People who have earned an audience through video content created for teaching, entertaining, reviewing, and being awesome online are today’s self-made celebrities.
Although YouTube may not be your primary motivation for starting a channel, the potential earnings are a pleasant surprise once they realize how many there are. Fortunately, there are innovative methods for making money on YouTube.
Your audience may assist you in earning money from your YouTube channel, as it has for some Instagram influencers or bloggers. However, the ability to generate multiple revenue streams outside of YouTube is what allows you to profit from your videos.
Making Money on YouTube
Sign up for the YouTube Partner Program.
Ads are the most likely revenue stream to be investigated. Joining the YouTube Partner Program and setting up monetization is an important step if you want to make money from YouTube by uploading videos or as a content producer.
You must agree to abide by all of YouTube’s monetization policies and live in a region where the YouTube Partner Program is available. Once you’ve accumulated 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the previous year, you can apply for monetization.
Here’s how to enable YouTube monetization:
Log in to the YouTube account that you wish to monetize.
In the top right corner, click the account icon.
Go to YouTube Studio.
Select Other Features > Monetization from the left menu.
Read the YouTuber Partner Program terms and eligibility requirements and agree to them.
Create a new Google AdSense account for your channel or connect an existing one. (To be paid, you must have an AdSense account.)
Configure your monetization preferences.
Return to the dashboard and click the Analytics tab on the right side. From there, select “Revenue” from the upper-right tabs, then scroll down to see your estimated monthly YouTube revenue.
What exactly is YouTube Premium?
YouTube Premium is a paid membership service that allows fans to watch and support their favorite YouTube content creators without being interrupted by advertisements. Nothing really changes for creators, as they will be paid for content consumed by YouTube members, as well as premium content on YouTube Premium.
You are compensated based on how much you watch YouTube videos. Revenue from YouTube Premium subscriptions can be considered a secondary revenue stream.
Earning money through advertising as an affiliate marketer is simple to get started, but it isn’t the most lucrative revenue stream for you to pursue.
Why you should look for revenue sources other than ads
YouTube recently received a significant amount of criticism for its decision to be more open about advertising on the platform and what content is advertiser-friendly.
Many YouTubers believed that because of the nature of their content (i.e., videos), they would lose ad revenue that would help support their channels.
According to YouTube, your content may be barred from earning ad revenue if it contains:
Sexually suggestive material, such as partial nudity and sexual humor
Violence, including serious injury displays and events related to violent extremism
Harassment, profanity, and vulgar language are examples of inappropriate language.
Drug and regulated substance promotion, including the sale, use, and abuse of such items
Controversial or sensitive subjects and events, including war, political conflicts, natural disasters, and tragedies, even if graphic imagery is not displayed
However, YouTube has been demonetising content that it deems unsuitable for advertising since at least 2012, using an automated process that occurs without warning and without the video creator’s knowledge.
Now, creators are notified when their videos are flagged, and they can contest any errors at any time they believe a specific video was mistakenly excluded from the YouTube Advertising Network.
Advertising may be an effective way for content creators to generate passive income, but YouTube’s parent company, Google, receives a 45% cut of the advertising revenue.
YouTube creators should look into alternative income streams in order to sustain their creative hobby. We’ll show you how to make money from YouTube without using Adsense.
Offer products or merchandise for sale
There are numerous ways to monetize your YouTube channel. Merchandise provides benefits in addition to revenue. It aids in the development of brand recognition and loyalty.
Merchandise expands your online brand and personality by bringing them into the physical world. It also strengthens your relationship with your fans because they literally “buy into” what you’re saying. Under the Smile More brand, Roman Atwood sells a variety of merchandise in her store.
It may be more difficult than it appears at first. Using freelance websites, you can get affordable designs tailored for specific items, such as t-shirts.
Alternatively, you can collaborate with an existing creator merchandising network, such as DFTBA (Don’t Forget to Be Awesome). However, if you compete with other YouTube channels, you will have less control over adding items, offering discounts, integrating content, and reaping the benefits of owning your own ecommerce site.
You can even take it a step further by creating and marketing your own one-of-a-kind products and leveraging your YouTube channel to power your business. As Luxy Hair did in order to sell its hair extensions.
As a YouTuber with an existing audience, you’ll have two advantages right away that other store owners would envy:
A content engine that drives consistent traffic to your store
Your audience’s trust, which you’ve earned by regularly providing them with free content from your own brand.
Crowdfund your next creative endeavor.
When money is the only thing standing between an idea and its realization, crowdfunding is a good way to get things done.
If you need help paying for better equipment, hiring actors, or covering other production costs, you can turn to your own audience and the crowd funding community for assistance, as long as your idea is compelling enough.
Many successful crowdfunded projects include a teaser or “trailer,” so consider making a video explaining your project or providing a preview of what it will be like, such as the popular Kickstarter for Kung Fury, a short film homage to ’80s action movies.
Popular crowdfunding sites with a track record of successful YouTuber campaigns include:
Kickstarter.
One of the most well-known crowdfunding platforms, ideal for funding innovative products and creative projects. Set an attainable funding goal because you will only be able to secure it if you meet it.
Indiegogo.
A crowdfunding alternative with more flexible funding options.
Allow your audience to fund you through “fan funding.”
You can set up “fan funding” streams to raise funds from your audience in the same way that you can set up crowdfunding campaigns.
As a content creator, you contribute your voice to the Internet without requiring your audience to pay. People may be inclined to support your business on an ongoing basis if you provide good content.
Many fan-funding sites provide creators with another place for fans to discover their content as well as a way to thank them for their support by donating to their projects.
Wait But Why produces longer-form written articles rather than YouTube videos, but it is a great example of receiving funding from its Patreon community.
If you decide to use crowdfunding, there are a few best practices to keep in mind. To begin, create transparency about how the funds will be spent. This will pique your audience’s interest in your story or mission. Because they believe in the value of your content, they will be willing to invest in it.
Second, provide enticing incentives for higher pledges. You’re more likely to get donations and higher pledge amounts if you can make donors feel special by giving them access to things they wouldn’t normally be able to experience.
Among the most popular fan funding options are:
Super Chat on YouTube.
Super Chat is a feature on YouTube that is used when doing live streams. It allows you to set up a tip jar for your viewers to donate whenever and however much they want. You must configure your YouTube account for advertising purposes.
Membership in a channel.
Channel memberships allow viewers to support your channel by making monthly payments in exchange for exclusive member benefits. To use this feature, you must be a member of YouTube’s Partner Program, just like Super Chat.
Patreon.
The membership platform that makes it simple for creators to be compensated. Fans can receive exclusive rewards by subscribing to their favorite creators for as little as a dollar per month.
Tipeee.
This platform allows you to receive both one-time and recurring donations.
Purchase a coffee for me.
Creators and artists can accept donations and membership fees from their fans through Buy Me A Coffee. With over 300,000 creators, it’s dubbed the “#1 Patreon Alternative.” The differences are that Buy Me A Coffee makes it easier to accept payments, there is a flat 5% fee for all features (versus up to 12% for Patreon), and payouts are instant.
Make your content available to the media.
If you create a popular viral video, such as one featuring your dog, you may be able to license your content in exchange for money.
If you upload videos to YouTube, you may receive requests for permission to use them from TV news outlets, morning show producers, online news sites, and so on.
You can also list videos on marketplaces like Trusted Media Brands, where the right people (and companies) can find and buy them.
When a video of a woman wearing a Chewbacca mask went viral, many media outlets wanted to cover it.
Work as an influencer for brands.
Influencer marketing and sponsorship deals are becoming increasingly important to brands. They’re spending their typically large advertising budget on influencers who already have audience loyalty.
You can create a massive opportunity for yourself as a creator if you can negotiate the right deal.
Brendan Gahan, an online marketing expert and influencer, recommends determining your baseline flat fee by determining how many views your videos typically receive, multiplying it by $0.15 to $0.30 per view, and then adding 10% to 20%.
According to WebFX data, the potential prices for YouTube influencer marketing are:
- A YouTuber with 10,000 subscribers will pay $200 per video.
- A YouTuber with 100,000 subscribers can earn $2,000 per video.
- A YouTuber with 1,000,000 subscribers will pay $20,000 per video.
If the brand is a good fit for your audience demographics, content quality, and how unique and profitable your niche is, you may be able to negotiate a better deal.
The key to collaborating on brand-sponsored content is to be open about it, not endorsing anything you don’t like or believe in, and being honest with your audience about why you’re doing it.
Here are a few of the many influencer marketplaces where you can add your channel and be discovered by brands large and small:
Crowdtap.
Complete small “tasks” of content creation in exchange for money and other rewards. There is no minimum number of followers required to join.
Upfluence.
A full-service influencer platform with over 3 million influencers in its database. Clients can use Upfluence to search for creators by keyword and contact them to form a partnership.
Some influencer marketplaces provide free products, while others are known for having large brands willing to pay a higher fee. Take advantage of opportunities that best suit your needs, but list yourself in as many places as possible to ensure maximum visibility for your channel.
Work as an affiliate marketer.
Affiliate marketing is the practice of earning commissions by promoting the products or services of others. You can become a brand’s affiliate and include product placement, endorsements, or other types of content. You must, however, disclose any partnerships in your videos.
This is especially useful for people who review products on YouTube. Because there is no risk for brands, the barrier to entry is usually low.
ClickBank (1% to 75% commissions, depending on the vendor) and Amazon’s affiliate program (up to 10% per sale) are two popular affiliate programs. You can also reach out to brands in your niche that have an affiliate program, which is fairly common in the ecommerce industry.
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 to Make Money on YouTube
- Publish advertisements on your channel.
- Subscriptions to channels are available.
- Provide channel memberships
- Enroll in affiliate marketing.
To earn money directly from YouTube, you must have at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the previous year. After that, you can apply to YouTube’s Partner Program to monetize your channel.
If you’re new to affiliate marketing, one place to start making money is with affiliate marketing. Popular YouTube channels frequently cover niche topics such as food reviews, product launches, and the best of [X]. Rather than ads or views, you can earn money by having people buy affiliate products from your videos.
How much do YouTubers earn per year?
The top five YouTubers in January 2021 each 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. Her total estimated earnings are around $259,304 based solely on ad revenue, with an average of $979 per video.
How are YouTubers compensated?
According to Forbes, advertising accounts for 50% of the top YouTube earners’ annual income. You can enable monetization after you’ve created a YouTube channel and set up an Adsense account. You are only paid when your AdSense account generates $100 in ad revenue.
Even if your YouTube channel does not have millions of subscribers, you can still make money from it. Your earning potential is determined not only by the number of subscribers and views you have, but also by the level of engagement you generate, the niches you cater to, and the revenue channels you experiment with.
YouTube selling advice
The majority of these monetization strategies involve marketing products or campaigns (e g, crowdfunding a video series). However, you must ensure that your promotions do not jeopardize the integrity of your high-quality content.
Many creators are concerned about selling out. But if you don’t ask, you won’t get. When promoting products or campaigns, you can select from a variety of “placements.”
Recognize your YouTube audience
You can monetize your content in a variety of ways as long as you’re building an audience. You’ll only be able to capitalize on your opportunities if you first understand the demographics of your target audience.
If you want to monetize your YouTube channel, the more niche it is, the better position you’ll be in to work with companies looking to target specific audiences.
You should pay close attention to:
- The gender of your audience, to see if it leans toward one group in particular.
- The age range of the majority of your audience
- The geographical location of your videos’ viewers (countries or cities)
- The overall engagement of your audience, or “watch time,”
With this demographic data in hand, you’ll have a better understanding of your own audience and will be able to collaborate more effectively with brands. Your YouTube analytics can provide you with all demographic information.
In your videos, include a call to action.
If you enjoyed this video, please like it and subscribe.”
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 intended action you want them to take if you suggest it.
You can modify this strategy to focus your audience’s attention on a revenue-generating opportunity.
Incorporate well-timed YouTube cards into your videos.
Whether it’s part of a partnership with a brand or you’re promoting your own products, YouTube Cards are a visually appealing way to capture the attention of engaged viewers.
You can program them to appear at precisely the right time, when they are most relevant and least distracting, to maximize their impact.
Promote your offer on additional platforms.
Just because you’ve uploaded your content to YouTube doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use all of the other distribution channels available to you.
Share information about new campaigns or discounts on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media channels that you control.
The more places your messages appear, the more likely they will be seen by people.