When we talk about virtual world content creation on New World Notes, we're usually referring to merchants who sell virtual items in Second Life and so on. But FastCompany has an intriguing report of another niche that's spun out of Sims 4 -- creating tiny Sims 4-based houses on YouTube, and making money from the YouTube ads, sponsorships, and merchandise:
To her surprise, she discovered an entire community on YouTube devoted to building elaborate houses in The Sims... she began uploading her own builds, as they’re called, to YouTube under the name Deligracy (she goes by her username, for privacy). Today, she has 810,000 subscribers and even sells merchandise, like sweatshirts, mugs, and phone cases. Deligracy’s channel has become so popular that she quit her job as a junior graphic designer because she was making more money from YouTube. Some of her most popular videos, which get tens of thousands of views, aren’t of the most elaborate houses Deligracy can dream up: Instead, her audience is obsessed with tiny homes.
As a rule of thumb, if your YouTube channel has subscribers in the six figure range, you can make a comfortable full-time living from sponsorships -- and when it gets into the seven figure subscriber range, you can make a very comfortable (as in lawyer's salary and above) living. Notably, Deligracy (and other Sims 4 creators) are focusing on a specific niche -- i.e. tiny houses -- that seems to be drawing lots of viewers from outside the Sims 4 fanbase.
I.E., here's a tip for talented home builders in Second Life, Sansar, and beyond: Your best market may not be in-world, but on YouTube.
Most Second Life-based YouTubers, for instance, are focused on content that can be bought within in Second Life. But there's probably more money creating virtual content for the much larger audience on YouTube.
Hat tip: Clive Thompson.
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