How To Create a YouTube Channel From Scratch and Make Money

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It might seem hard to learn how to create a YouTube channel and account from zero, but it doesn’t have to be.

How to create a YouTube channel in 6 simple steps
Top tips for starting a YouTube channel

Fun fact: YouTube is the second-most visited website in the world behind Google, which owns YouTube.

Fun suggestion: Your brand should have a presence there.

The opportunity to reach your audience on YouTube is massive, with 1.7 billion unique monthly visitors. More than 60% of those users visit YouTube every single day. Wouldn’t it be nice if they took a look at your content while they were there?

Luckily, creating a YouTube account isn’t difficult. Creating a successful YouTube channel is a little more work. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered there, too.

In this post, you’ll learn:

The basics of how to create a YouTube channel from scratch
How to optimize your channel for success
What kind of YouTube content tends to resonate with viewers
And more!

How to create a YouTube channel in 6 simple steps

Before you can put your incredible YouTube marketing strategy into effect, you’re going to need a YouTube channel. Luckily, It’s pretty easy to create a new YouTube channel, even if you’re a beginner.

Take off your cinematographer hat and put on your click-a-bunch-of-buttons hat: here we go!

Step 1: Create a Google account

YouTube accounts are connected to your Google account (Google is YouTube’s parent company). If you don’t already have a Google account, it’s time to make one. Don’t worry; it’ll just take a couple of minutes.

Go to accounts.google.com and tap Create account.

Pop in your details and preferred new email address. Done!

Step 2: Create a YouTube account

Head to YouTube.com and tap Sign In in the top right corner.

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Select your Google account and enter your password.

Tap your profile icon in the top right corner and select Create Channel.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering how much it costs to start a YouTube channel? It’s totally free!

Step 3: Customize your channel

Enter your name and YouTube handle, and upload a profile photo — this is how you’ll appear on the site to others, so you may want to use a brand name and logo here.

Not sure what to name your channel? Try our AI-powered YouTube username generator and let the robots do the creative work for you.

Tap the layout tab to customize the following elements of your channel:

Add a channel trailer
Pick a featured video for returning subscribers
Add sections to your homepage

If you don’t have those pieces ready to go for now, that’s totally fine. You can always update this later once you’ve got some content up and running.

Step 4: Update your channel branding

Tap the Branding tab to access more customization options:

Change your profile picture: Use something that’s at least 98×98 pixels
Change your banner: This appears at the top of your channel page. Aim for an image that’s a minimum of 2048 x 1152 pixels
Add a video watermark: This image will overlay onto your content in the right-hand corner. For best results, use an image of 150 x 150 pixels.

Step 5: Add a description and basic contact info

Tap the Basic Info tab to update details like your handle and URL. You can also add links and contact info and write a description of your channel.

The description is a great opportunity to add some keywords and hashtags that will help your target audience find your channel. It may be short, but it’s a powerful tool for both communication and discovery, so you’re gonna want to get it right.

Check out our guide to writing a great YouTube description here or try our free YouTube channel description generator.

Step 6: Add some content!

Hopefully, you’ve got a video to actually put on this YouTube Channel, but if you need a minute to whip something up… we’ll wait.

Oh, and if you’d rather not show your beautiful face on camera (we get it), we’ve got a TON of faceless YouTube channel ideas to help you out.

OK: once you’ve got that vid file ready to roll, just tap the Play icon on the left-hand side of the screen to access the video menu. Tap the blue Upload Videos button.

As your video uploads, you’ll be prompted to enter some details about this great piece of film. Add a title and description that explains what viewers can expect… and don’t forget to cram in those search terms and keywords while you’re at it.

You can also select a thumbnail to help your video stand out in search results and on your channel page. This can be a still from the video or a separately uploaded image, but either way, make sure it POPS. Read more on how to create a great, eye-catching thumbnail below.

On this video upload page, you can also add the video to an existing playlist or create a new one. More on the benefits of playlists below, too!

Tap Show More at the bottom to access options like tags and subtitles.

Tap Next when you’re done, and you’ll be taken to a menu that invites you to add cards (links to other videos) and an end screen. You can always go back and add or adjust these later as you amass more content.

Tap Next. The next screen will advise you if there are any copyright issues with your video — for example if you’ve used an unauthorized audio clip from Jaws to accompany your jellyfish video.

Tap Next if there are no issues. Your last hurdle to clear is the Visibility screen. Here, you can choose whether to publish a video publicly or keep it private. You can also schedule your video to go public at a later date.

Tap Save, and now your first video is out in the world. You did it! You’re a YouTuber!

Top tips for starting a YouTube channel

Of course, creating a YouTube channel is one thing… creating a successful YouTube channel is another. To stand out from the crowd or reach an audience, follow these tried-and-true best practices.

Read on for our top YouTube channel creation tips or watch a video that explains the exact tactics we used to get the first 10,000 subscribers on our own YouTube channel, Hootsuite Labs.

HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF A YOUTUBE CHANNEL KNCMAP TECHNOLOGIES FOCUSED IN TECHNOLOGY NICHE

Add eye-catching channel art

Your channel art and thumbnails are your billboards, so make an impression!

An effective thumbnail is clear and accurate and works in tandem with the video’s title. But it also needs to stand out.

Thumbnails are the way viewers decide what to watch when they’re skimming through search results. This means you don’t just need to communicate what your video is about. You need to stand out from the competition, too.

And a lot of the competition is… loud.

Big, bold fonts, bright colors, exaggerated faces: these are the staples of the YouTube thumbnail. Love the look or hate it, it obviously works, or people wouldn’t be doing it.

But amid all this visual noise, there’s an opportunity to stand out from the crowd. Evaluate what everyone else is doing, and try to swerve. For example, choose a distinct color palette, or go full-on minimalist to stand out in a sea of neon colors and Impact font.

Chill_Village has a distinct, low-key thumbnail style that reflects what its content is all about — chill-hop music playlists.

Experiment with our channel art templates here.

Choose the perfect channel icon

A channel icon is like a logo for your YouTube presence. It should match your brand and complement your channel banner.

Essential oil company Vitruvi uses a simple ‘v’ logo for its channel icon, in a palette that complements the muted tones of the home-lifestyle banner image.

When picking an icon, follow YouTube’s recommended image dimensions to avoid any stretching. Preview your channel on multiple devices to check everything looks good.

Create playlists

Organizing and creating video playlists on YouTube is the best way to keep your viewer on your page.

British comedian Mawaan Rizwan has his channel organized into playlists like ‘Music Videos,’ ‘Live Performances,’ and ‘Best Of.’

Not only do YouTube playlists organize your related content in one neat-and-tidy list, they also auto-play. Once one video ends, the next begins… and so on. This minimizes the chances that a viewer will move on to another channel.

Create a channel trailer

When someone first comes across your channel, a channel trailer is a way for them to get a sneak peek at your content. Better make it count.

Just like the Hollywood hotshots get you hooked to see Avengers 7: Tokyo Drift, you can give your audience a taste that leaves them wanting more.

Assume the viewer is a perfect stranger, so introduce yourself and tell them exactly why they should subscribe. Keep it short, sweet, and snappy: let ‘em know what your content is like and when they can expect new uploads, like Yoga with Adriene does on her channel.

Create great content, consistently

This is going to sound very obvious, but we’re going to say it anyway: Viewers want to watch good videos.

But what makes a good YouTube video is a little different than, say, what makes a video that would win a foreign film festival.

According to Search Engine Journal, successful YouTube videos have attention-grabbing intros and great branding, background music, and clear audio.

First We Feast is one account that’s crushing it: the food-focused channel posting content regularly to clearly defined series and recurring features like the interview show Hot Ones.

Calls to action are important too. Whether your goal is to drive your audience to your website, increase your subscriber count or spark a conversation in the comments, the right CTA can help make that happen.

Like with all social media content, there’s no perfect formula for a successful YouTube video. Some brands thrive with slick, highly-produced content, while others gain traction by being raw, unfiltered, and authentic.

YouTube star Emma Chamberlain doesn’t overthink her channel’s design, doesn’t make over-the-top thumbnails, and doesn’t even have an image for her banner. The titles of her videos don’t have many keywords. Instead, she relies on creating intimate, authentic videos for an existing devoted audience subscribing for substance, not splash.

Explore some ideas of engaging content from other social media platforms to inspire your experimentation.

Optimize your videos for searchability

YouTube is dense. There are billions of videos for viewers to sift through, with more than 500 hours of video uploaded every minute. Competition is stiff. So if you want your channel to thrive, discoverability is downright essential.

Here are some YouTube SEO tips:

Make sure your channel description is clear, concise, accurate, and rich in keywords
Include search terms in every individual video description
Give videos and playlists clear, SEO-friendly titles
Don’t forget to use the tag feature to address common spelling errors
Use your primary keyword as the video file name
Say your keywords out loud in the video… and then turn on the subtitles

Pro tip: If you need help creating engaging, keyword-rich video descriptions, check out our handy AI-powered YouTube video description generator.

Read more on the science of the YouTube algorithm and social media SEO basics. You’ll be dominating the search results in no time.

Schedule your videos

Give your videos the best chance to make it big by posting them at the right time: when people are online and ready to watch them.

Your channel analytics will tell you if there’s a day of the week or specific time that tends to get high viewership or engagement.

Once you’ve got that intel, you can publish regularly within this time frame with the help of scheduling tools like Hootsuite. Here’s a step-by-step guide to scheduling YouTube videos.

Understand your audience

It’s hard to make compelling content if you don’t know who you’re making it for, so make sure you’ve got a good sense of your audience persona before you dive in.

Who are they? What do they like? (Why won’t they call me?!)

Once you’ve got a few videos under your belt, see whether or not you’re hitting the mark by diving into your YouTube Analytics. Cold hard numbers will tell you if, how, and when your work of art is making an impact.

Experiment with YouTube advertising

If you’re not getting the reach you want with good ol’ fashioned organic content, it might be time to toss a few bucks behind a promo campaign.

YouTube ads are available in these four categories:

Skippable in-stream ads
Non-skippable in-stream ads (including bumper ads)
In-feed video ads
Masthead ads

For more info on YouTube’s ad formats and how to use them, check out our detailed guide to YouTube advertising.

Ask viewers to subscribe

When someone subscribes to your channel (a.k.a hits that bell button, ding-a-liiiiing), they get an alert when you put a new video out into the world — so growing your subscriber base is the best way to boost your organic reach.

There’s a reason why “Don’t forget to subscribe” is the sign-off of choice for YouTubers big and small.

Having a lot of subscribers doesn’t just get you more views. It can also make you eligible for YouTube’s monetization features: a.k.a., the YouTube Partner Programme.

There are two ways to join the YouTube Partner Programme:

Hit 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours within the year
Hit 1,000 subscribers with 10 million Shorts views within 90 days

Source: YouTube Help

Once you’re in the YPP, you have greater access to YouTube resources and can share in revenue from the ads on your account — which can end up being pretty lucrative.

On average, YouTubers make between $3 and $5 per 1,000 video views through AdSense.

But of course, your mileage may vary. There are big creators out there cashing out $200,000 from AdSense each month and newbies who make far less than the average.

Oh, and advertising isn’t the only revenue source on YouTube. Creators may also make money from sponsorship deals, brand collaborations, merch, tips, or crowdfunding. Learn more about how to make money on YouTube and how to make money on social media in general.

Of course, we know that growing your subscriber count is easier said than done. For more on that, check out our complete guide on how to get more YouTube subscribers.

Try out new formats like YouTube Shorts

YouTube Shorts are a newer feature of YouTube: short-form, vertically oriented videos that clock in at 15-60 seconds long. Shorts launched worldwide in 2021 and have quickly become YouTube’s prize new feature, garnering more than 6.5 billion daily views.

What sets YouTube Shorts apart is its ability to convert viewers into subscribers for your channel, a must for brands and creators. It’s a low-effort feature to try out, one with big potential rewards. Any new features YouTube drops are probably worth testing. In fact — social media platforms often give an algorithm boost to new features to help give them visibility. Ride that bandwagon, baby! (If it makes sense for your brand, of course)

This is just the tip of the iceberg for creating a successful YouTube channel. If you’re interested in learning more, check out our blog post about how to get more views on YouTube, 23 smart ways to promote your YouTube channel, and how to become a YouTube marketing master.

10 ways to make money on YouTube (that actually work)

Recent YouTube stats show the platform is a goldmine for creators. But monetizing content on YouTube can be tricky.

Creators shouldn’t sacrifice entertainment value or authenticity for dollars and cents.

The good news? There is no “right” or “single” way to monetize your videos. You have multiple options based on your content, audience and promotional strategy.

Let’s dive into 10 opportunities to make money on YouTube and how they work.

1. Join the YouTube Partner Program

No surprises here! The YouTube Partner Program allows creators to earn revenue with ads run on their videos.

Let’s look at a quick snapshot of YouTube’s Partner criteria. Assuming you’re in line with the platform’s monetization policies, you need:

4,000+ authentic public watch hours within the past year or 10 million valid public Shorts views within the past 90 days
1,000+ subscribers
An active and linked Google AdSense account

Chances are you’ve seen your fair share of YouTube ads. From in-video to pre-roll, ads are a relatively hands-off way to make money on YouTube.

In terms of how much money you can make from ads, there are too many variables for a straight answer. These variables include:

Your viewers’ demographics such as location and age
Whether there are relevant advertisers for your videos
Your content and industry

According to YouTube themselves, there are “no guarantees” for payouts or revenue share. Most information floating around is totally anecdotal.

While “$1 per 1,000 views” used to be the norm, times have changed. As the YouTube algorithm has evolved, so have the Partner Program and ad policies. For example, the platform has explicit restrictions for advertising on YouTube Kids. Many major ad categories and targeting features are removed from videos intended for children.

You’re essentially looking at a numbers game regardless. You need to be earning thousands (or millions) of views per video to see any meaningful revenue.

Not sure about running ads on your channel? Totally understandable. Again, monetizing videos shouldn’t hold back your channel’s growth.

Stuffing your videos with unskippable ads makes them borderline unwatchable. That said, a few ads here and there is totally fair game.

2. Earn support from subscribers with a channel membership

YouTube’s channel memberships are specifically designed to support creators looking to make money.

Think of memberships like a Patreon or Twitch subscription. Subscribers pay a monthly fee in exchange for channel-specific perks. This might include exclusive content, chat badges and more. These benefits vary based on your membership tier.

This feature is most relevant to creators that primarily post content to YouTube rather than treat it as a secondary channel. If you’re doing regular live streams or posting daily, memberships make perfect sense. Currently, the eligibility for channel memberships is almost identical to the Partner Program.

3. Put promotional links in your video descriptions

Promo links are a low-hanging way to make money on YouTube without running ads.

Your video descriptions are valuable real estate and YouTube gives you 5,000 characters to work with. Funneling your YouTube viewers to relevant links is a no-brainer. For example, a creator might link to:

A lead magnet (such as a free course or downloadable resource)
Their website
Their merchandise or ecommerce shop

Below is an example of how creators can promote their own products in a video description. If nothing else, links can turn YouTube traffic into on-site traffic.

4. Feature sponsors in your videos

Sponsored YouTube videos are popular among big and up-and-coming creators alike.

Through sponsored content, you’re specifically promoting a brand within your video. These call-outs are typically done at the beginning and end of a video. Since these forms of ads are literally part of your content, they can’t be skipped.

In the example above, Binging with Babish’s Andrew Rea bookends his sponsorship from Cash App at his video’s beginning and end. He also highlights the sponsorship in the video description.

Audiences are sometimes critical of sponsored videos when the sponsorship is totally irrelevant to the creator, their content or viewership. The best sponsored videos represent some sort of creative tie-in that doesn’t distract from the creator’s style. This sponsored video from Beauty Within featuring skincare brand Whind is a good example.

These sorts of promotions are a win-win for creators and advertisers alike.

youtube sponsored content video description

5. Publish product-focused promotional videos

Branded videos are created with the specific intent to promote a product or service. These videos can fall into a few categories where:

A brand compensates the creator in exchange for their content or a review
The brand has provided talking points and instructions to the creator (think: influencer or brand ambassador content)
The creator is making a video to highlight a brand and earn affiliate revenue

These types of videos are common among beauty and skincare brands where creators unbox PR packages on camera.

Below is another example from a creator going into detail about Liquid IV and how it works.

In the video’s description, the creator’s promotional link is front-and-center.

These types of videos aren’t as common because they can feel a bit direct when it comes to promotion. That said, they’re relevant to industries like beauty, health and fitness where audiences like to hunt for products via YouTube.

6. Leverage affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing is all about leveraging your influence to drive sales for other brands. As a creator, you can partner with brands to promote their products or services within your content.

The idea here is simple. You discuss products in your videos and then provide a direct way for viewers to check them out.

Every time a viewer clicks on your link and makes a purchase, you earn a commission. It’s a win-win: brands get more visibility and sales, and you get a cut of the profits.

This tactic is extremely popular among review channels and creators making “how-to” content. For example, this video from MyLifeOutDoors breaks down tips for getting better sleep while camping…

how to make money on youtube with affiliate links example

…and provides affiliate links to the products mentioned in the video.

See how that works? The key here is that the products themselves are not the sole subject of the video. Some creators call out their affiliate links within their content and others don’t. The choice is yours!

Note: Affiliate links are totally allowed and don’t violate YouTube’s TOS. However, the platform does have an explicit policy for external links. Make sure to review YouTube’s guidelines before dropping links in your videos.

7. Take advantage of crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is a great way to build community while funding your content creation. It’s like having your fans chip in to support your next big project.

Platforms like Patreon allow your supporters to contribute a monthly amount in exchange for exclusive content and perks, like BTS footage, shoutouts or early access to new videos.

For example, the cooking channel Made With Lau offers three membership tiers on Patreon:

They also make sure to promote their Patreon link in the descriptions of all their videos.

You could also look into other crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo to fund your creative projects.

Just make sure to share a link with your viewers and always deliver on your promise.

8. Sell merchandise and custom products

Selling branded items on YouTube is a smart way to earn money, boost visibility and build a closer relationship with your followers.

But this type of social shopping works best if you already have a loyal fan base willing to spend money on your merch.

Depending on your niche, you could sell custom t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, caps or art. Got an inside joke? A catchphrase? A logo? Use it to create unique designs for your supporters.

Example of a YouTube channel Rose Anvil using merchandise as a way to monetize on YouTube.

There are plenty of tools you can use to design and ship merch without storing any inventory yourself. Here are a few merch sites popular with YouTubers:

You can also hire freelance designers on Fiverr or use Canva to create your own creative designs to hand over to suppliers.

9. Enable YouTube Super Chat & Super Stickers

A cool thing about YouTube is you can engage with your audience directly and get paid for it—thanks to Super Chat & Stickers.

Here’s how it works.

During a live stream, viewers can pay to have their messages highlighted in the chat. They can also send Super Stickers—paid animated images that float up in a live chat.

Example of a YouTube Chat monetization feature in a live chat.

If you host regular live sessions, Super Chats and Stickers are a fantastic way to boost YouTube engagement, earn extra revenue and make your audience feel warm and fuzzy inside.

Turn on Super Chat by heading over to your monetization settings. Make sure you thank and appreciate viewers who support your channel and pay to get your attention.

10. License your content to external media companies

If you happen to create a viral video—or something unique or newsworthy—other platforms or media outlets might want a piece of it.

Licensing allows them to use your content, but for a fee.

It’s a way to earn from content you’ve already created and can amplify your content’s reach beyond your channel.

Proactively reach out to media agencies or wait for them to approach you. Or, list your content on Junkin Media where TV channels and news sites can find and buy it.

Making money on YouTube: Fast facts and FAQ

To wrap things up, let’s look at some common questions we get from people trying to figure out how to make money on YouTube.

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

There is no set amount of views you need to make money on YouTube.

Again, there are a lot of variables involved and dollar figures are anecdotal.

Data from Influencer Marketing Hub notes that the average YouTuber makes $18 per 1,000 views, which translates to $0.018 per view.

Creator Shelby Church shared an in-depth breakdown of a video that earned 2.2 million views and $743 from ads. This equates to about 33 cents per 1,000 views. She notes that factors like presentation, age and demographics of viewership impacted the payout.

how to make money with youtube ads payout example

In short, more YouTube views don’t always equal more money in your pocket.

How many subscribers do you need to make money on YouTube

There is no exact number of subscribers you need to make money on YouTube.

Creators that make careers out of YouTube are the ones uploading consistently and fostering communities.

Piggybacking on the point above, a higher subscriber count doesn’t automatically result in bigger payouts.

The inner workings of YouTube’s ad platform mean there is no “right” answer here. We can use YouTube tools like SocialBlade to give us a ballpark figure but the range of estimated earnings is massive. For example, the monthly earnings estimation for a creator with 90,000 subscribers is anywhere between $200 and $3,400.

Our advice? Don’t look at your subscribers as dollar signs. Focus on fostering a community before worrying too much about monetization.

How to make money on YouTube without posting videos

While it’s technically possible to make money on YouTube without posting videos, it’s definitely not the ideal way to approach YouTube.

Think about it. Brands don’t grow on Instagram by only posting on TikTok and vice versa. Every platform has different content types, styles and expectations. YouTube is the same way.

Sure, there are some steps you can take such as repurposing or cross-posting content to YouTube. This includes:

Republishing Reels or TikToks as YouTube Shorts
Taking webinars, presentations or slideshows and turning them into videos
Taking streams from Twitch or Instagram Live and uploading them as long-form content.

Grow your presence to make money on YouTube

Making any level of income from YouTube requires conscious effort and consistency.

That said, countless creators are making it happen with their content. Whether through ads, sponsorships or crowdfunding, there are plenty of opportunities to monetize your videos. Hopefully, these tips can help you find a way that makes sense for you!

And if you haven’t already, check out our in-depth guide to YouTube marketing to take your channel to the next level.

What Are Some Must-Have Tools for YouTube?

The next step on the “How to Start a YouTube Channel and Make Money” guide is using the best available tools for creating robust YouTube videos. With these tools, you can enhance your SEO and make the entire process of creating videos much easier.

Video Editor

Discussing video software will require a dedicated article of its own. But since this post is solely focused on YouTube videos, we’ll keep it brief.

So, basically, you need a powerful video editing software in order to create high-quality videos. From free to paid, there are plenty of options to choose from. You can go with VEGAS, all of which are excellent video editing software.

Photo Editor

Sometimes videos need pictures, and for having the perfect image opt for a great photo editing app. If you have a collection of pictures that need extra polish, Fotor’s one-click filters are the easiest way to make those images look their best. While it’s no full-fat Photoshop replacement, it’s incredibly easy-to-use.

Fotor

Powerful AI-driven editing tools like background remover, AI enlarger, object remover, one-tab skin retouch, AI art effects, etc.

Over 100,000+ ready-to-use templates and creative content for graphic design and photo collages.

Millions of HD stock photos for personal and commercial use.

Edit Your Youtube Channel Photos

Fotor is a great online photo editor and collage maker. It’s also a solid desktop application for image editing with RAW conversion support. There are several versions of Fotor. You can opt for one of the online versions, or download the desktop version for offline photo editing.

For RAW conversion support, go with the PC version. On the other hand, the online version is great for light JPEG editing tasks. Upgrading to the Pro version will enable more additional features.

With Fotor’s graphic design tool, you can make professional lYoutube bannersand thumbnails in just a few clicks. It provides abundant templates for YouTube under various themes, like gaming, music, food, travel, and more. This allows you to design some of the most attractive content that will boost your views quickly. Try Fotor out to create all kinds of social media graphics you need to boost your online presence.

Google Keyword Planner

As already mentioned, keywords are necessary for YouTube videos. You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner to find keywords your audience is searching for.

Using them on your video title and description will boost the traffic on your YouTube channel. Remember, if you cannot rank higher in YouTube searches, you won’t be able to make money from YouTube views.

Social Blade

Social Blade can track various statistics on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and Twitch. It’s effective for enhancing your social marketing tactics. You can track your statistics, as well as your competitors’. Here’s an example of analytics from PewDiePie’s channel on the Social Blade platform:

As you can see, it displays the date, subscribers, video views, and estimated earnings. And this is just a basic scan. The tool is capable of performing more in-depth analyzing. So, consider giving it a try!

YouTube Studio

YouTube Studio is a must-have tool for creators. It lets you manage your YouTube channel from mobile devices. This is helpful for those who take their YouTube profession seriously and are always editing on the go.

You won’t always be near your PC. So, every time you need to edit something on your channel, this nifty app can come in handy. It lets you monitor your channel’s performance with real-time analytics. You can also filter and/or respond to comments.

Now, let’s talk about real business.

How Do People Make Money on YouTube?

If you made it this far, it’s safe to say that you’ve successfully created a YouTube channel, picked a great niche, and built a solid strategy for your channel. Now, without wasting another minute of yours, let’s show you how to monetize YouTube videos to make money!

Qualifying for Monetization

Your YouTube channel must have at least a thousand subscribers and four thousand hours of watch time in the last twelve months. Only then can you apply for YouTube monetization.

Don’t worry!

Once you have implemented a solid SEO strategy, you’ll start hitting those big numbers in no time. Just try not to trick the system because your application for monetization could be rejected due to your channel being involved in “view4view” or “sub4sub” activities.

Enabling Monetization

It’s only a 4-step process:

First, go to “My Channel”
From there, click on the blue button labeled as “YouTube Studio (beta)”
Next, locate the menu and head over to Other Features > Monetization
And finally, hit the “Start” button in your Monetization

And you’re done! You have accepted the terms and conditions of the YouTube Partner. Now, all you need to do is sign up for Google AdSense. If you already have an account, simply connect it, and that will enable you to start making money from YouTube via advertisements.

Use YouTube to Generate Traffic to Your Blog

Do you have an eCommerce website? Well, then you must need traffic!

A lot of the sites were crushed by Google’s Hummingbird, Penguin, and Panda updates. Did the same happen to you? If so, your traffic is definitely hurting. Luckily, you can use your YouTube channel not only to drive traffic but also boost it.

Try repurposing your older content as videos besides making new videos. In your video description, link to your website to make sure viewers click on it so that you can transfer the YouTube traffic to your eCommerce site.

Paid Sponsorships

This is an absolute banger for generating money on YouTube. Paid sponsorships are basically when brands offer you a reasonable price for mentioning their product in your video. It might be a hard goal to achieve, but if you can engage with a few companies, you’ll be making a lot of money. It’s worth the effort.

Affiliates

Similar to Paid Sponsorships, except less money. But the best thing is, getting into affiliate programs is easier compared to direct sponsorships. For example, sign up for any affiliate program, and you’ll get a special discount code your followers can use while buying. Each time someone uses the code to purchase something from that company, you’ll receive a small payment. You can mention the code in your video or the description.

Merchandise

People are crazy about merch, especially the younger audience. However, you first need to make sure your audience is willing to buy your merch. Because if not, then it will be a waste of money. Consider asking them what products they would like to purchase through your videos or in the comment section (make sure to pin your comment). Both Jake Paul and Logan Paul have made millions selling merch to their loyal fans.

Wrapping Up

If you have the skills to create amazing videos and are looking for ways to learn how to start a YouTube channel and make money from it, then you need to master YouTube marketing. Since you made it this far, you must have understood the monetization process of YouTube and how YouTubers make money online.

That said, start your YouTube journey today and become a successful YouTuber! Also, feel free to share this tutorial with your friends and leave us a comment below if you have any queries.