7 Steps to Build Multiple Income Streams on YouTube

Building multiple streams of income is a buzzy-worthy topic online. Everyone’s talking about it. From small entrepreneurship blogs to large websites like CNN, there seems to be a consensus that depending on one job is a thing of the past.

Desiree Martinez agrees with that sentiment. She’s a YouTube creator who runs a social media agency and has partnerships with several brands. Martinez makes money through all those ventures to support her lifestyle.

Read More: ‘Women of YouTube’ Q&A: Building Careers, Passive Income, and More

“While I love and support YouTube, I have a business to run,” Martinez says. “My business is not going to be YouTube dependent. I think everybody – whether you’re a gaming channel, a resource channel, a fashion channel – you need to have a way to get people on a list. And it can’t just be, ‘Join my email list.’ Give them the incentive to do it.”

How to Build Revenue Streams on YouTube

In this episode of TubeTalk, we asked Martinez how to build income streams as a YouTube creator. She talks about networking with creators in your industry and how to leverage social media to grow a business.

Here’s the game plan:

1. Figure out what you can talk about at length on YouTube. It should be a topic you can cover in several ways and easily brainstorm ideas for.
2. Identify problems you can solve. Within your niche, think of the pain points your viewers experience every day. How can you help?
3. Understand how your content will be discovered. Which channels cover your niche and how is your content suggested to viewers? Which keywords help your videos get discovered?
4. Understand which milestones are important in your industry. For sponsorships, gaming and beauty channels need lots of views and high reach. Other niches, such as social media marketing, don’t require as many subscribers.
5. If you use a product often, and it’s within your niche, seek a brand sponsorship. Make tutorials about the product and try to leverage your video’s engagement.
6. Build long-term relationships with sponsors. A one-and-done deal isn’t enough to grow an income stream.
7. Build a long-term relationship with viewers. You may think videos are enough, but you can go a step further. Memberships, affiliate marketing, coaching, and email lists are profitable ways to nurture a digital audience. Be a service to viewers. Give them a reason to connect with you.

Martinez also hosts the Women of YouTube podcast and knows how other creators, especially women, are making money. YouTube is just one part of the plan.

“My business is not about views and subscribers and getting sponsors based on those things,” Martinez says. “My business is about getting people on my email list. Then I can talk to them about my book that’s coming out, a sponsor for a cool product I found.”

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