YouTube is one of if not the largest video-sharing websites in the world. You can find everything on there including skits, DIYs, vlogs, mukbangs, masterclasses, clips from movies, actual movies, trailers, and commercials. YouTube is a video-sharing platform, but for what reason would people be prompted to post videos online? There are many reasons why someone would post: the preservation of memories, videos to show how to make, do, or prepare, or even learning skills, and short films for entertainment. Though, one reason would probably be none other than to sell and to buy a product or service. With YouTube, there are many ways for someone to make a living. You can get paid on YouTube in a variety of ways, which we will discuss here.
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What Is Monetization on YouTube?
It seems to be about that time. You’ve trekked through YouTube’s algorithm, posting content, after content and YouTube promos for the sake of your craft and possibly the love of the topic that so impassioned you. This feeling was so strong that it led you to pick up a camera and start filming yourself in the first place. This is your channel that you own and your work has finally led to monetization. Though, what is monetization and what does it mean for your channel? Well, applying for monetization, means you are now able to make money off the videos you post through YouTube. Whether or not YouTube accepts your application is based on your viewership, subscriber base, and if you live in a country where you are able to apply for the YouTube Partner Program.
YouTube Partner Program
Ad revenue here we come, right? Through YouTube’s Partner Program, once you rack up a viewership and subscriber base, you are probably wondering when you should start getting paid for all your efforts. You are in the right to think just that, considering you did take the necessary steps to get here. The YouTube Partner Program allows content creators to start receiving revenue for the videos they publish on the website. First, you need to make sure your channel reaches the criteria set by YouTube’s guidelines. You must have 4000 video hours viewed within 12 months and have a minimum of 1000 subscribers. Whereas for the pay, as stated on nerdwallet.com, you will make $18 per 1000 ad views. That translates to roughly $3 for every 1000th video view.
Now that you know what it is and how much you’ll supposedly be making from it, you probably want to see if you are eligible. After you’ve met the requirements, you will have to follow Google’s how-to page and you can now successfully apply to YouTube’s Partner Program. You also must be 18 years or older to be able to handle your payment methods through Google AdSense. It can take as little as a week or about a month for those over at YouTube to review your channel to see if you are eligible for monetization of your channel.
YouTube Paid Promotions
You have established your channel, joined the YouTube Partner Program, applied for Google AdSense, and now you are making money as a content creator. Congratulations! Though, there is another avenue you could go down to obtain another supplemental income aside from the videos you post, which is YouTube paid promotions.
Eventually down the line you can either reach out to companies or be reached by companies that you would want to sponsor your channel, or would like to sponsor your channel respectively. If you are looking for brands to sponsor your channel, you need to do the research that will show how your channel is as marketable as it can be. Just as you have found your targeted audience through finding optimal keywords, you need to search out in what ways your channel can benefit the business you want as a sponsorship.
Though, you are probably thinking that you have not come across the criteria needed to apply for the YouTube Partner Program. There will always be other ways to boost people coming to your channel. Some of the best engagement is through a YouTube promo via Google Ads. This will not be a way to find your targeted audience. This is for increasing audience retention to reach the criteria sooner than later. If you have already done the work of making the cake, that is finding your niche, making a high-quality video, making a good thumbnail and attributed the correct keywords you believe to be the best representation of your video, then using Google Ad will be the icing that goes on top of it.
Merchandising
There are many benefits to selling merchandise for your channel. It raises brand awareness and further displays your personality which is in itself a part of your brand. It is also a benefit because you will not be completely reliant on YouTube alone for income. Merchandising is another way for your consumers to support your channel outside of liking and subscribing. Of course, they are not beholden to purchasing your merchandise. It is, however, another way for consumers to support their favorite content creators.
YouTube allows the creators to use their skills in a reasonable artistic fashion. This level of personal expression is good for YouTubers because they can create their own designs, the type of merchandise they want to sell, ranging from t-shirts, mugs, energy drinks, etc. They can do as much as they can in regard to branding. What this takes is for you to understand your subscribers’ or audience’s tastes. What item would they be willing to buy from you?
Merchandise can be made by the creator themselves or it can be made via another party. You can work with companies such as Big Cartel, Teespring, and Bonfire to sell your merchandise. While you work on building your follower count, e-commerce companies like Bonfire can handle customer and payment processes.
YouTube Affiliate Marketing
What YouTube provides as a platform to share and post videos for entertainment, it offers nearly as much in the form of advertisements and marketing. This shows whether you’re marketing a business, product, merchandise, or yourself. Oh, but it doesn’t stop there. Say, you have a business with a product to sell, though you do not know what would be the best way for your product to reach your audience. With YouTube Affiliate Marketing, it becomes all the more easier for your product to reach the people it needs to
What Is YouTube Affiliate Marketing?
YouTube Affiliate Marketing is a business practice where you generate revenue through adding affiliate links to videos you create and upload to YouTube. These videos advertise an item or service produced by another company. You then make commission based off of the amount of sales made through the link that the company gave you. What is so good about affiliate marketing is that you have direct control over what you sell through your channel. Through doing this though, it is sound business practice to let people know of partnerships and paid promotions of your YouTube videos.
How To Use YouTube Affiliate Marketing On Your Channel
One way is through product reviews. In terms of how you advertise a product or service, a company won’t usually care as long as sales are being made. You are able to be as creative or technical as you can. This falls under being as engaged as you can with your audience and finding out what type of content they find appealing. People like when you are honest, so make sure to choose a product that you yourself believe in. It will make the process all the more rewarding.
Speaking of honesty, it was said earlier, but it can not be emphasized enough: disclose your affiliate partnerships to your fans. Simply mentioning the affiliate link in the description if they would want to try the product for themselves should suffice. It doesn’t even have to be something overly complicated or convoluted. Though, you can get style points for how creative you can divulge the information. The whole point of YouTube is to create videos people would want to watch. Starting off with what you would probably like would be your best bet in finding the type of content you will eventually start putting on your channel. The transparency of what is considered a paid promotion gives the consumer the ability to make the decision themselves. The last thing you would want would be to lose the trust of your audience.
How Can SEO Design Chicago Help With Increasing Your YouTube Revenue?
SEO Design Chicago has experts in marketing in multiple aspects of businesses. Ranging from traditional to social media and digital marketing. The many aspects of marketing can at first seem rather difficult to grasp at your first running. Though, it shouldn’t be something to distance yourself from. You also shouldn’t charge full speed ahead, but getting to where you need to go is not a run but a walk. If you want to increase your revenue and utilize YouTube paid promotions for your growing business, SEO Design Chicago will help you make that happen.
FAQ:
- What is YouTube affiliate marketing?
- How can you get paid on YouTube?
- What is the YouTube Partner Program?
- What are paid promotions?
- Should you disclose affiliate marketing?
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