How to create and grow a YouTube channel in Kazakhstan: necessary resources, trends, monetization

Zangar Boztayev, CEO Genesis CSP, Linkedin

About Me

I dedicated more than six years to project work before being invited to serve as the Chief Financial Officer at Media Slash IT, a company involved in several IT projects, including a news website and Genesis. A year later, I was offered the opportunity to lead Genesis. I accepted, seeking new challenges, even though I did not fully understand the business model at the time. Since May 2020, I have been leading Genesis, the only official YouTube partner in Central Asia, specializing in channel production and management.

Our core offering is to help channels grow in views and subscribers. Our clients are primarily traditional media companies, such as the TV channels "Khabar," "Seventh Channel," Qazaqstan, and KTK, as well as publications like Forbes. We have also begun collaborating with Astana Hub and an international medical consulting firm. In Kazakhstan, interest in YouTube is growing: FMCG companies are increasingly using the platform for promotions and brand awareness.

As an official YouTube partner, we possess unique technical capabilities. First, we can more effectively combat pirated content, which is particularly important for TV channels. Second, we have direct support from the London office, allowing us to resolve issues promptly. Third, we offer a multi-track feature that enables content to be published in multiple languages within a single channel.

We understand that the market is changing and are adapting to new requirements, transitioning from the role of consultants and producers to that of a proprietary production company utilizing AI.

Currently, in the AI era, we actively use neural networks such as ChatGPT and Midjourney, as well as various tools for content generation. Since 2022, we have been creating our own YouTube channels in English. Our monetization model is based on advertising: the more views, the more frequently ads from companies such as Wolt, Glovo, and banks are displayed.

Regarding Kazakhstan, the market has approximately 12–13 million users, whereas about 1 billion people speak English natively or at least at an intermediate level. Therefore, we launched several entertainment channels in English, assembled a team, and actively use AI tools for their development and creation.

Resources for a Successful YouTube Channel in Kazakhstan

YouTube is a platform for creating content of any type and budget. You can shoot videos even at home with a mobile phone; the key is to ensure high-quality editing.

However, you can also create expensive, professional films. The optimal recommendation for companies is to publish one long video per week and additionally use it to create short-form content. It is better to shoot in a studio, where renting space along with recording and editing services will cost between 150,000 and 200,000 tenge per video. Overall, maintaining a high-quality YouTube channel will require approximately one million tenge per month.

On Trends

Three main trends stand out on YouTube. Approximately 90% of users come for entertainment content, including series, movies, and shows, such as MrBeast, who is considered the most popular channel in the world. There is also growing interest in children's content—an increasing number of children in Kazakhstan and abroad is driving the popularity of animation and children's shows.

Music is also traditionally popular on YouTube, where people listen to it in the background. In the technology and IT sector, there is a rise in podcasts, and YouTube is becoming one of the leading platforms for hosting them.

Podcasts about personal success are particularly popular. Competition is increasing, and traditional IT companies such as Freedom are actively participating in this segment. Freedom Telecom recently received a Silver Play Button, and Freedom Mobile launched its own podcasts. Thus, on Kazakhstani YouTube, there is growing interest in sharing experiences and success stories.

On Working with Algorithms

The main mistake users make on YouTube is a short-term approach. People upload videos that may be successful but then lose interest, or they simply ignore initially unsuccessful videos. YouTube is a complex platform with difficult algorithms, and achieving reach here is much harder than on TikTok or Instagram, but it results in a more loyal audience.

Mistake number one is the lack of consistency and long-term vision. It is necessary to spend a year and a half finding suitable niches and formats. The second mistake is a lack of strategy: it is important to understand the target audience and their interests. The channel should focus on a specific topic, whether it be IT, success stories, or music content. Mixing formats is undesirable.

The third mistake relates to technical aspects: incorrect upload times, poor thumbnails, and so on. These moments require knowledge of algorithms and experience working with YouTube.

Success on YouTube depends primarily on algorithms. You can upload films like "The Lord of the Rings" or "Harry Potter," but if done incorrectly, the channel will not receive views. Algorithms are intricately linked: improperly uploaded content will not be promoted, even if it is high quality. On the other hand, even well-uploaded low-quality content will not gain views.

The secret to success lies in creating high-quality content and working correctly with algorithms. Content is the primary task, while algorithms are secondary. The main thing is to avoid mistakes so that YouTube can start recommending your channel.

Regarding technique, as with TikTok, the first 30 seconds of a video are critical. If viewers do not watch the video to the end, it signals to YouTube that the content is uninteresting. Likes and comments also influence promotion. The longer people watch a video, the higher the likelihood that it will be recommended, creating a domino effect in recommendations.

What is Needed for Successful YouTube Channel Monetization

Worldwide, about 20–25% of revenue from YouTube channels comes from automated ads, while 75–80% comes from video integrations. In Kazakhstan, revenue from automated ads is declining because viewers watch ads from companies like Wolt and Glovo, or use YouTube Premium. The more views, the more revenue from ads.

The main income comes from direct integrations, where creators talk about products or insert ad spots. For example, if a video gets 100,000 views per month, you can offer brands an integration.

For experts and individuals in Kazakhstan, such as stand-up comedians, monetization often occurs not through YouTube but through other products. Although there are successful cases in Russia, in Kazakhstan, YouTube mainly serves to increase media visibility. Channels rarely earn more than a million dollars, so the main monetization happens indirectly through other sources.

Analytics Tools and Methods

YouTube provides analytics showing data about the channel, such as the average age of viewers, their geography, number of views, and peak times. This helps conduct analysis.

For launching channels, there are tools for keyword selection, as well as for analyzing competitors to find out when and how content is uploaded. These include Google Trends and VideoQ, as well as various plugins depending on goals.

The Future of YouTube in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan demonstrates positive market growth dynamics and a growing creative economy.

The Ministry of Digital Development of the RK actively interacts with Google and YouTube, making Kazakhstan an attractive market. Google has already launched a school and accelerator for youth here, and there is also growth in the advertising market, including YouTube Ads and Google Ads. Google has a dedicated GR team working on launching YouTube Premium in Kazakhstan.

We actively cooperate with the Ministry of Digital Development and have proposed ideas for developing YouTube in Kazakhstan, including integration with e-commerce. We plan to organize an event with YouTube representatives dedicated to the development of the creative economy in Kazakhstan.

Our plans include revenue growth through two key directions. The first is expanding the partner network. We operate on a commission model, receiving a percentage of channel revenues and providing services. International development includes Asian markets and the Middle East, where we see significant potential. We already cooperate with more than 25 countries, including Latin America, the USA, and Europe, and are actively working with Southeast Asia and China.

The second direction is transforming into a digital AI video production company. We aim to accelerate and reduce the cost of content creation using AI to automate processes such as scriptwriting and music selection. We are testing different tools and looking for successful niches amid growing competition on YouTube.

If five years ago you created a channel about car reviews and it gained a million subscribers, a new channel with a similar topic will not reach those numbers. New ideas, niches, and high-quality content are necessary because competition is increasing.

Our goal is to find new niches and create successful channels quickly and inexpensively.