Youtube has become a reliable source of income for many Kenyans, thanks to the growing number of viewers who are always up and searching for content relating to their interests and preferences. Literally the Youtube University has been the paradigm shift in the lives of many people across the world.
This year’s annual Youtube ranking by Forbes has named an eight-year-old Ryan Kaji, as the highest YouTube earners for the second year in a row, making $26million (Ksh 2.6 Billion) this year from $22 million last year. Kaji reviews toys on YouTube with his parents and twin sisters on the channel “Ryan’s World” which has garnered over 22.9 million subscribers.
His channel is among the top 100 most subscribed in the U.S. with his videos enjoying a massive over 30 billion views. ‘Huge Eggs Surprise Toys Challenge’ is among the most viewed video on the channel with over 1.9 billion hits. Kaji being a minor, his parents have previously said most of the money he makes is being held in a fund to be put towards his college education.
According to a study from US Think Tank, YouTube videos with children in them receive three times more views on average than other types of videos from high-subscriber channels. Most Youtubes have identified other channels of making money others through adverts and number of views.
In Kenya, a number of Youtuber have diversified into selling merchandise, crowdfunding, working with brands as an influencer, licensing content on media. Youtube is definitely is a platform to watch out for.