Lydia Sweatt is a writer who loves balancing her article/blog time indoors with a healthy dose of nature. She bikes, hikes, and identifies edible plants along the way.
How to Start a YouTube Automation Channel (up to $500K in 90 Days!)
Did you know that you can invest $250 into one YouTube video and make $20,000 in return? That’s some serious cash. It may sound crazy or made-up, but this scenario, and those monetary figures, are real. It actually happened on YouTube!
That stunning achievement comes from Noah Morris, a YouTube automation expert who made seven figures in one year. He runs over 20 faceless YouTube channels that pull in hundreds of thousands of dollars, and he only works one day a week.
Luckily for you, we interviewed Noah to get an inside view of the automation world. In this guide, we’ll explain how to start your YouTube automation journey and get paid!
What Is YouTube Automation?
YouTube automation is the process of outsourcing the daily tasks required to run one or more YouTube channels. Some creators hire a team of people for this project, which involves designing thumbnails, scripting videos, editing, and creating voiceovers.
Others use a mix of human creativity and artificial intelligence. There are plenty of AI tools on the market now, and they do a decent job of video editing, voiceover, and other creative tasks.
Read more: YouTube Automation: Get AI-Powered Titles, Descriptions, and Video Ideas
How Much Does it Cost to Start a YouTube Automation Business?
There’s no perfect answer to this question, as it truly depends on the number of channels involved, the topics they cover, and the level of consistency on YouTube.
However, when we spoke to Noah, he said it took him about 12 videos at an average cost of $100 per video to break even. He also said beginners might need around 35 videos and $3,000-$3,500 to start seeing returns from automated content.
How Much Money Can You Make from YouTube Automation?
This number varies, but if we’re talking about the highest payout possible, it’s well over $100,000. In fact, Noah made twice that in one month with his automated channels.
“In November 2022, I did around $200,000 in YouTube AdSense revenue,” he says.
And in just 90 days, he made $500,000 with automated content!
How to Do YouTube Automation with a Faceless Channel
Ready to get started? We’ll teach you how to choose the right topics, stand out on YouTube, and build a solid team that understands your automation goals! Watch the video for an in-depth explainer, or scroll down to read the tips and tricks.
1. Target a High-Paying Niche on YouTube
Did you know that some YouTube channels earn more money because of the topics they cover? It’s true! Some niches are extremely valuable and bring in thousands of dollars per month, if not hundreds of thousands.
If you want to be successful (and earn the highest AdSense revenue), Noah suggests focusing on sports, celebrities, and crime-related content because they lead to higher RPMs.
“Some of these channels, especially in Q4, can get insanely high RPMs. I’m talking $14 to $15 RPMs,” Noah says.
RPM stands for revenue per mille and is an estimate of what a creator makes from ad revenue and fan-funding on YouTube. An RPM of $10, for example, means you made $10 for every 1,000 video views on your channel.
Noah also says to target American viewers. They live in a bigger market and advertisers pay more to capture their attention (and money).
2. Find a ‘Content Gap’ in Your Niche
You can’t beat the best channels until you know what they are, what they do, and where you fit in. So, the next step is to find a gap in the YouTube market. Essentially, you’re figuring out how to “niche down” so you aren’t targeting broad, oversaturated topics that are hard to break into.
This part can be tedious, but Noah shared some tips to speed up the process.
- Switch your browser to “Incognito” mode.
- Go to YouTube and type your niche into the search bar. For example, you might type the word “basketball.”
- Look for videos with high views that belong to small channels. Chances are, those channels were just created and may be automated.
How to Identify a Content Gap
If you can only find two or three channels with high views and low subscribers in your niche, those videos may represent a content gap on YouTube. This means people enjoy those videos, but few channels are supplying them! Make similar videos so you can stand out and grow your channel.
3. Study Your Competition
Starting a faceless channel on YouTube is just as competitive, if not more, than starting a regular channel. So you need to learn how creators make automated content that feels fresh and entertaining. You should also know how and why those videos get millions of views.
The best plan of action is to study the competition in your niche. Watch their popular videos and take note of what makes them successful on YouTube, whether they have good storylines, emotional appeal, or superb editing. Try to emulate all of that goodness within your content.
How to Stand Out and Diversify
Also, ask yourself, Which topics are missing from the conversation? You can answer this question by looking at channels in your niche that aren’t directly competing with your videos. If their content is related to yours (and performed extremely well), try those concepts on your channel too.
“Normal YouTubers, they would usually create topics based on [their] feelings, but you really want to make decisions based on data and what did well in the past,” Noah says.
4. Build a Team
Now that you’ve found a lucrative niche and some video topics, it’s time to build your team! You need about four people to run a YouTube automation channel:
- Voiceover artist
- Video editor
- Thumbnail designer
- Scriptwriter
Scriptwriters
For scriptwriters, Noah suggests hiring someone who is passionate and knowledgeable about your niche. After all, they’re building the framework of your YouTube videos. You want them to be good!
Voiceover with AI
For voiceovers, you don’t necessarily need a human. You can generate AI voiceovers using tools like Speechify and Lovo AI.
Designers and Editors
According to Noah, finding a good thumbnail designer and video editor are the hardest parts of YouTube automation. An editor who spruces up videos specifically to hold viewers' attention is the best person for the job. Likewise, a thumbnail designer who provides a simple, attractive, and emotional snapshot of your content is a fantastic choice.
You can find both creatives, including scriptwriters, on YTJobs.com!
5. Keep Improving Your Videos
Your videos may be automated, but that doesn’t mean the work ends! You are the “director” of your channel, so it’s on you to understand the audience more and more each day. You want to improve your content, get more watch time, and influence the YouTube algorithm to recommend your videos.
Here are a few tips from Noah:
- Look at the most-replayed scenes from your YouTube videos and incorporate them into future content.
- Check the comment section to see what people are saying about your videos. What is it about your content that pushes them to comment, like, or subscribe?
And, of course, always check your YouTube analytics to see which content attracts the most views, subscribers, and watch time.
Will YouTube Automation Hurt My Channel?
YouTube automation is legit when you do it the right way, and it’s totally worth it considering the money you could make. But keep in mind that YouTube does not reward repetitive, low-educational content.
If you’re automating a channel using wind or rain sounds on a loop, there’s a strong chance you won’t get monetized. You can use AI in the process, but make sure you’re creating original content viewers find engaging — preferably, something that has a storyline.
Read more: The Truth About AI: Can YouTube Automation Ruin Your Channel?
Automate Your Channel Faster with AI Content Generator
YouTube automation is the golden topic of 2024, and for good reason. But even with the perks, it’s still time-consuming to direct a team of people, on or off YouTube.
That’s where the AI Content Generator for YouTube comes in handy. With this tool, you can generate an entire content plan for your video — and not just any old blueprint. The generator will give you basic assets to carry out your vision, including
- Video titles
- Video descriptions
- YouTube keywords
- Video scripts
- Thumbnail backgrounds
- Video voiceovers