If you are a YouTube creator who wants to monetize your channel, you need to meet certain requirements. One of them is having at least 4000 hours of watch time in the past 12 months. This means that your videos need to be watched for a total of 4000 hours or more by your viewers.
But what if you don’t have enough watch time? What if you have great content but not enough views? What if you are struggling to grow your audience and reach the monetization threshold?
Specifically, some content creators find themselves midway. They reached a substantial amount of watch time – maybe 2000 hours – but they struggle to complete the required threesold of 4000 hours… and meanwhile, time goes by and the 12 months expire.
So ,one option that some creators consider is buying watch time, 2000 hours in this specific case. This is a service that promises to deliver a certain amount of watch time to your channel for a fee. For example, you can buy 2000 hours of watch time for a little bit more than $100 from some websites.
But is this a good idea? Is it worth it? Is it legal? And if you really do, how can you ensure that it is safe and it works?
In this blog post, we will answer these questions and more. We will explain how it works, what are the pros and cons, and what are the alternatives. We will also share some tips on how to increase your watch time organically and ethically.
What is buying watch time?
Buying watch time is a form of social media marketing that involves paying a third-party service to generate views and watch time for your YouTube videos.
The service usually uses real users, social media promotion bots, click farms, or low-quality traffic sources to artificially inflate your watch time metrics. The method used will largely depend on the provider.
The main goal of buying watch time is to reach the 4000 hours requirement for YouTube monetization. Some creators also buy watch time to boost their ranking, visibility, and credibility on YouTube.
How does buying watch time work?
Buying watch time is a simple process that usually involves the following steps:
- You find a website that offers watch time services. There are many websites that claim to provide watch time for YouTube videos. Some examples are lenostube.com, socialmediadaily.com, and youtube4000hours.com.
- You choose a package that suits your budget and needs. The packages vary in terms of price, amount of watch time, delivery speed, and quality. For example, you can buy 2000 hours of watch time for $149 from Lenostube.
- You provide your video link and payment details. You need to give the website your video link (or channel link) and your payment information (such as credit card or PayPal). Some websites may also ask for your email address or phone number for verification purposes.
- You wait for the delivery of your watch time. The website will start sending views and watch time to your video (or channel) within a few hours or days. The delivery time depends on the package you chose and the availability of the service. Some websites may also provide you with a tracking link or dashboard to monitor your progress.
- You check your YouTube analytics and see the results. You can check your YouTube Studio dashboard and see how much watch time you have gained from the service. You can also compare your before and after metrics and see if there are any changes in your ranking, views, likes, comments, subscribers, etc.
What are the pros and cons of buying watch time?
| PRO | CON |
|---|---|
| It can help you reach the 4000 hours requirement faster and easier. | It can harm your channel’s reputation and trustworthiness. Buying watch time is against YouTube’s terms of service and can lead to penalties, suspensions, or even termination of your account. |
| It can increase your video’s visibility and credibility, which may attract more organic views and subscribers. | It can lower your engagement and conversion rates. If your watch time is generated by bots or low-quality traffic, your engagement metrics (such as likes, comments, shares, and click-through rates) may decrease, which can signal to YouTube that your content is not valuable or relevant to your audience. |
| It can be a quick fix for channels that are struggling to gain traction and monetize. | It can waste your money and time. If the watch time you buy is not genuine, it won’t contribute to your channel’s growth and revenue in the long run. Moreover, you may end up paying for a service that doesn’t deliver what it promised or that puts your account at risk. |
| It can be a cost-effective way to test the effectiveness of your content and marketing strategies. | It can be unethical and unfair to other creators. |
Where should you buy 2000 hours of watch time, to be safe?
The above pros and cons will also depend on the site you use to purchase watch time. Some sites use proven and safe YouTube marketing techniques, which not only allow you to monetize your channel, but also eventually boost its ranking.
On the other hand, some companies use low quality traffic methods or bots which could be detected by YouTube, leading to your channel not getting monetized or even being shadowbanned.
It is therefore essential, in case you decided to buy 2000 hours (or more) of watch time, to use a legitimate business. Our favorite one is Lenostube, which is using organic strategies and a full refund policy. Here you can see their 2000 watch time option.
What are the alternatives to buying 200 hours of time?
Instead of buying watch time, you can focus on growing your channel organically and ethically. Here are some tips on how to increase your watch time naturally:
- Create high-quality, original, and engaging content that resonates with your audience’s interests and needs.
- Optimize your video titles, descriptions, tags, and thumbnails for SEO and discoverability.
- Promote your videos on social media, forums, blogs, and other platforms where your audience hangs out.
- Collaborate with other creators in your niche or industry to reach new audiences and gain exposure.
- Interact with your viewers by responding to their comments, asking for feedback, and hosting live streams or Q&A sessions.
- Use YouTube analytics to track your performance, identify your strengths and weaknesses, and adjust your strategies accordingly.
Remember, growing a successful YouTube channel takes time, effort, and patience. It’s better to invest in your long-term success than to risk it for short-term gains.
Bottom Line
In conclusion, buying 2000 hours of watch time for YouTube videos can be a quick and easy solution for creators who are struggling to meet the 4000 hours threshold for monetization, but already have 2000 hours or more.
However, it is important to remember that organic and ethical growth is always the best approach in the long run. But, if you are going to buy watch time, it is essential to rely on safe providers that don’t use dangerous marketing strategies.
Organically, though, creating high-quality content, engaging with your audience, and promoting your channel through legitimate means can lead to sustainable growth and success on YouTube.
If you need more YouTube tricks and tips, check here.