Crazy Kennar is without a doubt one of Kenya’s finest comedians. After taking a brief break from content creation, Crazy Kennar returned with a hilarious clip depicting the lives of Kenya’s public servants.
The clip went viral, garnering over 1.3 million views within a span of less than 24 hours on Facebook. His success has without a doubt come loaded with payments from sources such as YouTube.
However, in a recent media interview, Crazy Kennar revealed that he doesn’t depend on YouTube as his main source of income.
“You cannot hinge your monthly bills such as rent on YouTube. The platform pays well, but their payment fluctuates depending on various metrics. If you hinge your budget on YouTube, you’ll be disappointed,” said Kennar.
He said that it took two years before YouTube started paying him, indicating that his success was not an overnight affair.
According to Kennar, the best way to earn from YouTube is to create content that attracts advertisers. These can be the usual pay-per-click YouTube ads from global companies like Amazon.
However, you can make better money by partnering with brands and advertising on their behalf on your channel.
“You can negotiate with brands for payment, but you can’t negotiate with YouTube,” he said.
The content creator is estimated to make as high as upwards of Sh. 500 000 on brand deals.
When asked how he comes up with content, Kennar said that he gets sudden bouts of inspiration from everyday conversations with people.
Kennar deals with creative block by sleeping. “If an idea refuses to click, I usually sleep on it, and by the next day, I’ll have figured it out. One of his craziest antics was running bare-chested in the streets of Nairobi. He was almost arrested, but he explained it was part of his work, and the law dogs understood,” he said.
According to Kennar (real name Kennedy Odhiambo), copying others is one of the greatest detriments to success.
“Don’t expect to follow in my steps and expect to be where I am. My formula won’t work for you, the same way yours won’t work for me. Luck is part of success. One video can make you a star, while another person can do a thousand videos without success,” he said.
Apart from content creation, the Ringa Boys’ alumnus manages his restaurant, Instant Delicacies. He opened the restaurant to expand his business wings and provide employment to some of his friends.
“When God blesses you with money, the best you can do is to use it to help others,” said Kennar.
When asked why it’s so hard for media houses to book interviews with him, Kennar attributes his scarcity to being busy.
Joakim Mwangi: Kenyan defies dwarfism, becomes shortest truck driver in US
“Being a content creator, I’m almost always creating content with my team. Managing a team of 5-11 people keeps me on toes because I’m always here and there shooting content. I also manage other businesses, including my restaurant. Finally, I set aside time to think of content ideas. I’m always thinking of my next step in my content creation journey,” he said.