How to make money on YouTube (Complete Guide)

If you are interested in learning how to make money on YouTube, then this article is for you. In this article we, we will open your eyes to ideas that you may not see anywhere else. It really does not matter where you are  based: Nigeria, India, United States, Canada, South Africa, anywhere at all, as long as you have a YouTube account, you can make money.

Can you really make money on YouTube?

Making money on YouTube is very easy. That is the truth. But making big money from YouTube is also difficult. Why so difficult? Because a lot of new YouTubers lack innovation. Making money from anywhere requires innovation.  There are various ways on how to make money on YouTube. All you need is to be patient as the results may not be sudden, but you will be able to make money.  If you have never created a YouTube channel, make sure you read from Step 1. If you are already a Youtuber and only interested in knowing how to make money on Youtube, you can jump to step onward.

So what are the process involved?

Decide what your videos will focus on (Pick a Niche)

The first step is deciding what your video blog(YouTube Channel) will focus on. While you are free to focus on any and every issue, it is always advisable to at least have a primary niche. Have a base, something that your YouTube channel will be known for.

It is generally good to pick a niche that you are good at. Do not pick a niche because others are doing same, find a niche you love, a niche that you can keep going without wearing out. That is the key. When you are really in love and passionate about what you do, then the job itself becomes very easy. The job becomes like an hobby!

Another thing to consider is that the niche you pick will in the long tun influence how much you make. The reason is that advertisers in certain niche maybe willing to pay more than advertisers in another niche.

Here are some of the niches that are lucrative:

Gaming: This is unarguably one of the leading niches by our observation. Gaming videos generates lots of money! There are millions of people addicted to gaming. That is why Xbox, PES, FIFA and the rest are popular. At times these people get stuck on a particular stage of a game and are looking for way out, they go on YouTube to watch videos on how to pass or master a particular game. Gaming is very visual. This is a very lucrative niche.  As a matter of fact, at the end of every year, there is usually a list of top Youtube earners, and this niche always dominate! You can view the 2017 list here on BBC.

Tech: Tech means technology. A Youtube channel that focuses on new items coming out such as: Phones, cameras, laptops and all tech products is very lucrative! A lot of people check YouTube before making purchase! And you can attract brands when you become popular.

Tutorials: This is a niche where you post videos telling people how to do things themselves…. You know those DIY(do it yourself) and ‘How to’ stuffs? That is the niche am talking about. Your tutorials could be about any topic. People get stuck on activities and get on YouTube to learn quickly how to handle it.

There are other niche like Product reviews, weight loss, food and more that is lucrative and attract lots of viewers too.

How to make money on YouTube

Follow these steps to make money on YouTube:

1. Create a YouTube account

This is a no brainier. For you to make money on YouTube you have to be on YouTube. So after deciding what your YouTube channel will be all about. The next step is to create a YouTube channel where all your videos will be and where people can come and find your videos.

If you have a Google account (gmail) it is likely that you have a Youtube channel too. Youtube was bought by Google many years ago and has since been sync with Google login.

So, go to YouTube.com. On the top right of the screen you will see Sign In. Click on it. See screenshot below.

Once you click on sign in, you will be taken to the Google sign in page. If you have a gmail account or any Google account, sign in. If you don’t, create a new one. See screenshot.

Once you login or create account, you will be taken to the YouTube home page. On the homepage look at the top right again and you will see your profile picture, click on it and then click on My channel. See screenshot.

Once you click on My channel, you will see a promt that asks for your name. That will be your Channel name. Fill as appropriate. Congratulations. Your Youtube Channel is set. You can play around and look for ways to customize it.

2. Create and upload your Videos

Now that your channel is set, it is time to create and upload your videos.

To make videos, depending on the kind of videos, you will need a camera. But for beginning, if you have a phone with high specs, you can shoot with it.

You may also get your hands on a video editing software to edit and balance your videos. Still, if you are not skilled, get someone who can. If none, then don’t let it be a barrier, if your video looks good without editing and it very watchable and understandable, you can upload.  But in the long run, ensure you learn how to edit and add effects to video.

To upload your video. Go to YouTube.com, on the top right click on the upload icon. See screenshot.

From there it will take you to the uploading screen. Where you can upload your video.

Tips: Make sure you write a good title and description. Pick appropriate category for the video And link your Twitter and Facebook right there. How to make money on Youtube is broad and every little detail matters, starting with a good title and description!

It is important to keep uploading videos. Don’t just stop at one. Depending on your niche, you can upload daily or weekly. But keep it going. Because it will all count.

3. Sign up for AdSense

This first monetization option when thinking how to make money on YouTube is always adsense. Which is good. To activate adsense for your YouTube Channel and make money, click on your profile picture on the top right and click on settings. See screenshot.

On the next page click view additional features. See screenshot.

Check under monetization and click enable. See screenshot

Then on the next screen click on Start and sign up or sign in to make money from your YouTube channel with adsense. Once you have been accepted into adsense, you will be making money depending on how many people views your videos or click on your video ads.

What to expect: Making money from adsense is relative to the niche you are in. Generally, you should expect from $1000 to $2000 for every 1 million views. If your channel goes viral and you join the league of YouTubers that gets over 5 million views per video, this will be a good method. But still, it is way off the mark. It is not good to just stop at this. It should just be one of the ways you make money from YouTube not the only way. There are other ways you can make more money.

4. Make more money by selling your own products with Shopify

Once you start having viewers who enjoy your videos. You need to be creative, think outside the box and make more money.

One of the ways is to sell your own products via shopify.  First, it will depend on your niche.  For the sake of explanation, let’s assume your channel is about makeup. You can sell makeup products on your shopify shop and direct people from your YouTube channel to your shopify shop to get the products.

This financial funnel is very lucrative and works. Because you are using same products or item in the videos you make, your viewers already watched and are wowed by it. Then at the end of the video, you tell them that they can get these product from your shopify shop. You mention the name of the website and leave it on the description.

Shopify is a platform that makes it easy for you to create your own online shop. If you have the products, you can sell them via shopify. Even if you don’t have it, you can just copy it from suppliers and add it to your shopify store, whenever someone orders for it, the supplier will deliver and you make money. If you don’t know how to create a store, read our article on this: How to create online shop very easily with shopify We strongly recommend this when looking at how to make money on Youtube.

5. Affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing is a very good way to make money from your Youtube Channel. We recommend that you consider it. This is very easy and straight forward. Look for top brands that offer affiliate marketing on product or services that relates to your niche. For this to work, it must relate to what your videos focus mostly on. Then sign up with them as affiliate. And use YourTube Channel to drive traffic to your affiliate link. You can talk about the product or service at the end of the videos and leave a link in your description.

If you want to learn more about affiliate marketing, you may want to read: How to make money through affiliate marketing

6. Work with brands

As you establish yourself with many viewers, be smart and sharp. Look for brands to partner with. They can  offer direct advert  or offer you payment based on impression. The good thing is you keep 100% of whatever they give you! You don’t share with YouTube or anyone. It is all yours!

When looking for brands, look at your niche and approach those in same niche with good products or services you are sure will benefit your viewers. Always put your viewers first. You can go through their website and send them a pitch. This process will become easier when you have lots of subscribers and followers, brands will reach out to you. Be innovative. Learning how to make money on YouTube is learning how to be innovative.

7. Become a speaker

Once you have lots of views and followers on your YouTube channel, you become what is known as a celebrity. Better still, you become an authority in your niche. People respect and look forward to your opinion. Why not replicate same thing you do on YouTube in real world? Let’s say your niche is gaming, offer yourself to speak at gaming events, Gaming programs and make money from such appearance. Be a speaker!

8. Sell Course

Selling course related to what you talk about is a very good way to make money. Especially if your niche is tutorial. Actually it cuts across almost all niche. You can create a course that covers your niche.  Let’s say your niche is about make up, you can create a course title: “How to draw the killer eye lashes” and sell it online. Tell your viewers about the course with a video and leave the link the description. They will go sign up for the course and you make money. You can create courses at Teachable.com and Udemy.com.

Read: How to make money creating and selling online course

9. Ask your viewers to support

Yes, you can ask your viewers to support you! A lot of followers will be happy to, if they find value in what you do. Let’s assume you want to embark on a series of videos and it will cost you a certain amount of money, you can always ask for donation from viewers.  Websites like Patreon help you do this.

Think outside the box

Discovering how to make money on YouTube means researching, reading and learning. New information turn up everyday! Never get comfortable with what you know, learn more. How to make money on Youtube today is not the same as it was 6 years ago, new innovative ways come up. Explore. We will try to keep this page updated. You can bookmark and return here.

Bottom line

If you are looking for how to make money on YouTube, stay steadfast, give it your best and you will get there. Consistency is key. You may have 20 videos with low views but your 21st video can go viral and from there people will flock to your channel and your other video views will be up. At that point everything makes sense. Do this as what you love. There are people making over $15 million a year from Youtube and you can too!

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Don’t forget to checkout our complete guide on making money online: How to make money online (With complete guide)