What I Wish I Knew About YouTube Monetization Before Starting My Channel

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What if I told you that YouTube monetization doesn’t always mean the YouTube Partner Program (YPP)?

It’s a misconception among budding YouTubers.

Don’t worry! I’m here to help you, not to shatter your YouTube dream.

YouTube monetization means making money on YouTube regardless of the method.

It can be:

• Selling a physical product
• Promoting an offer as an affiliate
• Offering an online service

There are loads of other ways to make money on YouTube.

I have been telling this in my articles, videos, and PDF guides for quite some time.

I made my first $100 on YouTube without the YPP. You can do the same.

To get the full picture, read my PDF guide on the topic.

Anyway, let’s get to the crux of this article.

Here’s What I Wish I Knew About YouTube Monetization Before Starting My Channel

Here we go:

YouTube niche research is crucial to success

When you don’t have a clear niche, you run like a headless chicken. Pick a niche you know about, or you enjoy talking about. If you choose a niche you don’t like, you’d probably end up frustrated at some point.

Stick to your niche instead of experimenting with multiple

When your YouTube content starts getting traction, don’t turn on the experiment mode to test out other niches. A lot of people make this mistake; they start exploring new niches as soon as their first channel starts getting some attention.

So, stick to your niche for at least a couple of years before hopping on the next one.

Competitor analysis plays a key role in finding content ideas

I didn’t know that competitor analysis is a thing when I was starting. Competitor analysis refers to the process of exploring competitors’ channels and seeing what they’re up to.

It gives you some perspective on the content ideas they’re working on. If you don’t see any competitors in your niche, it’s perhaps a red flag.

Partner Program isn’t the only way to make money

YouTube Partner Program is the most popular method to monetize a YouTube channel. I get it. But it’s not the only way to make money on YouTube.

Always keep in mind there are a ton of ways to monetize a channel. In fact, I shared multiple YouTube Partner Program alternatives in my recent ebook.

Longer videos bring in more revenue

Contrary to the popular opinion that one should make videos short and precise, it’s been seen that longer videos (if they’re engaging) tend to outperform shorter ones.

The reason is that long videos bring in more watch time and engagement that positively impact the channel’s growth. I didn’t know that when I was starting YouTube.

Keep your niche broad for growth and consistency

Niche down is cool. But don’t limit your channel to one specific thing. For instance, you can create a channel teaching aspiring graphic designers how to use Adobe Photoshop. Now, there are hundreds of features in the software that you can talk about.

Instead of limiting yourself to designing business cards in Adobe Photoshop, you should be open to teaching how to design every type of graphic in Photoshop.

Let’s Conclude

I started YouTube in 2016.

I’ll surely start a new YouTube channel in a completely different way.

YouTube channel’s screenshot image designed by the author

I have more than 10K subscribers on my main YouTube channel. I find myself more equipped to grow a new YouTube channel to 25K much faster than before.

I’ll follow the exact tips I shared with you.

The point is: how would you go about starting a YouTube channel now?

Let me know in the comments section!