How to Make Money Posting “Unboxing” Videos
Several Christmas’ ago, my nephew asked Santa for a “Bruder Toy Truck”. I had never heard of these toys up until this point. My childhood Christmas gift highlights were Nintendo Entertainment System (8-bits of gaming goodness), Big Wheels, and several He-Man “action figures” (don’t call them dolls).
Ahh, the good ole days
My older brother clued me in about the Bruder products and the quality German engineering that has gone into each toy. I finally got to see the truck that Santa brought my well-behaved, deserving nephew and thought these were cool! I then asked: “How did your son learn about these?” My brother’s response: “he’s been watching JACK’s BRUDER WORLD “unboxing” videos and he became obsessed!”
Unboxing Videos?
I launched the YouTube app on my iPhone and found JACK’s BRUDER WORLD. This video below has over 44 million views, including 445k+ subscribers to the channel.
Spoiler alert: all the kid does is play with the toys!
I reflected upon my own consumer research
I thought about the countless hours of videos I had watched prior to making a purchase. In a sense, these videos heightened my anticipation of receiving the new (insert the anxiously awaited product name here) product.
Unboxing videos are reminiscent of my childhood Christmas’ thumbing through the JC Penney’s and Toys “R” Us catalogs (neither of which are still around!) hopefully awaiting the toy that Santa was bound to bring me.
Fast forward to present-day
I observe videos of guitar players who actually know how to shred “unboxing” a new amplifier, triathletes who’ve competed in multiple Ironman Races discussing the new Garmin watch and overly caffeinated aficionados detailing the Golden Cup Standard (ideal coffee temperature) produced by the latest coffee maker.
Geez, I’m just as obsessed with these videos as my nephew was with JACK’s BRUDER WORLD!
Unboxing videos must take a lot of time to create, right? Why would someone invest their precious time in something like this? Maybe it’s a strange hobby?
It turns out that one can make a pretty good living doing “unboxing videos”.
Let’s start with the YouTube Partner Program:
According to Google, you can earn money on YouTube by applying for and being accepted to the YouTube Partner Program. The channels that are accepted and follow the YouTube channel monetization policies may be able to monetize.
YouTube won’t tell you what to create, but they do hold you to a high standard. They will review your channel before you are accepted and constantly review it to ensure that you meet all the policies and guidelines laid out by the program. You will also be liable to pay taxes from your channel’s earnings.
Ways to make money in the YouTube Partner Program
Advertising Revenue: Earn revenue from Watch Page ads and Shorts Feed ads.
Channel Memberships: Your members make recurring monthly payments in exchange for special perks that you offer.
Shopping: Your fans can browse and buy products, like merch, from your store on YouTube.
Super Chat & Super Stickers: Your fans pay to get their messages or animated images highlighted in chat streams.
Super Thanks: Your fans pay to get their message highlighted in your video’s comments section.
YouTube Premium revenue: Get part of a YouTube Premium subscriber’s subscription fee when they watch your content.
Are “unboxing videos” all about selling products?
No, not necessarily. Affiliate links pay content creators a commission on products. According to shopify.com, affiliate marketing involves referring a product or service by sharing it on a blog, social media platform, podcast, or website. The affiliate earns a commission each time someone makes a purchase through the unique affiliate link associated with their recommendation.
When you click on a product link provided by and individual’s content (blog, webpage, Instagram, YouTube channel etc.) and you make a purchase, the owner of the content makes a commission on the sale.
Think about it
Affiliate marketing is an inexpensive way for sellers to market their products. Why pay for expensive add campaigns when you can cut influencers in on the action based upon how many people tune into their content?
Ever wonder how Facebook makes money?
Facebook is free to sign-up and post your thoughts, amongst other things. As of January 2022, there are over 2.85 BILLION active monthly users. Consider the amount of add-revenue that is generated from all those users!
Not Just a Commercial Break
Another way to commoditize an unboxing video is via advertisement revenue. Next time you watch a YouTube video, and you take that brief “commercial break”, think to yourself “someone just made money from this”.
In the cnn.com article: The bizarre, lucrative world of ‘unboxing’ videos, the author Heather Kelly explains that: The people who post the videos are not just bragging about their latest purchases. They make money off ads displayed at the start of a clip or that pop up while they’re playing. YouTube’s payment system is complicated, but one unboxer said he can make $2 to $4 for every 1,000 views.
Let’s do the math for JACK BRUDER’s WORLD
$2 to $4 for every 1,000 views. JBW’s video post above had 44 million views. That video alone may have generated $88,000 to $176,000 in revenue!
The more creative and captivating the video is, the longer the viewer is willing to tune in resulting in more advertising revenue.
I purchased a new car this last year (ungh, that’s a blog post for another day)
You think I watched some car review videos? You betcha! The Ford Motor Company owes my favorite Car Review Youtuber Doug DeMuro some commission on the Mach-E that I overpaid for this last Summer.
I watched every second of Doug’s 33+ minute review of the Mach-E. While Doug may not have made a nickel from Ford, he likely raked in several dollars from the YouTube Partner Program due to his engaging, quirky content.
How much money can one earn on YouTube?
According to variety.com, Mr. Beast, aka Jimmy Donaldson raked in $54 million in 2021.
Ever notice how the person in YouTube videos is always reminding you to hit that “subscribe” button?
As of January 2023, Mr. Beast has over 127 million subscribers on YouTube. His most popular video “$56,000 Squid Game in Real Life” has over 338 million views.
How to make an unboxing video
You don’t necessarily have to be James Cameron or George Lucas to create an effective unboxing video. Anyone can make one. All you need to get started is a mobile phone to record your content.
According to upwork.com, there are 5 steps to create a highly engaging unboxing video that resonates with your audience:
1. Choose an item to unbox: choose something exciting and fun, but not too expensive or valuable.
2. Study the product: the more you know about the product, the better you will showcase that product’s advantages and disadvantages.
3. Write a script: it will help you organize your thoughts, plan how to present the product, and ensure you don't forget any vital aspects.
4. Shoot the footage: these videos are shot with a mobile phone or under the guise of a professional. Just be sure to film at the right angle, pay attention to lighting and know when to let the product be the star of the show.
5. Edit the video: there are several online video editors that can create professional looking videos without costing thousands of dollars.
If only JC Penney or Toys “R” Us could have capitalized on the unboxing craze sooner, they may still be relevant. It’s not too late for you or me though. Now that we know just enough about how to make money doing an unboxing video, maybe we should take a stab at it?
Stay tuned for the first “Enough About It” YouTube Channel video….
Oh, and don’t forget to hit the “Subscribe” button!
https://www.brudertoys.com/en/
https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/72857?hl=en
https://variety.com/2022/digital/news/mrbeast-highest-earning-youtube-star-54-million-1235154580/
https://www.upwork.com/resources/how-to-make-unboxing-videos
