Lots of people out there are desperately looking for jobs or ways to make easy money. The majority of them have given up on the idea claiming that education is useless. However, there is one easy way that any ordinary person can use to earn money; YouTube.
Educated or not, anyone can make easy money on YouTube by relying on their wit and the audience they build. If you think you are funny, if you have something to teach the world, or if you just want to have fun while making money, YouTube can help.
You can earn a lot of money through YouTube, but you have to start small. Relying on ad revenues alone won’t get you much of what you are looking for, but if you try the monetization ways listed by this post, you will soon realize the fruits of your content.
How much can you earn through YouTube? This is the question many want to know the answer to. Now, YouTube shares 55 percent of its revenue from ads with video creators and books an average of 7.06 US dollars (approximately 706 shillings) per 1,000 ad views.
That means you get about 4.18 dollars or 420 shillings for every 1,000 views of ads shown on your videos.
That shouldn’t discourage you though. Here are a few examples of YouTube personalities making millions:
You won’t earn thousands of dollars immediately, that will take time; but what have you to lose if you are jobless anyway? Here is a guide to help you.
Step 1: Create a YouTube Channel
A YouTube Channel confirms your presence on the platform and it is the first step you must do to get going. The creation process is simple. If you have a Google account then you are all set. All you have to do is navigate your way to YouTube and log in.
However, if you don’t want to use an existing account, you can create a different one. This is where you get to choose the keywords that will bring your channel among the top results. The Advanced section in YouTube’s settings offers this feature.
Also, if you want to build a fictional character, a personality, or a brand, ensure that the channel is named after it. If you are using an existing account, you can just edit the name.
Step 2. Upload Content
Once you have your YouTube Channel up and running, try to upload some content. Ensure that it is of high quality and isn’t lengthy and boring. You don’t have to be great the first time, the point is, your channel isn’t popular yet. So, be patient and continue uploading content. With time, you will be perfect.
Upload videos regularly to maintain viewership. Target a specific audience and ensure that it appeals to their expectations. Most importantly, tag your videos with keywords that rank it high on Google searches.
Step 3. Build an Audience
If you know from the start what the content of your channel will be, then building an audience over time may not be hard. The more people watch your videos and the ads in them, the more you earn.
There is no secret in how to gain subscribers, just keep your audience entertained and keep sharing your videos through other social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Instagram among others to attract more viewership.
Make sure that you always interact with your viewers through comments and appreciate them. Take their recommendations into account too!
Step 4. Meet the Requirements
To start earning money from your YouTube channel, you need to have at least 4,000 watch hours in a year or 12 months and 1000 subscribers. For every video you upload, check the “Monetize with Ads” box to get revenue. You can also do the same after you have uploaded the video.
Step 5. Monetize Your YouTube Channel
This is where you start earning through the content you upload. In order to start getting money from your channel, enable monetization on your channel, that is allowing YouTube to place ads on your videos. By doing this, you are also affirming that there is no copyrighted material in your videos.
From your YouTube, click “My Channel” then “Video Manager” then at the top of the settings, check “Enable on Monetization.”
The thing is, you can earn from YouTube through ad revenue by becoming a YouTube partner. This is easily done using the Creator Studio section of your YouTube Channel. After you become a partner, you need an AdSense account to opt into Google’s advertising network and actually get paid.
Alternatively, you can earn through sponsorship opportunities from companies, which will give you a nice chunk of change every once in a while.
To maximize your earnings, add other options of getting revenue. This is the real deal when ads don’t seem to be working much. It is what you should capitalize on. Here is an image summarizing how much you can earn through YouTube.
1. Be a Brand Affiliate or Influencer
Digital marketing has been greatly adopted by companies nowadays and there is no better way of sending the message home than through a YouTube Channel.
Depending on your leverage, that is how big your audience is, their demographics, the quality of your work, and how unique and profitable your space is, you can earn a lot by being a marketing influencer for a specific or several companies.
Through affiliate advertising or being an influencer, you can earn 90 dollars per 1,000 views. That is approximately 9,000 shillings! All you have to do is speak to affiliates and tell them why you think you are the best.
Just remember to stand by what you believe in, to be transparent, and say no to selling or endorsing ideas that go against what you know is right.
2.Create Courses and Sell Products or Merchandise
You can earn way more than any other way on YouTube by creating courses. Picture this, if you create a 250-dollar course and you convert just one viewer in every 1,000 views, you make 0.25 dollars per view, that is 25 shillings per view. The best part is you can get rid of ads and create a self-publishing printable or short video course that is easy to follow!
Alternatively, if you want loyal fans or audience and earn something from it? Depending on the content you upload, create a personality, a brand and begin selling through the channel.
Make T-Shirts with quotes from your videos, funny sayings, inspiration, or any other content that appeals to them. It doesn’t have to be T-Shirts alone. You can also sell mugs, snapbacks, backpacks, or anything a fan would love.
Have some of these products customized for specific fans to show them appreciation. Others will get on board sooner or later.
3. CrowdFund Your Ideas
If you can pull this off by yourself, the better, otherwise you might want to look for people to help. If you have an idea or a project that you can’t pull off for lack of funds, this option is the best. Set a goal and actually earn after hitting that goal.
Make a short video describing your project, or a trailer, or even anything that captures your idea. Allow pledging for you to reach a goal. Some of the best crowdfunding sites include Kickstarter and Indiegogo.
4. Try Fan Funding
Here you allow your audience to support your work through donations. Set up a “fan funding” platform to source donations from your audience. Don’t force them or make the audience feel obligated to donate for you. If your content is good and the audience feels generous enough, he or she can donate to support your hard work on an ongoing basis.
This way, you will get the chance to also engage with your most loyal audience and reward them for their support.
5. License Your Content
Should you create a very funny clip that goes viral on the internet – which often has a tendency of being shared by others – you can license it for money. This way, when news agencies, advertising firms, and other corporations reach out to request to use the video or any of your content, they pay you for it.
It used to be easy when YouTube hadn’t set the 4,000 hours and 1,000 subscribers’ rule. However, you can follow the above steps and be on your way to being a millionaire without going through the hassle of the job market.
Like any other risky business, venture forth with confidence. The best part is you don’t need starting capital or have anything to lose for that matter.
One other trick to attract more audience is by including a call to action on your videos. Something like “You wanna see more of these? Click the subscribe button below.”