Introduction to YouTube Monetization: How Many Subscribers Do You Need to Start Making Money on YouTube?

YouTube levels the playing field regarding how much success you can get. This platform has propelled even the most ordinary person to popularity through its ad revenue programs. You can earn money by creating videos and uploading them on your YouTube channels.

Suppose you are an aspiring YouTuber looking to open an account and increase YouTube channel subscribers. In that case, you are probably wondering how to do this and how many subscribers you will need to start earning money.

Today, you will learn how YouTube revenue streams work and how you can actually make money on YouTube. Stick around to learn more.

How to Earn Money from YouTube

What is great about this platform is that there are various ways to earn money. You don’t just have to focus on one income stream and actually generate income through multiple means. Making money on YouTube can happen through the following means:

1. Through the YouTube Partner Program

YouTube’s Partner Program enables you to monetize your videos. Through YouTube ads, you can potentially earn ad revenue. Check out YouTube’s step-by-step guide on how to join their partner program. First, you need to live in a country where this is available. The downside is that you won’t be able to monetize your videos right away. You are going to need a minimum of 1000 subscribers and 4000 watch hours before you can be approved.

As a newbie content creator, you might think reaching that many subscribers and that many hours of views will be a long time coming. But there are many ways for you to increase your number of subscribers and watch time.

One of the important things you need to do is to come up with quality content. Make sure you are offering something of value to your many subscribers so that they are more than willing to come back and watch your content. Prank videos can only get you so far. You need to be serious in uploading videos and thinking of quality content that will help and edify your viewers.

Go the extra mile in shooting your content. You can invest in good-quality video and editing tools. Consider more long-form videos rather than shorter ones to create more authority in your chosen niche.

Don’t focus on making money on YouTube first. Rather, focus on creating content that people will find informative or entertaining to watch. The monetization methods will come later.

To sign up for the YouTube Partner Program, you must go to the account you plan to monetize. Go to YouTube Studio and choose Other Features > Monetization, which you can find in the left menu. Make sure you also read all the terms and conditions for the YouTube Partner Program. The next is to set your monetization preferences.

You also need to know about the YouTube Premium program. This allows viewers to watch their favorite content creators without the annoying ads. It doesn’t change the revenue stream for your YouTube video ads, but it can help boost your content in algorithms. Once this happens, you can get ad revenue from YouTube Premium, which is separate from what you already get from non-subscribers.

It would help if you considered recommending this service and obtaining more YouTube premium subscribers. Monetizing your YouTube channel is a good idea, but it may be wise to rely on something other than it as your only source of income. You must have a Google AdSense account to make money, but remember that Google takes a significant portion of your earnings from regular videos. This means that YouTube creators may need help to fully maximize their earning potential on the platform.

Also Read: The Top Influencer Marketing Trends To Watch Out For In 2023

2. Sell Your Own Products and Services

Another thing that you can do is to sell products and services. If you have a business, you can advertise your merchandise or direct viewers to your online store. YouTube has its own algorithm, and YouTube videos appear more in Google searches. You can boost your digital exposure by creating videos if you have a new online business.

One idea is to show the advantages of using your products or services in the video. You can also do some unboxing. Many small owners even show their production process. Some show how they package their products and label them.

These ideas are fascinating to watch. You can also earn advertising revenue from the YouTube Partner Program while promoting your products.

3. Getting Crowdfunding For Products, Projects and Services

Many YouTube creators also turn to this platform to get crowdfunding for their new projects. This can be true in the case of people with new products they are developing. If you are organizing events and reaching out to your target market, using this platform can also be a great strategy. You can also use your YouTube content to direct viewers and supporters to external crowdfunding accounts like Kickstarter and Indiegogo.

4. Fan Funding or Fan Donations

Many people also create YouTube channels to reach out to their fans. Fans can show their appreciation by sending donations or fan funding to an external account.

YouTube also has features that allow content creators to access fan funding such as the YouTube Super Chat and Super Stickers feature that can be used to monetize live content. Channel memberships can also help you make money on the platform.

5. Obtain a License for Your Content

Don’t let that viral video go to waste. You can still make money from it through its watch time but another way is to sell the license to the platform so they have exclusive access to the video. That way, the content will not show on other sites.

6. Reach Out To Brands

Once you have significantly amassed a following, you can have leverage to watch me. The more people watch your channel, the more likely you are to be sought after by brands who want to be promoted by you.

Try reaching out to brands. You can earn money through specific product placements in the video and promoting their products and services in your channel.

7. Through Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is one of the monetization strategies you should not pass up and miss out on. What is great about affiliate marketing is that it allows you to showcase products without reaching out to the brand If there is a product that you stand behind and you swear by, you can find out if they are offering affiliate marketing services and leave the affiliate link in your content. You can put them in the video descriptions so that the viewers can easily click them and be redirected to the shop page.

How to Get Paid on YouTube

Now that we have discussed the various ways to monetize a YouTube channel, it’s time for the other question: How does YouTube pay you? How do you get the physical money?

Once you set up your Google AdSense account and set a threshold, you can link that account to your preferred way of obtaining the money. This can be done through EFT, electronic funds, or wire transfers. You can check out Google AdSense’s policies to determine what payment method is right for you.

Once your YouTube account has reached the maximum threshold you set, AdSense will automatically send payments, which you will receive after 21 days of processing.

If you are collaborating with brands, you will get your payment directly from them. This depends on what you have agreed on with the brand or sponsorship. They can pay after you upload the video or send the price immediately.

The exact process is followed for affiliate marketing, similar to that of Google AdSense. They usually set a threshold, and you link the affiliate marketing merchant to your account. The money will be transferred to your account once you reach the point.

How to Be an Expert on Selling in YouTube

Even when you aren’t exactly selling a specific product on YouTube, it’s still important to know some sales strategies. Your monetization strategies should include learning how to sell not just to increase revenues but also to increase your number of subscribers.

1. Know Your Target Market

The first thing you should do is to understand and know your target market. What do they need? You should be able to fill in that need. Only then will you be able to get their interest?

Understand their behaviors and their preferences. Do market research first. Check out your competitors and see what they are doing for their target market.

2. Know How to Interact with Your Audience

It’s not just about uploading videos and calling it a day. It would help if you were willing to try reaching out to your target market. That is one of the ways to earn many subscribers. You must establish a good relationship with your viewers to run a successful YouTube channel.

Answer comments left in your videos. You can also do shoutouts or take note of challenges and requests from fans and audiences that you can add to your following videos.

3. Master Call To Action

It’s about getting your audience to do something at the end of the video. You can ask them to click links to be redirected to an online shop or ask them to like or subscribe. That’s how you will boost your engagement and your exposure on YouTube.

Frequently Asked Questions About Making Money on YouTube

Take a look at these frequently asked questions people have when it comes to making money on YouTube.

1. How many YouTube subscribers do you need to make money on YouTube?

Before you can start earning money, YouTube requires 1000 subscribers first. This also includes having 4,000 watch hours. If you do YouTube shorts, you need to have an accumulated 10 million public views on shorts.

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

As mentioned above, you need to reach 4000 watch hours on YouTube or 10 million public views on shorts before you can start monetizing your channel.

3. How much can an average YouTuber earn on YouTube?

Many factors can affect your earnings on YouTube, such as your niche and the type of products you put up. However, the average YouTuber can earn up to $18 per 100 views. Many YouTubers earn as much as $4616 every month on the platform. And for every $100 an advertiser gives YouTubers, you can take home up to 55% of that money.

4. How much time does it take before you reach the views needed to earn money?

There is no specific time for this. For some YouTubers, it took them years to build their viewership and following. But there are others that make viral videos. It’s all about the strategies you employ. You can go the paid route or also take the organic route. Both methods will help you get the views you need.

But to speed up getting those views, make sure you actively create videos. Come up with fun and engaging content ideas.

Conclusion

It’s not always easy. It’s not a get-rich-quick scheme, no matter how seemingly overnight the success of many YouTubers is. They put in hours upon hours of hard work you don’t see on the camera. Many YouTubers spend most of their time editing videos and promoting them on other platforms to increase viewership. That is not to mention how much time they spend interacting and engaging with their viewers.

It would help if you were willing to put in the effort in addition to coming up with good content ideas. So, if you want to succeed in this platform, prepare yourself to devote the time and effort it takes.