Relying on Platform Partner Programs is a Major Risk

Two years ago, I was making some pretty decent coins from the Medium Partner Program. In fact, I went all in with the platform and it became one of my main income sources for a while. However, looking back, it was the worst thing I could have ever done.

These days, I focus more on creating digital products, software engineering gigs, promoting and scaling my article writing business, and other income streams. I use platforms to raise brand awareness, and I don’t focus on the partner program earnings.

Why?

Because platforms can pull the rug out of under of your feet as quickly as they slid it under there. Platforms such as YouTube and Medium, they’re turning into full-time jobs for most creators. Some creators are full time “YouTubers” and they focus on earning money from the partner programs, this is a big mistake.

I’ve recently had two YouTube channels deleted, and one demonetised. YouTube stated that I had broken their rules, but they didn’t mention what rules. So I went from earning thousands to zero overnight.

So what’s the best course of action for creators?

• Build a real business around your content. Don’t focus on partner program earnings.

I run two businesses, and one organisation.

I also do side gigs as I recently qualified as a software developer, so I take on projects here and there. I’m about to start a part-time remote job as a crowd developer and AI researcher, so that’s another income stream for me.

Last month, the YouTube Partner Program was a solid income stream for me, but now that’s gone completely because YouTube has warned me not to monetise other channels or try to create new channels to monetise those. Therefore, I can only use YouTube as a way to promote my businesses, and for nothing else.

Imagine if YouTube Partner Program earnings paid my bills? What would I do then?

Here’s a viable plan for creators:

• Create a newsletter
• Create a simple blog
• Create digital products, and or offer services
• Use your content to build brand awareness
• Encourage people to sign up to your newsletter

Or

Instead of building a newsletter and a blog, build one website where you sell your products or services. For example, you own a clothing brand, create content for your target buyer, offer a freebie such as “how to elevate your style” ebook and collect email addresses that way. When you have sales, discount codes, or new product drops, send out an email blast to your potential customers.

There are also other ways to make money as a content creator, here are some options:

Affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing is an excellent business model because you don’t have to create products. All you do is share links to products you know and trust, and each time someone purchases a product using your link, you get paid commission. If you build a loyal audience, you can earn a substantial amount of money without creating a single product. Think about it like this, platforms such as Booking.com, they don’t own hotels, they take a small cut of the profits.

Brand deals

A brand deal or partnership is when a brand pays a fee to feature their brand in a piece of content. For example, a video creator might receive a set fee to wear and talk about a pair of sneakers in their video. A writer might get paid to promote a product such as Notion or Asana. The fee is usually a set fee, however, some creators receive monthly compensation for featuring one product in a video or article.

Offer paid link inclusion

Last year, I received a message from a company offering to pay me to add a relevant link to my article. My content on Medium focuses on making money online, and the company owns a paid survey app. All I had to do was add the company’s link to the words “make money online” and they paid directly through Paypal upfront.

Build a paid community

Skool is one of the most popular paid communities on the web, and creators such as Hamza on YouTube are making millions by offering a paid monthly membership to take part in an educational community.

Creators should never rely on platform partner programs to make money, because firstly, you’ll never earn what you deserve as a creator, and secondly, the platforms change the rules all the time. Therefore, it’s best to build a real, sustainable business around your content instead of focusing on partner program earnings as your main source of income.

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