I’ve been playing around with buying Youtube accounts lately for traffic and wanted to share some of my story…
Now you might be wondering why would anyone want to buy a Youtube account? Well if you can find a good account with a lot of views in your niche then you can promote your website or affiliate links on those accounts pretty easily.
Take for example this video…
As you can see, this video has 77,258 views on it. It’s not a ton, but if the account has 20-30 videos like this then it would be well worth it to try and buy the account.
All you have to do is go to Clickbank and find a workout of diet product and promote it with an affiliate link under the video. You can also add annotations to the video so that you can direct them to your URL (redirect it) as well…
Now the other way you can do this is to find accounts that have just 1-2 KILLER videos with millions of views. This is what I try to do. Most of these accounts are run by kids who have no clue that the views they have are worth anything. So for a 12 year old kid, if you offered him $100 for the account he would probably gladly take it.
How to buy the account and make an offer
This is where it boils down to a numbers game. Most of the accounts you want, you’ll have a hard time getting an answer from the owner. And if you do, most of them are skeptical that you’re going to scam them or steal their identity (cant happen, but people are skeptical)
I heard some good tips on this from a Jason Moffat video I watched a while back – he said that what was working for him was using something like this in a private Youtube message…
Hey, I just came across your Youtube account and Im interested in buying it. My buddy and I are having a competition to see who can get the most traffic to our websites and I want to use some of the videos you have to do that. If you want to setup the videos on another account thats fine with me, I just want your account as it is. I can pay you like $100 for the account – and Ill send you the money via Paypal or a check in the mail. Let me know if youre interested.
Now one of the keys to this is that you have to find accounts that someone has no emotional or economic attachment to. If someone has a bunch of workout videos for their own site and they are making money with it, they arent going to sell it to you. And if some little kid has a bunch of his favorite WoW clips on his account, then he’s prolly going to be hesitant with giving it up…
This is why you either have to tell them they can keep all the vids and move them to a new account – or you need to find accounts that just have 1-2 really good videos that have 1 million+ views….
What to do once you have the account
Once you agree on a price, then all you need to do is get the password from them. Make sure you change it right away (along with any other information)
And then you can start to monetize the videos by linking them to your affiliate links – or by sending them to your own website. The best ways to link up is in the “About” box and also put annotations on the screen that direct people to your website or redirecting URL.
One of the easiest ways to figure out which accounts to buy would be to go Clickbank and find products that would fit certain types of videos. So if there is a Youtube video of a 7 year old doing a killer solo on guitar then find a “learn how to play guitar” product on Clickbank and put an affiliate link in there.
You could literally do this for almost every niche that has a product on Clickbank.
My experiences buying Youtube accounts
So far I’ve bought 5 accounts for $650 total. My total affiliate commission made off all the accounts has been $1750. Now the good thing is, if these accounts all stay active and the traffic stays the same, I’ll make an extra $10,000-$12,000 dollars this year off the accounts.
I havent hit a MAJOR winner ($5k or more per month), but Im going to keep trying to see if I can find one…
- Justin
About the author...
Justin Goff – who has written 20 posts on ShoeMoney.com.
Justin sells the highest paying fat loss product on Clickbank called the 31 Day Fat Loss Cure. Get more info on being an affiliate here or check out the best damn podcast about the crazy world of Internet Marketing
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{ 84 comments… read them below or add one }
Isn’t it a better idea to download their videos and upload to your own account?
No – what you want is the traffic the videos are generating, not the actual videos.
I see. I have some friends who have uploaded some really great videos. I should start checking the traffic stats and start buying. Thanks, man!
Neat strategy! I might actually give this a shot.
Justin – brilliant idea! I may have to try this for my online store vs. an affiliate link.
I’ve thought about trying to purchase some youtube accounts – but never gave it a shot. Great to read that you did and it’s working for you. $12K per year is enough for someone to live here in Thailand – pretty well. Writing books works for me, but this would be nice extra income if I could figure out a way to monetize it. I don’t like clickbank at all – the reversal of buys – sucks and I get discouraged seeing money disappear out of my account. Add to that the baseline balance that needs to be in the account – that only Clickbank understands – and I just don’t get it.
Maybe if I monetize by linking up to my mikefook site – where I’m selling ebooks about Thailand. Could possibly work. Would have to try to buy Thailand focused YT accounts.
Good article – wish it were longer! Cheers, MF
I’ve just recently signed up for some affiliate programs. I want to promote the sites I’ve created to promote the products so this is definitely one option I’d like to try. Good to know that I don’t have to spend much to buy a YouTube video.
Wow! What a great tip!
Nice read! I want to give this a try.
Great! I think it’s worth to try. Thnx
Great idea! Thats what I call thinking out of the box
cheers!
Nice article, Justin! Great timing, too, since I’m looking for some other ways to earn more money online. 5 videos should be a good start. I’ll just buy more once the initial purchase proves well worth the investment.
This is a new way of looking at things. Wouldn’t have thought of buying a YouTube account and I can see how they can easily be monetized. Thanks for pointing this our way.
Goes to show there are still a lot of yet unexplored income streams out there. Nice one, Justin!
You got that right. Keeps me on my toes. I wouldn’t want to miss opportunities like this so I’ll go look for videos now. Thanks for the tip, Justin!
Good idea for now, but in the long run not very sustainable. I wait for the day Youtube bans affiliate links, like Facebook has done.
Where has Facebook banned aff. links? In status updates?
I was going to say this is a similar strategy to buying Facebook pages. But Facebook does take away publishing rights from people who abuse the pages (pushing people to content locked CPA offers etc) especially if you are promoting unrelated offers or your page isn’t linked to a business. But they definitely haven’t banned aff links.
I dont see why Google would stop people wanting to monetize their videos either. If there is no monetization it will remove (some) motivation for people to post, thus less content for Google.
I’ve heard this idea about a little over a year ago from some kid selling a product. I wanted to try it but never got around to it. Thanks for the reminder!
First time I’ve heard of it. I think $100 is a reasonable investment considering the potential earnings. The thing is, if those video owners got wind of this information they’d either make money out of those videos themselves or ask for a higher price.
What’s your success rate? As in, how many accounts did you contact to get the 5 you have? Anyone try to screw you out of the $100?
Very solid idea… Thanks for sharing; I definitely learned from this!
i heard about this technique in cpa instruments. its totally great and i works!
@Justin I dig this tactic. It occurs to me that if you are able to buy an account for $100 it’s probably worth the risk to just get it done. However, if you are far exceeding this (purchase price) I really like the security I get in using a service like Escrow.com.
I gotta admit, that’s a fantastic idea. Money to be made from anything now. 12K annually isn’t bad. And it can increase if you keep finding more videos in the niche.
I agree! I’m always on the lookout for other ways to generate some extra income so this is something I’d like to try.
I’ve been thinking about exploring multiple income streams so this post couldn’t have come at a better time. I’m definitely going to give it a try. Thanks!
Great post! I’ve learned some useful stuff since I started following your guest posts here. Looking forward to the next one!
Awesome! I better start looking for some great videos I could buy. Keep the tips coming and thanks for this!
Sounds good. How long does it usually take before you start seeing some results? I’m interested to buy maybe 4 or 5 videos first and see how it goes.
Interesting. $10-12K income in one year is a great start esp. for newbies like me. I’ll give this a try for maybe a few videos first.
I first heard about this in 2009 but didn’t bother to look into the possibility of using it to earn extra income. I hope I’d be able to buy some videos for a $100 each, too.
Sounds like a fairly simple way to establish another income stream. So I just buy the videos, add a direct link and that’s it?
Well, using YouTube to reach your target market is cheap and easy and the service is definitely right on the mark if you know what you’re doing. Maybe I’ll think this over while I enjoy another installment of lolcats, alright?
Thanks, Justin.
Ever since YouTube has jumped the shark and became corporate, I transferred to Vimeo and Daily Motion. Moreover, there are so many underrated video sites these days that Google doesn’t even give a dang about.
Thanks for crediting me for this tactic Justin. We’ve been silently teaching it for about 4 years now. Obviously, it’s not so silent anymore. Anyhow, appreciate you giving me a plug instead of teaching it as your own tactic like numerous scavengers out there have.
Peace
PS: If you think this is a great tactic, you should see some of the crazy stuff I’ve been brewing up over the last year that I haven’t mentioned much about.
How about sharing them right here by asking Shoe that you’ll contribute a post or two?
There could be copyright infringement issues when you post or link a video on YT and there are a lot of useless stuff on the homepage. (I mean who watches a couple jailbaits eating cupcakes?) Bring back the old set up, YouTube!
Perhaps, the greatest thing about YouTube is that there was a time when it was free. No costs, no hidden charges.
Many individuals mistakenly believe that their videos will only be seen by members, but that isn’t the truth. Any internet user, even those without an account, can view your videos on YouTube etc. An upside for some members but definitely a plus for web marketers.
I definitely agree. In fact, it is not uncommon for video viewers to email a YouTube video link to those that they know. Therefore, the views that your videos may get may be more than you ever expected or wanted.
Here’s a tip of my own, Justin. Only make the video as long as it needs to be. Short and to the point is usually the way to go. This is especially true if it is any kind of advertising, training or marketing. That’s what users are looking for. You might end up with a sale, too.
Using good sound is an advantage as well. No matter what the video is like, if the sound is good, people will listen.
That’s what is wrong with YT now. Multinational companies are already weeding out “their” material from videos. Some are even left without audio.
You can buy my account for a case of Samuel Adams Winter Lager.
lol, deal!
Where’s the LIKE button when you need one?
Rating YouTube videos gives other users an idea as to which videos are high in demand, which, in turn, can lead to more of your favorite videos being found on the site. Buying the accounts that are really off the charts is just a good idea. Thanks for the heads up.
Since any video that you upload to the online video website like YouTube can be viewed by just about anyone with an internet connection, it is perhaps the most appropriate site to launch a clip-based campaign.
One of the many benefits to registering for a YouTube account is that it is relatively easy to do. Agree, everyone?
If you enjoy using the internet as a source of entertainment — like I do — you will not only want to visit YouTube, but you will also want to take the few minutes needed to register for a free account. (Now what did I win?)
Even if you consider yourself to be unskilled with computers, you should still be able to make, upload, and share your video or videos online. In all honesty, all you need is a video recording device, like a camcorder or a webcam, and a movie editing software program, which now comes standard with most computers to make YouTube videos. (And that’s why most YT clips suck.)
I totally agree. I think its enough work with one channel and to do the work twice (because I bought another one) doesn’t seem that attractive. I think I’ll pass on this idea.
You said it. I mean, who watches Bieber standing in front a sign in Germany while eating a lollipop?
The site’s overrun with weirdos and creeps. You have to sift through a lot of C.R.A.P. to get to the good stuff.
Pro-tip: Simply adding your business information at the end of the video is a great way to get your point across, but without making your online video seem as it is an advertisement.
One way of doing it is linking the video to your channel or perhaps making a link wheel. That way, I’d still have the traffic but I won’t be a hundred bucks poorer…
Got a $100 I can borrow?
Many of the videos currently found on YouTube are comedy skits, video blogs, and candid videos. How do you weed out the useful from the potential e-commerce stars?
I love YouTube as much as I love Twitter but I think the former is just getting too capitalist for me these days.
Investing in a YouTube account is still something I should sleep on.
$100 is fine but what if the owner of the account you’re aiming for has other ideas?
Whether you are advertising your services, like as a website designer or an online actress, you can do so through YouTube. Nonetheless, it’s going to cost you a bit if you’re gunning for a wide viewership.
Whatever happened to Logonerds and the rest of the Marketplace post?
Justin did it. That means we can do it, too. What do you say, guys?
Thanks for the article. I really appreciate it when people are honest, because I’ve heard stories of people buying these Youtube links online and somehow they’re all “millionaires”. I was really curious to see some real results and these numbers make a lot more sense so I really appreciate your article. It gives you an idea of whether it’s really worth your time to invest in this strategy.
Thanks for the tip. I didn’t realise you could do that.
This is a new way of looking at things. Wouldn’t have thought of buying a YouTube account and I can see how they can easily be monetized. Thanks for pointing this our way.
Justin, I have been enjoying your guest posts. This is a nice idea and something I would never have thought of, but will certainly be examining further.
Never thought of this, it sounds like a great idea. Does Youtube have any problem with it?
This is really brilliant idea, I will do this tips right away. Thanks Justin!
There is a lot to learn about internet marketing and it never ends because internet marketing is always moving forwards. I can’t brag about being an expert but I do know how to set an internet marketing and now I am excited about my new subscription to some important network affiliates and looking forward to see the results. People like these kind of experts will dictate trends in internet marketing, we need to step close to them and keep up, that’s the way it goes and that’s the way I see it.
I don’t get it. You buy an account with 2 videos let’s say and one of them has 78,579. The video had these amount of views before you bought it. So, how much traffic do you actually can generate?
I have been trying to promote my website(s) using my youtube channel. However I didn’t have much success. Only 5% of my traffic comes through these Video sites.
Don’t know what I am doing wrong. No luck yet in this way of marketing
This is a great idea I have a nice adult oriented account on youtube http://www.youtube.com/user/pamelahiltonnews is any one willing to make an offer ?
I think that DonTed is right. For example, you bought an account with 2 videos, both hitting the 100k views mark. How can you know that both videos will keep the same views trend? If you presume that the views trend will be the same, most of the times you might get burned. Maybe no one (ok, I’m exaggerating a little bit) will view your video in the following months, after you bought that account… What happens then? What guarantees do you have? None. Please correct me if I’m wrong. Justin, or anyone else…
Interesting angle on IM to be honest never thought going done this route. Do you know anyone who has done this and any idea of ROI? I would imagine that as soon as one inquires to buy an account, the owner would soon wise up to its potential along with monetary value.
JT
This is definitely something I want to check out. The cool thing is that it can never really get saturated. Should be interesting that is for sure.
fantastic post. Ne’er knew this, thankyou for letting me know.
I like your idea Justin
I blogged about this a couple years ago but my angle was contacting them to buy a link on a specific video – especially home page featured ones. I like the idea of buying accounts better..
Hey Justin,
I am able to increase youtube views quite easily, all legit and have tested out on 10 – 20 videos with a 100% non-ban rate, and have perfected a great new method. I am wondering where should I sell a service of this sort, and/or where should I go looking for a joint venture.
Now I am sure it may seem like a service that is not needed, but I am sure there are thousands of people, if not millions, that want to purchase views. This is because I am sure that if they pay for the views they will then expose their video to others, and will increase their organic views that they were already getting.
Just want your opinion on the subject, and/or shed some light on it if you have the time.
Cheers
Hey! Justin..
This is quite cool strategy, Thanks for sharing. Want to ask you one thing…
As you said that you have bought 5 such accounts, then what do you place in description, A Affiliate link or your site having Affiliate Product? Which one gives you more conversations?
Regards..
Hetal
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