H
ow do you make money on YouTube? It isn’t that easy and it can take years to build up your followers and to monetize the content you create. But there are some key steps you can take so that your channel can make money today. We’ve taken the time to break it down so you can figure out how to make money on YouTube and gain a deep understanding of YouTube video monetization.
1
THE BASICS
YOUTUBE MONETIZATION ESSENTIALS
YOUTUBE MONETIZATION: Become a YT Partner
How to make money on YouTube videos
YouTube gives you the opportunity to make money from your videos.
To achieve success, it may require you to tap multiple different revenue streams, as simply relying on ads will only get you so far.
You need to first build an engaged audience, which basically means you need to have videos coming out no less than every two weeks, and you need people to comment, like, subscribe, and share your content.
YouTube has a program for those who go through the process, and this program is called the YouTube Partner Program (YPP).
How to get money from YouTube • Join the YPP
Certain countries are allowed to monetize their YouTube channel due to international laws, and that list is provided here.
After that, there are a few steps you need to go through. Here are some numbers to get you inspired to make money on YouTube.
How do you make money on YouTube • 2019 Top Earners
STEP #1 — Enable YouTube Monetization
You must first read and agree to the YouTube Partner Program terms.
Once you have done this, you may then sign into YouTube, find the tab for YouTube Studio, and then you must select “Monetization.”
How do you make money on YouTube? Start monetizing
Follow the steps to unlock YouTube’s Partner Program Terms.
STEP #2 — Create an AdSense Account
Next, you will want to sign up for AdSense.
AdSense is Google’s (they own YouTube) way of paying you for helping their business grow, and for selling ad space.
Technically speaking, you’re not being paid by YouTube directly. You’re being paid by Google Adsense. What happens is that Adsense aggregates your views and then will direct deposit you funds on the 21st of each month.
How to monetize videos on YouTube? Create an AdSense account
This is a big part of this whole concept because you also need to make sure that your videos are either corporate friendly or so popular that they are undeniable as a source of exposure for brands.
If you already have an AdSense account, you can just connect it to your channel, but if you don’t you will need to create a new account.
You can only link one AdSense account to your channel, so if you have multiple on there your channel will be denied.
STEP #3 — Adjust Advertisement Settings
Now you need to decide your settings for your ads and monetization.
Choose which types of ads you want to play before your videos and make sure to set it so that your existing and future videos are monetized.
You can always go back and change settings later.
STEP #4 — Meet the Requirements to Get Approved for YPP
YouTube will now review your channel to make sure it meets their program threshold, which is mainly based on channel activity and then they will check to see if your channel isn’t breaking any of the rules.
To get to this point you need to have the following:
- 1,000 subscribers
- 4,000 watch hours in the previous 12 months
You also need to understand general copyright guidelines, as they will affect how you can make money on YouTube.
YOUTUBE MONETIZATION BASICS
YouTube Demographics
One of the first things you should do is figure out who is watching your videos. This will give you a sense of who you should continue to make videos for so that you can build a viewer base.
You might have a ton of teenagers watching your videos because you’re a video game reviewer, and you may not benefit from trying to go after people in their twenties if they won't enjoy your videos.
YOUTUBE ADVERTISEMENTS
Avoid YouTube's yellow dollar sign
The Yellow Dollar Sign is YouTube’s way of letting advertisers know that the content of your videos may not be suitable for all audiences.
Think of it as them tagging you as an R-rated movie. It may sound cool, but it limits your channel’s viability for ads. But how does YouTube determine this?
SHOCKING CONTENT
YouTube knows that content that is made to scare or shock your senses may get a lot of views, but it will also make a lot of viewers upset or angry about the experience they just had. It might sound silly, but to an advertiser, it is pretty straightforward.
I don’t want my Tide detergent ad to be immediately followed by a Halloween jump-scare video.
PROFANITY
Parents don’t want their children to hear profane videos, and because of this, your video will be flagged. Maybe it won’t - use your best judgement.
MISLEADING OR EXPLICIT THUMBNAILS
This is where you put a photo of Justin Bieber on your video about growing better carrots in your garden. You might get a few arbitrary clicks, but YouTube will flag you for it, which hurts your chances of getting approved.
CONTROVERSIAL
The first amendment allows you to say generally whatever you like, but it does not entitle you to advertisement dollars. YouTube limits their content a bit, but for the most part, they won’t stop your opinions.
They just don’t have to reward them, either.
Youtube ADVERTISEMENTS
YouTube salary for video creators
The YouTube pay rate is very low. The average salary is between $1.50 and $3 per 1000 views. I know that’s not the YouTuber salary you were hoping for, but welcome to the real world.
But look at the numbers as a YouTube pay per view. The YouTube pay per view is .0015 to .003 cents per view.
Google Adsense won’t cut you a check for under $100, so make sure you get those views up. It can take time.
How do you make money on YouTube? Very slowly
Keep releasing videos and your YouTube pay rate should steadily rise.
To make around $100, you need to accrue around 50,000 views. That’s not a great Youtube pay rate.
Especially when you consider that YouTube said 99% of all users who monetize with ads only made around $100 in their first year. Here's Shelby Church with an explanation of how different videos that hit 1M views can price out very differently based on age and location of the viewers and even the duration of the video.
How much to YouTubers make? Here's a breakdown from Shelby Church
But the top YouTube earners don’t just make money through their videos, they also reach out to other revenue streams.
2
Multiple Revenue Streams
How to Make Money On Youtube Beyond Videos
YOUTUBE monetization
Multiple YouTube revenue streams
Video monetizing on ad revenue alone is a daunting task. You’re going you have to think outside the box for other ways to make your YouTube career pay off.
It can take a long time to acquire the number of active users and commenters it takes to make any money from advertisements.
That can become frustrating, especially when only a limited amount of YouTube payments come in. But there are other ways to make cash and get your brand awareness out into the world. Like paid endorsements.
How to Make Money on YouTube
Sell merchandise
You've got the YouTube channel and the subscribers — and what do fans love more than anything? Merchandise. T-shirts, tote bags, sticks, buttons, there really is no limit here. But how do you money on YouTube selling shirts? Here's just one tutorial that seems entirely too easy to be true...but it is.
Merchandise can be solid YouTube income
How to Make Money on YouTube
Work with sponsors
Paid endorsements for products like sponsorships or brand deals are lucrative ways to support yourself and your channel. Variety revealed that Bella Thorne gets paid up to $65,000 for a brand-endorsed Instagram and anywhere between $10,000 to $20,000 for sponsored Stories on both Instagram and Snapchat.
Reach out to companies and see if they’d be interested in teaming up. Here's some advice from Think Media on how to negotiate with sponsorship contracts.
How to get YouTube money from sponsorships
If they cover the nominal costs of making your videos maybe you can work something out, but you can’t just call and ask for money.
You need to have a good viewer base, and you need to have a plan for how you’ll go about showcasing their brand
YOUTUBE Monetization Tools
YouTube BrandConnect
YouTube BrandConnect helps connect creators with advertisers so they can team up. They use a complex algorithm to track views, demographics, and your channel’s market share. At the end of the day, the most important lesson with all of this is to be authentic.
Consumers and viewers know when you’re phoning it in. Find companies and products you love and it’ll be easy to talk about them to a wide audience.
YOUTUBE Money with patreon
Crowdfunding with Patreon
You made the videos. Now you want to earn money for them. Patreon allows you to speak directly to the fans. They pay what they think you’re worth. The best thing about Patreon is that there is no term-limit when it comes to accepting donations. Here's a quick tutorial on how it all works.
How YouTubers Make Money • Patreon
That means people can sign up to donate monthly. There are several websites for you to consider when you’re crowdfunding. The first one is right in front of you: YouTube.
YOUTUBE monetization: sponsorship
Crowdfunding with YouTube
YouTube recently added a button onto the bottom of some videos that reads “SPONSOR.” The button corresponds to a feature they’re calling “Sponsorships.” This is a recent development that allows your viewers to get exclusive content.
Heres how it works:
Get YouTube money with a Sponsor button
The great thing about using the YouTube Sponsor Button is that it’s right there on the video. You don’t have to link away or get people to go to another website.
YOUTUBE monetization: sell video rights
Sell video rights
Sometimes a video gets so big it becomes recognizable to many, and this is a good opportunity for the creator to sell it off to big brands. Advertisers have gotten into the habit of using viral videos placed in their commercials to make it seem as though they are more casual. The ad folks want people to associate the joy they felt watching a particular video with the joy of using their product.
UP NEXT
Build a Successful YouTube Channel
So that’s how to make money on YouTube. Now that you know how to monetize your videos, it’s time to get creating. Seems important if you want to monetize YouTube videos. Adding followers will help woo advertisers, sponsors, and product placement in no time at all. We can’t wait to see where it takes you.
Up Next: How to Make A YouTube Channel →
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