TLDR;
Charlie Chang discusses his journey as a YouTuber and entrepreneur, detailing how he built a media company with 50 channels. He shares insights into his income sources, primarily affiliate marketing, and offers advice for aspiring YouTubers, emphasizing the importance of passion, consistency, and creating valuable, educational content. He also touches on team management, reinvestment strategies, and his vision for the future of content creation in the age of AI.
- Building a media company with 50 channels across various niches.
- Earning the majority of income through affiliate marketing.
- Recommending focus on educational content and building a team.
- Highlighting the impact of AI on content creation and the importance of genuine content.
- Advising new YouTubers to focus on passion and providing value.
Intro [0:00]
Charlie Chang introduces himself as a 33-year-old YouTuber who has been creating videos since 2008, initially focusing on music covers. Around 2017-2018, he shifted his content towards personal finance and business. Over the years, he has built a media business that operates approximately 50 different channels across various niches.
Building A Media Company With 50 Channels [0:24]
Charlie Chang's media business includes 50 channels in diverse niches such as business, website building, e-commerce, SaaS, music, course reviews, Go High Level, VPNs, recruiting, crypto, insurance, and personal finance, with many channels also available in other languages. The channels are diverse and cover a wide array of topics.
How Much Money Do I Make With YouTube? [0:51]
Charlie Chang discusses his income as a YouTuber, noting that his business differs from most, as it includes around 50 channels focused on educational content. His media company generates an average of $300,000 per month, with some months dipping to the mid $200,000s and others reaching the high $300,000s. He started making seven figures in 2021 and has been growing the company by adding new channels and income sources.
Breaking Down The Income Sources [1:52]
Charlie Chang breaks down his income sources, with 80% coming from affiliate marketing, where he earns commissions through links in video descriptions. Ad revenue accounts for 10%, brand deals contribute about 8%, and miscellaneous sources like course sales make up the remaining 2%. He specializes in affiliate marketing, which pairs well with his educational tutorial style videos, and prefers performance-based compensation over flat fees for brand deals.
Growing Up As An Entrepreneur & Building A Media Company [3:07]
Charlie Chang shares his entrepreneurial background, starting with childhood ventures like lemonade stands and reselling items online. Despite parental expectations to become a doctor, he pursued entrepreneurship, engaging in various side hustles such as photography, video, and tutoring. His passion for personal finance, combined with his love for video and photography, led him to create content on Instagram, TikTok, and eventually YouTube. Today, his media company has over 50 employees, including project managers, editors, YouTube hosts, and an AI specialist, with most of the team working remotely overseas.
My Advice For New YouTubers [4:31]
Charlie Chang advises aspiring YouTubers not to focus solely on making money but to prioritize passion and creating valuable content. He emphasizes that monetization should come after building a viewership base. He also suggests avoiding the pursuit of viral videos and instead focusing on teaching subjects they are passionate about and knowledgeable in. He highlights various monetization methods, including AdSense, brand deals, affiliate marketing, and selling their own products or services, with the latter being the most effective for many.
The Highest Paying Educational Niches On YouTube [6:06]
Charlie Chang identifies high-paying educational niches on YouTube, where creators can earn $50 to $200 per thousand views through AdSense. These niches include personal finance, insurance, SaaS, business formation, e-commerce (such as drop shipping and Amazon FBA), credits, VPNs, website building, technology, and self-improvement.
How Do I Make Videos On 50 YouTube Channels? [6:37]
Charlie Chang explains that his business operates with a team of YouTube hosts, primarily based in the US, who are paid a flat fee to script and film videos. The footage is then uploaded to a team of editors, coordinated by project managers, who oversee the video creation process, including editing, thumbnails, and revisions. Many channels also have versions in different languages, managed by teams in countries like France, Indonesia, Philippines, Russia, and Germany, who translate the videos and provide manual voiceovers to maintain high quality.
The Tools & Software I Use To Run The Business [8:00]
Charlie Chang lists the tools and software he uses to run his business, including High Level for backend and funnels, Frame.io for video file storage and revisions, ClickUp for content calendars and automations, TubeBuddy and Vid IQ for YouTube optimization, Slack and WhatsApp for communication, Notion for course planning and scripting, and ChatGPT for script ideation and outlines. He recommends that everyone should use a ChatGPT-like app daily.
How Do I Find Affiliates? [9:01]
Charlie Chang finds affiliate offers through affiliate networks like Impact Radius, Awin, and PartnerStack. He emphasizes the importance of building personal relationships with affiliates to secure higher rates and support. He attends networking events like Affiliate Summit and follows the 80/20 rule, where 80% of his revenue comes from 20% of his affiliates. He determines which affiliates work best by creating content, analyzing results, and making adjustments.
Omnipresence & Hiring An International Content Team [9:53]
Charlie Chang discusses the concept of omnipresence, emphasizing the need to repurpose content across multiple platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and YouTube Shorts to maximize reach. He has built systems to efficiently repurpose content and relies on team building and delegation. His first hire was a video editor, followed by a personal assistant who became his COO. He has built a team of project managers, video editors, and thumbnail designers, primarily from overseas, with a significant portion based in Indonesia. He also started an overseas recruiting company called Paired to help hire team members.
What My Daily Schedule Looks Like [11:16]
Charlie Chang's typical day starts around 6:00 a.m. with a morning routine, often including the gym and breakfast. His work schedule varies, including filming, planning, and meetings. He values the time and location freedom that entrepreneurship provides, as well as not having a boss or being confined to an office.
Managing My Team [12:00]
Charlie Chang manages his team using a CEO dashboard, a Google Sheet prepared by his team that displays key performance indicators (KPIs) and output metrics for different channels. The team also provides end-of-day reports, which he reviews monthly. He sets KPIs based on output rather than revenue, as output is more controllable. He primarily communicates with his COO, who then relays information to project managers, who in turn communicate with contractors. This streamlined process allows for the rapid creation and launch of new channels.
How Do I Reinvest Back Into My Team? [13:41]
Charlie Chang reinvests primarily into his team by expanding it and paying for services that help generate more revenue. He also invests in filming equipment and studio spaces. While better gear is always an option, he advises beginners to start with their smartphones, as iPhone picture quality is sufficient for most channels.
Where Do I See The Next 5-10 Years Of Content Creation? [14:23]
Charlie Chang predicts that AI will significantly impact the content economy, potentially requiring platforms like YouTube to throttle AI-generated content. He believes that genuine content made by real people with compelling stories will have a significant advantage. Content creation tools will improve, lowering the barrier to entry and increasing competition, but authenticity will be key to standing out.
Finding Video Ideas & Getting The Right Audience [15:34]
Charlie Chang finds video ideas by browsing his YouTube home screen for inspiration and researching general terms to see which videos rank well. He advises against chasing general views and instead recommends focusing on attracting a qualified audience. Specific, narrow audiences are more valuable for monetization through affiliate marketing or selling related products.
Why My Videos Perform Well [16:44]
Charlie Chang attributes the success of his videos to his ability to explain complex topics concisely, a skill honed through years of tutoring. He aims to simplify content so that it is understandable to an eighth grader. Consistency is also crucial; he emphasizes the need for patience with results but impatience with taking action and producing content.
How Much Money Did I Start With? [17:48]
Charlie Chang was fortunate to have already been making money with video and photography, so he had a camera and lens. He also used his phone for short-form content. He believes that content creation is a valuable skill that improves marketing abilities, regardless of whether one pursues it long-term.
If I Had To Start Today, What Would I Do? [19:13]
If starting today, Charlie Chang would choose a topic he is passionate about and create 50 to 100 long-form videos on that topic. He would then develop a related product or service, such as a course or software, and include a call to action in his videos to promote it. This strategy builds a business with built-in marketing through YouTube.
Conclusion [19:57]
Charlie Chang concludes by expressing his hope that the video provides value to those interested in YouTube and becoming YouTubers. He shares that the information is the type of advice he wished he had when he started.