Educational vs Entertainment RPM: What Pays More?

Educational vs Entertainment RPM: Why This Debate Matters

You can get millions of views and still feel broke.

That gap between views and money usually comes down to one number: RPM.

RPM (revenue per thousand views) is how much you actually earn per 1,000 views after the platform takes its cut. Every serious short-form creator eventually asks:

“Should I focus on educational content or entertainment if I want higher RPM?”

The answer is not just “it depends.” There are clear patterns in the data that you can use to shape your content strategy.

In this breakdown, we’ll look at:

• How RPM typically compares between educational and entertainment content
• Why ad buyers pay more for some topics than others
• What kind of videos work best on Shorts, TikTok, and Reels
• How to combine both styles to get solid RPM and big views

Quick Definitions: What Counts as Educational vs Entertainment?

Before we talk numbers, we need clear buckets. Most short-form channels actually sit on a spectrum, not in a single box.

Educational content usually:

• Teaches a specific skill or concept
• Solves a clear problem for the viewer
• Has a niche or topic focus (finance, coding, marketing, fitness, careers, etc.)
• Includes phrases like “how to,” “tips,” “tutorial,” “explained,” “step-by-step”

Examples:

• “3 ways to pay off credit card debt faster”
• “This AI tool writes your cover letter in 10 seconds”
• “The easiest way to remember irregular verbs”

Entertainment content usually:

• Focuses on emotion, humor, or shock
• Isn’t meant to be saved or rewatched for learning
• Is broad and not tied to a single niche
• Includes memes, skits, pranks, reactions, challenges, lifestyle clips

Examples:

• “I tried living with only $5 for 24 hours”
• “Guess the song in 3 seconds”
• “My dog when he hears the treat bag”

Most strong creators mix both. But the balance you choose affects who advertises on your content and how much they pay.

RPM Basics: Why Educational Often Pays More Per View

Exact RPMs vary a lot between platforms and countries, but the pattern is surprisingly consistent:

• Educational content usually earns higher RPM
• Entertainment content usually earns lower RPM but can scale views much faster

If you look across YouTube long-form, Shorts, TikTok, and Reels, you’ll often see something like this trend:

• Broad entertainment comedy: lower RPM
• General lifestyle / vlogs: mid RPM
• Light educational content (productivity, habits, general self-improvement): mid to high RPM
• Hardcore niche educational content in money-related or B2B topics: highest RPM

Why? Because advertisers are not just buying views. They’re buying intent.

How advertisers think

Advertisers pay more when:

• The audience has money to spend
• The audience has a specific problem the product solves
• The video’s topic matches the product category

So a 15-second short about “3 freelancing mistakes that cost you clients” attracts:

• B2B tools
• CRMs
• Online courses
• Payment platforms

These advertisers often pay much more per impression than a generic brand running broad awareness ads on “funny cat fails.”

A Simple Data Comparison (Hypothetical, but Realistic)

To make this more concrete, imagine two creators with similar view counts.

Creator A: Educational Shorts (Finance / Career)

• Niche: “Money and work tips for young professionals”
• Average Shorts views: 1.5 million per month
• RPM on Shorts-style content: around $2.50 - $5.00 per 1,000 views (in higher-value regions)
• Brand deals: finance apps, banks, career platforms, SaaS tools

Creator B: Entertainment Shorts (Comedy / Lifestyle)

• Niche: “Relatable skits and daily life”
• Average Shorts views: 5 million per month
• RPM on Shorts-style content: around $0.30 - $1.50 per 1,000 views
• Brand deals: lifestyle brands, food, fashion, general consumer products

You’ll notice two things:

1. Entertainment scales views much faster.
2. Educational often earns more per view.

So while Creator B may crush total views, Creator A might get similar or better income at a fraction of the views, especially once you include brand deals and affiliate offers.

The real magic is combining high-intent topics with formats that feel entertaining and native to Shorts.

Platform-by-Platform: How RPM Tends To Differ

These are broad patterns, not strict rules, but they show where educational vs entertainment content often lands.

YouTube Shorts

• YouTube has the most mature ad system
• RPM on Shorts is usually lower than long-form, but still meaningful
• Educational channels in finance, tech, productivity, and B2B topics can see the highest RPM

Patterns:

• Quick tutorials, app breakdowns, money tips, and “career hacks” tend to pull better RPM than pure memes
• Reaction entertainment often explodes in views but earns less per 1K views

TikTok

• RPM from the standard creator fund or rewards programs is often quite low
• Brand deals and UGC work matter more than pure ad RPM
• Niches where educational meets commerce (beauty, fitness, tools, software) can earn well through deals

Patterns:

• Comedy and trends win views
• Education plus a clear commercial angle (for example: “best budget mic for beginners”) wins deals

Instagram Reels

• Ad revenue share is limited or not widely rolled out in many regions
• RPM as a metric matters less than conversion potential
• Educational Reels that build trust convert better into paid products, coaching, or brand deals

In short, RPM is more transparent and direct on YouTube. On TikTok and Reels, your real RPM often comes from what you sell off-platform.

Where Educational Content Wins (Beyond RPM)

Even if your RPM is similar to entertainment in raw numbers, educational content has a few hidden advantages:

1. Higher trust per view

   • Viewers see you as an expert, not just a performer
   • That trust boosts sales of your own products, services, or affiliate offers

2. Better audience quality

   • People searching “how to start freelancing” are more ready to buy tools, courses, or coaching
   • Advertisers notice that

3. More stable demand over time

   • Trends come and go
   • Problems like “how do I land a remote job” or “how do I get out of debt” stay relevant for years

4. Easier to build a product ladder

   • Free content
   • Low-ticket products (templates, mini-courses)
   • High-ticket offers (coaching, programs, SaaS)

Entertainment-heavy creators often struggle to turn attention into revenue unless they are massive.

Where Entertainment Content Wins (Despite Lower RPM)

Entertainment is still a strong play, especially if you understand its strengths:

1. Viral potential is higher

   • Funny, emotional, surprising content gets shared quickly
   • Platforms like TikTok love this content style

2. Brand-safe for broad campaigns

   • Many consumer brands want fun, light content
   • You can land big campaign deals if your audience is huge and engaged

3. Fast follower growth

   • People follow accounts that make them feel something
   • That emotional connection can later support product launches or pivots

How To Decide Your Mix: A Simple Framework

If you create Shorts, TikToks, or Reels for growth and income, you don’t need to pick a side. You need a strategy.

Use this simple 3-part content mix:

1. Discovery Content (Mostly Entertainment)

   • Goal: reach as many new people as possible
   • Format: trends, challenges, humor, strong hooks, reactions
   • Example: “POV: You try to be productive and end up scrolling for 3 hours”

2. Value Content (Educational with Personality)

   • Goal: build trust and show your expertise
   • Format: quick tips, myth-busting, “do this not that,” mini-tutorials
   • Example: “3 money habits that keep you broke (and what to do instead)”

3. Conversion Content (High-Intent Education)

   • Goal: send people to your products, affiliate links, or email list
   • Format: tool breakdowns, case studies, “how I did X,” side-by-side comparisons
   • Example: “The exact script I used to land 3 freelance clients this month”

Over time, your RPM comes from a mix of:

• Platform ad revenue
• Brand deals
• Affiliates
• Your own products

Educational content tends to drive the last three much better.

Actionable Tips To Increase RPM Without Killing Your Views

You don’t need to become a dry lecturer to get “educational” RPM. You can tweak what you already do.

1. Anchor your content in a clear, valuable niche

Pick a lane that advertisers care about:

• Money and finance
• Business and marketing
• Tech and tools
• Careers and skills
• Health and fitness
• Beauty and skincare

You can still be funny and emotional, but your topic should live in a value-rich niche.

2. Turn pure entertainment into “edutainment”

Take your current ideas and add one clear takeaway.

Instead of:

• “Funny skit about working from home”

Try:

• “Funny skit about working from home + 1 real tip for staying focused”

That one tip shifts how advertisers see your content and how your audience sees you.

3. Use hooks that signal both value and curiosity

Compare these hooks:

• “Watch this”
• “This changed how I manage my money”

The second one tells both the viewer and the algorithm that your content has learning value.

Great short hooks often:

• Promise a specific result (save time, save money, get better outcomes)
• Call out a common mistake
• Reveal a “no one tells you this” angle

4. Create recurring educational series

Turn one strong concept into a series. For example:

• “30 days of side hustle ideas”
• “Daily AI tool in 15 seconds”
• “1 finance tip your school never taught you”

Series content helps:

• Viewers know what to expect
• Advertisers understand your niche
• You build authority faster

5. Make it easy for brands to see the fit

On YouTube and Instagram, optimize your:

• Channel bio or profile: clearly state who you help and how
• Playlists or Reels categories: group related educational content
• Video titles and descriptions: use niche keywords advertisers recognize

Brands don’t just buy views. They buy relevance. Your positioning should scream “I talk to exactly your target customer.”

The Bottom Line: Don’t Chase Views Alone

If you only chase viral entertainment, you’ll often get:

• Big numbers on your dashboard
• Small numbers in your bank account

If you only chase dry education, you may get:

• Strong RPM
• Slow follower growth and low shareability

Your best move, especially on a platform like ShortsFire where you’re crafting Shorts, TikToks, and Reels with intent, is to:

• Use entertainment to attract
• Use education to convert
• Use a clear niche to monetize

Educational vs entertainment isn’t an either-or question. It’s a balance problem. Get that balance right and your RPM, brand deals, and overall income start to make a lot more sense.