Do you want to make money on YouTube? Millions of creators are earning a very good living from the platform by uploading content that drives huge views and engagements. Whether that income is from advertising revenue, merch sales, or brand deals, we keep you updated with best practises and ideas.

How To Make Money on YouTube

Do you know how to do keyword research so you understand what videos people are actually searching for on YouTube? Do you know how to create a custom YouTube thumbnail? Do you know how to create a Playlist on YouTube?

vidIQ has a ton of tips that will help every creator maximise their video content. We publish content every week to keep you up to date with all the best practices.

YouTube Tips & Tricks

YouTube Shorts content is set to explode! 

All the latest tips, tricks, and rock-solid advice you need for this new feature.

YouTube Shorts

Ask any YouTuber and they will tell you that generating significant views and subscribers isn't easy. But with the right strategy and tools, any video creator can build an engaged subscriber base when they understand what those subscribers want to watch.

Appealing to an audience to watch content you are passionate about making is just the first step, you need to know how to reach them and get your videos discovered. Our guides to how to guide more views on YouTube will give you the best tips to succeed on the platform.

How To Get More Views on YouTube

This post is all about how you can monetize your content on YouTube to start generating revenie. The are four golden rules to making money on YouTube, and they are:

You need to have 1,000 subscribers on your YouTube channel

Your videos have generated 4,000 Watch Time hours over the last 12 months

You comply with all YouTube's policies and guidelines

#1 The YouTube Partner Program Requirements

Commonly known as the YouTube Partner Program, or YPP for short, you'll need to hit all four requirements before your channel will be accepted.

Let's start with the 1,000 subscribers. This one is pretty straightforward, it doesn't matter how long it takes you to get to 1,000 subscribers, once you hit that milestone, you've reached that requirement.

As well as 1,000 subscribers, you also need 4,000 hours of Watch Time on your videos over the last 12 months. There is some confusion with this one, so let me try and clarify that. First of all, this is not about how much video content you, the YouTube creator watch. This is all about how much video content is watched on your channel from people all across the world. It’s all those hours of video that people have watched on your channel in the last 12 months (from any given date). You could well have well 4,000 hours of Watch Time over the lifetime of your channel, but it's only the last 12 months that count for YouTube Partner Program requirements.

Another couple of things to tell you about Watch Time. Live streams do count towards that total. Unlisted videos also count towards that total. But if you delete any videos, that Watch Time will be removed from your channel Watch Time hours. And one more final thing, if you are already in the YouTube Partner Program, and if your channel falls below 4,000 hours of Watch Time, YouTube won't automatically remove you from the partner program, but they can do it at their discretion. If you want a much more detailed video on the topic of 4,000 hours specifically, check out this video:

If you want to check the progress of above requirements, you can do so by clicking on your logo in the top right-hand corner of most YouTube pages, and then clicking on YouTube Studio Beta. You can view all of your analytics here, but to quickly check progress on monetization, hover your mouse over "Other features", and then click on "Status and Features". On this screen, you should see a monetization box, and if you click "Learn more", it will tell you exactly where you currently stand with subscribers and Watch Time hours.

But if all of that sounds like too much hard work, then we've got a free tool that will do all of this much quicker and more efficiently. If you 

 on pretty much every YouTube screen, you will see a collection of real-time stats all about your channel. It will show you your channel's views per hour, views over the last 48 hours, and your subscriber count. But the really cool thing is that it will track your progress to 4,000 hours of Watch Time too! Once you hit 4,000 hours, that number will turn green to show you you've reached that monetization requirement.

#2 Following YouTube Rules for Monetization

Next on the list is the rule book. If you want to monetize your content, you need to make sure you stick to it, as YouTube state:

When you apply for the YouTube Partner Program, you'll go through a standard review process to see whether your channel meets YouTube's policy and guidelines. Only channels that meet them will be accepted into the program.

YouTube also constantly check channels in the program to see whether they continue to meet YouTube's policies and guidelines. These policies and guidelines that are very comprehensive, given all of the growing pains YouTube have had of finding the right balance between creators, viewers, and advertisers. I highly recommend familiarizing yourself with these 

 if you want to monetize your content in the future.

However, if you are in a TLDR mood, to summarize, apply common sense. If you think a video might be inappropriate, chances are it is, and you make such content at your own risk.

#3 Copyright and Monetization Policies on YouTube

Among YouTube's policies and guidelines is the huge topic of copyrighted material. Essentially, if you use other people's work, then you could be using copyrighted material without their permission, and YouTube does not want you to do that. It will almost certainly get you demonetized or prevent you from entering the YouTube Partner Program. Let's look at this in a little more detail.

For most of you, this is the most important monetization policy. You have to make sure that you're adding value to any third party content you monetize, and that your content has significant original commentary, educational value, or editorialized statement. And let's be clear, that still might not be enough. This does not give you a license to use other people's content in your videos all the time, because if you do, YouTube may use this as an argument not to monetize your content.

YouTube confirms that if all or most of your channel is dedicated to reused content, and you're not transforming the original work by adding your own unique value, 

then your channel is not eligible for the YouTube Partner Program.

 The spirit of this policy is to make sure that YouTube are incentivizing unique and original content into the YouTube Partner Program, and that YouTube are protecting and rewarding the creators who work hard on original content.

Now, some may see YouTube's spirit of a policy as an excuse to demonetize channels they don't want in the monetization program, but let's have a look at it from this point of view. You spent days, hours creating a magnificent piece of content, and it goes viral on YouTube. And then a dozen random video creators steal that content, upload it, generate hundreds of thousands of views, and end up profiting handsomely from it. How would you feel if that happened? That's what YouTube is trying to protect - original content from video creators.

Admittedly, reused, duplicate content, and copyright content is a broad gray area on YouTube, and they don't always get it right. And you may look at some channels on YouTube and see that they're clearly flaunting these rules. Well, you don't know what their individual circumstances are, they may have permission to use that content, or they may get caught in the future, and you don't want to follow the examples of channels that are doing this. It's not a road to success.

Ultimately YouTube is the gatekeeper. They hold all of the keys. You are on rented ground, and if you flaunt these rules, and break them, then don't be surprised when YouTube comes after you.

#4 Linking a Google Adsense Account with a YouTube Channel

If you are going to earn money from your videos, YouTube needs a way to pay you, and at least to begin with, this will be done through an AdSense account. A few things you need to know about this, if you already have an AdSense account, you can use that. You can connect multiple channels to one AdSense account, and if you haven't got an AdSense account, you can set one up during the YouTube Partner Program application process.

#5 Applying to the YouTube Partner Program

Let's remind ourselves of those requirements one more time: You need:

1,000 subscribers on your YouTube channel

4,000 Watch Time hours on your videos over the last 12 months

To comply with all YouTube's policies and guidelines

When you've applied YouTube Partner Program, it may take up to a month for the platform to make a decision. That’s because actual humans will review your channel so it’s a manual process. Some channels have been approved in days, so it could be quicker. However, if it does take longer than a month, then your channel will usually be placed in further review. When this happens, unfortunately, the wait times can get very long. Three, six, possibly even 12 months. In some unfortunate cases, YouTube never seems to come to a decision, leaving the creator in monetization limbo.

We appreciate that this can be a very frustrating position to find yourself in as a video creator, as many of you have commented about this on our videos here at vidIQ. Unfortunately, we ourselves cannot help push the process forward for you, so what we recommend you do is to talk to TeamYouTube on Twitter, make sure that everybody knows that you have an issue with your monetization decision.

YouTube say that this will never speed up the process, but at least having some decision is something you should deserve as a video creator.

#6 Being Rejected from the YouTube Partner Program: Next Steps

Now let's say that you've applied for the YouTube Partner Program, but you've been rejected. What can you do?

When you are rejected from the YouTube Partner Program, YouTube will give you a general reason why. Unfortunately, they won't tell you specifically what video or content is causing the issue, so you may be left blindly adjusting your channel. However, the good news is you can reapply for the program in 30 days' time.

Again, this is where you will have to use your common sense. If you think there are videos that are walking the community guideline and policies tightrope, then they most likely are and you need to adjust them. If there are videos that have copyright content on them then those are probably causing a problem with YouTube as well, so you will need to delete them.

Creators have asked when they apply for the partner program, will having a community guideline strike or a copyright strike against my channel prevent me from getting into the program? The answer is probably no, it definitely won't prevent you, but it is going to have an impact.

There is a dedicated support page with advice on what you should do if you are rejected from the YouTube Partner Program, and 

Once you are in the Partner Program, and you want to take your monetization a step further by earning money from Super Chats, membership, and merchandise, take a look at this video on the subject:

If you want to take your YouTube channel to the next level and 

 then make sure to download vidIQ. Join over 1 million other users and use vidIQ to help you research YouTube, analyze videos, audit your own channel, and take actionable steps 

Want to know how to monetize your channel and start making money on YouTube? Take a look at our beginner's guide!

How to Monetize Your YouTube Channel - A Beginner's Guide

 here at vidIQ, as we’re always getting asked how to create a one, or how to grow one. We also get asked the following question a LOT - is it too late to start my own gaming channel when the competition is so fierce out in YouTube world.

And the answer is, if you hit the right strategy then no, it’s not too late. Particularly if you’re prepared to put in the work and the wait time. No-one is going to become as famous and successful as 

 overnight (not even Pewds himself), but if gaming is your passion and you feel you have something of value to offer your target audience, then go for it. Today.

To show you it’s entirely possible, let’s shine a light on one particular creator who only started their channel in March 2020, and now (at time of writing) has over 8K subscribers.

100 Percent Zelda: A Gaming Channel Case Study

 is a channel focused on the action-adventure game Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and it came to vidIQ’s attention during one of our live-streamed channel audits that take place on 

The creator then shared a post on Twitter about how the channel was suddenly gaining some traction

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I made it in right under 3 months! =) This last 2 weeks were crazy!! Quality over quantity for me. Do it for your audience, not yourself, and the rest will come. Thank you to all my wonderful subscribers =)<a href="https://twitter.com/vidIQ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@vidIQ</a> <a href="https://t.co/2RC8p8rS90">pic.twitter.com/2RC8p8rS90</a>&mdash; 100 Percent Zelda (@100percentzelda) <a href="https://twitter.com/100percentzelda/status/1276368834144976896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2020</a></blockquote>

To understand exactly what this creator thinks happened to get their channel to take off, we reached out to them and asked if they would share just a little bit of insight. What we learned from 100 Percent Zelda is, obviously, they're a fan of Zelda, but not only that, they're a fan of watching creators on YouTube who also play Zelda. Take a look at

How a YouTube Gaming Channel Got 1000 Subscribers in Three Months

The creator of 100 Percent Zelda decided they wanted to start a channel, so they started taking note of things they liked and things they didn't necessarily like about other creators and the way they were covering the game on YouTube.

In addition to doing some serious competitor research, they also joined Zelda communities across the Internet and paid really close attention to the types of questions people were asking in those communities.

Perhaps the most crucial step this channel took though was keeping their audience in mind when they decided to launch. They determined that if someone was going to subscribe for 100 Percent Zelda, they had better get 100% Zelda. But the creator went a step further and not only niched down on gaming and ‘Zelda,’ but went one step further to focus right in on ‘Zelda: Breath of the Wild.’

That’s proved to be a winning strategy, with videos like this one generating amazing views for a relatively small and new channel:

So, we already know that they've seen explosive growth covering ‘Breath of the Wild’, but the long-term plan for this channel is to eventually explore other Zelda games. As we know, there are plenty of Zelda games to choose from with more on the way in the future.

What’s really helping this channel with its success is the type of Zelda content they're creating. They're not just playing Zelda, they're answering those questions that they learned about from the community like ‘

Key to YouTube Success: Know Your Audience

The methods that 100 Percent Zelda used here to grow their own channel are totally repeatable. As with any big game franchise, when the game features a lot of depth like ‘Breath of the Wild’, a lot of questions come up as players try to find out how to do something in the game. That’s a lot of video content to be made just answering those questions.

100 Percent Zelda started their YouTube journey by making content specifically for their audience. As they continue to grow and people connect with them on a more personal level, that will be time to branch out into different Zelda games, or different games altogether.

Of course, if you want to play multiple games across multiple genres, then you'll probably start generating some subscribers, but any time you switch a game or switch a genre, you need to be prepared for some of those subscribers to never come back.

One size doesn't fit all on YouTube, but with a little research and some hard work, you can make high value, dependable content that people subscribe to and continue coming back for.

Want to Make it as a Gaming Creator on YouTube?

If you want to get more insights into YouTube to kickstart your gaming channel success, then make sure to download vidIQ. Over 1 million creators use vidIQ to help with keyword and competitor research, channel audits, and so much more. 

And if you’re serious about growing your YouTube views, subscribers, and community, sign up for exclusive access to the 

. Learn how to launch a successful YouTube Channel in just 30 days.

Yes, it's an insanely competitive space, but you can still find success with a brand new gaming channel on YouTube. Take this Zelda enthusiast for instance!

No, It's NOT Too Late to Create a YouTube Gaming Channel (Zelda Case Study)

On average, how many comments do you get on your YouTube channel every single day? As your channel grows, you’re only going to get more of them, so let me show you how to answer them efficiently so you can stay better connected with your audience.

YouTube has rolled out a new feature called ‘Smart Replies’ which should help you answer at least some comments with automated text. But we have an easier solution that you can use via the 

But first, let’s take a look at the new YouTube Smart Replies set up. You need to access the comments page first. To do this:

Click on your profile image in the top right-hand corner of most YouTube screens

Click ‘Comments’ in the left-hand navigation bar to display the most recent comments that have been posted on your channel, whether they be for your videos, community posts, or YouTube stories.

Underneath some of these comments, (but not all), you will see some smart reply boxes. To add these as a reply to the comment all you need to do is click the box which will populate the reply line, which you can edit if you wish before publishing.

When smart replies appear, you don't always get the same options as they are context-specific to the comment itself. Presumably, YouTube is picking out common phrases and predicting comments you might use as stock answers. Hopefully, over time this will improve, giving you more smart replies to more comments.

Reply to More YouTube Comments with vidIQ

Now while this is a step in the right direction for YouTube, I wouldn't exactly call them "smart" replies. First of all, they're fairly infrequent, and I would also say they're pretty dumb replies since each one only contains a few words and a smiley if you're lucky.

Well, there is a tool that can do this a lot better and it's absolutely free. Let me show you what it is.

Let's take this as an example. On a video about how to get 1,000 subscribers we see a person who has posted a comment, but they only have six subscribers. We know this because we have 

 and along with the sub count, you will see this vidIQ button:

If you click it, it opens up the ‘Comment Template’ tool where you can create stock answers to questions and comments you get that are specific to your channel.

So, in this case, we can reply with some videos that will help the creator get to a hundred subscribers before they even tackle a thousand subscribers. And we've done all of this in a matter of seconds.

. So we know we get asked all the time about Playlists and custom thumbnails and how to get 

But we also have a lot of ways to say thank you, which courtesy of the vidIQ's tool, also populates the commentor's name to personalize the response.

Our general recommendation is that you respond to every single comment on your channel but eventually, as your channel grows that’s going to become impossible.

But YouTube's Smart Replies, in combination with vidIQ's comment templates, all which, to remind you, is 100% free, at least gives you a fighting chance of responding to a lot more comments than typing out each one by hand.

If you want to take your YouTube channel to the next level and 

 then make sure to download vidIQ. Join over 1 million other users and use vidIQ to help you research YouTube, analyze videos, audit your own channel, and take actionable steps 

And if you’re really serious about growing your YouTube views and subscribers, sign up for exclusive access to the 

 and learn how to launch a successful YouTube Channel in just 30 days.

Engaging with your audience via comments is one of the keys to success on YouTube. The platform has rolled out 'Smart Replies' to help creators with this, but we have an even better solution!

The Secret to YouTube Success: Reply to More Comments!

Deleting a video permanently from your own channel couldn’t be easier. Just follow these steps:

Click on your YouTube profile image in the top, right-hand corner of the screen

From this dashboard screen, click the ‘Videos’ link from the left-hand navigation bar

Mouse over any video on this list, to be shown several options.

Click the three dots to the right, and you should see the option to delete the highlighted video

 warn you that this action is permanent and can't be undone, and will make you check a confirmation box to agree to this. Also, this will be your last opportunity to download the video if you need to.

How to Delete More Than One Video From YouTube

If you want to delete videos in bulk, you can use the checkbox column on the left to select multiple videos.

When you do this, a black bar of options appears at the top of the list

Click on "More actions" which will give you the option to delete all of the selected videos

Again, you will need to click the confirmation box to actually delete the videos forever

If you can't find the video you want to delete from this screen, you can use the search bar at the top of the screen which only searches for channel videos, not only videos on YouTube. When you find the video you want to delete, click on it to take you to the edit details page for that video, and you'll find those three dots to the right of the screen. Click here to find the same delete video option.

Think Very Carefully Before Deleting a YouTube Video

So now you know how to delete a YouTube video, let's talk about all the caveats of actually doing so.

First of all, as YouTube clearly states, 

there is no way to undo this permanent action.

 Not only will you lose all of the comments and engagement from that video, but, and most crucially, you will lose all of the views and Watch Time from that video.

So if you are looking to get to your goal of 

, really consider why you want to delete this video.

Also, deleting a video because it has a copyright or community strike on it won't get rid of that strike. And if you have copyright claims on that video, then you probably want to fix it through the 

And finally, if you are embarrassed by your older videos, watch the videos we first put out on the 

. They're not fantastic, but we're proud of them because they're all part of our YouTube journey to where we are now.

Have you ever wanted to permanently delete a video from your YouTube channel? This is a complete guide on how to do it.

How to Delete a YouTube Video [Complete Guide]

YouTube is a wonderful adventure, but my goodness does it attract its fair share of Internet trolls and hurtful comments. But you don’t have to put up with that. It’s easy to cut that negativity out of your life and ban that spammy user for good. Let’s show you how:

From most desktop YouTube screens, click your channel profile image in the top right-hand corner of a screen, and click on ‘YouTube Studio’

From this dashboard, click the ‘Comment’ section in the left-hand navigation bar, to show you all of the most recent comments that you have not yet replied to.

We'll start with an easy example first. The ‘Likely Spam’ tab will contain comments that have been held back by YouTube until you get the chance to review them. It’s here that you’ll find the most ‘sub4sub’ style requests (

To ban any further contact or comments from a user that continues to spam your channel with sub4sub, or any other pointless requests, click the ‘Ban’ icon. You’ll get a pop-up showing you confirmation that this user has now been hidden from the channel.

Banning Users That Have Already Published YouTube Comments

Now, let’s go back to comments that have already been published on the channel. On the same dashboard, click on the ‘Published’ tab. Now, next to each comment on this page, you will see three dots. Click them to bring up the following options:

Options 2 & 3 allow you to either remove a single comment or report it to YouTube. Obviously, don't abuse this system, as this helps no one.

The 4th option is the same as the ban option on the ‘Likely Spam’ tab, effectively banning this user from ever commenting again on your channel and videos.

To keep track of all of the users you have banned from your channel (and if you have a big channel, it may run into the hundreds), go to ‘Settings’ on the left-hand menu, then click on ‘Community.’ Halfway down the pop-up screen, you will see a ‘Hidden Users’ box.

For clarification, each hidden user isn't technically banned from your channel. They can still watch your content, but they can't engage with you with comments, and that includes live chats. If you do have a change of heart, and you want to reinstate the comment privileges for a user, you can remove them from this list.

You can ban someone via the YouTube Creator Studio app, but other than hiding viewers from your content, you can't manage them. You have to go back to desktop if you want to remove that user from the hidden users list.

Reward Your Most Loyal and Active YouTube Subscribers

As a YouTuber, you’ll almost certainly attract your fair share of trolls and negativity on your channel. But there's going to be a whole lot of support for you as well. You may want to reward the most loyal and engaged members of your community by turning them into moderators. They will be absolutely invaluable when it comes to live streams.

And on that note, we just wanted to take a quick second to say thank all to all of our moderators on the 

. You volunteer for what can be a thankless task at times, and it is really, really appreciated.

Tired of Sub4Sub or other spammy comments on your YouTube videos? Find out how to block those annoying users for good.

How to Block Someone From Your YouTube Channel [2020 Guide]

First let’s confirm how you find it in YouTube Analytics, then let’s explain what it is. Assuming you have a monetized YouTube channel (and if you don’t, click here for full details on 

Click on the ‘Analytics’ section from the left-hand menu bar

Then click on the ‘Revenue’ tab in the top navigation bar

You should now see the brand new RPM box. Just click it to display your RPM over the last 28 days. Or use the ‘See More’ link to drill down into the numbers. If you do this one of the columns will display the RPM for individual videos, which can really help you determine which content generates the most revenue for you.

For a full walkthrough of how to find your RPM numbers, just watch the video below:

 exactly, and how does it differ from CPM?

 is the average amount of money that advertisers pay to show ads in your videos, and it only takes into account the revenue from ads and the views from the videos that were monetized.

This may come as a shock to some of you, but just because you monetize your content doesn't always mean that ads are applied to every single video view on your channel. Also, CPM is linked to your estimated monetized playbacks, which are never truly accurate.

Furthermore, CPM shows you what advertisers are paying, not what you are actually earning. And this is where we have to broach one of those uncomfortable truths about YouTube ad revenue - CPM doesn't take into account YouTube's cut of that ad revenue (the average channel will take 55% of the ad revenue generated while YouTube takes the other 45%).

 is calculated by dividing estimated revenue by total views in the same time period. It includes estimated earnings from ads, but also from YouTube Premium, channel memberships, Super Chats, and Super Stickers. It's the actual revenue you earned after YouTube's revenue share is taken out.

At the surface level, the RPM numbers may look terrifyingly grim when compared to your CPM, but it does reflect the actual truth of your ad revenue income on your channel. It’s a new analytic, but you shouldn't see any difference in the actual amount of revenue you make on your channel.

By the way, the ‘M’ in RPM (and CPM for that matter) stands for ‘Mille’ so we’re talking either cost per thousand views, or revenue per thousand views.

Why RPM is the Future of Your YouTube Channel

Like ad revenue itself, CPM is a metric that's been around on YouTube forever, and that presents a problem as it’s pretty out of date. YouTube has transformed significantly in the last decade, and there are now multiple ways for a 

monetized channel to generate income from YouTube products and services.

These include channel memberships, YouTube Premium, 

, and Super Stickies. CPM doesn't take into account any of that, but RPM does

CPM is a measure of the value you are worth to YouTube advertisers, while RPM values your channel and your community and that is significantly more important and potentially more powerful and lucrative than any CPM you could get from your YouTube videos.

Now of course this doesn't happen overnight. With ad revenue, a creator can literally flick a switch, and all of a sudden they’re receiving all of these micropayments of a couple of dollars for ads that are appearing on your videos. But none of that can compare to a mobilized community that’s totally unique to you.

The moment your audience and community start to care about you as an individual and as a creator is the moment when they will start investing in you for all of the right reasons.

Now just a couple of things to be clear about here. RPM does include more of your YouTube revenue, but it doesn't include everything. That being YouTube merchandise sales, and any brand deals or sponsorships, sales from affiliate links, or any products and services that you sell outside of YouTube.

With that being said, if you are able to identify that your CPM is staying fairly static while your RPM is beginning to rise, that means people are investing more in you rather than advertisers. And that is the key thing that we always try and encourage creators. Ad revenue is just the icing on the cake. If you want to make this a business, then you want to be in control of your income revenue sources and one of the worst ways to do this is to rely on CPM.

Want to Find Success as a Creator on YouTube?

If you want to get more insights into YouTube then make sure to download vidIQ. Over 1 million creators use vidIQ to help with keyword and competitor research, channel audits, and so much more. 

And if you’re serious about growing your YouTube views and subscribers, sign up for exclusive access to the 

There’s a new money metric in town called YouTube RPM and it gives creators a more accurate way to track revenue earned via the platform.

YouTube RPM: The New Way For Creators to Track Revenue

In theory, how-to creators should be making tons of money on YouTube. As of July 2016, instructional videos were among the 

With stats like that, one would think how-to creators are the most popular, well-paid people on YouTube. After all, if so many viewers come to the platform to learn something new, shouldn’t that mean how-to creators are bound to be successful?

Here’s the surprising truth about how-to channels: Running a profitable one is harder than it looks. In the beginning, instructional creators can harness the power of SEO, but eventually, that benefit might wane. After you upload dozens of videos addressing viewers’ search-related queries, getting them to watch all your videos can suddenly become a challenge. Once a viewer gets the tutorial they need, they’re likely to move on, unless you find a way to keep them coming back for more.

If you want to know how to attract repeat viewers to your channel, just keep reading. We’re going to share three ways any how-to creator can build a profitable YouTube audience.

#1 Build an Authentic YouTube Community by Livestreaming

Community-building is an important part of any creator’s journey, especially if you want to make money on YouTube. Luckily, there’s an easy way to make subscribers fall in love with your personality, and that’s by hosting a live stream on your channel.

If you need a good example to follow, check out 

. Every week, the financial investment channel hosts a live stream to share stock market trends with like-minded viewers. While stocks and bonds don’t exactly sound entertaining, VectorVest doesn’t adhere to the stuffy reputation of wealth building. In the video below, the company’s live stream host jokes about how major airlines are handling COVID-19. Surprisingly, his analysis of this stock market news comes with wacky sound effects:

So how does this down-to-earth content make VectorVest more money? It’s very simple. In the description of the live stream, as well as the chat, VectorVest shares a link for viewers to try their investment tool for free. It’s a 30-day trial, but if viewers sign up for longer, that leads to more money in the bank. However, getting those initial sign-ups is less about the features of the tool and more about producing a fun live stream that effectively can sell it.

In terms of live video, we do something similar here at vidIQ. On YouTube, we’re a how-to channel that goes live frequently to connect with our viewers. Currently, one of our most anticipated live streams happens to be our weekly channel audits, where we tell budding YouTubers how to improve their channels.

Our audits are hosted by Rob Wilson (YouTuber in residence), Travis McPherson (customer success), and Dan Carson (executive producer). The first thing you’ll notice about these three is that they are not afraid to have fun. In fact, they have so much fun that they invite our viewers to make embarrassing memes of them. The funnier ones are displayed in the live stream every week, like this one:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PhotoshopBattles?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PhotoshopBattles</a> Get creative &amp; send us your best photoshop using this pic of Rob. We&#39;ll pick the best one and they will receive a GUARANTEED <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChannelAudit?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChannelAudit</a> on tomorrow&#39;s Livestream! We&#39;ll Retweet the winner tomorrow at 9am PST! <a href="https://t.co/I6PWME4XXr">pic.twitter.com/I6PWME4XXr</a>&mdash; vidIQ 📈🚀🎉 (@vidIQ) <a href="https://twitter.com/vidIQ/status/1272559583349932032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2020</a></blockquote>

But of course, the point of all this fun is to encourage people to sign up for vidIQ. So whenever possible, we highlight vidIQ tools during our live streams. In the meantime, we also get 

, which are donations viewers can make during a live broadcast on YouTube. To unlock this feature, you’ll need to be at least 18, have a monetized channel, and live in one of the 

. If you have all three, the ability to get paid via Super Chats makes live streams worth the extra effort.

As you can see, being likable on YouTube leads to a profitable fanbase. So if you don’t mind telling a joke or two, go ahead and fire up those live streams.

#2 Share General How-To Advice on YouTube, Monetize Elsewhere

Does your how-to niche lend itself to deeper instruction? Perhaps it’s so complex that you’d need courses, one-on-one sessions, and other educational services to teach it to your audience?

If that’s the case, you can make more money by selling your full expertise outside of YouTube.

 is a great example of this. He has a very focused YouTube Channel, and most of the videos he uploads are mixing tutorials. Pick one to watch at random, and you’ll see that Baywood isn’t sharing all of his technical music knowledge. Instead, he gives his subscribers general tips and guidance from the perspective of a skilled audio engineer and producer.

Baywood doesn’t stray from this formula often, and that’s probably for the best. In the description of his videos, he shares links for viewers to purchase the rest of his skill set, which are mixing services and custom vocal presets.

YouTube is a great platform to establish yourself as a subject matter expert. Just don’t forget that your expertise can be monetized off the platform as well!

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