No one’s a stranger to the popularity of reels and videos, short for videos in particular. As of April 2022, the YouTube audience for the United States stood at 247 million viewers, making it the second-largest YouTube audience after India. Furthermore, 62% of users access YouTube daily in the US, according to Statista.
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For businesses and content creators alike, it’s an excellent opportunity to focus on delivering unique and engaging video content. However, when you put substantial time and effort into creating videos, you probably hope to reap some (monetary) rewards.
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Let’s explore YouTube monetization requirements, how to enable the monetization of your videos, and some of the most sought-after YouTube monetization strategies.
YouTube monetization requirements
According to YouTube, you qualify for monetizing your videos if:
- You have 1000 subscribers or more on your YouTube channel
- Your videos have reached over 4000 views in 12 months
Additionally, once you have joined the YouTube Partnership Program, it all boils down to the performance of your videos. The more views your videos have, the more revenue your channel can generate.
Other YouTube monetization requirements include the following:
- You hail from a country where YouTube Partnership Program is available
- You have a Google AdSense account linked to your YouTube channel
- You must not get a strike under basic community guidelines on YouTube
- You strictly adhere to the YouTube monetization policies for channels
The monetization requirements for YouTube channels are quite straightforward. YouTube requires you to create valuable content in exchange for hefty earnings. Since brands paying YouTube for advertising don’t wish to associate with substandard and mediocre content, it’s up to YouTube to maintain the standards.
Top 7 ways to quickly monetize your YouTube channel
YouTube keeps changing how content creators monetize YouTube videos and earn money on the platform. Let’s look at the top 7 ways to monetize your YouTube channel.
1. YouTube Ads
It’s one of the most traditional and effective ways to monetize your video. Ad revenue is perhaps the first thing that comes to any creator’s mind when accepted into YouTube Partner Program. Once accepted into YPP, you can turn on ad monetization for individual or multiple videos meeting the platform’s advertiser-friendly content guidelines.
Ads run before or during your videos. YouTube keeps the 45% of earnings while sharing the remaining 55% with you whenever it gets paid by advertisers.
How to turn ads on your YouTube channel?
You must have a Google AdSense account linked to your YouTube channel. Moreover, you are not directly earning revenue from YouTube. Google is paying you to promote brands. Thus, ensure that you create corporate-appropriate videos for your audience.
- Go to the YouTube Studio section
- Click on ‘Content’ in the left sidebar
- Select an individual video or multiple videos
- Click on ‘Monetization’ in the left sidebar
- Select what type of ads you want to run on your videos
- Save your settings
2. Brand sponsorships and deals
Creators can monetize YouTube channels by reaching out to brands and creating and sharing sponsored content featuring their products. Sponsorship videos create a win-win situation for both brands and creators. Brands, now more than ever, are eager to get in front of their audience, particularly through influencer marketing. You can pitch to your favorite brands if you run an influential YouTube channel with a massive following. YouTube BrandConnect is an excellent way to secure a sponsorship. It uses an algorithm for matching you with potential sponsors.
3. Channel memberships
Channel memberships are similar to setting up a subscription or membership model for your website. Your audience pays a membership fee to access premium content, exclusive videos, live chat, etc. However, you will still need to focus on sharing free content to grow your YouTube channel.
Moreover, your channel must meet definite YouTube monetization requirements to leverage the revenue stream. You must have 1,000 subscribers to your channel, and your channel must be a part of the YouTube Partner Program. It establishes your channel’s authority in delivering valuable content.
How can you turn on channel memberships to monetize YouTube videos?
- Sign in to YouTube Studio.
- Click on ‘Monetization’ on the left sidebar.
- Enter the perks you’ll be offering to your subscribers.
- Create an introductory video.
- Choose a pricing structure to monetize perks. You can set up multiple membership tiers and target audiences with varying pricing options.
- Post the ‘Join’ button on your YouTube channel.
Learn more about channel membership, policies, and guidelines, here.
4. Crowdfund your projects
Similar to startups, creators can apply crowdfunding to monetize YouTube channels. You can use some third-party apps, such as Patreon, to enable your audience to fund your projects in exchange for exclusive content and perks. Moreover, the platform recently added its crowdfund feature, where you can add a sponsor button to your videos. It allows you to receive monthly funding in return for special rewards to your audience. Originally, YouTube introduced the feature for gaming channels but has now expanded across more channels.
5. Sell your merch
You might want to expand how you engage with your audience once you have built a strong and large audience base. You can create a revenue stream by opening up YouTube’s merchandise functionality once you have reached a minimum of 10,000 subscribers. Though it might not be a preferred option for many creators to monetize YouTube videos, it’s still worth exploring, considering the substantial income. The approach benefits people who don’t own a website and plan on expanding their brand.
How to turn on the merchandise option to monetize YouTube channels?
- Go to the YouTube Studio section.
- Click on ‘Monetization’ on the menu on the left hand.
- Click on the ‘Merchandise’ tab. The tab is visible only when your YouTube channel is eligible.
- You can receive your Teespring ID once you have followed all instructions.
6. YouTube Premium
You qualify for YouTube Premium when you join the YouTube Partnership Program. It’s a lucrative revenue stream that can boost your earnings from videos. The feature is available to all account holders, offering an upgraded user experience. Now, you can get your audience glued to your videos without interruptions by removing all ads.
Moreover, it also enables users to play videos in the background even when they have closed the app. Once you are accepted into the YouTube Partnership Program, creators don’t have to make any changes to their channels to monetize YouTube videos. You automatically get paid when a YouTube Premium member watches your videos.
7. Get some affiliate links
Affiliate programs are a great way to monetize your videos when you don’t meet all YouTube monetization requirements. It allows you to earn a commission on each sale you have referred from your channel. You can choose from varying products to sell via the affiliate program, and the affiliate rates can vary exponentially.
Monetization strategy, if done right, holds significant potential for generating high revenue, considering YouTube gets 1.7 billion unique visitors every month, totaling up to 14.3 billion visits per month. The figures stand higher than Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, and Wikipedia.
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