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YouTube has been able to attract more creators since 2021 when Shorts was introduced. By adding Shorts creators into the YouTube Partner Program, the possibilities of monetization have multiplied.
YouTubers have several options to monetize their videos, from selling merchandise to securing brand sponsorships. YouTube Partner Program allows YouTubers to earn a large portion of their income from Google Ads.
What is YouTube Partner Program (or YouTube Partner Program)?
YouTube Partner Program creators can make money with their videos in both short and long form through YouTube Premium and ads.
YouTube Partner Program is the primary way that many creators earn money through the platform. And it’s now easier than ever for them to join.
YouTube Partner Program Requirements
Creators can apply for the program if they follow YouTube’s policies and guidelines, and live in an area where it is offered. You’ll also need to:
- If you have 500 subscribers and three public uploads within the last 90 day, then you can get a free subscription.
- EITHER 3,000 public watch hours valid in the past 12 months OR 3,000,000 public views on YouTube shorts in the 90 days prior.
Once you’ve been accepted, you can make money with features such as channel memberships, Super Chats, Super Stickers and Super Thanks. You can also promote your products using YouTube Shopping.
When you reach:
- Subscribe to 1,000 Subscriptions
- EITHER 4,000 valid public watchhours in the past 12 months OR 10,000,000 valid public Shorts views within the last 90 Days
Your income will increase as your channel grows. Your earnings fluctuate depending on factors such as the number of viewers, audience location and niche (for instance, personal finance creators are paid more). You will make money if you are consistent with the YouTube Partner Program.
YouTube’s strict guidelines mean that the Program isn’t for everyone. Videos that violate these guidelines are given strikes. It can be difficult for those who want to create content full-time, but do not want to compromise their style.
Greg Alba, of Reel Rejects a reaction channel has often spoken about demonetization. YouTubers are often forced to look for other options to monetize their videos if they choose to react to content. Creators are often forced to find alternative income streams.
YouTube: 5 ways to earn money without monetizing your videos
You can make money as a creator on YouTube without the Partner Program.
Collaboration with brands
YouTube videos are full of brand deals (“This Video is Sponsored by …”) which can be attributed the symbiotic relationships between brands and creators. The audience follows people and not brands. However, the companies are the ones with the money. Collaboration is therefore vital to the success of the creator economy.
The size of your audience is not as important as the engagement rate or audience category. It puts the power back in the creators’ hand – if they have a niche audience that is highly engaged, even with only 1,000 subscribers, they can command high rates.
Media kits are a great way to increase your bargaining power. They include case studies, audience metrics and your rates. The more details you provide, the better your chances are of working with a brand.
Here’s an easy guide on how to create your own media kit. This calculator will show you how much you can charge for brand deals depending on the size of your audience.
Get fan-funded support
Many creators have discovered ways to monetize their audience’s loyalty by using fan funding. YouTubers often use this format to react or comment on the content of their videos. The snippets can be used to get copyright strikes, so the YouTubers spend hours editing videos with no financial results.
Platforms like Patreon or Fanhouse allow creators to offer exclusive content and bonuses for a monthly subscription fee. Your audience may be willing to pay for your content even if you don’t offer any extras. Here are some suggestions for additional content that you can offer even if is not available.
- Behind-the-scenes content
- Video clips that you can use to extend your videos
- Digital downloads
- Priority access to all new content
- Exclusive access to limited edition merchandise or live streams
Nemo’s Dreamscapes, for example, is a YouTube Channel that streams curated playlists live but will not be able monetized due to copyright restrictions. Over 300 fans support them through Patreon. They pay anywhere from $3 to $100 per month.
Adopt affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is a standard way YouTubers earn money. You can even start without being enrolled in the YouTube Partner Program. This is a very popular option for YouTubers who will often show products and mention services.
You can make money by mentioning a product or recommending it to your audience.
YouTubers’ earnings from affiliate links can vary widely and depend on many factors. These include the content type and affiliate payouts. Personal finance creator Erika Kulberg, for example, earns 25 to 50 percent of the income from her YouTube channel.
While affiliate marketing is particularly profitable for creators of other categories, personal finance can be a lucrative niche. Jake Tilk, a digital marketer who focuses on creating content, reported that he will make an average of $1700 per month from affiliates by 2022.
To maintain your audience’s trust, and to stay above-board and legal, you should disclose to them whether or not you will make money by recommending a product.
Buy physical or digital products
Many creators have found that physical and digital products are a great way to make money. YouTubers sell products in a variety of ways, including through companies (Feastables By Mr. Beast and Chamberlain coffee by Emma Chamberlain), to templates available on Etsy.
Creators can benefit from selling merchandise to expand their audience and brand because it brings a piece of themselves into the physical world. There are many options available when it comes time to decide what to sell. Here are some YouTubers’ ideas, and how they use them:
Merchandise
As resources increased, so did the idea of merchandise. Creators are now offering more than just t-shirts, which still sell well.
Elliotisacoolguy, a self-taught artist with 128,000 subscribers on YouTub has two ways to purchase merchandise: either from his online shop or through his collaboration with Casetify.
Templates
Some creators sell templates for tools such as Excel or Notion. Some creators create videos about how to make these templates, but still sell them because people prefer the pre-made versions. Thomas Frank, an educator who focuses on Notion, created a video that explains how to create your own Second Brain Template.
He outlines his steps and adds a hyperlink to a video description that has a version ready for sale. In 2022, he sold digital products worth over $1 million.
Courses
There’s no better way to make money on YouTube than by teaching others what you know. This can be done for free, or via a course. As creators focus on their expertise, and as platforms such as Kajabi and Teachable emerge, courses have become an increasingly popular way to earn money on YouTube.
Ali Abdaal is a great example of how courses can be used to monetize. In a video revealing his 2022 income streams he revealed he earned nearly $3 million from selling courses.
This is a huge number and Ali has a team and an audience that can explain this and help create these courses. However, smaller creators still have many opportunities to create courses.
Crowdfund your creative projects
It’s similar to fan funding, but it is usually an one-time payment that you can charge to anyone who wishes to support your work. Sites such as GoFundMe and Kickstarter are ideal for one-off campaigns.
Six years ago, Genokids began sharing YouTube videos on the development of their game. They now have over 6,000 subscribers.
In 2023 they started a Kickstarter campaign for crowdfunding the development of the game and raised EUR30,000 (and counting) in just 24 hours.
Change up your YouTube monetization strategy
It’s great to have a large audience who will follow you along your journey when you create content on YouTube. It matters less about how you choose monetize, but more about how much value you add to the process.
Combining the options will help you determine which option is best for your business and audience.
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