How to Make Money on YouTube
Whether you are a blogger, businessperson, or just an individual in social media you know that a Youtube channel can be a huge source of income. Learning how to make money on YouTube seems daunting, but it really is a simple process.
Making money on what is one of the top search engines on the Internet is easier than you may believe, even with small subscriber numbers it can be possible.
How to Make Money on YouTube
Most successful Youtubers out there will tell you right away that the number one way to make money on YouTube comes with a large following. Both having many subscribers and views each month is definitely going to make it easier to make the big bucks. That said, even smaller channels with loyal followings can easily make a significant amount of money on a regular basis just from utilizing their YouTube platform. No matter where you fall on the spectrum of followers and subscriber counts, the tips below will be useful to growing your income from your YouTube channel.
Ad revenue through YouTube
This is by far the most common of how to make money on Youtube. This is solely dependent upon the number of subscribers you have as well as how many views you receive each month on your channel. The ability to monetize your videos with ads comes when you reach a threshold of 1000 subscribers and a minimum of 4000 watch hours within the last 12 months. While these numbers may seem small, it can be difficult to accumulate the larger watch hours when you have shorter 5-minute videos on your channel.
Once you have reached this minimum, you will be able to add monetization to your videos. However, there are categories of video that will not be allowed monetization. Following YouTube guidelines in this area is vital to keep your channel monetized long term.
Some things that should be avoided are issues of violence, guns, and nudity. The list is much longer, but these basic things will give you an idea of whether your content will be eligible for monetization even after reaching the threshold. It is recommended to take time to read through all of the information offered from the YouTube Partner Program and their various requirements.
Affiliate link drops within your video descriptions
Another highly popular option for making money on YouTube comes from sharing affiliate products in your videos and adding links to those in your video descriptions. This is a natural option for those who are sharing unboxing videos, makeup, clothing, or cooking videos. It can even work for you if you are a motivational vlogger and able to direct your viewers to books or courses.
Think outside the box on affiliate links for your videos. You, of course, want to make actual money in the bank, but for some, the affiliate credit with brands can be equally as beneficial. A popular option comes from beauty vloggers who share their codes for Stitch Fix, Dia & Co, or similar clothing boxes.
While they may not make dollars per sale through their link, they do earn credit toward their own purchases. For some individuals, that is just as good as adding a paycheck into the bank each month.
Sponsored videos from brand partners
One of the most popular and favorite ways to make money is to simply work directly with a sponsor on an individual video. This usually will pay you a lump sum up front rather than be based solely upon views or clicks through to your affiliate links. There are many companies willing to work with vloggers in exchange for promotion of their products.
Sponsored video posts typically include a complete showcase video that is entirely about the product. Sometimes, however, you will find a brand that wants to be a channel sponsor. This can be a larger paycheck and a much easier option. You simply mention them at the beginning and end of your video as a sponsor and give information about their product. Consider it similar to a commercial that you manually add into your video.
These types of sponsors work directly with you and are often open to price negotiations. Your responsibility is to get more views on their brand, so you want to really showcase them well. If you aren’t a fan of their product, be honest and let them know in advance of your posting.
Drive traffic to your website or business
For bloggers, especially, this is the best way to make money on YouTube. By simply driving more page views to your website you are increasing page views and thus your ad revenue. YouTube, while a video service and search engine, is also a social media channel. Using social media to drive page views to your blog or website is one of the best ways to make more money long term for your brand.
As you build your YouTube channel for your hobby or business, keep these methods in mind to make money on YouTube like the pros. It doesn’t take millions of followers to create a steady stream of income that can support your business.
For more ideas on making money, check out: How to Make Money Online Without Sales. Also think about becoming a Virtual Assistant.
Katie Reed is a passionate writer and mother of four vivacious boys from Salt Lake City, Utah. Drawing from her own journey through TTC, pregnancy, and the joys of raising children, she offers a wealth of insight into the world of motherhood. Beyond her heartfelt tales, Katie delights her readers with family-friendly recipes, engaging crafts, and a curated library of printables for both kids and adults. When she’s not penning her experiences, you’ll find her crafting memories with her husband and sons—Dexter, Daniel, Chester, and Wilder.
