We hear this often – there’s a price to pay for fame.
But, do we spend just as much time understanding what that price could be? It is easy to allow ourselves to get swept up in the “perfect” lives that celebrities and influencers seem to live. After all, social media is the curated, airbrushed, pixel perfect version of life. It’s what we want people to believe – and to an extent, what we want to believe life can be like. As a result, many chase the perfection (or at least, ease of life) that seems to come hand in hand with fame. However, Singapore-based Youtuber Tina Yong has stepped out of that bubble to let fans and those who want to be successful in the social media sphere know that: a) yes, you can make money but b) the reality is that there’s just as much given up as there is earned.
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Yong is known for her easy-to-follow beauty and hair tutorials but in a recent video posted on her Youtube channel titled “How Much Do YouTubers Make? Answering your questions about money”, Yong reveals everything – the amount of money she makes as well as the analytics that goes hand in hand with the amount. Fans of the 30-year-old Vietnamese beauty (she currently has 3.18 million subscribers on Youtube) may not be as surprised by her honesty – she’s previously discussed the failure of her first marriage as well as the surgery she’s had done to her eyelid. Her openness this time is attributed to the fact that she understands that many people may be looking for a new source of income. She shares,
“Money can be a sensitive topic for some and I totally get it but it’s something that affects all of us – especially in a time like this with COVID and everything […] Maybe you’ve been thinking about pursuing Youtube, starting your own channel, like monetise off your online platforms. Either way, if you’re feeling a little bit stuck or if you’re curious as to how I make money online, I hope that by me sharing an answering your questions, it kinda sheds a bit more light on this online platform, and online money making world. Also, it might inspire you and kind of help you with your financial decisions in the future,”
So how much does she make? The figures she shares may come as a shock, with Yong averaging it at “around US$10,000 to US$15,000 a month (RM40,725 to RM61,087)”. And while most Youtubers or content creators would rather not share how much they can make off their platforms, Yong clearly states:
“I don’t think it’s rude at all. I was once really curious as to how people make money online and how much Youtube pays, so I totally get it. Unlike other careers where you can kind of just search online and know what sort of salary bracket you can expect from different career paths, Youtube is very different […] A lot of variables come into play when it comes to making money off Youtube.”
She then goes on to explain how Youtube’s analytics works, in relation to her own content and channel. The amount of information that Yong reveals in the video (alongside her ACTUAL numbers) is interesting – when else would you be able to see the backend of Youtube? Yong details her decision to do so by clarifying:
“This kind of information wasn’t available when I first started my channel, and I kept thinking about how useful it would’ve been for me back then. I knew that it would shed some light, and help those who were thinking about creating their own YouTube channel.”
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As for why Yong is so adamant on helping those who are looking to pursue a career in content creation, it’s because of her own journey with fame. When she started her channel back in 2013, Yong merely wanted to use the platform as a means to teach her clients and students. She had no idea her videos would garner as much traction as they have to date. And, as you would have guessed, it turned out to be a decision that changed her life – for good and for bad – because…
“When I first started YouTube in 2013, I was really depressed with my life at the time. My marriage was going down the drain, my relationship with my family wasn’t there, so when I found my passion in make-up, and being able to share it with you guys on YouTube, that really helped me get over that really bad time.”
However, over time, in place of her dissolving real-life relationship, Yong developed a toxic relationship with her Youtube career.
“During that time, I was so focused on creating content and chasing numbers that I eventually burnt out. I felt like I was at the peak of my career, but I wasn’t feeling happy or fulfilled inside – the more popular my channel became, the more I was afraid that if I didn’t keep that momentum going, then I would lose everything.”
This resulted in Yong developing what is known as “imposter syndrome” – which is what happens when individual doubts their skills, talents or accomplishments, causing a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a “fraud”.
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Thankfully, Yong is doing better now and she’s willing to share her experience with those who may want to pursue a career on Youtube!
Watch the full video for what to expect when monetising on Youtube here:
*Cover image credits: Instagram / @tina_yong
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