7 Ways to Make Money from a Small YouTube Channel

Currently, YouTube has over 1.9 billion monthly active users. By 2025, around 50% of users may not even pay for their TV service. Whether you are a small business owner or individual thinking of creating a YouTube channel, you can make money from YouTube. There is an immense demand for online videos these days, and you cannot afford to be left out. 

You can make use of your smartphone and start recording your first video. After recording the video, make use of a free video editing software to polish the content. In case you do not want to show your face, you can opt for an animated explainer video. You can quickly come up with an animated video with the help of an explainer video software or a whiteboard animation software.  

If you are a small business owner, you can hire an explainer video company to produce a video for your company. These companies have skilled professionals from a diverse field that can create a top-notch video for you without burning a hole in your pocket. 

There is a big myth among people regarding making money on YouTube. Many people think that it is not worth uploading videos on YouTube if one does not have millions of subscribers and page views per month. However, it is not a reality. 

Can I make money off YouTube?

Everyone can make money from YouTube, whether it is a small business owner or an individual or a corporate. Here are seven proven ways to make money off YouTube channel without having tons of subscribers. 

YouTube partner

The first thing you\’re going to hear when it comes to making money from YouTube is to be a YouTube partner. To be a YouTube partner, you need to verify your account at first by heading onto the Creator Studio and then enable monetization. 

After you partner with YouTube, you should make an Adsense account via Google Advertising Network. You will see a \”$\” sign if your video is monetized. If you want to keep your videos monetized, stay away from controversial issues like politics, sexual content, violence content, and so on. 

How much can you earn by partnering from YouTube? It will depend on your audience. YouTube will offer more money per 1,000 views or click if your audience is looking for personal finance niche or other profitable niches. There are other factors as well that will vary their rate like nationality, age group, etc. 

However, you need to meet specific criteria to be able to monetize. If your niche is not so profitable, you need a lot of views to earn a decent income. 

Channel Membership

Most of the people out there have no clue about channel membership. YouTube has introduced a channel membership feature that allows a content creator to charge a monthly subscription fee with their fans. 

The paid members will get an extra perk for their membership. They get access to exclusive content and attention from their favorite YouTubers. Here is the list of location that can make use of the channel membership feature. Furthermore, you also need to be over 18 years old and have over 30,000 subscribers to unlock this feature. 

Getting 30,000 subscribers is not a difficult job if you are consistent. Once you unlock channel membership feature, your earning potential will drastically increase. 

Sell products/merchandise

If you are a business owner or wannabe entrepreneur, you should consider selling some products. It does not take a lot of money to start selling merchandise and products, thanks to online platforms like Shopify, Teespring, Amazon, etc. 

The print on demand lets you sell customized Tshirt, caps, hats, bags, and so on. You can get started with the dropshipping and private label with a lot less initial investment than before. With YouTube, you can continually share useful content, which helps in building trust with your subscribers, leading them to make them want to do business with you. 

Make use of educational explainer video, in-person videos, product demo videos, and other types of videos to win the trust and promote your products. You will be surprised to see how easy it becomes to sell the product once you have a loyal fanbase. 

Be YouTube influencer

The study shows that people trust micro-influencers more than traditional celebrities. Moreover, the content of these micro-influencers gets more engagement. Once you establish yourself as an influencer, you can opt for selling affiliate products, give a shoutout to a specific brand, or insert advertisement of a particular product in your video. 

To be a micro-influencer, you only need a few thousands of subscribers. You stand out as an authority among your subscribers if you are a social media influencer, so people will trust you and act upon your recommendation. 

Crowdfunding/fan funding

Crowdfunding/fan funding is a great way to generate consistent income. The concept of crowdfunding is the gathering of a small amount from many supporters for supporting your cause or getting access to some exclusive content or a physical product. 

Many YouTubers have been able to support their channel with the help of crowdfunding. You may well be able to get a regular flow of income from crowdfunding. You can make content, covering social issues, political issues, music, etc. Patreon is leading the crowdfunding industry for now. Besides Patreon, you can also use other platforms for raising money. 

Content licensing

You do not need a lot of subscribers to create viral content or decent content that pleases other businesses. You can make use of sites and tools, such as Google Trends, Buzzsumo, Reddit, etc. to find out what is trending. After using these tools, you can come up with a unique idea, revolving around that trend that could do well.

If you manage to upload a trending video, you can attract TV outlets, online news sites, and other publishers who might want to use your content. You can make a good sum of money if you license your video to others. Make use of sites like Juken media to get in front of potential creators who might want to use your video. 

YouTube Live +Superchat

You can make a reasonable sum of money instantly by going live on YouTube and making use of a super chat feature. You can talk about some hot issues and answer the questions of the viewers when you\’re live. Give priority to those viewers who donate money, but do not entirely ignore other commenters, as it can give you a bad name. 

To be eligible for super chat, you only need over 1,000 subscribers, and you should turn on the monetization. It is also possible to play games like Fortnite and encourage people to donate via super chat.

My Final Take

There is always an opportunity in the marketplace. Alongside opportunities, there will always be some kinds of myths that hinder people from latching on that opportunity. I think you are now actively considering uploading videos on YouTube to start attracting some eyeballs in your videos. 

Keep in mind that every method of earning money demands some knowledge from you. For now, you should only focus on making money from a single way before you jump onto the other ones. Is there some other way to make money from YouTube? If yes, feel free to share your insights with us.