We all know about the power of YouTube, having grown from strength to strength since its inception in 2005 (yes we feel old too..) From capturing audience attention with long-form content such as podcasts and TedTalks to engaging new users with YouTube Shorts to take on the TikTok King.
As one of the biggest social channels, everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon to grow, reach audiences and tap into the benefits – but how realistic is it to make money on YouTube?
The YouTube Partner Program
Like we’ve seen on TikTok, YouTube has its own (very well-known) Partner Program encouraging channels and creators to consistently create and share content, along with providing access to platform resources, monetisation options and access to creator support teams.
To get involved in the Partner Program, there are some requirements that your channel needs to meet:
- Follow the YouTube Channel Monetisation Policies.
- Live in a country/region where the YouTube Partner Programme is available.
- Have no active Community Guidelines strikes on your channel.
- Make sure that two-step verification is turned on for your Google Account.
- Have access to advanced features on YouTube.
- Have one active AdSense for YouTube account linked to your channel or be ready to set one up in YouTube Studio if you don’t already have one (only create a new AdSense for YouTube account in YouTube Studio – learn more).
However, there’s even more to it than just entering the program. To become eligible for the Partner Program, there are thresholds you need to meet:
- Get 1,000 subscribers with 4,000 valid public watch hours in the past 12 months or
- Get 1,000 subscribers with 10 million valid public Shorts views in the past 90 days
It can take a little time to reach these thresholds organically. However, once inside the Partner Program, any revenue that you is mostly calculated on Video Views starting at 1,000 views, with groundbreaking numbers matching high Video Views (more insights can be found using the calculator from Tune Pocket).
So, how do you make money on YouTube?
Much like on TikTok, there’s no ‘quick win’ way to build your audience without consistently posting, engagement from your subscribers and building your community organically.
This means:
- Posting engaging content consistently (on YouTube, the big names often post every week outside of events such as Vlogmas)
- Actively engaging with other Creators on the platform (be sure to say hello in the comments as a minimum)
- Testing and learning from different content types including YouTube Shorts and focuses to find your audience
- Building an engaged community
As a Creator, it can certainly be worth it to build your online presence, and an engaged community and reap the benefits, however, it’s rarely a quick path to success.
I’m a business owner, can I get involved?
Unlike on TikTok, when your YouTube channel hits the needed requirements, we’ve seen some businesses enrol into the Partner Program – however, this isn’t always a guarantee. But as we all know, the platform is a powerhouse at growing awareness and getting your brand name out there – so don’t be disheartened.
If you’re on the search to use YouTube to grow your business presence online and add extra revenue to your income stream – we’d love to have a chat and explore how we can support you. Let’s start your journey today.
