So, you find yourself one-day scrolling through your phone and you land on a YouTube video, it’s interesting and amazingly simple to make, then you check the views are they are in the millions and you think, I wonder how much money did the YouTuber make with this video?
In my case I was watching a video of the hit song by Master KG – “Jerusalema” it had more than 300 million views.
How do you get paid?
First, you need to have a YouTube channel, we cover that later in the article, then get enough views on your video to get a minimum balance of R1000 or more.
Now, the doors will be open.
According to a well-researched article by MintLife, in the US YouTubers make around $18 per 1, 000 ad views that’s $3 -$5 per 1000 views. That would mean if you were to have 1 million views at $5 per 1000 then you would make $5000 and if you convert that to Rands at the current rate of R15 per dollar you would make more than R70,000 Rands.
Here is a revenue calculator by Google Adsense: https://www.google.com/adsense/start/#calculator
However, this calculator is not accurate, it is an estimator and it doesn’t help much because Europe, Middle-East, and Africa and grouped in one. Youtubers in the United States and Europe make more than those of South Africa.
In the United States, Youtubers make around $18 per 1, 000 ad views that’s $3 -$5 per 1000 views. That would mean if you were to have 1 million views at $5 per 1000 then you would make $5000 and if you convert that to Rands at the current rate of R15 per dollar you would make around R75,000 Rands.
Unfortunately, here in South Africa, we don’t get paid like in the US our rate is lower we get paid around $1000 per Million views that’s five times less making our R75,000 become R15,000. But this pay depends on a variety of factors, such as:
- The number of views your video receives
- The number of clicks an ad receives
- Ad quality
- Adblockers
- Video length
YouTube does not pay you for subscribers, but they are important. It is also important to remember that YouTube charges the advertiser only after a visitor watches the ad for 30seconds or more.
Ways to make money in the YouTube Partner Program
You can make money on YouTube through the following features:
- Advertising revenue: Get ad revenue from display, overlay, and video ads.
- Channel memberships: Your members make recurring monthly payments in exchange for special perks that you offer.
- Merch shelf: Your fans can browse and buy official branded merchandise that’s showcased on your watch pages.
- Super Chat & Super Stickers: Your fans pay to get their messages highlighted in chat streams.
- YouTube Premium Revenue: Get part of a YouTube Premium subscriber’s subscription fee when they watch your content.
Here are some interesting reads:
How do you become a Youtuber?
With so much money on YouTube its only right we have a quick look at how to become a Youtuber, to my surprise the whole process was very easy, and here is a great website with details: https://www.wix.com/blog/2017/03/how-to-start-a-successful-youtube-channel-for-your-business/
But here is the summary:
- Get a google account, a Gmail address in simple, click here to begin
- Sign into YouTube and click on the user icon at the top right of the screen
- Click on the gear icon to get to your account’s YouTube Settings
- Click on Create a new channel
- Then choose “Use a business or other name”
- Add your Brand name and click create
Simple enough right? Next, you can upload your interesting videos and share them so they can be viewed by thousands of people. Marketing your channel requires a bit of effort, this is where the hard work begins, to help you get started check out this great article by HootSuite.
Need convincing as to why YouTube is the best video-sharing platform before you create your channel? Here are a couple of reasons:
- It serves as the “Google” of all videos: We are all aware that Google is the king of search engines. YouTube belongs to Google. That clarifies why YouTube should be your first choice over all other options.
- Millions of viewers: Thousands of people frequently watch YouTube videos. There isn’t a precise figure because it varies virtually daily. But if you’re a business, you need all those views, and YouTube is renowned for consistently staying a few steps ahead when it comes to hosting videos.
- Everyone appreciates free marketing. You’ll discover how simple it is to include links and increase traffic to your website once you start submitting videos to YouTube. Keep in mind that adding a video can increase traffic to your blog.
- Advertisements: YouTube allows free advertising.
You’ll need a sizable audience and a regular posting schedule in order to start making money on YouTube. Additionally, make an effort to provide compelling, high-quality material that will keep your audience returning for more.
How to Make Money on Youtube
There are several ways to monetise your content on YouTube, including:
- Advertising: One of the most popular ways to monetize YouTube is by running ads. To enable advertisements on your videos, join the YouTube Partner Programme. For each view, a piece of the advertising revenue will be yours.
- Sponsored content: This is another approach to monetise your YouTube channel. This implies that a company pays you to produce a video that advertises its goods or services.
- Affiliate marketing: This is another way to monetize your YouTube channel. This entails including a unique link to a good or service in the description of your video. You will receive a commission if a customer clicks on that link and purchases something.
- Merchandise: sell products that are relevant to your channel or your videos, such as t-shirts, hats, phone covers, and mugs.
- Membership: You can provide exclusive benefits to people who pay a monthly membership fee, such as live streaming, product discounts, special shoutouts, etc.
In addition to subscriber and view count requirements, each feature has its own specific eligibility requirements. Specific functionalities might not be accessible if reviewers decide that your channel or video is not qualified.
There are two basic justifications for these higher thresholds. The most crucial one is that they must adhere to laws in every location where the feature is offered. Then, because YouTube wants to reward talented producers, you must ensure that your channel has enough context.
However, it takes time to start making money on YouTube. Building a following and making money off of your material requires time and effort. But if you work hard and are persistent, you can turn your YouTube channel into a profitable business.
Tips on How you Can Become Successful on YouTube:
- Make equipment purchases
- Invest time and effort into the community you establish, and learn what matters to them.
- Continue to post regularly.
- Work together with other YouTubers.
- Treat it with respect.
Keep in mind that YouTube is the largest digital video-sharing network in the world, with more than a billion monthly visitors and 400 hours of new videos added every minute. Therefore, you too can get a piece of the pie and use your content to capitalise on the platform.