Making money with YouTube : from hobby to business [2023]

The job description of a YouTuber seems too good to be true: filming yourself analyzing something that concerns you or creating entertainment to interest other Internet users. Then just upload his videos to your own YouTube channel and earn some money if they get interest. But this success is not so easy to obtain because it requires a bit of luck, work, time and special talent in front of and behind the camera .. Only a handful of videographers manage to make a living from their YouTube channel. This opportunity offered by the platform is above all interesting for those who work part-time alongside this “hobby”. Even with unsophisticated means, it is possible to make money from YouTube as long as the idea is good, convincing and well thought out.Summary

  1. How does YouTube work from a business perspective?
  2. You too can make money from YouTube
  3. Make money on YouTube in a nutshell

How does YouTube work from a business perspective?

YouTube brings together a large web community around the world. It is also the leader and main player in the French-speaking market. It is also an interesting platform for companies wishing to place their advertisements there. In this way, business organizations can reach potential customers, many on this channel. It is thanks to this that Youtubers can benefit from their channels. For this purpose, you must register for the YouTube Partner Program and link your account with Google AdSense. This is how you can monetize videos uploaded to your channel, allowing companies to place their ads there.

If your videos contain copyrighted materials that were not produced by you, you must have written permission from the person or company concerned for their commercial use. The following contents are considered protected documents:

  • Song titles or excerpts excluding revenue share
  • Music in general (including covers, song lyrics and background music)
  • Photos and other illustrations or graphics
  • Films and TV pictures
  • Illustrations of video games or other software
  • Delayed/live recordings (sports, concerts, shows)

Your potential earnings from advertising depend on different factors. The format of the advertisement is one of these criteria determining the potential earnings generated. Embedding a video ad clip naturally pays off a lot more than a traditional text box or banner. To generate revenue and reach potential customers, advertising clips must have a long reach and generate many clicks.. As for the distribution of earnings via AdSense, 55% of the revenue is due to the owner of the video while the remaining 45% goes to YouTube. Advertisers don’t have to pay for views where the user can pause the ad for the first 30 seconds. In the event of such an interruption, the owner of the video is also not paid.

Cooperations and merchandising

The YouTube Partner Program and Google AdSense aren’t the only option for making money on YouTube. The more successful your channel is, the more interesting it is to monetize it in terms of revenue. Such a channel quickly becomes the target of companies for their product placements. If the channel is relevant to the advertisers’ target, this can have a positive impact on businesses. It is also possible to authorize the advertiser to rework your photos or videos and insert his logo, for example. If you enter into such cooperation to place products or brands in your clips, you should remember to notify YouTube of this by activating the corresponding box in the settings of the videos concerned.

From a certain number of subscribers, it is also possible to generate income by selling fan articles . You can indeed offer products (t-shirts, caps, pullovers) bearing the image of your logo, your trademark or your sayings. In this way, you could eventually gain new viewers or even “followers” ​​for your channel. For many stars on the YouTube scene, sponsorship or a merchandising strategy can account for half of your revenue.

The best ways to make money on YouTube

There are different ways to make money with YouTube but they all have conditions. Advertising clips only earn money if they are watched for at least 30 seconds. Deals with third-party vendors usually start at the national level, if fan item sales are high that presupposes a buying-ready fan base. However, income cannot be planned. Some YouTubers still do well and manage to earn a living through their video platform , also at the French-speaking level.

Although concrete statements of earnings on YouTube are rare, it is possible to establish approximations of the salaries of famous videographers based on the number of subscribers and views.

The following infographic shows what is the average purchase price of sponsored posts offered by the most famous YouTube channels:

make money with youtube

We can say that the gain per sponsored post is dependent on the number of followers or subscribers of the YouTube channel in question. Nevertheless, continuous work is always rewarded and the most daring have a great chance of ending up making money thanks to the video platform.

Although concrete statements of earnings on YouTube are rare, it is possible to establish approximations of the salaries of famous videographers based on the number of subscribers and views. The SocialBlade website conducts large-scale statistics on user numbers, YouTube channel clicks and determines corresponding monthly and annual revenue estimates. The following table shows five international examples of famous YouTube channels (figures from February 2016):

 SubscribersNumber of viewsRelease dateCountryMonthly income
PewDiePie~42 million~11 billion2010Sweden€55,300–884,800
Hi I am German.~26 million~2 billion2011Chili€11,500–183,900
Smosh~22 million~5 billion2005deer€19,400–310,400
OneDirectionVEVO~19 million~5.5 billion2010Britain€45,500–727,900
RihannaVEVO~18.5 million~8 billion2009deer€29,800–477,500

Among the most followed YouTube channels internationally, there is among others that of the boy band One Direction and that of the singer Rihanna . Not far behind in terms of views, there are many musicians like Justin Bieber, Eminem, Taylor Swift or Katy Perry.

The comic duo Smosh started their activity on the platform in 2005 with melodies from well-known series and have since developed a cartoon and a gaming channel.

Chilean YouTuber HolaSoyGerman offers a comedic take on everyday issues through over a hundred uploaded videos. Only a few clips are in English.

Felix Kjellberg is only known as PewDiePie on YouTube. He has released thousands of videos and his subscribers have been coming from all over the world since 2010. This is mostly video game streaming , where he is playing a game and commenting on it at the same time.

You too can make money from YouTube

The estimated earnings of the most famous Youtubers are indeed more than attractive. With the exception of people who were already famous before their channels were created, those who want to be successful on this network have to go through a normal development process. Few people would have imagined making money from YouTube. Although such success cannot be planned, there are a few instruments through which you can enter the YouTube adventure and achieve success there, namely the YouTube Partner Program and Google AdSense which represent sources of income. additional potential.

The good idea

Before spontaneously filming yourself, you should first think about the concept of your YouTube channel . Realize that YouTube is not waiting for you, but you have to convince users on your own. The more time passes, the more there are Youtubers, and the less they manage to make the difference to achieve success.

To stand out from the competition, you need to provide users of the platform with themes and formats that are not already covered by the biggest YouTube channels and the main players in other entertainment channels. The more innovative your idea, the more likely it is to attract user interest. Orient yourself towards ideas that attract you, that you like, towards subjects that you know well. If you are passionate about your subjects, so may your viewers.

High quality content

The qualityof your video is as important as the format or the theme addressed. Your first tries will undoubtedly give you a feeling of dissatisfaction and you may rightly have things to complain about. But it is precisely necessary to use it to progress for the following videos. Cutting, length, lighting, effects or references to your channel or other videos are important factors that can positively influence the perception of your clips. Relevant and frequently searched keywords along with a compelling description will help your clips by increasing their visibility to users. In addition to content optimization, it is recommended to develop an upload strategy. Posting clips regularly increases your reach and connects you to your channel subscribers who could help spread and publicize your clips. In the best case, you have enough videos to publish once or twice a week (dates fixed beforehand). In the long term, it is advisable to create an external page as avideo blog for example where you can distance yourself from your videos, communicate with your subscribers, react to their comments or simply thank them for their support. 

Become a member of the community

Thanks to user feedback, you no longer use YouTube as a simple video platform, but as a social network . Increase your reach by not only staying active on your channel, but also on other channels. If you write comments, you can give your vision on specific topics or even respond via other videos. Targeted cooperation with other YouTubers can prove to be good levers for gaining popularity. In this way, you can gain subscribers who would never have found your channel otherwise.  

You can feature your channel on other social networks like Facebook, Twitter, etc. These are ideal for spreading your new clips as well as possible. To do this, simply include links from your various accounts on other networks in the description of your channel and vice versa.

Make money on YouTube in a nutshell

The various processes for establishing a channel and associating ads with it to make money with YouTube are clear, but they don’t happen on their own. Building a community of followers is a laborious affair that doesn’t happen overnight . Additionally, you need to keep your existing subscribers engaged with new content. These must be always more innovative, captivating and of high quality, and this takes a lot of time.

If your goals are more limited but you have the necessary perseverance, you can expect long-term revenue from advertising. Do not focus on the channels of the biggest stars like Squeezie or Norman and do not try to look like them, but rather focus on the project and on the development of your network. If you constantly work on the quality of your videos and your target is well demarcated, you automatically become an important advertising partner for companies.

SAKHRI Mohamed
SAKHRI Mohamed

I hold a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and International Relations in addition to a Master's degree in International Security Studies. Alongside this, I have a passion for web development. During my studies, I acquired a strong understanding of fundamental political concepts and theories in international relations, security studies, and strategic studies.

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