p–ISSN: 2723 - 6609 e-ISSN: 2745-5254

Vol. 5, No. 11, November 2 024 http://jist.publikasiindonesia.id/

Indonesian Journal of Social Technology, Vol. 5, No. 11, November 2024 4988

Exploration of Youtuber Business Models as an Additional

Reference for Current Professional Opportunities

Deni Asmayadi

Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia

Email: [email protected]

*Correspondence

ABSTRACT

Keywords: youtuber;

work; economics.

This research explores the opportunities for YouTubers'

digital workers today. The existence of opportunities to earn

income from the YouTube platform in the form of AdSense,

as well as other income opportunities that are open because

of being a YouTuber makes people want to engage in this

digital worker. Either as a side job or as a main job. No

research explores the current YouTuber business model,

making this research important to be used as an additional

reference for those who want to become YouTubers. This

research applies a qualitative method whose goal is to

explore information in depth. With in-depth interviews with

2 big YouTubers and 2 beginner YouTubers as well as

Employees of the Directorate General of Taxes, the author

found that currently, the work of YouTubers is not as

prospective as it used to be, because the competition

between YouTubers is very tight, and the regulations

imposed by YouTube related to AdSense are also felt by

informants. In conclusion, to start a career as a content

creator on YouTube, and then make it your main income for

now seems less recommended. Apart from the fact that

there are many YouTubers, it means that the red ocean or

competition is saturated, also the adsense received turns out

to be "change", to collect just 100 dollars can be a year as

experienced by Susanto who currently has 18.8 thousand

subscribers.

Introduction

This research discusses YouTube social media as an arena for career opportunities

for content creators in the digital era, not only as a main job but also as a side job.

Currently 1 in 4 people are content creators, the potential in this industry in 2023 alone

will reach 7 trillion and will increase 5 times in 2027 as digital platforms develop.

(Sunariyah, 2022).

Exploration of Youtuber Business Models as an Additional Reference for Current

Professional Opportunities

Indonesian Journal of Social Technology, Vol. 5, No. 11, November 2024 4989

The aspiration to become a YouTuber as a side hustle has indeed seen a

significant increase in popularity, especially among the younger age group. Burgess, J.,

& Green (2018) and Abidin (2018) Noting that the appeal of creative freedom, flexible

work schedules, a desire to express oneself, and the possibility of monetization through

online content creation, have attracted a diverse range of individuals to pursue careers as

digital workers, with YouTubers being a prime example.

In addition to revenue from content monetization, YouTube's national digital

intermediary platform unlocks other significant revenue potential from advertising,

sponsorships, and merchandise sales. (Hou, 2019). Boerman & van Reijmersdal (2020)

Stated that YouTubers are considered to be fun and inspirational figures. This

perception makes YouTubers an attractive spokesperson for advertisers, who leverage

their popularity and influence to reach their target audience effectively. Thus, becoming

a YouTuber not only provides earning opportunities but also improves one's social

status and self-image in the surrounding environment. (Abidin, 2018).

Writer Cunningham, S., & Craig (2017) It also found that high earning potential is

the main attraction for the younger generation to make digital work a career or side job.

Ironically, in Indonesia, the majority of young people today, especially Generation

Z, are unemployed. This is due to the mismatch between available jobs and

undergraduate expertise. There is also a work-life balance trend that makes them choose

to remain unemployed until a job that is considered worthy emerges. (Puspaningtyas,

Lida. Wulandhari, 2023).

Before YouTube, many permanent/office workers did side jobs selling goods or

services from their respective skills outside of working hours. But after the existence of

YouTube, another opportunity that can be used as a side job is very good. An example

occurs with the two content creators that will be discussed in this article.

Regarding previous research, there are writings from Zahrah (2024) Entitled

Vlogger And Brand Credibility Perception: A Systematic Literature Review Of

Endorsement Effectiveness, this study analyzes the effectiveness of endorsements on

YouTube vlogs (video blogs) by assessing the perceived credibility of vloggers and

brands. The research was conducted using a systematic literature review method, which

resulted in the effectiveness of endorsements being closely related to the perception of

vloggers' credibility and also having an impact on the endorsed products. Overall,

understanding the effectiveness of endorsements on YouTube vlogs can help companies

choose the right vloggers and achieve marketing success.

Then there is research from Yuanda & T. Ilham Saladin (2023) entitled The

Phenomenon of Youtubers as Jobs in The Modern Era (Case Study of Meranti Village

Youtuber). The researcher wants to see how a new job emerges into the life of the

community, especially the people of Meranti Village, the purpose of this study is to find

out how the YouTube application can be used more in the realm of new jobs in the

current modern era. This type of research is qualitative research, the subject of this

research is YouTubers in Meranti Village, with the results of the study showing that the

phenomenon of YouTubers as a job in the modern era that occurs in Meranti Village is

due to an advancement of the times that continues to develop and to the efficiency of the

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work done by them and can get a fairly decent and easy income to do the work.

Researchers also looked at how they went about their daily lives from waking up early

to starting content creation to editing videos at night. Researchers also see that

becoming a YouTuber in Meranti Village not only provides a decent income but also

requires patience and struggle to achieve success in the profession, because if not you

will become a YouTuber fail, and not continue again.

Existing research lacks exploration regarding business models, profits, and

economic losses that will be obtained by YouTubers. So the author fills the void by

interviewing relevant informants.

The author interviewed Pandi, who managed to use YouTube as a side hustle.

Pandi is the person behind the large YouTube account Sophisticated Kali which in 2023

successfully got a silver play button. Currently, the Sophisticated Kali YouTube account

has 113,000 subscribers. Especially, the success of YouTube Sophisticated Kali, which

focuses on reviewing this gadget, is run by its business process, almost without a team.

Starting a YouTube account in 2017, of course, Pandi has a lot of experience

interacting with this platform. How the business model is run, and what strategies are

used so that they can profit in the midst of their busyness as permanent workers, of

course, will be interesting to explore.

For the example of the two young men from Magelang, the author enriches the

findings of facts that have not been explored from Pandi, especially related to its

economic and social impacts. The owner of the YouTube account Denias Susanto is

nicknamed an elderly content creator in Magelang because he has been active in

creating content for a long time, especially related to travel and tourism content.

Currently, his YouTube account has 18.8 thousand subscribers. A permanent worker in

an office started by becoming an assistant to another content creator in 2012, Susanto

was serious about developing his own YouTube account in 2021. As a result, currently,

the videos are often used by other content creators, even national private TV uses the

content several times. Even though the subscribers are only 18 thousand, income

opportunities from other business models due to being content creators have been

opened.

Then, the author tries to dig up information from full-time digital workers. The

author explores two people who make digital work their main job. First, there is

YouTuber Gamerbonk as well as the person behind

the https://diorama.suaramerdeka.com/ website. Second, the author also explores

YouTuber @babalilitata who started his YouTube 8 years ago, and currently,

@babalilitata has 20 workers to produce his YouTube content.

Finally, the author asked two employees of the Directorate General of Taxes to

discuss the tax obligations of this YouTuber, so as to find clarity on whether this

YouTuber's business model is still profitable to be used as a side job or even a main job.

The author also presents the twists and turns of becoming a YouTuber.

Exploration of Youtuber Business Models as an Additional Reference for Current

Professional Opportunities

Indonesian Journal of Social Technology, Vol. 5, No. 11, November 2024 4991

Method

This research applies a qualitative method whose goal is to dig up information in

depth, open to various responses. (Handoko, Y., Wijaya, H. A., & Lestari, 2024). In this

case, the author digs out informants from experienced YouTubers. The data collection

technique was carried out by in-depth interviews. Ida (2014) Explain that in-depth

interviews are conducted to find out, or conduct a more in-depth investigation about a

particular topic or issue. In this case, in-depth interviews related to the habits of

YouTubers who make it a side job and YouTubers and digital workers as the main job.

The methods used in collecting data in this paper are interviews via telephone,

Zoom, and observation of the YouTube accounts of each informant. The author also

complements his findings with his own experience as a YouTuber since 2021.

Results and Discussion

Business Model and Source of Income

The Sophisticated Kali YouTube account focuses on discussing tech reviewers,

including unboxing, reviewing, and versus gadgets. Sophisticated Kali's first video is a

video of unboxing a OnePlus cellphone/cellphone borrowed from his office mate. Then

in the next videos, Pandi buys his gadgets. One of the videos that made his account

known to many people was the reverse video Samsung M10 vs A10. This video became

a turning point where subscribers rose sharply, small endorsements began to come in,

and began to routinely receive AdSense.

Currently, the business model of Sophisticated Kali is to follow the launch of a

new cellphone every month, order it online, and after the cellphone is received, it will

be used for testing for 3 days while preparing a video script to be made. Then the

Sophisticated Kali account will upload related videos once a week.

Then cellphones and gadgets that have been reviewed will be sold to their online

stores on the Tokopedia marketplace, with https://www.tokopedia.com/canggihkali link

addresses, which are certainly below the market price.

For the business process to run smoothly, the used review gadget must be sold

immediately, and later the money from the sale will be used to buy the latest cellphone

again. To realize this, Pandi often advertises his ex-review products on other social

media, namely Whatsapp and Instagram. YouTube Sophisticated Kali's current source

of income apart from AdSense, and endorsements, there is also a fee from affiliate links

that are promoted in the video and written in the video description. However, according

to him, the fee from this affiliate link is the smallest income when compared to AdSense

and endorsements.

There are currently two methods of endorsements received by Sophisticated Kali,

the first is product seeding, which is giving products to influencers for free whose

purpose is to be reviewed in more detail. This first method is always carried out by HP

China Infinix, Tecno, and Itel who have routinely collaborated with Sophisticated Kali.

The second method is that the product that has been reviewed will be returned, and then

the influencer is given a fee for the review video that has been made. This second

method is always used by Samsung and Oppo. Gadget companies other than HP always

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carry out product seeding methods such as smart watches, speakers, power banks,

gimbals, and earphones.

Of the 6 revenue options offered by YouTube, Sophisticated Kali only activates,

watch page ads, short feed ads, and Super Thanks.

Super Thanks is revenue from viewers who want to show more gratitude for their

creator's content videos. Pandi stated that he had never gotten anything from this super

thanks. The author thinks that Indonesian audiences should not give money for the

content that has been created, appreciating through comments is sometimes difficult for

Indonesian netizens.

Super thanks himself, YouTube the author once got it from the audience, which

later in the YouTube Studio display will look like in this picture 2. If you look at the

picture, the audience gave a super thanks of Rp 150,000 but what the content creator

received and appeared on YouTube Studio was Rp 103,614, there was a deduction of

around Rp 46,386 or 31% by YouTube.

Apart from YouTube, in March 2024 @TikTokofficialindonesia sent an

Instagram message to Sophisticated Kali, which contained an invitation to become its

content creator. Sophisticated Kali was asked to make 7 videos for one month, in

exchange for 300 dollars in the form of vouchers, and 95 dollars could be disbursed.

Pandi used the voucher to advertise his video, and the result was only 3 videos uploaded

on TikTok, Sophisticated Kali has gained 9000 followers. Then for the 95 dollars,

TikTok will disburse it to Pandi's account on May 16, 2024.

According to Pandi, TikTok's requirement for "hijacking" YouTubers to become

content creators is that the number of subscribers on YouTube is at least 10,000, and is

considered potential by TikTok. YouTube itself, according to Pandi, has often

conducted satisfaction surveys for its content creators, and when viewed from the

questions asked, it seems to show concerns that YouTube is abandoned by its content

creators.

Interestingly, Sophisticated this time is not only glanced at by TikTok but also

online/slot gambling companies. Pandi said that this slot dared to pay a higher fee than a

Figure 1

Report from the content entitled How to Create a Podcast via Podcasters

on Spotify on Deni Asmayadi's YouTube account

Exploration of Youtuber Business Models as an Additional Reference for Current

Professional Opportunities

Indonesian Journal of Social Technology, Vol. 5, No. 11, November 2024 4993

"legal" brand when endorsing. But Pandi always refuses to collaborate with this

"illegal" brand or product, because Pandi tries to be a virtuous and enlightened content

creator with his content.

Meanwhile, the business model of Susanto's YouTube account is to create a

matrix containing potential locations for sightseeing in various regions, which are then

made a schedule to visit. Similar to Sophisticated Kali, Susanto also did it himself.

Susanto will take a lot of video footage at the location to be used as stock, which will

later be edited and then paid in installments when uploading it. The usual upload pattern

is 10 times uploading short videos, followed by 1 long video upload in one week.

The quality of the videos recorded by Susanto is considered very good, proven to

have been used by more than 50 videos by other content creators, including television.

Some of them have permission first, and some have not. Everything was detected by

YouTube and reported to Susanto, but Susanto preferred to keep it quiet. This results in

content containing footage originating from Susanto having red dollar status (no

Adsense).

Susanto admitted that the AdSense received was not enough to cover the cost of

his travels, so he often used personal money. Since her account monetized at the end of

2022, Susanto has only withdrawn her Adsense 3 times, meaning that she has only

collected about 300 dollars. Susanto also said that the estimated number of adsense

receipts published by socialblade.com was very far off. However, Susanto does not

mind that, because there have been many offers of endorsements for tourist attractions

or restaurants that ask Susanto to visit him.

The social and economic impact of Susanto's content is to change the location of

the "hidden gem" which was initially quiet to crowded. His content has had an impact

like this twice, the first time when he strayed to Sukomakmur Magelang, and he decided

to record it, the second time at Propane Range Pancaarga Magelang. According to his

confession, there was a little regret when he went viral with the location because

currently there are many buildings that are not clear, and it is difficult to park, so it is

difficult to get peace of mind/healing in that place. Although it may be felt that it has a

positive impact on residents because they can sell, and others.

Then his YouTube account Gamerbonk, this informant has been in the world of

content creators for a long time even before YouTube was popular. In the past, the

informant started as a content creator of the website of a large company Game Media

Asia, namely https://gamebrott.com, then he resigned and decided to create his website

with his team in collaboration with the newspaper media company Suara Merdeka.

Starting last year, the informant decided to become a gamer YouTuber as his side job.

Currently, the subscribers are only 1.4 thousand, and YouTube's business model is to

research to determine what games to review, then produce by recording the screen while

playing the game, then making a script, and finally uploading the content once a week

on Saturday night.

This informant had said that this YouTube adsense has always been of little value,

especially for those who watch Indonesians. This informant's remarks reminded the

author that indeed the CPM (cost per thousand impressions/cost per thousand

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impressions paid by advertisers) in each country is different. This is also in line with

Pandi's statement that in the past before YouTube placed ads on all videos (including to

accounts that were not partners), and before TikTok was as big as it is today, AdSense

revenue was felt to be very large, but now it is felt to be declining.

Susanto also said the same thing, she often gets suspicions from her friends that

she gets a lot of money from AdSense, when in fact what she gets from Adsense is

a "dime".

The above statements also remind the author of the statements of many old

YouTubers who mentioned that YouTubers who are just starting today are more

difficult than those who have started their YouTube in the past, one of which is related

to the amount of AdSense (because the YouTubers themselves have increased, then the

platform for advertisers has also increased). Aligned with research Yuanda & T. Ilham

Saladin (2023) Which states that the digital content industry, including YouTube today,

is highly competitive. Some YouTubers may have a hard time competing with other

popular content that already has a large fan base.

Target Consumers and Strategies

Pandi seriously read the results of the analysis on the YouTube Studio account of

Sophisticated Kali and concluded that the audience is mostly from the lower middle

class, people who are looking for cheap cell phones with the best specifications.

It is also supported by the habit of Sophisticated Kali getting high engagement

from videos when reviewing cellphones under 3 million. On the other hand, when Pandi

reviewed cell phones from endorsements that cost more than 3 million, the video results

had low engagement, few comments, and a small number of viewers.

Of the three video themes that Sophisticated Kali often brings (unboxing, review,

and versus), indeed the versus theme is the most crowded. Prior to 2020 content versus

very little was discussed, mostly unboxing and review videos. However, after 2020, a

lot of versus content has started.

The difference between Sophisticated Kali and other similar accounts is the

characteristic of Pandi who does not want to show the face of his host. Then Pandi also

strategizes to provide the most complete gadget information possible when reviewing,

which even other accounts have never discussed and occasionally holds a giveaway.

Here is Pandi's statement regarding this: "I was there trying to make the most complete

information, at the end that is what makes people like my channel, because I see many

comments saying "Wow, on other channels, this has never been discussed but on this

channel, it is discussed". Even compared to GadgetIn, "wow, in GadgetIn it has never

been discussed, here it is discussed in these parts" (Interview, April 6, 2024).

Meanwhile, Susanto's target audience is those who need a reference to the

location of cheap or paid roads. Regarding his strategy, Susanto revealed that he often

visits the locations of roads that have not been raised by many YouTubers.

Meanwhile, Gamerbonk targets uploading videos once a week, with its target

audience of people who like video games. In addition, Gamerbonk wants to develop his

YouTube organically and use original videos, not other people's videos or reuploads,