Over the past couple of years, Facebook has been trying to become a primarily video-oriented platform. The transition is well underway, which is reflected in all the different video sizes Facebook supports today and various video formats you can upload now on the site. it might take a while before Facebook’s transformation has been completed, quite a few novelties have already been deployed.
Back when Facebook
first launched, you only had one newsfeed, and people would primarily post
statuses, photos, and links to their favorite songs. Now, the newsfeed is
split into four different categories:
- Home
- Watch
- Groups
- Gaming
The Watch tab is quite
reminiscent of YouTube, in that you can find a ton of video content there from
all kinds of different brands and users. Facebook will recommend both the
popular videos, viewed by thousands of people all over the world, and the more
curated ones, according to your likes and search history.
This is just the most
noticeable of recent changes, but it certainly isn’t the only one. You also
have Stories at the top of your newsfeed on the Home tab, just like on
Instagram. Facebook has picked up a few tricks from streamlining platforms like
Twitch and has introduced subscriptions as well.
By the looks of it,
Facebook is gradually becoming some sort of an amalgamation that includes bits
and pieces of other social media platforms. What does that mean for you as a
content creator or a business owner?
If you make videos and
share them with your target audience on the platform often, you’ll be glad to
know that Facebook now lets you monetize your video content.
There are a few ways
to do so, and we’ll go over each one and provide you with a step-by-step guide
so that you can turn your Facebook page into a passive revenue stream.
How To Monetize Facebook Videos
It’s no secret that
Facebook is making a ton of money off of ads. While most people are at least
somewhat familiar with the concept of Facebook ads, not many are aware of
the ability to monetize their videos on the platform. This is mainly due to the
fact that Facebook video monetization is a fairly new concept and, until
recently, was only available to a limited number of Facebook partners.
The “test run” was a
huge success, judging from the fact that Facebook implemented all the different
monetization options they had planned. In hindsight, Facebook’s decision makes
perfect sense, given that the demand for video content
is increasing rapidly and that video has proven to be a powerful
marketing tool.
Facebook’s main goal
is to provide brands with a strong reason to continue using the
platform and dump more money into advertising. At the same time, they want to
keep as many active users as possible, which has been a bit challenging in
recent years with people migrating to other platforms, mainly Instagram and
Tiktok.
Video monetization
lets Facebook “kill two birds with one stone,” so to speak. On the one hand, it
gives brands the opportunity to advertise their products and services in a
completely new way. On the other hand, video monetization is a powerful
incentive for content creators to post consistently, which inevitably leads to
higher levels of user activity on the platform.
Here are the three
ways in which you can take advantage of Facebook video monetization:
- Brand Collabs Manager
- Fan Subscriptions
- In-Stream Ads
Brand Collabs Manager
Brand Collabs Manager
is a program Facebook launched with the intention of bringing together brands
and influential content creators. It functions similarly
to influencer marketing in that brands can pay content creators to
pitch products and services to their followers.
Facebook Brand Collabs Manager
If you have a huge
following in your niche, then finding and securing a brand deal is one of the
best ways to make money on Facebook.
Technically, anyone
can sign up for the Brand Collabs Manager, but there are quite a few rules,
guidelines, and conditions you have to meet first. We’ll go over everything
here, so you know exactly what you need to do to qualify for this form of
Facebook video monetization.
First, it’s important
to understand that there are two sides to the coin here—brands and content
creators.
Advertisers
From an advertiser’s
(brand’s) perspective, the process is rather straightforward—you pay to have a
content creator promote your products and services.
Of course, there are
plenty of options that help ensure you spend your advertising budget wisely.
The screening process for content creators is rigorous, so you’ll know that
everyone who’s a part of the Brand Collabs Manager program is reputable and has
a large enough following to make it worth your while.
On top of that, you
can browse different content creators by niches and will have insights into the
performance of each branded video they post. This program is an
excellent way to extend your reach and get your business in front of
thousands of people who are genuinely interested in what you have to offer.
Creators
From a creator’s
perspective, things are a bit more complex. We’ll cover the basics here,
but if you’re interested in unlocking the money-making potential of your
Facebook page, we advise you to read through Facebook’s Branded Content
Policies and Partner
Monetization Policies thoroughly.
At a bare minimum, to
become a member of the Brand Collabs Manager program as a content creator, you
will need to have a Facebook page. Regardless of how many friends or followers
you might have, you can’t sign up with a personal Facebook profile.
Whether you already
have a Facebook page or are creating a new one from scratch, you will need to
meet the following criteria to become eligible for video monetization:
- Comply with the policies mentioned above
- Have a minimum of 1,000 followers, plus
meet at least one of the following goals:
- Reach 15,000 post engagements
- Have 3,000 hours of watch time in the
past 60 days
- Have at least 30,000 one-minute views for
three-minute videos in the past 60 days
- Be a Page admin for the page you’re
submitting for monetization
- Be in a Brand Collabs Manager eligible country
Once you successfully
sign up for the program, most of the work is done on your side. You’ll have to
wait to be discovered and approached by a brand and hash out a deal that works
for both sides before you can start making money from your Facebook
videos.
Fan Subscriptions
If you don’t want to
promote other people’s stuff but would still like to cash in on your large
following, Facebook gives you the option to enable subscriptions for your page.
Here, Facebook took a
page out of Patreon’s book, allowing you to put a portion of your content
behind a paywall. The idea is simple—if you have a large fan base that
frequently watches and interacts with your content, Facebook gives you an
opportunity to separate your audience into regular followers and subscribers
and make money along the way.
Facebook Fan
Subscriptions
The tricky part with
the subscription-based monetization model is finding that perfect balance. You
still have to provide a bunch of engaging content to regular viewers, meaning
you’ll have to think of something “extra” for your subscribers. This can
be any type of exclusive content, including:
- Subscriber-only posts
- Locked polls, votes, and quizzes
- Behind-the-scenes content
- Supporter-only Q&A
The goal is to keep
creating regular content, but also to create something special for your
subscribers, as well as give them an opportunity to interact with you directly
and participate in the decisions regarding the type of content they wish to see
on your page.
Technical Aspects of
Facebook’s Fan Subscriptions
You’re free to set the
price of the subscriptions, and Facebook will not be taking any fees. For
online transactions, you’ll receive 100% of the money, while for transactions
received from the App store, you’ll get 70%, with the other 30% going to the
mobile provider.
For comparison,
Patreon takes 5%, YouTube takes 30%, while Twitch takes 50% of all the money
you earn from subscribers. With that in mind, Facebook is offering content
creators an excellent deal with its Fan Subscriptions model.
As with the Brand
Collabs Manager program, you first need to meet certain requirements before
enabling the subscription option for your Facebook page. The eligibility
requirements for Fan Subscription are:
- Compliance with Facebook Monetization Standards, Fan
Funding Creator Terms, and App
Store Guidelines for Subscriptions
- 10,000 followers or more than 250 return
views, plus one of the following:
- More than 50,000 post engagements in the
past 60 days
- More than 180,000 minutes of watch time
in the past 60 days
If you’re uncertain
whether or not you meet these requirements, you can always check by navigating
to Facebook’s Creator Studio and selecting Monetization.
How To Set Up Subscriptions for Your Facebook Page
Apart from meeting the
eligibility criteria, there are quite a few technical details you need to take
care of before you can start receiving money from your Facebook subscribers.
We’ll guide you through the entire process, assuming you already have an
eligible page.
Here are the steps you
need to take to set up subscriptions on your Facebook page:
- Navigate to the Creator Studio
- Select the page you want to enable
subscriptions and click Start Setup
- Read through and agree to the Terms &
Conditions
- Set up your payout account—link an
existing bank or PayPal account to the Facebook page
- Select which benefits your subscribers
will receive
- Choose the subscription price—we advise
starting off with $5
- Once your request is approved (you’ll be
notified), click Activate Subscriptions
The important thing to
note here is that Facebook will require you to select what kinds of benefits
your subscribers will receive. They’ll all get supporter badges by
default, but it’s up to you to determine what other goodies you’ll bestow them
with upon subscribing.
It’s best to take the
time and create a strategy, and maybe even put together a content plan before
enabling subscriptions. The last thing you want is for your subscribers to get
disappointed by the type or amount of exclusive content they’ll receive after
giving you their hard-earned money.
In-Stream Ads
In-stream ads are
another great way to make money from your Facebook videos.
The term “in-stream”
refers to the fact that the ads are played during a video—as the content is
being “streamed.” The videos don’t have to be live. In fact, ads aren’t played
during live streams but can be added afterwards, when you publish the recording
of a live video on your page.
In-stream ads function
similarly to YouTube in-stream ads, in that they are placed within your
videos and run automatically.
The only thing you
have to worry about is monetization eligibility and creating engaging, long-form
content that will keep your audience interested enough to sit through the ads
before continuing to watch your videos.
Facebook will provide
you with detailed insights regarding your content’s performance and will give
you control over the different categories of ads that will be included in your
videos.
|
Types of Facebook
In-Stream Ads |
|
|
Pre-roll ads |
Ads that play before
your video starts |
|
Mid-roll ads |
Ads that play at
specific intervals during your video. You can choose automatic placement or
determine the placement yourself. |
|
Image ads |
Static ads that are
displayed under your content—below your video, not over it |
To become eligible for
video monetization via in-stream ads, you must:
- Comply with Facebook’s Partner Monetization Policies
- Have at least 10,000 followers on your
Facebook page
- Have at least 30,000 one-minute videos for
three-minute videos (or longer) in the past 60 days
- Be 18 or older
- Live in a country eligible for in-stream ads
Setting up in-stream
ads is relatively simple. Provided your page is eligible, all you have to do is
enable in-stream ads from the Creator Studio. You need to choose between automatic
placements or select your own and choose the video language. Facebook will
handle everything else.
How To Create Engaging Content and Make Money on Facebook Videos
Now that we’ve covered
the technical aspects of Facebook video monetization, it’s time to talk a bit
about the content itself.
As you’ve seen from
the eligibility criteria for different types of monetization on Facebook, it’s
clear that the platform is putting an emphasis on engagement. Before you
can start raking in the money on Facebook, you have to ensure that you’re consistently
providing your audience with premium-quality, entertaining video content.
Most people shy away from videos because they believe that it takes a lot of time and effort to edit videos and that they don’t have the necessary skills. While you can’t become a professional video editor overnight, that doesn’t mean you can’t create stunning videos that your audience will enjoy.