In a nutshell
- To make money with vlogs on YouTube, creators should focus on building a strong audience and engagement through consistent and high-quality content.
- Creators can monetize their vlogs through a variety of methods, including YouTube’s Partner Program, brand sponsorships, affiliate marketing and merchandise sales.
- To maximize their earnings, creators should diversify their revenue streams and leverage their audience and engagement to negotiate higher rates for sponsored content and partnerships.
So you want to make money with vlogs on YouTube. Whether you’re just starting a new YouTube channel or you’ve been vlogging on YouTube for years, to make a profit from vlogging, you need to first have a business plan.
There are various ways that you can make money by uploading vlogs to YouTube. In this article, we will cover what those are. We will also discuss ways to maximize your profits. Let’s get into it.
How to make money vlogging on YouTube
AdSense
AdSense is Google’s program for paying creators in the YouTube Partner Program. Essentially, if you’re in the program, you can make money from the ads on your videos. This is one of the most common ways creators make money on YouTube. YouTube creators receive 55 percent of the ad revenue generated through channel views. On average, YouTube pays out about $0.01 to $0.03 per ad view. So, you would make about $18 per 1,000 ad views.
Selling merchandise
While AdSense can provide a good chunk of change, it can be inconsistent. YouTube’s monetization system has proven to be flawed, so it’s always best to diversify your lines of income. Merchandise is one of the ways vloggers make money aside from AdSense.
There are various online platforms, like Printify, that allow YouTubers to create custom merchandise and sell it to their audience.
Sponsors
Another way to make money or just get useful gear is to land sponsorships. Vlogging is quite popular on YouTube, so many eager brands are looking for vloggers to partner with. Sponsorships can land you extra cash, or they may send you their products so you can use them in your videos.
Affiliate links
You can make a good deal of cash from joining affiliate marketing programs. After you build up your community, you can join affiliate brands like Amazon or Best Buy. Once you’re added to the program, you can link to products on their website and earn a portion of the sales if people who click the links purchase the items.
Plug your Patreon
Patreon can provide creators with a very reassuring security net. If all fails on YouTube, as it did during the YouTube Adpocalypse in 2017, you will always have a steady income coming in from your supporters on Patreon. However, it’s understandable if you don’t want to rely on your viewers to pay to support you. However, for some, Patreon is their primary income source. So, if Patreon will keep you afloat or help you improve the content you’re making, it’s worth considering.
How to maximize your profits as a vlogger
Find your vlogging niche
How are you going to stand out from other vloggers? YouTube is saturated with vlogging content, so finding out how you’re going to attract viewers to your channel is critical. Also, some niches end up paying more than others. However, you want to pick a niche that you’re passionate about. It’s better to make content on a topic that you’re knowledgeable about or are really interested in learning about. This will help engage your audience in your content.
Travel to places that your audience is interested in seeing
If your niche is vlogging in ghost towns, then make plans to travel to all the ghost towns in your country. If your audience loves seeing all the best (or worst) restaurants in L.A., stick to that. This doesn’t mean you can’t branch out, but you need to vlog in places that fit within your chosen niche. For instance, Casey Neistat, one of YouTube’s most popular vloggers, is well-known for his vlogging all around New York. His vlogs are authentic and tell a brilliant story. In many ways, New York is a character in his content rather than simply a place he exists in. Find places that support your niche, excite your audience, and tell a compelling story.
Promote your content
When it comes down to it, people aren’t going to find your videos on their own. You need to put your videos in front of them, and the best way to do this is to promote them wherever you can. Start by advertising your video on your social media accounts. Let people know that you have a new video out and encourage them to check it out. This works great if you have an established community already.
You can also post your videos to communities that you think may like your content. Reddit has various subreddits and likely has a vlogging community that would appreciate checking out aspiring vloggers.
Lastly, be sure to post your videos across multiple platforms. For example, cut your video down into short clips and post it to TikTok. Get people intrigued by your content and direct them to your channel. Doing this will maximize your reach and increase your profits.
It’s time to go and do your thing
There are various ways to make money with vlogs on YouTube. You can follow the traditional revenue streams, like AdSense and sponsorships, or you can sell unique merch.
To start, figure out your niche and see what your audience responds well to. And above all, make sure you’re proud of the content you make.