YouTube by Google has given flight capabilities to a variety of content producers, including entertainers, advertisers, and digital marketers. By combining creativity with professional resource knowhow, creators are making successful YouTube careers that are both consumer-centric and exciting.
YouTube has risen from its lowly 2005 beginnings to become a haven for online entrepreneurs. The platform has all the while been representing what’s left of the heritage of everything free and available.
The most engaging and effective form of marketing involves video, and Google appreciates this with its versatile YouTube platform. Nowadays, knowing how to create well-defined content for your YouTube channel is a valuable skill and can generate enormous amounts of income. Being certified as a YouTube digital marketer is a sort after credibility, meaning that you have industry level knowhow and are versed in all the modern best practices.
How to Become YouTube Certified
To become a YouTube Certified expert, you must be a YouTube Partner or have qualified as a Google advertising associate. The YouTube Certified program involved a stringent enrollment system after you undertake a certification track with provided self-paced course materials. A two-hour exam tests your proficiency within selected certification modules, and on passing your granted certification for 18 months.
YouTube is committed to excellence and, as such, runs a certification program where Partners and creators who have a Partner manager or access to Content ID are eligible to participate.
The program involves a series of courses that equip creators or YouTube Partners with advanced tools and knowledge of Google ecosystems. With the courses involving lessons in advanced analytics and rights management, YouTube Certified courses admit both individuals and corporations to the Creator Academy.
Learn how to optimize your YouTube channel and grow content audiences by creating better video quality to increase performance. With course topics such as ‘Maximizing your channel,’ YouTube’s certification courses last two weeks and comprehensively cover;
- Building subscribers: Drawing new viewers and getting them to subscribe to your channel
- Viewer attraction: Making your channel to attract daily viewers by organizing and curating content to be user friendly
- Cross-platform optimization: How to make your YouTube channel sustain its relevancy on TV screens, computers, mobile devices, and gaming consoles
You have an extensive YouTuber certification track that spans across specific subject lines, which are covered in the process of attaining YouTube Certified qualifications.
Benefits of Being YouTube Certified
A YouTube Certified content creator, manager, or analyst has the credibility to offer services or give advice on matters of digital marketing. Beginning in 2014, YouTube certification has been the standard for channel management best practices, signifying that a YouTuber has been adequately guided and equipped. By educating both amateur and professional creators, the program imparts skills that empower them to maintain successful platforms.
Though YouTube doesn’t give guarantees on an individual or company performance in relation to its certification, the benefits you reap directly from being a YouTube Certified digital marketer includes;
- Becoming designated as a YouTube Certified individual or company
- Being included in YouTube Certified companies or individuals directory
- Making use of your Certified badge with YouTube’s permission on digital marketing products
- Specialized certification track inclusion as soon as they are launched
The knowledge that YouTube imparts enrollees of YouTube certification would take years of research; otherwise and becoming designate enters you or your company into YouTube’s G+ community. New ways of teaching using technology, for instance, are available via G-suite, and certified educators are able to utilize these resources.
Annually updated, YouTube Certified courses feature the combined and distilled knowledge of past creators that paved the way for successful online video channels. In order to become eligible as an inductee to YouTube Certified, you must fulfill specific requirements which include;
Becoming a YouTube Partner
After you’ve created a YouTube channel and have been uploading content regularly, you can apply to become a YouTube Partner. The process involves logging into your YouTube channel and clicking on channel settings, after which you’ll be required to verify your account.
Once verification is done by confirmation call or text to the account holder’s phone number, you attain the status of a YouTube Partner. Advantages of being a YouTube partner include:
- Allowing you to link your content annotation to external websites
- Ability to upload videos that are more than 15 minutes long
- Enables you to add customized thumbnails to your channel
- Advance video scheduling facilities
- YouTube channel content monetization capabilities
- Freedom to select content to be monetized
As a YouTube Partner, your Content ID will be verified in 30 days from the date of application. Being a Partner and having use of Content ID gives your YouTuber channel the ability to verify for monetization. Both are the current requirements for eligibility to YouTube Certified, coupled with Partner manager nomination. You earn money as a YouTube Partner on the videos you display while receiving revenue from advertisements.
YouTube Individual certification
Novice content creators seeking to build a successful channel and become eligible for YouTube Certified will start at the level of individual certification. For you to attain individual verification, qualification includes being an existing YouTube or Google advertising Partner. The Partner program selects creators according to the popularity of their channels and shares some of the YouTube revenue.
The first step to becoming a YouTube Individually certificate holder is to open a YouTube channel through your Gmail account and start uploading content. You can then enroll for the Individual YouTube Certification program as a means to monetize your channel, and to become eligible for YouTube Certified.
Your content must meet three criteria for you to be selected as a YouTube Partner, including;
- Creating original content or videos
- Own the right to monetize all your video or audio content
- Upload content regularly to your channel
It’s possible to become a YouTube Partner with no uploads, subscriptions, or views to your channel, but to monetize content requires original videos that attract viewer participation. Individual certification is valid for one year from the date you attain it.
YouTube Company certification
Company certification is open for companies that use YouTube’s managed business services such as video promotion, optimization, channel or playlist management, ad campaigns, and monetization. YouTube requires that such an enterprise have 75 % of its employees, or at least three strategic individuals are Certified in;
1. YouTube Channel Growth
Channel growth YouTube certification is similar to the earlier Audience Growth that is part of the initial learning phase when you undertake optimization of content lessons. A channel growth Certified individual has access to YouTube’s performance monetization and channel leveraging knowhow. Content creators and company channel managers benefit from YouTube platform strategies within the ecosystem, for topics that include;
- Performing channel assessment
- Doing platform overviews
- Generating channel revenue
2. Content Strategy
Company Certified individuals must have undergone the second YouTube certification phase, which teaches how to develop brand strategized content and programming. YouTube instills expert knowledge in program frameworks, measurements, creator Partnerships, and promotions. The YouTube Content Strategy Certificate comes after the completion of Channel Growth certification and targets brand agencies and strategy companies.
Topics involved in content strategy training include evolving market landscapes, creative video content treatment, and video content strategy definitions.
3. Asset or Content Monetization
YouTube certification for asset monetization improves your company’s understanding of advanced analytics, complex claims, and the digital rights scenario. While designed for legal consultants and digital rights managers, content monetization covers;
- Content revenue optimization
- Enhanced Video distribution
- Reports for Revenue analysis
- Creator relationships
4. Content Ownership
This module deals with content proficiencies like copyrights, CMS, analytics, and claims. The course is designed for Content ID holders, YouTube Partners, business analysts, and similar asset-specific operational roles. Content ownership training covers topics that include YouTube copyright, Content ID rights enforcement, and CMS for business operations.
How Do You Get YouTube Certified?
YouTube Certifies requires that all your operations on the platform conform to YouTube’s Community Guidelines and Terms of Service. Failure to adhere to the set guidelines will have your certification revoked.
Now that you are eligible to apply for YouTube Certified, the next step involves making the online application. Alongside the training courses, knowledge and access you gain as Certified individual or company, YouTube also provides;
- A YouTube Certified badge for an individual or enterprise
- Your YouTube Certified G+ community badge
- Your LinkedIn YouTube Certified badge
What Courses are in the YouTube Certified Program?
An online course is offered for the YouTube Certified program, with its core subject being audience growth. The program has been available since 2015 in English, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and Russian, covering on topic modules that include;
- Channel and YouTube platform strategy
- Sustainable viewership creator strategies
- Methods for developing audiences
- Sales on Google
- Content monetization
- Analytics and reporting on YouTube
- Copyright laws
- Asset rights management
- Misuse of Content ID
- Using YouTube live
The Certified program also involved additional tracks available through nominations for advanced learning on digital rights, production, and API Content ID. These tracks are either available in English only or Japanese only languages.
A YouTube Partner or creator with Content ID can be nominated to the YouTube Certified program by heir Partner manager, or qualify the criteria for approval. These approval requirements include but are not restricted to;
- If you are actively managing content channels and have the potential to support growth with accelerated reviews
- If you can provide curriculum improving feedback
- If you have sustained an operational YouTube business
- If you comply with YouTube policies
Taking the YouTube Certified exam
The YouTube Certified exam is done according to the modules, and the Channel Growth certification paper, for instance, will involve 100 questions taken for 2 hours. The pass mark for taking the examination is 75%, and failing this will mean retaking the exam one more time. A second failure of the YouTube Certified exam leaves you with one more alternative to re-enroll after six months.
What is the YouTube Creator Academy?
If the eligibility requirements for YouTube Certified or the exam appears daunting, there are options available where you can acquire knowledge without the certification. Both the YouTube Creator Academy and YouTube Service Provider Directory impart ways to improve on channel content and courses on everything YouTube.
Whether you have just started on YouTube, or are seeking to create more exceptional content, a quick start and fundamental guide instruct on methodology alongside guidelines for service. A foundation of the YouTube Creator Academy training introduces you to methods for sustaining a growing audience, and other video formats.
Other available resourced from the YouTube Creator Academy include;
Production: The production course covers everything about video shooting, live streaming, 360° videos, and VR
Channel growing: Includes getting a global channel, building your community, and getting discovered with vital insights from YouTube analysts.
Monetizing your YouTube business: Involves lessons on making money on YouTube with ads or beyond ads, to make your channel a legitimate business while covering brand deals.
YouTuber wellbeing: Covers staying healthy while going after long term YouTube channel success, and teaches creators on how to avoid burnout.
Learn how to target your audience while supporting a gaming or music career on YouTube. You can also get knowledge of social change video making, developing a beauty, educational, or nonprofit channel.
What is the YouTube Service Directory?
The YouTube service directory is the place to find certified advisors that have years of experience plus the coveted certification badge. Accredited service providers work with content and advice industries like talent management or market analytics companies on digital marketing. There are links on the YouTube service directory for the certified companies’ bios, detailing their expertise and the clients they work with.
Check your eligibility for YouTube Certified only if you are a YouTube Partner, a creator who has a Content ID, or a Partner manager. Additionally, YouTube certification courses enrolment requires that you have a Google account and that you comply with all the company’s policies.
Applicants who are ineligible for YouTube Certified can enroll onto the YouTube Creator Academy, where you can learn similar modules for free, including channel optimization and content monetization.
