YouTube is the second most visited website in the world, just behind Facebook. Half of YouTube’s visitors use it daily. Around 25% of the total internet traffic is towards YouTube. The average YouTube visitor watches an average of 40 minutes of video a day. I think it’s no surprise that those who visit it daily are mainly millennials. YouTube is used daily by 37% of 18-34 year olds. As a result, tens of thousands of people are making money through this platform. Some of them have even become multimillionaires…
But how can you harness the power of YouTube for your own profit? How to make money on internet?
Create your own channel and start making videos!
The best thing about YouTube is that there are almost no limitations on the kind of content you can make. The only thing you have to follow are, of course, the community guidelines (But if you want something more „spicy“, there’s always other sites. For expamle OnlyFans). You can create short films, animations, sing, dance, start a video blog or simply share videos about your products. But the most important thing is for you to find your own style. Only that way will you be able to target a specific audience, customers, or fans. By the way, did you know that 5 hours of new content is uploaded to YouTube every minute? Because of that, you’ll have to really work for it and be unique.
Tips and tricks to get you started:
- Choose your username carefully. It should be something easy and, most importantly, memorable. After all, you want people to remember it and let their friends know about it.
- Don’t forget to add keywords related to your content in the advanced section of your channel settings to reach your target audience. People simply have to find you.
- Try to make your videos short and interesting. You don’t want your viewers to click off the video in the first minute.
- Use the right tools for the job. Make sure you have a good camera, lighting, microphone, editing software, etc. Don’t worry that your content won’t be exceptional at first. We all have to start somewhere. If you have the budget, you can hire a professional. (If you know a lot about camera work, you can also try to earn a bit by selling photos).
- Post your videos regularly! Keep a regular pace of content to stay relevant.
- Reach the right audience. Focus on who your target audience is and who your customers may be.
- Measure and track Google Analytics and pay attention to the numbers and graphs about each of your videos. They will help you understand what’s working well and where you should improve.
- Most importantly, don’t rush it! It may take a while for your content to be noticed, but don’t worry, it will happen sooner or later.
Start earning
Once your channel is set up and streaming, be sure to turn on the “money maker”.
How to enable monetization:
- Sign in to YouTube Studio
- In the left menu, select Earn
- Click Get started for each optional Module to review and accept terms
Remember that in order to make money, you will need a steady audience. Add keywords, share your content across all your social networks and interact with your audience. This will help you grow.
To make money, you’ll need a minimum of 4,000 hours of total viewing time and 1,000 subscribers.
Link your account with AdSense
Before you can even start thinking about any of the many YouTube’s different money-makers, you’ll need to set up a Google AdSense account. Without it, you won’t be able to accept any YouTube payments. You can add multiple YouTube channels to the same AdSense account. Remember, YouTube only pays out rewards after you earn $100 or more for ads placed on your channel and videos.
But how much do YouTubers earn anyway? Right now it’s anything between $0.01 and $0.03 per view, which translates to $3 to $5 per 1,000 views and up to $5,000 per 1,000,000 views.
There are many ways to earn all that money through YouTube. Here are some of the most important ones:
Become a YouTube Partner
As part of the YouTube Partner Program, you have access to additional creation tools, community support, and tips. There are even some prizes you could win.
Minimum requirements to join the program:
- You adhere to all YouTube monetization policies.
- You live in a country/region where the YouTube Partner Program is available.
- Your content has been viewed by people for more than 4,000 hours in the last 12 months.
- You have more than 1,000 subscribers.
- You have a linked AdSense account.
Sell merchandise
Once your channel becomes more established, you can start selling your own branded merchandise. This will require a little extra work, but it’s a good way to add a whole new source of income while getting your name or product out into the real world. There are several third-party sites that can help you set up an online store for your followers and subscribers.
Affiliate marketing
Speaking of selling products. It doesn’t necessarily have to be about selling your own. You can sell someone else’s products in exchange for a commission. Even big companies like Amazon and eBay offer opportunities to affiliate marketers. However, this can change and affect your content as you may need to review your affiliate products, leave links to them in the description or even create a “how to use” guide if necessary.
Sponsorship and licensing
Another proactive way to create a new source of revenue on YouTube is to seek sponsorship from specific companies. This can be a one-time thing or even a planned partnership. You may prefer to negotiate directly with the brand rather than relying on YouTube for payment. On the other hand, if you own a brand and want to align it with another YouTube channel or influencer, you can contact them directly and set up a meeting to discuss the possibilities of working together.
If your video happens to go “viral”, you can also trade your content for money in exchange for a license if the companies want to use your IP.
What else can you do?
There are perhaps an endless number of ways to generate revenue through creating content on YouTube. The only limitation is your mind. YouTube itself is constantly thinking and creating new ways for YouTube partners to make money through the platform.
Here are some of their recent suggestions:
- Channel Membership: Your members would make monthly payments for special perks or exclusive content.
- Superchat and superstickers: This is most valuable if you find yourself streaming a lot. Your fans can send special highlighted messages or use some of your personal stickers.
- YouTube Premium: Subscribers can pay a fee to access premium content. If you sign up for this program, you get a portion of that subscription fee.
Conclusion
To truly succeed on YouTube, all you’ll really need is dedication, creativity and determination. Like most things on the internet, even YouTube can turn from just a niche hobby into a dream job. Good luck, YouTubers!
