Art, Advice and Stories

Article by: Thomas J. Bellezza | Music Creator, Entrepreneur
VQS Advice Blog | _{^{Cover Image by Alexander Shatov}}

Learn how to take your YouTube channel to the next level and profit from your passion!

Table of Contents
Advertising
Affiliate Programs
Brand Deals
Merch!
Crowdfunding
Sell Your Skills
Meet and Greets

Even casual creators love the idea of making a few dollars here and there with their YouTube channel. The prospect of making a yearly salary is even more exciting!

Advertising

YouTube Ads is how your effort of building your YouTube channel is rewarded.

Audience retention creates a payback only if you have a YouTube AdSense account. If you have a Gmail account you’re already half way there! Go to google and search “Google AdSense” and fill out the required information. Assuming you hit the required four-thousand-watch hours within a twelve month period, plus one thousand subscribers, you’ll be able to earn a return on all Ads on your channel.

Having that AdSense account is how you get paid on your ads.

What is nice about having ads are the options your channel gives you. You can have as many or as little ads as you want within a video. What you should focus on is the length of your video to determine how many Ads will show up within that video. A strong ten minute video shouldn’t have more than two Ads in it. Average one per five minutes.

Affiliate Programs

Your videos create a real estate of opportunities with the open space.

Video descriptions are a location for you to create movement. This is why signing up for Affiliate Marketing Programs can add revenue to your brand. Signing up for affiliate marketing programs can add additional revenue to your brand. Do research on what affiliate programs best work with your brand to get the most out of your effort. Starting out you might want to create an Amazon affiliate program since they carry almost everything. YAY Capitalism!

An easy way to figure out which affiliate programs work best for your channel’s brand is content.

Think about the items you’re using to film your videos, even the programs to edit your content. Maybe what you are wearing in the video too! For example: If you mention Robinhood in your video you can place an affiliate link in the description below the video for people to get a free stock.

Let your videos dictate what affiliate programs you should use.

Especially if you’re a review channel. For cooking channels, they might want to add all the tools used in the video to make that video’s meal. Some links might stay the same for certain playlists. If you have a money managing playlist, each of those videos might have affiliate book links for the same three or four books. Place time into how to utilize your video description real estate for links. Let them add to the video’s narrative!

Brand Deals

The strength of your channel’s brand influence could lead to potential brand deals.

They come to you in most cases. THOUGH, you can go to them when you feel your brand has some movement. Stay diligent on your path till your channel’s brand has pull. When those brand deals do come to you make sure they are within YOUR brand’s message. The more relatable they are to your already established brand and content, the more that brand deal will help elevate your message too.

How many channel subscribers do you really need?

Two thousand or more will get outside brands to notice you. BUT, even with those two thousand subscribes your brand deals come down to audience retention. “How long are people watching your videos for?” is one of, if not, the first question they will probably ask. Depending on how the brand fits into your brand it might be a natural part of your video’s narrative or a quick interlude into the sponsorship.

Merch!

When your brand does reach a strong following…

you now have earned the right to create merchandise and products. You have a logo that fits the style of your brand. Even your channel’s color scheme has a look to it. This all equates to slapping your brand onto different kinds of items. Good merchandise ideas come in the form of shirts, mugs, and other items people can carry around. Maybe even merchandise that fits your brand in design too. Be creative!

Try finding a click per print site that fits your needs.

Redbubble is one that works well. Amazon, of course, has a merchandise program you can join. There you can upload designs for most anything. Fun fact, you can design an item, set it up in your store than attach the link to buy it to your Amazon affiliate link! Think of ways to diversify your income while connecting everything in the best possible ways.

Products that come from your creative mind are an excellent revenue generator.

If you have something to express to your ever growing audience, then selling books, music, comedy DVDS, even films are prime for the selling. Your audience wants to support you. How invested they are in your message depends on your consistency in expressing that message on a regular bases through quality content.

If you have programs for instructional video series on specific subjects you can place it on a platform like Skillshare. There are other avenues for musicians to work with Jamplay too. Do some research to figure out what would work best for you as a content creator. Skillshare also has… an affiliate program. Get involved with using them and as your brand grows, you can take your relationship with them to another level. Think of a program to create in the future for that platform.

Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding has become a common avenue over the years.

Kickstarter gave hope for all content creators. Finally, there was a way to raise money for artistic projects. Patreon popped up changing the game completely. This platform gives you a chance to raise money to help pay for your creative outlets. Your audience wants to see what you can do. And since your content is free to them they ultimately help fund your future. So, give them quality content in return!

Sell Your Skills

YouTube channels can become a massive selling point for so much of your brand’s offerings. You might have a specific skill you can sell to your audience. Your services are a commodity waiting to be purchased. Musicians can give virtual guitar lessons to students anywhere in the world. Authors or screenwriters are potentially capable of consulting on a script. Think about what you can do well and allow that to be something you offer.

BBR Productions is a consulting, marketing, and development company. Our whole purpose is to help people find success in any venture they are passionate about. Usually that path is for those in the entertainment industry. People hire us when they see the results in our actions. By being transparent through the process into the results it allows our content to prove our knowledge. We do this by creating quality content on the process of writing, filming, wealth growth, creating a brand, etc.

A majority of those major channels have services they provide, and sometimes they provide things outside of their main topic but stay in their brand. Like giving wealth advice while also being a lead Cardistry Consultant like Andrei Jikh. Throughout his videos he does card tricks. He’s even working on the film “Now You See Me” as a card advisor. Him and his partner even sell special card decks. But, his channel is mostly dedicated to finance. It all works together.

Meet and Greets

Did you know your brand can grow to the point where people want to see and hear you in person? Meet and greets to speaking engagements are a big part about being a brand. Gary Vee. speaks all the time. Does it fit in your brand? If speaking or these meet and greets aren’t what you want to do, don’t do it. They are options to bringing in extra income. Some people can get upwards five thousand dollars to speak if not more. But, always be you, be true!

We have a few of these options working for us right now. We have are our affiliate links in the body of our video descriptions. Each description has our standard links for the equipment we use to film and edit these videos. Then we suggest a few books you should read to be successful in life.