How to Earn Thousands of Dollars on YouTube: A Complete Guide !
YouTube is one of the most popular and profitable platforms for content creators. With over 2 billion monthly active users, YouTube offers a huge potential audience for your videos. But how can you turn your passion into a lucrative career? How can you earn thousands of dollars on YouTube every month?
In this article, we will show you how to monetize your YouTube channel and make money from your videos. We will cover the following topics:
- How to join the YouTube Partner Program and enable monetization features
- How to optimize your videos for maximum views and revenue
- How to diversify your income streams and grow your brand
- How to use the YouTube Money Calculator to estimate your earnings
Let’s get started!
How to Join the YouTube Partner Program and Enable Monetization Features
The first step to making money on YouTube is to join the YouTube Partner Program (YPP). This is a program that allows you to earn money from ads, memberships, super chats, super stickers, super thanks, and other features on your channel.
To join the YPP, you need to meet the following minimum eligibility requirements:
- You have more than 1,000 subscribers
- You have more than 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months
- You follow all the YouTube monetization policies
- You have a linked AdSense account
Once you meet these requirements, you can apply for the YPP through your YouTube Studio dashboard. YouTube will review your channel and notify you of their decision within a month.
If you are accepted into the YPP, you can enable monetization features for your channel and videos. Here are some of the most common features that you can use to earn money on YouTube:
- Advertising revenue: You can earn money from ads that are displayed on or before your videos. You can choose the types and formats of ads that you want to show, such as skippable video ads, non-skippable video ads, display ads, overlay ads, bumper ads, or sponsored cards. You will get paid based on the number of views and clicks on the ads, as well as the advertiser’s bid and budget. The average cost per thousand views (CPM) for YouTube ads is around $7.60 1, but it can vary depending on factors such as your niche, location, audience demographics, video quality, etc.
- Shopping: You can earn money from selling products or services related to your channel. You can either create your own store on YouTube using Merch Shelf 2, or tag products from other brands using the YouTube Shopping affiliate program 3. You will get paid a commission for each sale that you generate through your links or tags. The commission rate depends on the product category and the retailer’s policy, but it can range from 1% to 15% 4.
- YouTube Premium revenue: You can earn money from YouTube Premium subscribers who watch your content. YouTube Premium is a subscription service that offers ad-free viewing, offline downloads, background play, and access to exclusive content. When a YouTube Premium subscriber watches your video, you will get a share of their subscription fee. The amount you earn depends on how much time they spend watching your content compared to other content 5.
- Channel memberships: You can earn money from fans who support your channel by paying a monthly fee. Channel memberships allow you to offer exclusive perks to your members, such as badges, emojis, live chats, videos, posts, polls, etc. You can set different levels of membership with different prices and benefits. The minimum price for a channel membership is $0.99 per month 6, but you can charge more depending on the value of your perks.
- Super Chat & Super Stickers: You can earn money from fans who pay to get their messages or animated images highlighted in live chat streams. Super Chat allows fans to pin their messages to the top of the chat for a certain period of time. Super Stickers allow fans to send colorful and fun images that stand out in the chat. You will get paid based on the amount and duration of the Super Chat or Super Sticker 7.
- Super Thanks: You can earn money from fans who pay to view a fun animation and get their message highlighted in your video or Short’s comments section. Super Thanks allows fans to show their appreciation for your content and support your channel. You will get paid based on the amount of the Super Thanks 8.
Each feature has its own set of eligibility requirements on top of subscriber and view count requirements. If our reviewers believe that your channel or video is not eligible, specific features may not be available. These extra thresholds exist for two main reasons. The most important one is that we have to meet legal requirements in every area where the feature is available. Then, because we want to reward good creators, we need to make sure we have enough context on your channel.
How to Optimize Your Videos for Maximum Views and Revenue
Once you have enabled monetization features for your channel and videos, you need to optimize your content for maximum views and revenue. The more views you get, the more money you can make. Here are some tips to optimize your videos for YouTube:
- Do keyword research: You need to find the best keywords for your niche and target audience. Keywords are the words and phrases that people use to search for videos on YouTube. You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner 9, TubeBuddy 10, or VidIQ to find relevant and popular keywords for your videos. You should also analyze the keywords of your competitors and see what they are ranking for.
- Optimize your title, description, and tags: You need to use your keywords in your title, description, and tags. These are the metadata that YouTube uses to understand what your video is about and rank it in the search results. Your title should be catchy, clear, and relevant to your video. Your description should be informative, engaging, and include a call to action. Your tags should be specific, accurate, and related to your video. You should also use hashtags in your description to help viewers find your video .
- Create a custom thumbnail: You need to create a custom thumbnail that attracts viewers’ attention and entices them to click on your video. A thumbnail is the image that appears next to your video in the search results, recommendations, playlists, etc. Your thumbnail should be high-quality, colorful, and relevant to your video. You should also include text or graphics that highlight the main point or benefit of your video .
- Make engaging content: You need to make engaging content that keeps viewers watching until the end. The longer viewers watch your video, the more YouTube will promote it to other potential viewers. You should also encourage viewers to like, comment, share, subscribe, and turn on notifications for your channel. These are the signals that YouTube uses to measure the engagement and satisfaction of your audience .
- Use cards and end screens: You need to use cards and end screens to direct viewers to more of your content or actions. Cards are interactive elements that appear on the top right corner of your video. They can link to other videos, playlists, channels, websites, polls, etc. End screens are elements that appear at the end of your video. They can link to other videos, playlists, channels, subscriptions, websites, etc. You should use cards and end screens to increase your watch time, views, subscribers, traffic, etc .
How to Diversify Your Income Streams and Grow Your Brand
While monetizing your YouTube channel and videos is a great way to earn money on YouTube, it is not the only way. You can also diversify your income streams and grow your brand by leveraging other platforms and opportunities. Here are some ways to diversify your income streams and grow your brand as a YouTuber:
- Create a website or blog: You can create a website or blog where you can post more content related to your niche and audience. You can use your website or blog to drive more traffic to your YouTube channel, as well as monetize it with ads, affiliate links, sponsored posts, etc. You can also use your website or blog to build an email list of loyal fans who you can communicate with regularly and offer them exclusive deals or products .
- Sell merchandise or products: You can sell merchandise or products that are related to your channel or niche. You can either create your own products or partner with existing brands or platforms. For example, you can sell t-shirts, mugs, stickers, etc. with your logo or catchphrase using platforms like Teespring , Spreadshirt , or Merch by Amazon . You can also sell digital products like ebooks, courses, software, etc. using platforms like Gumroad , Teachable , or Udemy .
- Offer services or consulting: You can offer services or consulting that are related to your channel or niche. You can use your skills and expertise to help others achieve their goals or solve their problems. For example, you can offer coaching, mentoring, editing, designing, etc. using platforms like Fiverr , Upwork , or Clarity.fm . You can also create a Patreon page where you can offer exclusive services or consulting to your patrons who support you with monthly donations.
- Collaborate with other creators or brands: You can collaborate with other creators or brands that are related to your channel or niche. You can cross-promote each other’s content, create joint projects or campaigns, share resources or audiences, etc. For example, You can do shoutouts, guest appearances, collaborations, or interviews with other creators or brands using platforms like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, etc. You can also join influencer networks or agencies that can connect you with relevant brands or sponsors for paid partnerships or deals. For example, you can use platforms like FameBit , AspireIQ , or Grapevine to find and apply for sponsorship opportunities.
- These are some of the ways to diversify your income streams and grow your brand as a YouTuber. By using these strategies, you can increase your exposure, reach, and influence, as well as earn more money from your passion. However, remember that making money on YouTube is not easy or quick. It requires hard work, dedication, consistency, and patience. You also need to provide value to your audience and create content that they love and trust. Only then can you achieve success and earn thousands of dollars on YouTube.
How to Use the YouTube Money Calculator to Estimate Your Earnings
If you want to have an idea of how much money you can make on YouTube, you can use the YouTube Money Calculator . This is a tool that estimates your potential earnings based on various factors, such as your views, CPM, engagement rate, etc. You can also compare your earnings with other YouTubers and see how much they make.
To use the YouTube Money Calculator, you need to enter the following information:
- Your channel name or URL
- Your average views per video
- Your average CPM (cost per thousand views)
- Your average engagement rate (likes + comments + shares / views)
The calculator will then show you your estimated monthly and yearly earnings from YouTube ads. You can also adjust the sliders to see how different factors affect your earnings.
However, keep in mind that the YouTube Money Calculator is only an approximation and not an accurate representation of your actual earnings. Your actual earnings may vary depending on many factors, such as the type and quality of ads, the location and demographics of your audience, the seasonality and trends of your niche, etc. You can check your actual earnings from your YouTube Studio dashboard or your AdSense account.
Conclusion
YouTube is a great platform for content creators who want to earn money from their videos. However, making money on YouTube is not as simple as uploading a video and waiting for the cash to roll in. You need to join the YouTube Partner Program, enable monetization features, optimize your videos, diversify your income streams, and grow your brand. You also need to use tools like the YouTube Money Calculator to estimate your earnings and track your progress.
By following these steps and tips, you can turn your passion into a profitable career and earn thousands of dollars on YouTube every month. We hope this article has been helpful and informative for you. If you have any questions or feedback, please let us know in the comments below. Thank you for reading and happy YouTubing! 😊