In the past it was harder to monetize your videos online. A home video that went viral didn’t automatically translate to actual dollars because advertising online was still in its infancy. Flash forward to today and YouTube has made it incredibly easy for a first-time video producer to make money by posting videos.
But it really isn’t as simple as that. As a YouTube producer, you are competing with thousands of other people who are posting content. To actually make meaningful money you need a strategy and the right approach.
Here’s how to get paid making YouTube videos.
Create Engaging Content
This is first and foremost. Before you even turn monetization on, you need to have an idea of what kind of content you are going to create. There are a variety of things that you can do. Everything from short films, movie reviews, reaction videos, or tutorials on how to fix up the house can garner enough traffic to interest advertisers. Luckily, because of the vast audience YouTube can attract, it means that there is a niche for virtually all types of content online.
Don’t Copyright Infringe
It might be tempting to repost a T.V. broadcast of an interview, or an episode of your favorite show, but YouTube has built-in algorithms which catch copyrighted material. With a three-strike policy, it’s possible that violating copyright law may get your channel completely banned, thus eliminating any future revenues that you could accrue. Adding clips from popular T.V. and movies is okay if you are reusing the material in a creative way, like one would in a movie review. Just make sure you know what falls under Fair Use and what doesn’t.
Gain a Base, Get Subscribers
The best way to get more views on future videos is to engage people watching those you have currently uploaded. By having people subscribe to your channel, they will be notified when you update your content and are more likely to check it out. This means that having a diverse channel covering a really wide range of subjects may not be the best thing. By targeting specific demographics, you can capture an audience, and with that buzz, build a grassroots following. Sometimes it’s better to capture 1,000 diehard fans on a really specific subject than 100 for something really popular which already has a lot of content devoted to it. Make sure to integrate social media into your videos, and urge viewers to follow and subscribe.
Stay Consistent
More content is better. You never want to sacrifice the quality of the content that you are putting out, but by having more videos you are mathematically more likely to get more views across your channel. Being a YouTube producer is like any other job, and the more you put into it the more you’ll get out. Your followers and subscribers will appreciate updated content, and it will train them to return to your channel.
Turn Monetization On and Create an AdSense Account
This is the literal way you start making money on your YouTube videos. Go into your Settings and click Monetize with Ads. Create a Google AdSense account and you are ready to go. You can expect to make somewhere around $1.00 for 1,000 views. YouTube producers get paid once a month, and must go over the threshold of $100 in order to receive unpaid earnings.
Creating YouTube content is trickier than just filming your cat sleep. Of course, it’s always possible that if your cat sleeps really, really, weirdly it could go viral and you can take the money to the bank. Realistically though, it probably won’t happen. Many YouTube producers put a lot of time and effort into their work, and many of the best have attended college for video production and editing. Try to think of something unique and not done before, and make sure that you are passionate about the things that you are putting out.
