Turning passion into business via YouTube

MANILA, Philippines - YouTube recently held its first Pop-Up Workshop at the Mind Museum to help individual content creators, small and medium enterprises, and animation studios set up and get the most out of their own channel.

Experts from the video-sharing site shared tips on how to maximize opportunities on YouTube to turn one’s passion into a business and engage audiences to generate more online views.

As the go-to place for great discoveries, YouTube sensations to date have included many gifted Filipinos who have used the online platform to showcase their creativity to a wider range of audiences in the Philippines.

Bogart the Explorer, played by Marco Ho, is one of these rising stars on YouTube. After producer and YouTube Pop-up Workshop panelist Jako de Leon uploaded a segment of their television show “Front Act: Hecklines” onto their YouTube channel PaperbugTV (formerly FrontActHecklines) in 2011, Bogart the Explorer went viral and grew into a household name among Pinoys.

PaperbugTV’s YouTube channel proved so successful that the team decided to put TV production aside and venture into full-time online content creation.

“YouTube is helping bring Filipino creativity — from within the Philippines and around the world — online for people around the world to see. Today there are thousands of YouTube partners within the Philippines alone, and through the YouTube Pop-Up Workshop, we aim to educate aspiring and existing content creators on how they can succeed on the world’s largest stage,” said Ryan Morales, Google Philippines country marketing manager.

“Filipinos have proven over the years that our creative content can shine and attract fans at a global level. With YouTube, we hope to continue empowering Filipino creators to captivate the hearts and minds of audiences around the world,” Morales added.

Whether content creators use YouTube as a platform to unleash creativity or express opinions, a mishmash of these talents has risen as stars from the video-sharing site.

Jamvhille Sebastian and Paolinne Michelle Liggayu, the real-life couple behind JamichTV, create relatable and entertaining short films that gained a huge following for the couple here and abroad. Jamich monetizes their videos through the YouTube Partner Program and uses their earnings to produce more high-quality videos.

“We have always wanted to entertain, and YouTube became a bridge to reaching our dreams. Many find inspiration in our videos, so we challenge ourselves into making the next video better than the last. It’s been a fun journey so we are excited to bring out more of our ideas on our channel,” said Jamvhille.

Local YouTube sensation-turned-celebrity Mikey Bustos also attended the workshop as a panelist. He shared his own online success story, discussed how he engages his audience and presented the opportunities that have risen from his fame on YouTube.

Accessed by one billion people each month for news, information and entertainment, YouTube serves as an audiovisual wonderland for both professional and amateur content makers to share their ideas to the world.