YouTube creators are today’s “grassroots stars.” They attract a large audience by producing entertaining, educational, and informative videos, or content that allows us to experience the wonders of the internet. If you’ve achieved some success on YouTube, there are multiple ways to monetize your videos and channel. Some methods leverage YouTube’s built-in features, while others require directing viewers to external websites. Consider the following seven strategies for making money on YouTube, and also learn how much successful YouTube bloggers can actually earn.
1. Join the YouTube Partner Program
The YouTube Partner Program enables creators to earn money from their Shorts, live streams, and long-form videos through various means. Creators who join the program can receive: a share of the revenue from ads shown during videos and between Shorts; a portion of the revenue when YouTube Premium subscribers watch their content; earnings from features like Super Chat, Super Thanks, and channel memberships; and the ability to sell products using YouTube Shopping. The program also provides creators with YouTube’s creator support and copyright matching tools, which help protect original content.
Joining the partner program isn’t the only way to make money on YouTube, and it may not be the most profitable strategy for your channel. Other options include directing viewers to off-platform stores or affiliate partners, or creating sponsored videos, all of which will be covered later in this article. However, most YouTube monetization methods become more accessible once you’re a member of the partner program, and some are only available to members. In the past three years, YouTube has paid out over $50 billion to program members, so if you meet the following eligibility criteria, it’s worth considering applying.
Eligibility Criteria
To qualify for the YouTube Partner Program and use its monetization features, your channel must meet the following metrics: have 1,000 subscribers; have accumulated 4,000 watch hours in the past 12 months, or 10 million Shorts views in the past 90 days. Some program features can be unlocked with fewer subscribers and watch hours. Your channel also needs to maintain good standing on YouTube and comply with all of YouTube’s monetization policies. Additionally, you must reside in an eligible region.
Application Process
When you’re ready to apply, go to your channel’s YouTube Studio and open the “Monetization” tab to start the application process.
2. Enable Ads on Your Videos
Once you’re accepted into the YouTube Partner Program, the easiest way to start making money on YouTube is by earning ad revenue from display and video ads shown on your channel. When you create a long-form video and enable ads, YouTube will show your viewers a series of pre-roll and post-roll ads, which may or may not be skippable. You can’t control which ads are shown before or after your video, but for videos that are eight minutes or longer, you can choose whether to place mid-roll ads. Mid-roll ads can be added automatically or manually. Select the “Revenue” tab in your YouTube Studio to view ad revenue reports, including your estimated monthly earnings from monetized videos.
Move Beyond Ad Dependence and Seek Diverse Revenue Streams
While YouTube ads are a simple way to passively monetize your videos, you may need to combine them with other revenue-generating strategies to achieve significant earnings. YouTube’s ad-removal policies are considered overly cautious by some creators, so there’s a chance that some of your content may not meet advertisers’ requirements. Additionally, YouTube takes 45% of the ad revenue from regular videos and 55% from Shorts.
3. Let Viewers Support You Through Fan Funding
For creators who are part of the partner program, YouTube’s fan funding features provide a way for viewers to directly support your channel through tips and monthly payments. Super Chat, Super Stickers, and Super Thanks are colorful messages and reminders that viewers can purchase to support your channel during live streams and video premieres. Once purchased, these features, similar to tip jars, highlight fans’ comments in the chat box. Similarly, YouTube channel memberships offer a range of exclusive benefits that you can set for paying fans. You can create up to six membership tiers and offer increasing benefits, such as: channel badges and custom emojis that make members stand out in live chat and comments; community posts, Shorts, and videos exclusive to members; exclusive early access to videos; member-only live chat and streams; and a member recognition shelf at the top of your channel page to showcase member avatars.
Expand Revenue with Diverse Funding Platforms
You can also raise funds for your channel outside of the YouTube ecosystem. Patreon is a well-known fan funding platform where creators offer additional content, access, and benefits in exchange for regular donations. While you may need to produce extra content to reward donors, these platforms provide your viewers with a familiar way to support you continuously. Besides Patreon, there are other alternative funding platforms, such as Tipeee, which allows you to seek both one-time and recurring donations, and Buy Me a Coffee, through which creators can receive small tips from fans.
4. Sell Products and Merchandise
You can sell a variety of products on your YouTube channel, such as merchandise like T-shirts, coffee mugs, and tote bags. This not only generates revenue but also increases brand exposure, extends your online brand and its personality to the offline world, and brings you closer to your fans, as they are literally “paying” for your brand. For example, Roman Atwood sells various products under the Smile More brand in his YouTube store. Aiming to sell branded merchandise isn’t that difficult to achieve. You can find affordable custom designs for your products on freelancing websites like Fiverr, such as custom T-shirt patterns. As for order processing, you can integrate print-on-demand services like DSers into your store. A third party will handle shipping, delivery, and customer service, and you can enjoy all the benefits of print-on-demand services without having to invest too much effort. Tip: You can use the Shopify Google & YouTube app to promote and sell your products on YouTube. With this app, you can sync your product catalog, tag or pin products during live streams, and manage all sales information through Shopify. Alternatively, you can collaborate with existing content creator merchandise sales networks, such as DFTBA (Don’t Forget to Be Awesome). However, this approach means you’ll face competition from other YouTube bloggers, and compared to e-commerce websites, you’ll have less control over adding products, offering discounts, and integrating content on YouTube. As a YouTube blogger with a certain fan base, you have two enviable advantages from the start: your content continuously drives traffic to your store; and fans trust you, which is earned by providing them with free content over the long term.
5. Collaborate with Brands as an Influencer
As your YouTube channel grows and you build an engaged audience, brands may approach you for partnerships. As an influencer, you can collaborate with brands by creating sponsored videos, mentioning brand products in video descriptions, or conducting product reviews. Before collaborating with a brand, make sure it aligns with your channel’s positioning and audience, so as to achieve a win-win situation. For example, if you run a fitness channel, partnering with sports brands or fitness equipment manufacturers would be a great fit. When negotiating the terms of the collaboration, clearly define your value. In addition to a one-time collaboration fee, you can also strive for long-term cooperation opportunities, product giveaways, sales commissions, and other benefits. At the same time, clearly inform viewers that it’s sponsored content to maintain transparency and safeguard the trust they have in you.
6. License Your Content to Media
If your video content is unique and engaging, you can consider licensing it for use by other media. This may include television networks, streaming platforms, advertising agencies, etc. Media organizations may use your videos for program material, advertising, or other purposes. You can contact potential buyers directly or work through a copyright agency to negotiate licensing arrangements. The licensing fee will vary depending on factors such as the quality, rarity, scope of use, and duration of use of the video. For example, a video with exclusive news value may command a relatively high licensing fee. By licensing your content to the media, you can not only earn additional income but also further expand the reach of your work and enhance your personal brand’s visibility.
7. Leverage Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is a performance-based marketing method where you promote other companies’ products or services in your videos or video descriptions and earn a commission when viewers purchase products or services through your referral links. First, you need to join affiliate programs relevant to your channel’s content. For example, if you’re a food blogger, you can join affiliate programs of kitchenware and food suppliers. When creating videos, naturally incorporate introductions and recommendations of affiliate products, and share your real experiences of using the products to make your recommendations valuable to viewers. For instance, you can showcase the process of using a certain brand of kitchenware in a cooking video and mention the advantages of the kitchenware and the purchase link. Pay attention to choosing reliable affiliate partners with good reputations and high-quality products, and avoid recommending low-quality or irrelevant products, as this may damage the trust viewers have in you. Also, pay attention to the commission policies, payment methods, and settlement cycles of affiliate programs to ensure the protection of your rights and interests.
Making money on YouTube requires patience, consistent effort, and diversified strategies. By combining the above seven methods and adjusting and optimizing them according to the characteristics of your own channel and the needs of your audience, you may be able to achieve your profit goals on the world’s largest video platform and turn your hobby into a rewarding career.
