Making money on YouTube may not be your primary motivation for starting a channel, but the earning opportunities are a pleasant surprise once you realize how numerous they are. Fortunately, there are some unique ways to make money on YouTube.
Your audience may unlock the earning potential of your YouTube channel, as is often the case with Instagram influencers or bloggers. Still, creating multiple revenue streams via side hustles or businesses allows you to make money. Continue reading to learn about different ways to make money from your YouTube channel, complete with step-by-step instructions.
How to Make Money from YouTube Videos
- Obtain 1,000 subscribers and apply to the YouTube Partner Program.
- Work as an affiliate marketer.
- Produce sponsored content through brand partnerships.
- Develop and market your own product or merchandise.
- Use crowdfunding
#1. Obtain 1,000 subscribers and apply to the YouTube Partner Program.
First and foremost, let’s get this out of the way. The most challenging barrier to joining the YouTube Partner Program is reaching the 1,000-subscriber mark. Once you’ve done so, you’ll be able to earn advertising revenue.
Before you can become a partner, you must meet the following requirements:
- Your videos must follow the site’s advertising guidelines and have received over 4,000 valid public watch hours in the previous 12 months.
- You must live in a qualifying area.
- You must connect a Google AdSense account.
If you meet the requirements, you can apply by going to your profile and scrolling down to the “monetization” section.
As a partner, you can earn money through advertisements, membership benefits, and features such as Super Chat, which allows viewers to pay to have their messages highlighted during a live stream.
How Many YouTube Views Does It Take To Make Money?
You are not compensated for each video view. Instead, you are compensated when someone watches or clicks on an ad displayed on your video.
According to Influencer Marketing Hub, while payment varies, the average YouTube channel can expect to make around $18 per 1,000 ad views. When you consider the rate of ads viewed, that translates to $3 to $5 per 1,000 video views.
So, when are you going to start making money on YouTube?
When your balance reaches $100, you will be paid. Assume it takes 1,000 video views to earn $4 from viewers who saw ads. To make $100 from those ads, you’d need 25,000 video views.
If your channel is small, you may only be paid every few months. You’ll also want to understand how Google handles AdSense payments and taxes.
Does it appear that you have a long journey ahead of you?
Alternative ways to earn money before reaching 1,000 subscribers are listed below.
#2. Work as an affiliate marketer.
If you plan to make product review videos, affiliate marketing may be the most practical way to monetize your YouTube traffic. It works as follows:
- You locate a company or seller that offers an affiliate program, such as Amazon Associates, and apply to become a member.
- After you’ve been accepted, you’ll use their process to create custom links to products you want to feature in your videos.
- In your YouTube videos, demonstrate, review, or make to the products, and include your custom affiliate marketing link(s) in the description field.
When a viewer clicks your custom link and purchases the product, you will earn a commission as a brand affiliate.
While Amazon Associates is a great way to make money on Amazon, numerous other options exist. Look for potential corporate partners and products to feature on affiliate marketing sites like ShareASale and ClickBank. You can also directly search the websites of your favorite brands for information on how to become an affiliate.
Remember to properly notify your viewers about your affiliation with the featured brand or brands and point them to the “link in the description” when you shoot your video.
#3. Produce sponsored content through brand partnerships.
Another way to make money on YouTube is to land a brand deal, a type of affiliate marketing: Companies that want to reach your channel’s audience may sponsor your videos or offer you product placement deals in exchange for a shoutout.
The operative word here is “audience,” which means that these kinds of opportunities are more likely to present themselves as you build a following. As your channel grows, you can contact the brands directly or use resources like the aforementioned affiliate marketing sites to find corporate partners who complement your content style.
With brand deals, you can receive lump sum payments, per-sale commissions, or receive the product or service for free.
Remember: If you have an endorsement or use product placement in a video, you must notify YouTube by checking a box in the advanced settings tab of your video manager to indicate that your video contains paid promotion.
#4. Develop and market your own product or merchandise.
If you have merchandise or service your audience would be interested in, let them know about it and include links in your videos. For example, Marques Brownlee, the creator of the popular tech review channel MKBHD, includes a link to his own line of T-shirts and accessories in each video he posts.
Selling a physical product may necessitate the purchase of materials or the search for a manufacturer. Still, you can also sell downloadables such as e-books, art prints, or virtual classes. Before you advertise your products, ensure a secure payment system.
Selling incentive: While creating your own products is more complex than pitching those of other companies; you may make more money this way because you will keep most of your profits as the product owner.
#5. Use crowdfunding
Crowdfunding is another method of monetization you can use to keep your channel running. Crowdfunding is classified into two types: recurring and project-based. Fans of the channel pay a small subscription fee for perks and/or an exclusive tier of access in the former, which is better suited for content creators.
More subscribers equal more money. Viewers may be enticed to sign up by incentives such as one-on-one video chats, private classes, or merchandise. Patreon is a popular crowdfunding platform that provides an additional income stream for many video creators, musicians, and other artists with a sizable fan base.
If you have a project idea that needs funding, a project-based crowdfunding campaign is a way to go. Begin with sites like Indiegogo, Kickstarter, or GoFundMe.
How many YouTube views do you need to make money?
According to Influencer Marketing Hub data, the average YouTube channel can earn around $18 per 1,000 ad views, which equates to about $3 to $5 per video view.
The number of views does not correspond to revenue earned. You won’t make any money if your video receives thousands of views, but no one watches or clicks the ad. This is due to YouTube’s billing criteria: for you to be paid, a viewer must click an ad or watch the video ad in its entirety (10, 15, or 30 seconds).
How Much Money Do YouTubers Make Per Year?
The top five YouTubers in January 2021 have tens of millions of followers. MrBeast, Jake Paul, Markiplier, Rhett and Link, and Unspeakable are some of the accounts. These YouTubers earn an estimated $28.5 million per year from their channels. While their earnings are massive, smaller accounts can still make a living on YouTube.
Consider Justine Leconte’s YouTube channel. Her channel has 913,000 subscribers and 91 million video views, and she helps people dress better and understand fashion. Influencer Marketing Hub’s YouTube Money Calculator shows her estimated earnings are around $259,304, with an average of $979 per video.
According to these estimates, Justine could make a living from her YouTube channel by posting one or two weekly videos. It should be noted that these are only estimates. Justine’s earnings could be higher or lower than the figures above, depending on the YouTube monetization strategies she employs for her business.
How are YouTubers Compensated?
According to Forbes data, the top YouTube earners make 50% of their annual income from advertisements. When you create a YouTube channel, you may set up an AdSense account and activate monetization. You are only paid when your AdSense account reaches $100.
Even if a YouTube channel does not have millions of subscribers, it can be monetized. Your earning potential is defined by the number of subscribers and views, the level of engagement you generate, the niche you cater to, and the revenue sources you pursue.
Second, the list of top ten earners may lead you to believe that the millions of cash earned are directly from YouTube. Each of these channels has its own goods line. Before introducing their own merchandise, these channels found and cultivated their fans. If making money on YouTube is part of your marketing strategy, the first step is the same for everyone: determine your target demographic.
Tips For Selling on YouTube
Many monetization tactics involve marketing items or campaigns (e.g., crowdfunding a video series). However, you must make that your promotions do not jeopardize the integrity of your high-quality content.
Many creators are concerned about “selling out.” However, if you never ask, you will never receive it. You can choose from various “placements” to promote your items or campaigns.
#1. Recognize your YouTube audience
Building your own audience allows you to monetize content in various ways. However, you will only be able to fully capitalize on your possibilities if you understand the demographics of your target audience.
For many YouTubers trying to monetise, the more niche your channel, the higher your chances of working with marketers looking to target certain demographics (more on that later).
You should pay close attention to the following:
- The gender of your audience, to check if it leans toward one group in particular.
- The age group The majority of your audience falls within
- The geographical location of your films’ viewers (countries or cities)
- The overall engagement of your audience, or “watch time,”
With this demographic data in hand, you’ll have a better grasp of your own audience and will be able to collaborate more effectively with companies. All demographic information can be obtained from your YouTube analytics, but if you want to compare your channel to others, use a program like Social Blade
#2. In your videos, include a call to action.
“Please Like and Subscribe if you enjoyed this video.”
To increase their viewership, many YouTubers include a call to action along those lines at the end of their videos. Your audience is more likely to take the desired action you want them to do if you advise.
You can modify this strategy to focus your audience’s attention on a revenue-generating possibility.
#3. Incorporate well-timed YouTube cards into your videos.
Whether it’s part of a partnership with a company or you’re promoting your own items, YouTube Cards are a visually appealing approach to capture the attention of engaged viewers.
To maximize their impact, you may program them to appear at the appropriate time, when they are most important and least distracting.
#4. Include hyperlinks in your video descriptions.
By including links in your video descriptions, you can direct viewers to your store, Patreon page, Kickstarter campaign, or any revenue-generating aspect of your online presence.
Look into Unbox Therapy if you’re a video artist who wants to focus on producing cash as an affiliate marketer. Unbox Therapy focuses on product reviews and makes money from affiliate links in its video descriptions.
If you make videos promoting your own items and own or operate a Shopify site, you can use “buy X receive Y” promotions or discounts to get new customers to buy your products.
#5. Promote your offer on more platforms.
Just because your work is uploaded on YouTube does not imply you should ignore the other distribution options available.
Spread the word about new campaigns or promotions on Twitter, Facebook, and any other social media platforms you can access.
The more locations your message appears, the more likely it will be viewed. As a result, expanding your following outside YouTube with social media marketing is always a good idea.
Conclusion
Video is consuming the internet, and as a video creator, YouTube is an excellent platform for gaining exposure to your work. However, AdSense pay is pitiful, with the highest earners taking more than 90% of the pie. Experiment with various revenue tactics to see what works best for your YouTube channel.
Also, don’t start a YouTube channel to make money, as this might lead to disaster. To be able to put in the hard effort and push through growth plateaus, you should enjoy making videos.
Before making money, don’t wait years (or try to gain millions of views). Begin by providing video editing or other services — and you’ll have several income sources.
Also, remember that to make any money from YouTube, you must adhere to the community guidelines. To avoid difficulties, avoid creating inappropriate, spammy, hateful information, infringing on copyrights, or anything else that could be reported.
It’s now your turn: which of the above income-generating alternatives will you use for your YouTube channel next? Are there any additional monetization tactics you’ve used on or through YouTube? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments section below.
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- HOW DOES YOUTUBE MAKE MONEY IN 2023?
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