Filming yourself doing something you like or philosophizing about something you find interesting sounds too good to be true, but that's precisely what YouTubers do. Then you upload the entire thing to your YouTube channel, where you can profit greatly. In reality, it's not that simple because it also requires a bit of luck, a lot of effort, a significant time commitment, and a certain amount of talent in front of and behind the camera. Few people can make a living off of their YouTube channel. YouTube, however, presents intriguing opportunities for those who are primarily interested in a small side business. Because, on a smaller scale, money can be made through YouTube if you can persuade people with a clever idea and a well-considered concept.

How does YouTube work from a commercial perspective?

The largest video-sharing website in the world, YouTube is also the undisputed market leader in German-speaking nations. In line with this, the platform is intriguing for businesses looking for a venue for their advertising. Because, of using the channels of well-known YouTubers, businesses could theoretically reach numerous potential customers. YouTubers can benefit from this. Simply sign up for the YouTube Affiliate Program and connect your Google AdSense account. Enabling businesses to place ads within the video environment, enables them to monetize their uploaded videos.

If your clips contain copyrighted material that you did not produce or design, you need the written permission of the person or company concerned for commercial use. The following content is protected material: Song titles or excerpts for which a revenue share is excluded General music (including cover songs, lyrics, and background music) Photos and other images or graphics Film and TV images Footage from video games or other software Live recordings (sports, concerts, shows, etc.)

How much you can earn from running ads on YouTube depends on a variety of factors. Among other things, it is crucial which advertising format it is. For example, you will be paid significantly more for embedding an advertising clip than for a banner or a classic text ad. However, to be considered as a space for advertising videos at all, your clips must achieve a high reach and generate many clicks. You receive a 55 percent share of the AdSense revenue from the ad placement as the owner of the video, with the remaining 45 percent going to YouTube. Interestingly, advertisers are not required to pay for commercials that are cut off within the first 30 seconds, though in that case, you would not be paid.

Cooperations and Merchandising

There are additional ways to monetize your YouTube channel besides the YouTube Affiliate Program and Google AdSense (US users can also pay to subscribe to their YouTube channel, by the way). Your channel will be more appealing for paid product placements or recommendations as it grows in popularity. Simply put, this indicates that you are compensated by a third party to highlight or positively discuss a particular brand or item in your videos or descriptions. Additionally, the advertiser may reserve the right to edit your videos, including but not limited to: B. embed their brand or logo. You might also receive payment for adding external content from other sources to your channel. However, if you engage in such a partnership and include outside products in your clips, remember to notify YouTube by checking the relevant box in the affected videos' advanced settings.

The sale of fan articles can also be successful if there are enough subscribers. A side business selling t-shirts, sweaters, or caps imprinted with your channel's logo, branding, or catchphrases is profitable. You might even gain a few new channel subscribers or viewers. The majority of YouTube stars derive half of their income from sponsorship and merchandise.

These are YouTube's top earners

So, there are different ways to make money on YouTube, but they all come with strings attached. Commercials only make money if they play for at least 30 seconds or to the end, you won't be able to land deals with third-party providers until you've already had some success, and selling fan merchandise sets a willingness to buy fan community ahead. So, there can be no talk of predictability of income. Nevertheless, it is undisputed that some YouTubers in German-speaking countries now finance their livelihood exclusively through their activities on the video platform.

Even though specific figures for earnings are hard to come by, one can extrapolate the income of YouTube celebrities based on their viewership and subscriber counts. The average selling price of a sponsored post from the highest-earning YouTubers is displayed in the infographic below:

Naturally, the number of followers or YouTube subscribers has a significant impact on the earnings per sponsored post. However, if you consistently grow your audience, you stand a good chance of using YouTube to generate some side income eventually.

You, too, can earn money with your YouTube videos

The estimated incomes of YouTube celebrities are certainly alluring. The stars of the scene had to go through a completely typical development process, except for famous people who were already well-known before the channel opened. Only a small percentage of them would have predicted that they would someday make so much money from YouTube. There are a few strategies you can employ to enter the YouTube adventure successfully and use the video service in the long term, with the partner program and Google AdSense, at the very least as a source of additional income.

The brilliant idea

You should first think about the concept of your channel before you begin filming. Always keep in mind that the YouTube community may not have been waiting for you, and that you are responsible for persuading the users of your legitimacy. The percentage of YouTubers who run profitable channels is likely to keep declining, even though the number of users on the platform is growing quickly.

You need topics and formats that connect with the video platform's users and aren't already being covered by other, more established channels if you want to outperform the competition. The likelihood that the audience will pay attention to you increases with the novelty and appeal of your idea. Consider topics that you enjoy, are skilled at, or are knowledgeable about when you are brainstorming ideas. You won't be able to inspire your viewers in the same way that you inspire yourself with the content of your videos.

Score with high-quality content

Just as important as format and subject matters are the preparation and quality of your videos. At first, you might not always be completely happy with the outcome, but you should use that as motivation to perform better in the following clip. Significant elements that can favorably affect how your clips are perceived include editing, length, lighting, effects, or references to your channel or other videos. Users will be able to find your clips thanks to relevant, frequently used keywords, compelling descriptions, and other factors. It is advisable to create an uploading strategy in addition to optimizing the content. Regularly posting clips expands your audience and keeps subscribers who have already subscribed to your channel. The best-case scenario is that eventually, you'll have enough content to introduce a fresh video on one or two predetermined days of the week. Long-term, you should also consider creating a video blog where you can interact with your subscribers and do things like say “thank you” for subscribing to your channel or answer user comments.

Become part of the community

Because YouTube is both a video platform and a social network, you can take a big step toward building a successful channel by responding to user comments and requests. By being active on other channels in addition to your own, you can broaden your audience. Post comments, take advantage of the chance to voice your opinion on trending subjects or videos with answers, and work to collaborate with other well-known YouTubers. This is a quick and easy way to attract new subscribers from users you can't reach through search.

Additionally, you can advertise your channel on other social media platforms. The best platforms for doing this are Facebook, Twitter, and others. Simply include links to your other networks' accounts in the description of your channel and vice versa. Here, you might also find powerful allies who can assist you in attracting new clients.

Make money with YouTube – conclusion

Making money on YouTube is far from a sure thing to do, as evidenced by the procedures required to set up a YouTube channel for the partner program and the related advertising opportunities. Building a loyal following is a laborious process that takes time, and once subscribers are attained, they must be regularly updated with fresh material. Not to mention that it takes a lot of time to produce the content, which must be unique, captivating, and of the highest caliber.

However, in the long run, you can rely on income from advertising if you approach the task with smaller goals and the required persistence. Instead of focusing on well-known stars like Gronkh or PewDiePie when building your channel, concentrate on your project and the work being done in the network. You will inevitably turn into a valuable advertising partner for businesses if you consistently improve the caliber of your videos and produce added value for a particular target audience on the video platform.