What to expect in this course:
How can you diversify your alternative income sources in the realm of content creation? When relying on creating content to earn a living, it’s important to remember that there are ebbs and flows that come with this type of income. Having a single revenue stream is limiting, unpredictable and ultimately not a good choice if you’re hoping for financial stability.
Bluejay is a full time content creator that specializes in modeling and tabletop roleplay. She has been a Twitch partnered streamer for six years, playing a variety of games including Dead by Daylight, Stardew Valley, Dragon Age, and other simulation and roleplaying games.
“As a full-time creator, reliable and consistent income is so important. A one-time donation can help with one-time expenses, like a medical emergency or a convention, but when using a separate platform to supplement income, it’s better to have something that you can rely on. Any career in content creation is already so variable, it’s important to find stability when and where we can.”
Month-to-month paid subscriber counts fluctuate naturally alongside the economic climate, and a bad month of tips can really set you back or have you digging into savings you don’t have. If the algorithm moves away from you momentarily or if you get soft banned on a platform that is your only revenue, all of your income could disappear.
It’s important to grow alternative income sources outside of your main platform, so you have a cushion in case of emergencies.
Course Goals:
- Discuss popular platforms that creators like to use to develop alternative income streams
- Strategies for incorporating these platforms into your community spaces
- Learn how to grow alternative platforms outside of your existing spaces
- Learn about live stream interactables that can help boost your revenue directly through your stream
We’ll examine how even a Microsoft-backed livestream platform can fail, leaving creators scrambling with their livelihoods in jeopardy.
Alternative Income Sources
It can take a really long time to make content creation a consistent form of income. Until your subscriber or tip revenue is stable, it’s a really good idea to diversify your revenue sources with alternative platforms. An alternative income source is any platform outside of your core content and community, that you can monetize. There can be alternatives that involve passive income and others that require different kinds of posting or content. While long-time streamers with existing stability may find they have consistent support from certain community members, the reality is that you can lose funding from that audience at any time. It may come to a point where they are not able to consistently fund your job. If you go on vacation, suffer burnout, or take sick time off your sole platform you may not make money due to your own inactivity. It is essential for creators to be able to take time off from live streaming as needed to prevent burnout and to protect your overall mental and physical health. A Cautionary Tale Relying on one platform is not safe, let’s look at the fall of Mixer as a prime example of this potential danger. Microsoft-backed Livestreaming Platform Collapses Mixer (formerly named Beam) was a livestreaming platform acquired by Microsoft in 2016, two years after Amazon purchased Twitch. A tremendous push was made by Microsoft to get a foothold in the industry; beefing up the platform’s features, renaming and redesigning the site, and even making big plays by bringing over top Twitch creators Ninja and Shroud. This platform made monetization accessible for all streamers and grew a community of loyal creators who were able to earn a living on the site. All of that vanished in the blink of an eye. On June 22, 2020, Microsoft announced...
