problems. Apparently, I can be quite uplifting, inspiring, and motivating.

I've been told on numerous occasions that I'm a good listener.

I've helped a lot of writers find their path, and I continue to work to that end. Knowing that I've impacted so many people for the better is worth more to me than any money I would make on advertisements.

Don't get me wrong, I would love to get a bit of money coming in from the views. I have my own bills to pay, after all. But I get more of a thrill from seeing someone make leaps and bounds as a writer, whether it's working with content mills or publishing his or her first book.

Because I Offer Hope, Not Empty Promises

As I said, I'm not a YouTuber who is going to chase clout or follow trending topics just to get seen. Especially since a lot of those topics other people tend to jump on sell nothing but unsubstantiated empty promises.

I'll let my viewers know upfront what has worked for me and what hasn't. But I always land on the side of being hopeful.

Will I show someone how to make a blog post go viral? Probably not. Because something like that is very difficult to achieve. But I will show you how to improve your chances.

No one can absolutely guarantee success, though a lot of creators try to spread that falsehood. Success is never guaranteed, especially since everyone's experience is going to be vastly different. However, there are things you can do that will influence that success.

And that is what I offer...hope. The potential to become more than you are by putting in the effort to reach your dreams. I don't believe in instant gratification, and I'll help anyone who is willing to work on themselves.

It's always about self-improvement in all things.

And I'll Continue to Create

I highly doubt I'll ever get a YouTube Play Button shipped to me anytime in the near future. But I'll continue to keep uploading videos and going live if even just a handful of people are getting something of value.

Not only do I find it incredibly fun to just create something, but I get so much more out of it than just money.

I help people get to where they want to go.