Anyone with a smartphone can create a YouTube channel. However, while everyone can create a channel, not everyone can make their living with one. Still, we’ve seen a drastic increase in RV YouTube channels recently. Many people hit the road thinking they’ll make enough money from their YouTube channel to fund their travels.
So is YouTube a legitimate way to make money on the road? Let’s look at the entire picture before you dive in and make a significant financial decision. Let’s get started!
What Is a YouTuber?
A YouTuber is a person who creates, records, edits, and uploads content to the social media platform YouTube. YouTubers upload content in almost every possible category.
They create videos for educational and entertainment purposes. However, they’re ultimately trying to get viewers to subscribe and generate a following for their channel.
Is YouTube a Realistic Way to Make Money?
According to Mint, the average YouTuber makes $18 for every 1,000 ad views or roughly $3 to $5 for every 1,000 video views. YouTube factors in the number of views, clicks, ad quality, ad blockers, and the overall length of the video.
The payout can be a bit of a crapshoot. When you consider the time, energy, and effort that goes into creating a YouTube video, making a significant amount of money can be a struggle.
Can it be a fun way to express yourself and make some spending money? Absolutely. However, it’s not a realistic way to make a full-time living for most people.
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How Can I Earn Money From YouTube Directly?
You must first get accepted into the YouTube Partner Program to earn money from YouTube. There are stringent guidelines regarding who is eligible for this program. Once they welcome you into this program, you’ll be eligible to make money through the advertisements that run before and during your content.
This is typically a cost per click or cost per thousand views process. However, Google, which owns YouTube, only gives the content creator 68% of the revenue from displaying ads through AdSense.
How Many Views Do You Need to Get Paid on YouTube?
There is no specific amount of views you need to get to start earning money on YouTube. Instead, you must meet the strict criteria to join the YouTube Partner Program. This requires a content creator to have 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the past 12 months.
In addition, they must sign and agree to the terms and conditions of being a part of the YouTube Partner Program and have an AdSense account. Finally, moderators will review their accounts and decide whether to approve or deny their entry into the program.
How Long Does It Take to Make Money on YouTube?
How long it takes to make money on YouTube will substantially depend on how long it takes to get into the YouTube Partner Program. The faster you can rack up 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the last 12 months, the sooner you can get accepted into the program and start making money.
It can take some people months or even years to grow their channel and monetize their content. As a result, it’s relatively common for YouTubers to go viral and make very little, if any, money off their video.
Depending on their channel size, they may not be in the program yet and thus would be ineligible to make any revenue from the ads on their most popular video.
What Type of YouTube Channels Make the Most Money?
Ironically, the YouTube channels that make the most money are in the niches of making money online, social media marketing, and finance/investing.
These three niches often compete for the crown. They offer the highest average CPM of the various niches on the social media giant.
Does YouTube Pay Every Month?
Ad revenues from AdSense pay out every month. They typically pay on the 21st of every month. However, it’s crucial to note that AdSense has a minimum payout requirement. They will not send any revenue to a channel until it earns $100.
This may not be a big deal to larger channels that rack up many views, but there could be months between payouts for smaller channels. YouTube is suitable as a side hustle or for extra money, but you won’t make it rain unless you’re attracting many views on your channel.
What Are Other Ways to Earn Money With YouTube Videos?
While YouTube can be an excellent way to share content with the world, it doesn’t always have the content creator’s best interest at heart. As a result, content creators often look for other ways to make money with their YouTube videos. This could be through gaining Patreon supporters, using affiliate links in their descriptions, or through direct sponsorships.
Very few YouTubers rely entirely on their AdSense revenue as their primary source of income. It’s wildly unpredictable and could change at a moment’s notice.
However, signing sponsorship deals and obtaining Patreon supporters can help content creators gain consistent financial support to focus their efforts on creating bigger and better content. This is often why channels include sponsors as they establish their presence on the platform.
Is Being a YouTuber Worth It?
Being a YouTuber can be an excellent way to make some money. However, it’s nowhere near as easy as most people think. While viewers may enjoy watching a 20 or 30-minute video, they don’t see the hours spent planning, filming, editing, and uploading the content to the platform.
You also get to deal with the knuckleheads who make horrible comments for no reason. Putting your life online for the world to see and comment on isn’t easy, especially when you’re not seeing much return. Being a YouTuber for the money isn’t worth it for most creators.
Would you become a YouTube content creator for money? What kind of content would you make?
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