Chapter 7 – How to Monetize Your YouTube Channel
One of the main reasons why people start to create videos for YouTube is to make money. If it weren't for the fact that people can potentially make a living off uploading videos, most wouldn't even bother with creating videos. While anything is possible with YouTube, you can't realistically expect to make thousands of dollars in the beginning. However, you can look forward to earning a decent side income in due time as long as all the factors come together. It is essential that you realize that you must have an audience before you can even consider making a profit with the following tactics for monetizing your YouTube channel.
Signing up for the YouTube Partner Program is one way to display ads on your videos, but to be eligible for the program you’ll need to adhere to some strict guidelines. First and foremost, you have to own the copyright to the content in your video. You also can’t include any sexually explicit material, profanity, or violence in your videos. You also have to have a Google Ads (https://ads.google.com) account so you can get paid the cost per impression for your video views. The advantage of using this form of revenue is convenience. However, it is also much easier to be permanently banned from monetizing your videos if you break any of the rules.
If you are an affiliate marketer, this is the perfect opportunity to create a video reviewing a product and implementing your affiliate link in the description. Alternatively, you can choose to create a video promoting the product instead. You can also apply your affiliate links in your channel's about section as well. The one thing that you want to make sure of is that the affiliate product that you are promoting is within the scope of your niche.
Work with Outside YouTube Partners
This is the preferred way to monetize your videos with advertising. You aren't placed at any immediate risk of becoming banned in regards to trivial matters. Couple this with the fact that external YouTube partnerships are much more flexible. This method will take a bit of time before you can implement it on your YouTube channel because you have to build up an audience before you can become eligible to sign up with these partners. The different networks will have different criteria for partnering with them, so you'll have to do your research.
If you can create products to sell that you target audience might be interested in, this is an excellent method for indirectly monetizing your YouTube channel. By leveraging the power of your brand, you can effectively offer merchandise that pertains to your channel. This could be anything from custom t-shirts, coffee mugs with your logo, to information products that you might have for sale. Whatever it is that you have to offer, you can choose to use strategically placed, clickable annotations in your videos to promote your products.
If you have a website or a blog, you can drive traffic through your YouTube channel to help boost your sales. If your site is relevant to your niche, you can create promotional videos for it. You can also add a call to action at the end of your videos telling viewers to visit your website. If you have a site that needs a boost to its traffic, you can leverage your YouTube videos strategically.
If your goal is to monetize your YouTube channel, these simple strategies can help you set your channel up for success. It's relatively easy to make money from your YouTube videos; you just have to know the right methods and take the time to set them up properly.