How to Make Money on Youtube
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Around the world, over 2 billion logged-in users visit Youtube every month. Youtube is the 2nd most popular site in the world and users spend a whopping 40 minutes on the site per session.
As video becoming the default preferred type of content, you have an enormous opportunity by learning how to make money on Youtube.
All you need to get started is video editing software and a computer or smartphone.
Youtube’s highest earner, Ryan’s Toy World, earned a massive $26 million on Youtube in 2019. Videos on topics such as toys, gaming, finance, travel, cooking, and other related topics are earning a small fortune for Youtubers.
However, you need a gameplan to grow a successful Youtube channel.
Best Ways to Make Money on Youtube
Here’s how you can start earning money right now.
1. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is the easiest way to get started on Youtube. Youtube allows creators to place links within the description box as well as comments section on video watch pages.
You’ll notice some of the bigger Youtubers linking to related products & their vlogging products via the Amazon Associates program.
Whenever someone clicks those links and makes a purchase, you earn a commission for referring the sale.
The great thing about affiliate marketing on Youtube is you don’t need a bunch of subscribers or watch time. You can add affiliate links to your first video and build up a passive stream of income.
First, you’ll need to find some worthy affiliate programs to join.
Amazon Associates is the most popular affiliate program for Youtubers because they can link to their vlogging setup (cameras, tripod, laptop, lighting, etc).
Look for affiliate programs that are related to your specific niche.
Try searching Google for:
Your Niche + affiliate programs
For example, let’s say you run a Youtube channel in the gaming niche. Search for “gaming affiliate programs” and you’ll find a bunch of different options.
Further Reading
- Affiliate Marketing with Youtube
- Ultimate Guide to Youtube Affiliate Marketing
- How to Monetize Youtube Videos with Affiliate Marketing
2. Become a Youtube Partner and Show Display Ads
Youtube allows creators to display ads within the video as well as surrounding it through their Youtube Partner Program.
You must have at least 1,000 subscribers & 4,000 hours of watch time to join the program.
Once accepted, you display different types of ads on your channel to start earning revenue.
You’ll see a Monetization tab appear on your channel and Youtube lets you place these different types of ads:
- Display Ads
- Overlay Ads
- Sponsored Cards
- Skippable Ads
- Non-skippable Ads
For videos longer than 8 minutes, Youtube allows mid-roll ads to appear in the middle of your videos.
Use our Youtube Money Calculator to estimate how much money you can make from the Youtube Partner program.
Focus on making videos longer than 8 minutes to increase your playback CPM (CPM per 1,000 playback that showed at least 1 ad)
Youtube Partner Program is a consistent source of revenue for one of my most popular channels in the finance niche and I’ve seen great earnings growth through the program.
3. Recurring Revenue from Fans
Earning money from your fanbase is another solid way to make money money from Youtube.
Patreon is a popular platform that allows creators to generate monthly income from their channel.
Create a Patreon account then link to it in your description to encourage signups. Give your viewers a few different options based on pricing points.
Further Reading
4. Sell your Own Product
Selling your own product is a great way to make a lot of money from Youtube by providing value to your audience.
Ebooks, online courses, webinars, consulting, and physical products are a few examples to give you some ideas.
Tell your audience about your product in your videos and link to your stuff in the description box.
For selling digital products like ebooks & webinars, I use Gumroad.
If you want a more comprehensive solution for selling a step by step online course then I recommend Teachable.
5. Sponsored Videos
Companies may reach out to you and offer to pay you to produce a sponsored video talking about their products & services. Many Youtubers charge anywhere from $500 to $50,000 per sponsored video review.
Make sure it’s a good product that will help your audience achieve a desired goal. Don’t be afraid to reject sponsored videos that don’t help your subscribers.
Agree on a price with your advertiser & send them a Paypal invoice to collect your payment first. Always get paid upfront so you don’t have to
Making Money on Youtube FAQ
How to make money on Youtube without showing your face?
There are many different types of videos you can create for Youtube without showing your face. Here’s a few niche ideas:
- Cooking
- Gaming
- Stock Trading
- Cartoons & Animation
- Sports Highlights
- Motivation Videos
- Celebrity News
- Internet tutorials
- Website Programming & Development
The list goes on and on. Start searching for popular channels that don’t show their face. You can mimic their success and make money too.
Is it hard?
Getting started is the hardest part about making money on Youtube. Take action and improve your channel over time. The good thing is Youtube earns money while you sleep as you build your channel into a powerful passive income stream.
How much is 1,000 views worth?
It depends on your video topic. The amount of money you make changes depending on which advertisers show ads on your videos.
My finance channel earns $18 RPM and I get around $10 per thousand views (55% of this number is my cut and Youtube takes the other 45%).
How Can You Increase Your Youtube CPM?
Playback CPM is the amount of money you earn per thousand playback views. Increase your CPM by making longer videos and adding midroll ads manually under the Monetization tab.
How many subscribers do you need?
1,000 is a good starting point. I believe in setting subscriber goals to remain motivated. However, watch time is more important than subscribers because a channel with 10k subs can out earn a 100k sub channel if the smaller channel has more watch time.
What’s Next? Buy My Ebook: Youtube Money
So what now? You can take this information and start making good money with your Youtube channel but you will have to do everything yourself upfront.
Youtube requires a bit of time investment and proper planning to get long term results.
That’s why I put together this short and simple ebook to help you start your Youtube Channel and make your first $1,000 per month.
Once you hit $1,000 then it’s easier to make $2,000 or even $50,000 on Youtube.
Check it out now!