5 ways you can make money on YouTube

Hey NewTuber! Did you know there are ways to make money on YouTube that don't involve garnering a mega-following and licensing your content? Sure, it never hurts to daydream about your future red carpet looks. But for now, let's focus on getting you started with a tutorial on how to make money on YouTube. No matter how new you are to the platform, it's not as far-fetched as you might think. And if you haven't yet convinced yourself to take the leap and start your channel, maybe now’s the time. YouTube has 2.6 billion active viewers, and if you have a brand or want to propel yourself to internet fame, each one is a potential customer or fan. The same goes for the 1.3 billion or so active users on Instagram. So why not make a bit of extra income by monetizing those followers' engagement?

Ready to learn how to get paid on YouTube? Let’s get started.

Can you make money on YouTube? Yes!

So, you’re ready to learn how to make money as a YouTuber. Say no more. Here are five easy ways you can get started.

1. The YouTube Partner Program

Sure, it’s fun to put your entrepreneurial skills to work on a grassroots marketing effort, but it’s way easier when you have some help from the platform. The YouTube Partner Program (YPP) makes it easy for content creators to monetize their involvement on the app. How does it work? Eligible YouTubers gain access to the following money-making options:

• YouTube ads: YouTubers receive a cut of advertising revenues by hosting marketing content on their page.
• YouTube channel memberships: YouTube creators charge monthly fees to their fans, who gain access to special incentives.
• Merch shelf: YouTubers can show off their merch, like mugs or T-shirts, on watch pages.
• Super Chat and Super Stickers: Fans can pay to get closer to their favorite YouTubers by having their messages highlighted in the live stream chat.
• YouTube Premium revenue: Video creators earn a fraction of the YouTube Premium subscription fee when a subscriber watches a creator’s content.

Sound pretty good? Of course, it does! But it all comes with a few strings attached. Here’s the fine print:

• YouTube ads: You must be at least 18, have a Google AdSense account (which can be run by a legal guardian, too), and meet the platform’s advertiser-friendly content guidelines.
• YouTube channel memberships: You must be at least 18 and have at least 1,000 subscribers.
• Merch shelf: You must be at least 18 and have at least 10,000 subscribers.
• Super Chat and Super Stickers: You must be at least 18 and live in a country where these features are available.
• YouTube Premium revenue: You must create content for YouTube Premium subscribers.

2. Affiliate marketing partnerships

Using your YouTube channel, you can easily tap into affiliate marketing, regardless of how many followers you have. All you have to do is promote a product on behalf of a brand. You can create video content for YouTube about the product and tell your followers to use your affiliate link or code when they purchase, allowing you to get a kickback. Or you can write content related to the brand’s products on your blog and embed one of your YouTube videos for more context.

3. Selling your own products

If you don’t qualify for YouTube’s merch program, that doesn’t mean that you can’t make a profit from your views. YouTube is the perfect place to host product tutorials or videos about the process behind the bespoke items you make. You can also drive traffic to your e-commerce site or Etsy page by dropping a link in the video description. Want to link to both an e-commerce site and your Etsy page? Get a Linktree URL that branches out into several other sites, and try using Linktree’s Video Links to help increase your engagement.

4. Creating sponsored content

If a brand loves your style, they may make the first move and approach you with a proposal to pay you for creating (and posting) content around their products. Unlike affiliate advertising commissions – which the creator earns once viewers click through to a brand’s page or make a purchase – sponsorships are paid upfront.

5. Crowdfunding

If you have a dream, pursue it! If that dream is making, let's say, a high-quality music video, get help from your loyal YouTube fans, who’ll enjoy the content once you make it. By using fan funding to raise cash for your next endeavor, you might just become the next big YouTube star. There are many crowdfunding sites, like Patreon, that can help you keep the process agile and legal. Just be sure the site you use is on YouTube’s list of approved platforms.

How to keep the money coming in

The best way to ensure your YouTube monetization efforts work is to continue making quality content that brings viewers back to your channel regularly. Here are some tips on how to do so

• Make long (but engaging videos): Videos with longer watch times have a better chance of earning ad revenue.
• Post relevant content: Don’t confuse your viewers. Fans want more of the content they engage with, so keep making it, and don’t overwhelm them with random impromptu videos (unless that’s the style your viewers love, of course).
• Do collabs: When you team up with other YouTubers, you earn the chance to connect with their audiences (a.k.a. your future followers) as well.
• Be consistent: Post regularly so your viewers get into a rhythm of knowing when to expect new content. Keep them excited, but don’t leave them hanging; the last thing you want to lose is their follow!

FAQs

How many subscribers do you need to make money on YouTube?

Believe it or not, you can make money on YouTube with very few or no subscribers. What matters is that people are viewing your videos, following your affiliate links, and making purchases on your e-commerce site. But if you want to become eligible for monetization programs like membership and YouTube merch shelves, you must have a minimum number of subscribers (1,000 and 10,000, respectively).

How much money can you make on YouTube?

Just ask YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, aka MrBeast, who, in 2021, reportedly earned a whopping $54 million via his channel, making him the app’s highest-paid creator of the year. Of course, making that sort of bank doesn’t happen overnight. Realistically speaking, if you’re earning affiliate marketing revenue without a large following, you may rake in under $100 a month at first. But if you’re driving sales to your e-commerce site, the sky (or however much you charge for your products) is the limit, right? Right!