11/12/2025
Caitlin Fladager wrote:
Facebook paid me $3,100 USD for this 20 second video of my husband sleeping.
(about $4,300 CAD for this Canadian girl. 🇨🇦)
Filmed on my iPhone.
In our real, lived-in house.
No camera crew, no studio lights, no “perfect” life.
And I’m telling you that because if I can do it, you can too.
Facebook has a content monetization program that shares ad revenue with creators when their videos are eligible, follow the rules, and keep people watching.
That’s how this quiet little video turned into a car payment, groceries, bills, and real life money.
The magic wasn’t the footage.
It was the story.
My husband had come home exhausted from work and passed out on the couch.
My son curled up next to him and fell asleep too.
I grabbed my phone, hit record, and later wrote a caption about teen parents who used to be broke, a blue-collar dad who works his body sore, and a little boy who just wants to be close to his dad.
It was simple.
But it was real, and it connected.
Here’s what I focus on every time I post:
A strong hook in the first few seconds so people don’t scroll past.
A caption that actually matters.
Not just “family time 🥰” but something honest that makes people feel seen.
A video that matches the emotion of what I’m writing, even if it’s just someone sleeping on the couch.
Relevant hashtags so Facebook knows who to show it to.
People who care about marriage, parenting, blue-collar life.
Not random tags that don’t fit.
And then the unglamorous part:
showing up consistently, even when views are low and no one seems to care, yet.
No, you don’t need a million followers to start.
Every page you see now started at zero.
Mine did too.
You don’t need an exciting life to make money creating content.
You don’t need a fancy camera, an aesthetic kitchen, or a mansion.
You need a phone, a story, and the courage to tell the truth about your life.
If you’ve ever looked at creators and thought, “must be nice,” I hope this reminds you..
The internet doesn’t just want perfect.
It wants real.
And your real life is more than enough.
❤️