How to Make Money on YouTube: 10 Effective Ways in 2024

Making money on YouTube is easier than you might think. You don’t need to be a massive star with millions of subscribers to start earning money.

My team and I have built multiple YouTube channels that make thousands of dollars per month from ads, sponsorships, and product sales.

And in this article, you will discover how to make money on YouTube even if you don’t have a lot of subscribers.

So whether you are just starting or looking for ways to increase your YouTube income, this guide is for you.

Quick Summary

How Do YouTubers Get Paid?

YouTubers can get paid in a variety of ways, the most common being through:

How Many Views Do You Need on YouTube to Make Money?

To earn YouTube Ad revenue, you need more than 1,000 subscribers and over 4,000 watch hours in the past year.

But ad revenue isn’t the only way to make money on YouTube.

You can only have 1,000 views per month and still make thousands of dollars.

For example, you could be an affiliate marketer promoting SaaS products and make a full-time income from that.

It all depends on your monetization method and the quality of your traffic.

How Much Money Can You Make on YouTube?

You can expect to make about $4 per 1,000 views via ads, $30 per 1,000 views via affiliate marketing, and $1,000 per sponsored post, depending on the size of your channel.

10 Ways to Make Money with YouTube Channel

1. YouTube Partner Program

The first and most obvious way to earn money on YouTube, is by showing ads on your videos with YouTube partner program.

To do this, you must be a part of the YouTube Partner Program.

The YouTube partner program allows YouTube to place ads on your YouTube videos, and in exchange, you will receive 55% of the ad revenue.

For example, if an advertiser paid $100 for 10,000 ad views. You get $55 from the YouTube partner program, while YouTube keeps $45. This may not seem like a lot of money, but if you have a large channel with millions of views, it can add up quickly!

Here is how to join the YouTube Partner Program:

Step 1: Make Sure You Meet the Requirements

To join the YouTube Partner Program, you must meet the following requirements:

Step 2: Apply to the YouTube Partner Program

Once you have made sure you meet all the requirements, it’s time to apply to become a YouTube partner.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Click on your YouTube Profile Picture in the top right corner of your screen
2. Click on YouTube Studio
3. From the left menu, scroll down and click on the Monetization tab
4. If you don’t meet all the requirements, you’ll see a NOTIFY ME WHEN I’M ELIGIBLE button, click on it and grind to grow your channel till you get to 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours
5. Once you meet the requirements, simply review and accept the YouTube partner program terms

Step 3:  Link your Adsense Account

After accepting the YouTube Partner Program terms, the next step is to link your Adsense account to your YouTube channel.

1. Click on the START button on the sign-up for AdSense card
2. Re-enter your password for verification
3. Select the Google account you want to use for AdSense
4. You will be asked to sign in if the Google account already has an Adsense account. If not, you will be asked to create one.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to finish creating your google adsense and linking it to your YouTube account

Step 4: Wait Till Your Application Is Reviewed

After you have completed all the steps, your application for becoming a YouTube partner will be reviewed by YouTube. This process can take up to 30 days.

You will be notified by email once your application has been approved or denied.

If you are approved, congratulations! You can start making money on YouTube by showing ads on your videos!

If you are denied, don’t worry. You can always reapply after 30 days of receiving the rejection email.

Just make sure you fix the issue that caused your application to be denied in the first place.

How Much Can You Make from YouTube Ads?

The average YouTube channel can make about $18 per 1000 ad views or $4 per 1,000 video views.

2. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is where you promote a product or service and earn a commission for every sale you make, usually a percentage of the total sale.

For example, if you promote a course that costs $1,000 and earns a 40% commission, you will make $400 for every person who buys the course through your link.

The great thing about affiliate marketing is that you can promote products or services you are passionate about or know a lot about and make a great income from doing it!

Here is how to start with affiliate marketing:

Step 1: Join an Affiliate Network

The first step is to join an affiliate network. An affiliate network is a platform that connects affiliates (like you) with merchants (brands and companies that have products or services to sell).

Some of the most popular affiliate networks are:

There are many other affiliate networks out there, so make sure to do your research to find one that is a good fit for you.

Step 2: Find a Product or Service to Promote

Once you have joined an affiliate network, it’s time to find a product or service to promote.

You can browse the merchant’s website or the affiliate network to find products or services to promote.

Most networks also have a search function that you can use to find products by keyword.

Step 3: Get Your Affiliate Link

Your affiliate link is a unique tracking link the merchant will give you so they can track how many sales you generate.

To get your affiliate link, simply login to your affiliate account and look for the merchant’s name. Then click on the “get link” or “generate link” button next to the product or service you want to promote.

Step 4: Add Your Affiliate Link to Your YouTube Videos

Make a video about the product or service you are promoting and include your affiliate link in your video descriptions.

Just make sure to tell people where they can find your link so they can buy the product!

How Much Can You Make as an Affiliate Marketer on YouTube?

You can expect to make approximately $30 per 1,000 affiliate clicks.

This number can vary greatly depending on the product you are promoting, the commission you earn per sale, and the conversion rate (the percentage of people who buy the product after clicking your affiliate link).

3. Sponsored Posts

YouTube influencers with a large and engaged following can also make money by partnering with brands and companies to promote their products or services in a video.

This is called a “sponsored post,” and it is basically an advertisement for the brand.

There are many reasons why a company would want to sponsor a post on your YouTube channel. But it’s mainly because they know that people trust people, not brands.

As a YouTube influencer, you are the “viewer’s expert friend,” so when you recommend a product or service, they are more likely to listen to you and take your advice.

You should focus on creating an engaged and loyal following because that’s what brands look for when sponsoring a post.

Here’s how to find sponsored post opportunities:

Step 1: Join Influencer Platforms

There are many platforms that connect brands with influencers.

Some of the most popular platforms are:

All you need to do is sign up for an account and fill out your profile.

Step 2: Negotiate Your Rate

Once you have been matched with a brand, it’s time to negotiate your rate. Remember, you are in control here!

Your charge rate will depend on several factors, such as your YouTube channel’s engagement, reach, and influence.

Step 3: Create the Content

Once you have agreed on a rate, it’s time to start creating videos.

Before filming, ensure you know exactly what the brand wants. Do they want a review? A how-to video? A vlog?

Get as much information as possible to create the best content possible.

How Much Can You Make from Sponsored Posts on YouTube

Here is how much you should expect to charge for sponsored posts, based on the number of genuine YouTube subscribers you have:

4. Sell Your Merchandise

According to a 2019 study by Prodigi, 85% of people have bought a piece of merchandise from a creator at some point in their lives.

Most of them bought it because financially supporting their favorite creator made them happy and closer to the creator in some way.

So if you’re considering selling merchandise, you’re on the right track!

Not only can it be a great way to make money, but it’s also a great way to connect with your audience and give them something they can physically hold on to.

You could sell anything from t-shirts to phone cases, mugs, and tote bags. The sky is the limit regarding merchandising, so get creative!

Here is how to sell your merch:

Step 1: Create Your Merchandise

The first step is to, of course, create your merchandise. You can either design it yourself or hire a designer to do it for you.

Either way, make sure your designs are on-brand and represent your YouTube channel well.

Step 2: Join a Print on Demand Platform

Print on demand (POD) is a business model in which a platform prints and ships your merchandise only when someone buys it.

All you need is to list your designs on their site, and when someone buys one of them, they will print and ship it to the customer.

This is a great way to start merchandising because it requires very little upfront investment.

Some popular POD platforms are:

Step 3: Promote Your Merch

Once you have your merch set up, it’s time to start promoting it! The best way to do this is by incorporating it into your videos in a natural way.

For example, if you’re selling t-shirts, you could wear one in your next video. Or, if you’re selling mugs, you could use one in your video and mention how much you love it.

Just remember, the key to selling your merch is promoting it in a natural and authentic way.

If you’re just shoving it down your viewers’ throats, they will not buy it.

How Much Can You Make from Selling Merch on YouTube?

You can buy blank t-shirts and have it printed for as little as $10 each and sell them for $20-$25.

This means you make a profit of $15 per t-shirt.

Of course, the more you sell, the higher your profit margin. But even if you only sell a few t-shirts, you’re still making a decent profit. The same goes for other items like mugs and tote bags.

5. Fan Funding

Being a video creator is a full-time job, and making ends meet is difficult.

That’s why more and more creators are turning to fan funding to help support their work.

Fan funding is when your viewers make voluntary donations to support your YouTube channel and a “thank you” for the hard work you put into creating and uploading videos.

It’s basically like a tip jar for YouTube content creators. And YouTube incorporated a few ways for you to get started with fan funding, such as:

Method 1: Channel Memberships

With channel memberships, viewers can pay a monthly fee of anywhere between $4.99 and $49.99 to join your “channel membership” and get access to exclusive content, such as:

Channel memberships are one of the best ways to make money on YouTube. You will see the benefits of channel memberships pretty quickly. And you will realise that to make money on YouTube you don’t need to be a big star.

Method 2: Super Chats

Super Chats are a great way to engage with your viewers during live streams and get them to donate at the same time. If this is something you hope to achieve, a Super Chat is a must.

With Super Chat, viewers can purchase “pins” that highlight their message in the live chat for a certain amount of time. This is another perk of using Super Chat.

Method 3: Super Thanks

Super Thanks is a new way for viewers to show their support and appreciation for your content.

When viewers click the “Thanks” button, they can buy a one-time animation and send a personalized message to show how much they appreciate your work or simply troll you. Either way, it’s great to get your viewers involved and engaged with your content.

Method 4: Fan Funding Platforms

There are many fan funding platforms that you can use to get donations from your viewers, such as:

How Much Can You Make from YouTube Fan Funding?

How much you can make from YouTube fan funding depends on how many viewers you have, what type of content you create, and how engaged your viewers are.

6. CrowdFunding

If you’re working on a project that requires a bit more money, you can always turn to crowdfunding.

Crowdfunding is when you raise money for a project or cause by getting small donations from a large number of people.

It’s a great way to get the funds you need without taking out a loan or giving up your project’s equity.

There are many crowdfunding platforms that you can use, such as:

How Much Can You Make from Crowdfunding?

You can make hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars from crowdfunding. It all depends on what the crowd thinks of your project and how much they want to donate. Of course, the more popular your project is, the more money you’re likely to raise.

7. License Your Content to the Media

Have you ever wondered how those TV shows, movies, and online news sites get the right to use someone’s content without copyright claims?

Well, most of the time, it’s because the video owner has licensed their content to the media outlet.

In other words, they’ve given the media outlet permission to use their content in exchange for a fee.

And you can do the same thing!

If one of your videos goes viral, a media outlet can approach you and offer to license your content, so you must make sure people can easily find your contact information.

The best way to do this is to include a link to your email address and social media accounts in your channel’s about section.

You can also join video marketplaces like Rights Trade and Vuulr.

How Much Can You Make from Licensing Your Content?

You can make about $150 for a one-time use of your video.

8. YouTube Premium

YouTube Premium allows viewers to watch videos without ads, download videos for offline viewing, and access exclusive content from YouTube creators.

At first glance, it doesn’t seem like creators make any money from YouTube premium subscribers. However, YouTube shares 55% of the youtube premium revenue with video creators.

Here is how it works:

Let’s say YouTube premium generates $100 in a month.

Out of that $100, YouTube will keep $45 and give $55 to the creators.

Out of that $55, each content creator gets a %, depending on how many hours premium members watched their videos.

Not a lot, but it adds up if you have a lot of YouTube views!

How Much Can You Make from YouTube Premium?

You can make $4 per 1,000 YouTube premium views.

This number depends on how many premium members watch your videos and how much youtube premium revenue there is in a given month.

9. Leverage Content ID

If you want to make money online as a musician, animator, video editor, or creative designer, you can do it by leveraging YouTube’s content ID system.

A content ID is a digital fingerprint that YouTube uses to identify and keep track of videos, images, and audio to protect copyright holders.

As a copyright holder, you can use the content ID to ensure that people who use your work pay you for it.

You can submit your ORIGINAL content to YouTube, and they will give you a content ID.

YouTube will then scan all videos on their platform, and if they find a match, they will give you 3 options:

1. Take down the video
2. Monetize the video and earn ad revenue from it
3. Track view data and get access to the video analytics

Obviously, you will choose to monetize the video and earn ad revenue from it.

How Much Can You Make from YouTube Content ID?

You can make about $3.75 per 1,000 views.

10. Promote Your Content Using YouTube Ads

YouTube video ads are a great way to promote your content and earn money at the same time.

But to be honest, it’s not worth it most of the time unless you are promoting a high-ticket product or service.

Just do your research and calculate your expected return on investment (ROI) before spending any money.

How Much Can You Make from Promoting Your Content on YouTube?

You can make thousands of dollars by promoting your content on YouTube if you have a high-ticket product or service.

Tips for Selling on YouTube

Many of the above ways to make money, like crowdfunding a video series, depend on getting the word out about products or campaigns. Nonetheless, you should watch out that your ads don’t compromise the quality of your material.

The fear of “selling out” is a significant issue for many artists. But you’ll never receive anything if you don’t ask for it. There are several different “placements” available for advertising your goods and/or campaigns.

Understand Your Audience on YouTube

When you have your own following, you have several options for making money off of your material. But you can’t make the most of the chances you have until you know who you’re talking to.

A YouTuber’s chances of working with advertisers who are aiming to reach a certain demographic improve as the channel’s focus narrows.

You should focus on:

You’ll have a leg up on your competition and be able to collaborate more effectively with brands if you have this demographic data about your target audience at the ready.

You can learn everything about your audience from your YouTube statistics, but if you want to see how you stack up against the competition, you should use a program like Social Blade.

Record a Call to Action in Your Videos

Put a thumbs up and sign up for more if you liked this video!

In order to get more people to subscribe to their channel, more and more YouTubers are ending their videos with a similar call to action. People are more likely to take the action you want them to if you give them a nudge in the right direction.

This method can be modified to attract readers’ interest in a product or service that will result in monetary gain.

Add Well-timed YouTube Cards to Your Videos

Whether you’re marketing a product as part of a sponsorship agreement or your own line, YouTube Cards are a striking method to grab the attention of your viewers.

To get the most out of them, you can make them show up at a time when they are most useful and there are few other things going on.

Add Links in Your Video Descriptions

Links in the video’s description could take people to their own online store, patron page, Kickstarter page, or some other way they make money.

Check out Unbox Therapy if you make videos and want to use youtube marketing expert to make money from your channel. Unbox Therapy is a YouTube channel that evaluates products and makes money off of its viewers by including affiliate links in the videos’ descriptions.

By offering “buy X get Y” deals or discounts, you may encourage new consumers to shop at your Shopify store if you make product videos for them.

Promote Your Offer on Other Platforms

You shouldn’t limit yourself to using YouTube as a distribution method just because your work is posted there.

Whether you have a Twitter, Facebook, or any other social media account, use it to tell people about new promotions or special deals.

As the number of locations where your message exists grows, so does the likelihood that it will be read. That’s why it’s important to expand your social media marketing efforts beyond YouTube if you want to reach a wider audience. 

FAQs

How Many YouTube Views Does It Take to Make $1,000?

According to market standards, you’ll need roughly 500,000 views to get $1,000 from ad revenue. CPM pricing comes down to $2 for every 1,000 ads seen.

How Can You Make Money on YouTube Without Making Videos?

Without making videos yourself, your only option for making money on YouTube is to repurpose the work of others. Videos released under the Creative Commons license may be found in YouTube’s extensive archive.

With this license, you may publish and profit from the works of others. You are free to use and modify any video you discover that has the CC-BY license.

How Much Will YouTube Pay Me for 1000 Views?

You can make about $4 per 1,000 views with ads on YouTube.

How Many Subscribers Do You Need to Get Paid on YouTube?

You will need at least 1,000 subscribers to get paid on YouTube.

How Hard Is It to Make Money on YouTube?

It’s not too difficult to make money on YouTube, but there is no such thing as easy money.

You will need to work and be consistent with your content in order to able to enable monetization and start seeing a return on your investment.

Ready To Make Money on YouTube?

There are many ways to make money on YouTube, but these are the most common and effective ones.

If you want to be successful on YouTube, you must create great videos, build a large audience, and use multiple monetization channels.

Our favorite monetization channel is Affiliate Marketing, but getting started with can be tricky.

That’s why we created this Free Affiliate Marketing Webinar, where you’ll find out how to start making money with Affiliate Marketing.

Click here to sign up for the free webinar!

Article by

Matt Diggity

Matt is the founder of Diggity Marketing, LeadSpring, The Search Initiative, The Affiliate Lab, and the Chiang Mai SEO Conference. He actually does SEO too.

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