So you love making videos and writing articles on the internet, but you’re wondering what kind of money can be made from it. You’ve come to the right place!
First, let us tell you something: What we’ve presented here is just a guide based on the knowledge that I have gleaned so far throughout my endeavors. This might not work for everyone, but I think it’s safe to say most people will find at least some aspect of these ideas helpful.
Alright, enough preamble…let’s do this thing!
So now that you know how to make money on YouTube, you need to know the best ways to earn money with it. While there are countless options out there, what you’ll learn here pretty much covers most of them.
Let’s start off with some non-content related avenues that every YouTuber (and website owner) should consider investing in:
- High-quality HD camera for recording your videos
- Video editing software
- A solid microphone for high-quality audio recordings (if applicable)
There is no substitute for having a really great camera/camcorder and nothing turns viewers away more than crappy video quality. We personally suggest something like the Canon EOS 70D, which records full HD 1920 x 1080 footage and includes a flip screen for easier recording. If you’re on a budget, consider the Canon EOS Rebel T5i.
Next is video editing software. While there are countless free options that work just fine (such as Windows Movie Maker or iMovie), we recommend using Adobe Premiere Pro CC. This powerful program allows you to edit HD videos with ease and it comes complete with several filters/effects so your clips can look great right out of the box!
And finally, an audio-related investment would be in getting a decent microphone if your channel features commentary or covers music topics. We recommend checking out either The Yeti by Blue Microphones, which offers studio-quality sound or the Samson Meteor Mic USB Studio Microphone, which is great for anyone on a budget.
Now that you’ve established your video production setup, it’s time to explore the various ways people can make money from YouTube:
Adsense Ads
By far the most popular way of monetizing YouTube videos is by placing ads at their beginning and/or end as well as within them (if you use annotations). Generally speaking, if you can get 1,000 views per day or more then there is a good chance that you will begin making significant ad revenue. While this seems like it should be easy, many YouTubers run into an issue where they might drive tons of viewers to their clips but very few click on the ads. This problem usually stems from the ads themselves where many viewers simply ignore them completely. Getting around this is actually pretty simple: You just need to find sponsors that offer relevant products/services (such as online games, software, etc.) and then create a brief but engaging introduction video for each one. This ensures that you’re getting paid the full amount possible for every click on your videos!
YouTube Partnership
One of the coolest features YouTube offers is the chance to become an affiliate partner which allows you to receive a portion of the revenue generated from product sales via links within your content. To do this, sign up with Google AdSense, connect your channel(s) so it can be reviewed by YouTube’s staff, and then wait! Once approved (usually takes about a week), you can start adding affiliate links to your site/videos. Keep in mind, however, that this is purely optional and if you have the traffic then it makes sense to just collect AdSense revenue instead.
YouTube Fan Funding
This is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: A way for viewers to donate money directly to YouTubers they admire! Currently, this process is done by directing fans to PayPal where they must first sign up for an account before being able to send any funds. Once sent, the funds are placed in a “pending balance” until the recipient claims them (usually takes about two days). This system has been increasing in popularity but there still remain several issues such as limited payment options, fees for incoming funds, and the need to claim every single payment. With this in mind, YouTube is currently developing a system that will make it much easier for fans to contribute to their favorite channels without all the excessive steps!
Merchandise
If you have an online store or even Amazon wishlist then you can sell items directly from your videos via widgets. All of the proceeds are generated instantly which means there are absolutely no additional costs involved whatsoever (outside of buying inventory). The only downside here is that viewers must first know about your availability before they can buy anything but, if done right, this can generate excellent exposure outside of just YouTube!
To recap:
- Invest in good video equipment and editing software
- Get yourself a Google AdSense account to make money through ads
- If you have the traffic then you might want to just skip over YouTube Partnership and go straight for Adsense
- Create your website/online store in case you don’t get approved for partnership or just aren’t seeing enough traffic on YouTube
- Merchandise directly from your videos via widgets to generate instant revenue with zero costs! Use a tool like PeachPay to handle your finances easily.
- YouTube will soon offer a fan funding option so it’s best to not rely exclusively on these methods of monetization. The goal here is simply to supplement your efforts by making extra cash while doing what you love most! Just remember that not every video needs an intro pitch so focus more on creating entertaining content at first and worry about sponsors, affiliate links, etc. later
