As a creative in the 21st century, you can make money by simply sharing relevant video content online on things you’re passionate and knowledgeable about. YouTube, in particular, has long been a platform where creatives in different industries can monetize their knowledge. And contrary to what many think, making money on YouTube isn’t as complicated as it seems.
In this article, you’ll discover how to make money on YouTube and the practical steps to creating a channel that starts generating income. Let’s dive right in!
How to Make Money on YouTube
If you are wondering how exactly you can make money on YouTube, then look out for one or more of these options:
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YouTube Partner Programme
This program allows YouTubers to profit from ads, channel memberships, super chat, etc. The primary way of making money through the YouTube Partner Programme is the ads on your videos. These ads are not harmful to the growth of your channel as long you do not insert too many of them into one video. To make money on YouTube via this program, you need to have at least 1,000 subscribers on your channel, 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last year, or 10 million valid public short views in the last 90 days.
To enable this feature on your channel, go to “YouTube studio, then monetization section and follow the prompts you get. Open and connect an Adsense account to your channel, then wait for YouTube to review your application.” Upon getting positive feedback from YouTube, the nature of the ads in your videos and the engagement rate would determine your earnings.
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Sponsored Content
As a creator, you can collaborate with brands/businesses to make money on YouTube. This type of collaboration is done between a creator who has gained the loyalty and support of the target audience of the brand/advertiser and a brand that needs promotion.
To achieve this, all you need to do is to incorporate the ad into your video. It is, however, important that the ad aligns with your content to enable a high engagement rate, which might be a factor in getting your payment.
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Merch/Merchandise Sales
Besides YouTube monetization or just earnings from your YouTube content you can also make money by selling merchs. Making money on YouTube through merch or merchandise sales requires having loyal followers who are willing to spend on the customized products you have to offer. Sales of merchandise entails offering products that align with your content and audience.
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Affiliate Marketing
Here, you make use of your influence to drive sales for brands. What differentiates this from sponsored ads is that, aside from promoting the brand’s products and services through advertisements in your content, you also provide a direct link for your audience to check out the products and possibly make a purchase. You earn a commission each time someone uses your link to buy a product.
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Membership Deal
Making money on YouTube through membership deals entails seeking a subscription fee for an advanced level of access from your followers. You, however, have to be a member of the YouTube Partner Programme, have three uploads in the last 90 days, and 3,000 public watch hours on long views in the last year or three million views on short videos in the last 90 days. This YouTube monetization approach requires being strategic in getting people to make membership payments.
Read Also: How to Make Money on Tiktok in 2024
How to Set Up a YouTube Channel
Creating a YouTube channel does not require payment, and it is quite easy. However, you need to understand how the YouTube platform works so that your channel can be set up to best present your brand.
Here are practical steps you can take to begin the journey of owning a YouTube channel:
Open a Google Account
To create a YouTube channel, you must first own a Google account. If you don’t have one, you can create it by opening your web browser and searching for Google account creation; enter your details correctly, create a password, add recovery options, and agree to Google’s terms of service. That’s it! You’re one step closer to creating a YouTube channel.
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Open a YouTube Account
Visit YouTube’s website on your browser and click on “sign in,” enter your Google details, and then click on your profile icon at the top right-hand corner of the page to create a channel.
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Update your Channel
At this stage, you can polish your account to suit your taste. Give your channel a name, write a catchy channel description depending on your niche, upload a profile picture and logo, etc. The key thing here is to customize the channel to portray how you want others to see it.
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Record, Edit, and Upload your Videos
Your target audience and niche would determine the kind of content you’re to push out. To ensure that your content is unique and not a mere repetition of what other creatives have done, identify gaps in existing videos and ensure that your content addresses those needs. That’d be your unique selling point, making people always return to your channel. It is also important to note that you’re to add a name to each video you create and, if possible, a description.
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Keep a Schedule for Channel Maintenance
To continuously make money on YouTube, you must consistently create content. The more content you create, the more likely you are to be in the faces of people, and that is one of the things that qualifies you to enjoy YouTube monetization.
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Engage Your Audience
YouTube is not just a social media platform; it is a community. As a YouTuber, you should continuously connect with your audience by replying to their comments on your posts, acknowledging their likes and subscriptions to your videos, and encouraging them to do more for your channel.
Read Also: How to Monetize Your YouTube Channel in 2023
Conclusion
Building a YouTube channel to the point of monetization does not happen overnight. It requires strategic planning, consistency, hard work, and putting out relevant content. It is not easy, but it is achievable. So, begin the journey now by following the steps already listed in this article.
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