'YouTubing' away to glory

Visakhapatnam: On any given day, their day's schedule includes charting out a menu based on children's demands, cooking, doing endless household chores and, of course, keeping the house spic-and-span.

But now, a majority of people, especially homemakers, add one of their favourite activities to the list as most of them set aside quality time for YouTube sessions.

Uploading a range of posts and videos, the number of women YouTubers has gone up ever since the outbreak of Covid-19.

Confining to the four walls of their home, women find the platform convenient both in terms of earning a decent income and getting treated to a variety of posts that are in the offing. No wonder, they are glued to the small screen to watch videos and forwards that pop up one after the other.

A section of the YouTubers takes the viewers to a 'home tour' to showcase the 'grandeur' of their elegant apartment interiors and the lavishness that exudes from every corner of their house.

Next follows the most prized possession of many women – digital display of saris.

It makes women stick to their chairs for hours as the YouTuber comes up with a peppy presentation of hand-woven fabrics in eye-pleasing colour combination.

For foodies, videos and posts are plenty on YouTube. Showcasing their culinary skills, women as well as men, introduce the viewers to a variety of preparations that include the recipe of 'pulasa fish', the most sumptuous variety available in Godavari districts and biryani made of 'chitti mutyalu' (a type of rice sourced from Bheemavaram). "In times of the pandemic, when home-cooked food is what many look forward to, YouTube turns out to be handy to experiment with new recipes," says Madhavi Vedula, who anchors a YouTube channel that brings forth time-tested traditional recipes.

Based on the content uploaded, YouTubers say, they make an easy buck by garnering sizeable viewership. "Digital marketing has seen a steep surge in recent times. Though many are into it, the reach is based on the quality of the content uploaded. Depending on the content and the viewership it garners, a YouTuber can earn from Rs.1,000 to Rs.1 lakh a month," says Durga Rao Kalla, who is into digital marketing for the past three years.

For some, it has become a new stage to exhibit their passion, while others prefer to connect with a larger audience by operating their own YouTube channels.