YouTube has consistently added features to help creators engage more with their communities and earn revenue in a way that allows fans to show their appreciation over the last few years. Many of these methods are intended to assist subscribers and fans in demonstrating that they are a ‘Super Fan,’ and one of these features is known as Super Chat. On January 31st, 2017, the feature was fully launched on YouTube.
Viewers can pay to pin a comment on live streams using Super Chat. When someone goes live, viewers will notice a cash symbol in the chat window and will be capable of clicking it all to set a monetary amount and send a highlighted comment. Super Chat is a “highlighted message in the chat stream that stands out from the crowd to get even more of your favorite creator’s attention,” according to Google.
Super Chat messages appear in the chat feed in the same way as other chat messages, but they’re highlighted in a different color. These messages are pinned to the top of the chat window as well. The longer a user’s Super Chat message remains on the stream, the more they pay for it.
What Are Super Stickers?
Super Stickers are techniques for monetizing your YouTube channel via the YouTube Partner Program. These features enable your viewers to purchase rising star live chat messages and sometimes pin them to the top of a live chat feed. Discover more about eligibility and how to enable this feature. Super Stickers are animated stickers that stand out in a similar way in the Super Chat messages but add an extra bit of customization to the message. You can also purchase a super sticker or super chat.
- Tap the dollar sign. within a live chat. The live chat must be visible and mobile devices must be in portrait mode.
- Select one of the following:
Super Sticker > Find a sticker pack you like > Choose an individual sticker to purchase.
Super Chat > To select an amount, either drag the slider or type your desired value >add an optional message.
The color and amount of time pinned at the top of a chat feed change depending on how much you spend.
- Tap Buy and Send.
- To finish your purchase, follow the instructions.
Once you purchase a Super Chat or Super Sticker, a countdown clock will show how much longer your Super Chat or Super Sticker will be pinned at the top of the chat, if any. The creator may end the live chat or live stream before your time on the watch has been completed. Super Chats & Super Stickers don’t transfer between videos. The daily and weekly purchase limits will vary based on your country/region. In general, you can spend up to $500 USD per day or $2,000 USD per week (or the equivalent in your local currency) on:
- Super Chats
- Super Stickers
- Super Thanks
All 3 combined
How Does Super Chat Work?
When someone goes live, a dollar bill symbol appears in the chat window. Clicking this button brings up a slider where you can enter the dollar amount you want to send to the YouTuber. The longer the comment is pinned, the more you pay. You’ll also receive a few more characters for your message. Following payment, the comment will be highlighted in a different color to assist live streamers in identifying a paid message.
They come in a rainbow of colors, so thankfully, no one’s going to miss them in the live chat. Depending on how much money a viewer sends, their Super Chat could be red, green, blue, or another vibrant color. If the comment is removed from the chat stream, creators can view paid messages by clicking on the colorful pins at the top of the chat window the longer the donator’s comment is pinned in live chat.
For example, if someone donates $500, their Super Chat will be visible for five hours. That is the most anyone can spend on one Super Chat and the most time a Super Chat can be visible. The exposure time of a comment decreases as viewers donate less money ($100 = one hour; $200 = two hours; etc.). It’s almost as if your followers are betting on who can get your attention the quickest.
How To Turn On Super Chats:
Here’s how to turn on super chat all you do is:
- Navigate to the YouTube Studio.
- Click Monetization in the left navigation menu.
- Click ‘Supers’ at the top of the ‘Channel Monetization’ dashboard.
You can disable or enable Super Chats or Super Stickers (similar to Super Chats, but animated graphics viewers can buy to display in streams/premieres) on the right side of the screen. Stay in this dashboard to see all of your Super Chats in one place. You’ll find a list of all your recent donations and who sent them right below the ‘on’ and ‘off’ dials.
How To Turn off Super Chat or Super Stickers:
To turn off the super chat or super sticker follow the following steps:
- On your desktop, sign in to YouTube Studio.
- In the left menu, click Earn.
- Click the Supers tab.
- Choose one or both of the following options:
- Turn off the switch next to “Super Chat.”
- Turn off the switch next to “Super Stickers.”
- In the pop-up, click the checkbox next to “I understand the implications of this action.”
- Click Turn off.
How Do Super Chats Boost Engagement?
The majority of Super Chat users will be Super Fans – channel followers willing to pay creators to gain their attention. The issue with popular YouTube creators (and indeed high-profile influencers across all social networks) is that they can make their fans feel distant and remote. These people simply have too many followers to powerfully interact with. Fans who use Super Chat, on the other hand, have an advantage. Their chats are visually distinct from regular chat messages.
The broadcaster may notice these messages and respond during their Livestream. YouTube Super Chat gives participants an advantage because they have a better chance of interacting with their heroes than everyone else However, even small broadcasters can benefit from encouraging the use of Super Chats. The more they publicize upcoming live streams, the more people will attend. And the more people who watch your live streams, the more likely it is that some of them will feel compelled to donate to you via a Super Chat.
It makes sense to promote your live stream as widely as possible – notify all of your other social followers about the upcoming broadcast. Don’t forget about your current YouTube subscribers. In the other videos you create and upload, promote your live stream as an event. Of course, you must ensure that those watching your live stream see how well you treat those who have paid for Super Chats.
Make a point of mentioning them. Respond to their inquiries. Make certain that they believe they are getting their money’s worth, and that other viewers can see this. You could even give people who donate to you a reward. You could provide additional content exclusive to people who pay a certain amount for a Super Chat.
Which Channels Have Access to Super Chats?
Before you go looking for the Super Chat feature, check to see if your channel is eligible to receive it. To meet the requirements, each creator must have:
- A channel that has been monetized
- To be over the age of 18
- To live in one of the available areas
Even if you have those three things, Super Chats may not always be available to you. To begin troubleshooting, go to your live stream settings. Make sure you’ve enabled the live chat feature because it’s the only way to view, send, and receive Super Chats right now. Furthermore, if you have a ‘made for kids’ channel or post age-restricted content, you will not be able to earn Super Chats.
Important Things to Know About Super Chats:
While Super Chats can earn you money and engagement, there are a few rules to follow, such as:
- YouTube takes a cut of each Super Chat – roughly 30%.
- In case you’re wondering, Super Chats are non-refundable. Donors receive an email receipt for each payment, and YouTube only offers refunds in exceptional circumstances
- Users can spend $500 per day and $2,000 per week on Super Chats.
- You’ll need to connect an AdSense account to your YouTube Channel to collect the funds.
Does Super Chat Cost Money?
Yes, but there is no set amount. You can choose how much to send to YouTube creators. YouTube stated that the tool is intended for viewers aged 18 and up. In other words, people who have a credit card. When the transaction is finished, your public Super Chat will be sent to all viewers in the live chat, and you will receive an email with a receipt. Super Chats cannot be refunded.
What About Super Thanks?
Another feature introduced by YouTube is Super Thanks, which is similar to Super Chat but is intended for any video rather than live streams. Like Super Chat, Super Thanks allows viewers to highlight comments on videos. If it’s enabled, you’ll notice a Super Thanks button near the share button below the main YouTube player. To use this feature, YouTube Creators must be eligible, but they must also enable it in YouTube Studio first. Again, this is a monetized feature, so viewers can pay for their Super Thanks message by selecting an amount. The message is then highlighted and stands out in the comments section. Along with Super Thanks messages, animations can be displayed.
How Super Chat is Relevant for Influencer Marketing:
YouTube Super Chat encourages influencers to expand their reach on YouTube. It also encourages them to communicate via live stream. This is most likely true in the gaming niche, where most decorations prefer to stream live on Twitch and then make feature recordings for their YouTube channel.
The potential extra pay provided by Super Chat provides an additional impetus for the decoration to remain on this stage for their live streams. Broadcasts frequently use livestream to tell their story, which is especially popular with fans who watch their pre-recorded recordings on a regular basis. They also allow YouTube powerhouses to compensate their Super Fans. They may appear more friendly and less distant. Powerhouses can gain another benefit from running livestream exhibitions with Super Visit.
The term “ecosystem” refers to a group of people who work in the construction industry. These measurements provide a fantastic guide for backers of how excited and connected a decoration’s crowd is. These backers may pay powerhouses to make future live streams.
Potential Pitfalls of YouTube Super Chat:
Super chat is formally intended for people aged 18 and up – you must pay with a credit card. Obviously, many children obtain their parents’ Visas, which may cause complications if they spend excessively. It may be much simpler for them to have their own charge cards, where despite the fact that the authority age is 18, many more youthful teens have the cards, which are frequently linked to understudy accounts.
Unfortunately, there is also the possibility of trolling, with inappropriate comments and emojis. Of course, creators still have access to YouTube’s moderation tools, and they can blacklist specific chat words and ban harassing viewers, but YouTube has historically been slow to flag inappropriate comments on videos. According to The Fordham Ram, the feature has unfortunately given some of those on YouTube’s darker sides a louder voice.
Following the violence in Pittsburgh that resulted in the deaths of 11 synagogue worshippers, Super Chat comments contained extremely disturbing anti-Semitic remarks. They were placed on the live stream of a far-right YouTube creator whose channel was later permanently removed by YouTube. On The Verge, Vlad Salvos goes even further in his condemnation: “If YouTube comments stink, and they do, then YouTube lives stream chats are positively radioactive in their toxicity.
” Salvos compare YouTube Super Chat to live porn chat payment systems: “When you pay someone to perform your twisted little fantasies, the end result is in some ways, Super Chat distorts the original purpose of YouTube livestream chats. These were introduced to strengthen the bond between creators and their communities. The goal was to make the live stream a two-way conversation rather than a one-way broadcast. Super Chats elevate some viewers (those willing and able to pay) above others.
There is also the unavoidable issue that broadcasters with the largest audiences will earn the most money. However, it is the smaller broadcasters who are likely to need the money the most and would benefit the most from the extra income.
Ways to Make More Money Using YouTube Super Chats:
Let’s get right into some tips for increasing your income.
1. Do Interactive Activities:
Attending a live stream allows you to interact more closely with your audience. And that feeling is enhanced when the viewer’s input influences the content they’re watching. Or when they are encouraged to participate. Check out these suggestions for increasing participation and engagement on your live streams.
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Invite Ideas
Make Super Chats a chance for the audience to influence what you do in real-time if your content allows for some imagination. If you’re a gamer, inquire about the best strategy to use next. If you’re an artist, say you’re looking for inspiration for your next song, drawing, skit, recital, etc.
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Start a Conversation
You know your audience best, including the things that get them fired up. Examine the comments on your YouTube videos to see what else your audience is passionate about. If your viewers are divided on a hot topic, this is an opportunity to start a friendly debate within your community. The most outspoken will almost certainly use their credit card to make their point the loudest — all in good fun.
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Questions and Answers
Fans of knowledge-based and how-to channels relish the opportunity to pick the brain of their favorite personalities. And they’ll definitely want their questions to stand out so you can answer them with the expertise that makes them enjoy your content. ‘Ask Me Anything’ videos are also excellent for personality-based channels. Your viewers find you interesting, so they’re willing to pay to hear you spill the beans (or is it “tea” these days?) about more intimate details of your life.
2. Talk About How Your Viewers’ Donations Can Help Your Channel:
Participating in fan funding campaigns can provide a lot of satisfaction for some viewers. The term “ecosystem” refers to a group of people who work in the construction industry. If you need help from your fans, make it clear that you’d appreciate their kind Super Chat donations. Then explain what they will be used for. What exciting things can your viewers expect if you reach your goal? More content? Better equipment? A new set? Inform them!
3. Promote Your Live Streams to Boost Attendance:
Allow enough time for your audience to clear their schedules for your live stream. Make them feel a little excited.
Here are some crazy ideas to do that:
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Social Media Promotion
Wherever your audience follows you, let them know about your upcoming stream. This increases the chances of your stream being seen by everyone who enjoys your content. In fact, 47% of live content viewers learn about new shows through social media. You might gain new fans in addition to getting your audience excited. So go ahead and ask for a good old retweet or share. Also, mention that the live chat will be active so that your fans can expect interaction and prepare their wallets. If you’ve been building a list, you can also use an email newsletter. Include an iCal attachment so that your viewers can see it on their calendars and receive timely reminders.
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Encourage Subscribers to Turn Notifications On
If your subscribers have notifications enabled for your channel, they will receive an alert when you go live. This is super important for keeping your live viewership high. Because let’s face it, everyone checks their notifications. So simply ask them to subscribe to your channel and click the bell icon. Consider including a graphic like this in your videos.
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A Dramatic Countdown
Using a countdown overlay gets people excited about your event. It also aids in their settling in. That’s the kind of atmosphere and presentation that can make a stream feel like a big deal. And when you start with main-event energy, paying for some time in the spotlight with you feels totally worth it to viewers.
4. Make Buyers Feel Special:
Thank them. Mention them by name. In other words, make a concerted effort to personalize your expressions of gratitude. Personalization alone can result in a 40% increase in revenue for brands. Remember that you are a personal brand. The thought of hearing you say their username out loud is a powerful motivator for your viewers. When live streaming a premiere, show your appreciation by @’ing viewers and responding to their comments.
Crucial Things to Keep in Mind:
Super Chats, as cool as they are, could use some improvement. It’s better to learn now than later.
- Your Live Stream Revenue Will Be Inconsistent
- YouTube Takes a Cut
- You Need to Moderate Your Live Stream Chat
- Wrapping Up
Conclusion
Super Chats are an under-researched aspect of YouTube content monetization and moderation. YouTube does not provide any analytical tools, such as API access, to researchers who want to conduct scalable analyses that go beyond the scope of most research projects. ISD recommends that YouTube and Google address this gap, in part by requiring, rather than just recommending, that creators who broadcast “high-traffic events” use moderators in live chats.
This change would go a long way toward ensuring that explicitly illegal content is not allowed to be used to monetize creators. After reading this article you are going to know what exactly super chat is and how it works for YouTubers some other important factors about super chat and super sticker are also written above.
