Ten years ago it was easy to make money on the internet. Only big companies and a handful of smart entrepreneurs were selling online. Masses of people were connecting to the internet for the first time.
Now there are millions of people clamoring for their voices to be heard and selling their products online, but it’s still entirely possible to build a solid business online. And one of the best ways to make money online is by using Youtube.
But you can’t just put up any and every little video you make without any strategy and hope to make money. You need a combination of content strategy and marketing strategy to actually make a decent income from Youtube.
Here are 8 strategies that can help you make money on Youtube:
1. Make your pet a sensation
Do you have a pet with plenty of personality? Cats are obviously the favourite with tons of famous internet cats like Lil Bub and Grumpy Cat, but any pet with enough personality can be famous. Keep your video camera handy when you’re playing with your pet or even just walking around the house—you never know when they’ll do something cute and crazy.
2. Build a brand using Youtube
A product is a great way to make money, but you don’t need a product to have a brand. Every person has their own brand. You can find yours by filming things you’re interested in and seeing where that takes you. Use Youtube as a tool to share the most interesting things about yourself.
3. Become a Youtube personality
If you have a lot of personality and strong opinions about things, you might be able to enchant people simply by ranting and raving about the things that matter to you.
4. Create a web TV series
Love telling stories? Have some friends who can act? If you’re willing to work hard enough on the script you can create an amazing web TV series on a low budget. This is also a great way to keep people coming back to your channel.
5. Become a Youtube partner
A couple years ago Youtube opened their partnership program so anyone can become a Youtube partner and monetize their videos. Most people only make a few dollars here and there, but if you fill your channel with great content this is an excellent way to make money.
6. Become an affiliate and sell affiliate products
By far the easiest way to do this is to become an Amazon affiliate and use affiliate links to any products you decide to discuss in your videos, but tons of other companies have affiliate programs. This can be particularly great if you become a Youtube personality reviewing books, movies and products.
7. Create your own products & promote on Youtube
If you can create a cool product and mention it at the end of your cool videos, you can build an impressive business. Make sure your videos aren’t all promotion though, because people get tired of that fast.
8. Use Youtube to promote a website/blog
If you’re already blogging or you own a website with ads Youtube can be a great promotional tool. You can also direct people to a site where you sell products using Youtube videos.
Getting Started:
To get started with a youtube channel, you really only need to do three things.
1. Have a way to film yourself (eg a video camera or webcam).
Do you really need a video camera?
The fact is, most smart phones have video cameras that are more than capable of filming, particularly if you’re just starting out. There are however plenty of great video cameras on the market so be sure to read all the reviews and make an informed choice regarding the best option for you personally. Two recommended resources are: ListTechnology.com and VloggingCameras.net.
2. Setup a youtube channel. Setting up a youtube channel is simple, here’s the link to get started! There’s really not too much to it, and you do not even need to pay for a fancy designer to do your channel artwork. Just head over to Canva.com and create your own for free!
3. Commit to ongoing education
One of the first rules of business success is to model successful people. Here’s a list of 8 people making insane amounts of money on Youtube. Start by following them!
If you don’t mind paying a little, you can take a paid course. There are also plenty of training courses available, and we recommend this course that has very high user reviews.
Now it’s your turn, take the plunge and get into making money on YouTube!