Whether you‘re just getting started or already have an established channel, YouTube offers plenty of monetization opportunities beyond running ads. With multiple streams of income, you can earn more and safeguard against issues like demonetization.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll explore 12 proven ways to make money on YouTube, with tips to optimize your earnings at every stage.
Joining the YouTube Partner Program
The YouTube Partner Program allows you to earn a cut of the ad revenue from videos on your channel. It‘s the foundation for earning passive income from YouTube.
YouTube Partner Program Requirements
To qualify, you need:
- 1,000 subscribers
- 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months
- A linked AdSense account
- Compliance with all YouTube monetization policies
You‘ll also need to live in an eligible country and have no Community Guidelines strikes against your channel.
How to Apply for the YouTube Partner Program
Ready to submit your application? Follow these simple steps:
- Enable two-factor authentication on your Google account for security.
- In YouTube Studio, go to Monetization > Enable monetization.
- Accept the terms and conditions.
- Connect an AdSense account to receive your earnings.
- Wait for approval from YouTube (typically about a month).
Once accepted, you can turn on monetization and start earning!
2. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate links give you a way to earn commissions by promoting products you genuinely use and recommend. Best of all – it allows you to make money from YouTube independently.
Understanding Affiliate Marketing
Here’s a quick rundown of how affiliate marketing works:
- You join an affiliate program and get a unique link for a product.
- Viewers click your affiliate link and buy the product.
- You receive an agreed upon commission (typically 10-30%)
So you earn income without any extra work when viewers purchase through your link.
Getting Started with Affiliate Marketing
Follow this step-by-step guide to integrating affiliate links that convert:
- Research affiliate programs related to your niche and content. Consider products you already feature or recommend.
- Pick 3-5 programs to start and create accounts. Look for good commission rates.
- Generate your unique affiliate links for each program.
- Strategically add text and image links to your video descriptions and end screens pointing viewers to purchase.
- Track clicks and sales within each affiliate program. Tweak placement of best performing links.
Put affiliate links in every new video to maximize your potential earnings over time.
3. Sponsored Content
Sponsored content involves getting paid by brands to feature or endorse their products. The exposure is valuable for sponsors and lucrative for creators.
Rates vary greatly, but as a benchmark, creators typically earn $10-$50 per 1,000 views on a sponsored video. So for a video with 100k views you might get $1,000-$5,000. The more subscribers you have, the higher your earning potential.
Finding Sponsorship Opportunities
Reaching out to brands directly is the best approach for securing sponsored content deals.
Start by creating a professional media kit highlighting your value:
- Channel & video stats/growth
- Audience demographics
- Sample integrated sponsor messaging
- Links to top performing content
- Pricing tiers
Establish rates relative to your viewership and production costs. Many sponsors provide free products upfront as well.
Having an email just for business inquiries listed prominently on your channel is also key for getting sponsor deals.
4. Memberships & Subscriptions
Memberships allow fans to pay for exclusive extra content and perks related to your channel. YouTube memberships and third-party platforms like Patreon open up recurring revenue streams.
YouTube Channel Memberships
YouTube memberships start at $4.99 per month. Fans get:
- Special badges
- Custom emoji
- Exclusive community posts or vlogs
- Members-only live streams/chat
The feature is only available once you hit 1,000 subscribers and 30,000 watch hours over the last year. YouTube keeps 30% of membership fees.
Using Patreon
On Patreon, creators offer subscription tiers that provide new rewards as the monthly pledge amount increases. This gives fans more options to support your work.
Many YouTubers put videos out early on Patreon as a base perk, along with offerings like:
- Bonus content
- Polls to vote on video topics
- Q&A sessions
- Monthly merch coupon codes
- Individual shoutouts
Patreon charges 5-12% in fees, letting you take home a bigger revenue share from members.
5. Selling Merchandise
Creating and selling merch is a very popular way for YouTube stars to leverage their brand with fans.
The best approach for getting started is print-on-demand services like Teespring, Redbubble, and TeePublic. They produce orders on an as-needed basis with no upfront costs or inventory for you to manage.
Common merch includes t-shirts, hoodies, phone cases, mugs and stickers featuring your logo or channel art. Profit margins vary by product, but generally run 20-35%.
Promote your merch shelf in descriptions to build steady passive sales. Limited edition drops also drive demand and revenue.
6. Live Streaming on YouTube & Twitch
Going live allows viewers to chat and tip you directly. While YouTube SuperChats take 30%, Twitch only claims 50% of subscription revenue.
Twitch subscriptions start at $4.99 per month. YouTube channel members (see #4 above) get the same perks.
Leveraging both platforms expands your reach and gives fans more ways to actively support your channel.
7. Creating Other Products & Services
The sky‘s the limit for leveraging your personal brand. As your audience grows, consider expanding into specialty products or services.
Nail polish, books, courses, custom skateboard lines, mobile games, restaurants – YouTube stars have successfully ventured into them all.
Think strategically about adjacent offerings that would interest your niche target market. Invest time into proper market validation and product development.
8. Crowdfunding Creative Projects
Sites like Kickstarter, Indiegogo and GoFundMe make it easy to raise money from fans for creative projects or business ideas.
The key is crafting pledge tiers that give backers access, ownership or credit in exchange for capital investments. Make sure each tier provides more value than the last to incentivize higher pledges.
In addition to funding, crowdfunding builds an invested supporter base eager to engage when you launch.
9. Accepting Tips & Donations
Direct tipping enables viewers to compensate creators simply for content they value.
Platforms like Ko-Fi let fans buy you a coffee at increments like $3 or $5 to show appreciation. Just share your profile link prominently to receive spontaneous micro-donations.
While minor individually, small tips add up and give you earnings stability between bigger YouTube payouts. No additional benefits needed.
10. Getting the Most Out of YouTube
Boosting viewership and watch time is critical for revenue growth on YouTube. Here are 5 top tips:
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Commit to a consistent upload schedule. Posting more frequently keeps your channel front of mind.
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Optimize video length for max revenue. Aim for over 10 minutes with strong average view duration.
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Experiment with attention-grabbing thumbnails. Capture interest to drive more clicks.
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Promote channel memberships, affiliate links and merch in descriptions.
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Share video clips across social media to attract subscribers from other platforms.
The more quality content you put out, the faster your subscriber base, view counts, and earnings will compound.
Start Earning Money on YouTube Today
As you can see, YouTube offers plenty of ways to make money beyond relying solely on ad placements.
Diversifying with affiliate promotions, branded products, fan memberships and beyond is critical for long term channel success and stability.
The tips in this guide remove the guesswork involved at every stage. Saving you time, money and energy as you build your channel.
Now’s the time to start implementing the monetization mix that works for your goals. Wishing you huge success!
