Introduction
YouTube has become a popular platform for content creators to showcase their talent, share their stories, and build an audience. But with the rise of the platform, the competition has increased drastically. That’s why understanding the role of subscriber count in earning money on YouTube is crucial for creators. In this article, we will explore the different factors that influence earnings and how many subscribers you need to make money on YouTube.
Analyze the Earning Potential of YouTube Channels of Different Sizes
Before we dive into the details, let’s discuss how YouTube’s revenue models work. YouTube offers several ways for creators to monetize their content. The most common sources of income are through Adsense, sponsorships, merchandise sales, and crowdfunding. Adsense is the most popular source of income, and it’s directly tied to the number of views a creator gets on their video. However, the amount of income you can earn per view (CPM) varies widely depending on the niche and audience.
Next, let’s compare the earning potential of small, mid-sized, and large channels. Small channels with less than 10,000 subscribers can make an average of $0.80 per view. Mid-sized channels with 10,000 to 100,000 subscribers can make around $2.00 per view. Large channels with over 100,000 subscribers can make upwards of $5.00 per view. Of course, these are just ballpark figures, and the actual CPM can vary dramatically based on the topic, niche, and audience.
Some of our examples of channels earning the following:
Small channels: HealthNut Nutrition with 125k subscribers made $156.9k in a year, it translates to $0.81 per view
Mid-size channels: Sugar Pine 7 with 1.68m subscribers made $2.59m in a year, it translates to $1.99 per view
Large channels: Emma Chamberlain with 10.5m subscribers made $22.5m in a year, it translates to $5.28 per view
Breakdown the Factors that Influence a YouTuber’s Earnings
While subscriber count is one factor, there are several other industry metrics that affect revenue. The most important ones are watch time and engagement. Watch time is how long viewers watch a creator’s videos and is directly proportional to the amount of ads watched. Engagement is how active viewers are on a channel. A higher engagement rate can help attract sponsorships and collaboration opportunities with brands.
Now, let’s talk about how a channel’s subscriber count impacts these metrics. A higher subscriber count can mean a higher watch time as creators may get more views, which means more ads watched. Additionally, subscribers are more likely to engage with a channel, leaving comments, and liking videos. However, it’s essential to note that subscribers alone don’t impact watch time, and videos may still get views from non-subscribers.
One way creators can improve these metrics is by creating engaging, high-quality content. The more engaging the content, the more watch time and engagement it will attract. Creators can also promote engagement by ending their videos with a call-to-action (CTA) to like, comment, or subscribe.
Showcase Examples of YouTubers Who Gained Success With a Low Subscriber Count
While it’s true that larger channel sizes can lead to higher revenue potential, creators can still grow their channels and earn money with a smaller subscriber base. Focusing on niche audiences and engagement can often lead to greater success than a large subscriber count.
A great example of this trend is the YouTube channel Vat19 that started with a niche audience but has now reached a vastly broad audience. Vat19 sells unique products, and its YouTube channel showcases product demonstrations, skits, and behind-the-scenes footage. Despite having around 6 million subscribers, Vat19 was able to generate millions of dollars in revenue from Merchandise sales.
Highlight the Importance of Building a Loyal Fanbase
As mentioned earlier, having a large subscriber base is not the be-all and end-all for creators. Instead, it’s essential to build a loyal fanbase that is engaged, supportive, and invested in the creator’s content. A dedicated audience can bring more opportunities for sponsorships, collaboration, and other monetization strategies.
For instance, YouTuber PewDiePie made $450,000 from his Patreon memberships alone. His dedicated fanbase pledged their support to his Patreon account and helped support his channel’s growth. So, how can creators build a loyal fanbase? Consistency, authenticity, and personality are three crucial building blocks for creating a loyal audience. Making regular uploads, being authentic with your viewers, and promoting engagement through comments, message boards, and social media can all help build a loyal following.
Provide Actionable Tips on How Creators Can Monetize Their YouTube Channels
Finally, let’s look at how creators can monetize their channels. In addition to Adsense, creators can also earn money from brand deals, merchandise sales, and Patreon memberships. Brand deals are a common way for creators to work with brands and earn money through paid sponsorships. Merchandise sales can help creators sell products related to their channel. Patreon memberships allow creators to monetize their channel through dedicated fans pledging support.
To make these monetization strategies work, creators need to have a strong audience base, engagement rate, and watch time. That is why we must focus on improving these metrics in order to maximize earning potential. Improving content quality, promoting engagement, and using Call-to-Action (CTA) are some of the steps that creators can take to increase watch time and engagement on their channels.
Conclusion
So, do you need millions of subscribers to make money on YouTube? No. While a large subscriber count certainly helps to expand a creator’s income potential, the focus should be on creating high-quality content and building a loyal, engaged fanbase. As we’ve discussed, there are several ways to monetize your channel, and the strategies you choose to implement will depend on the size of your subscriber base and engagement rate. Ultimately, creators who focus on consistency, authenticity, and engagement will be able to attract dedicated fans and monetize their channels to reach their income goals.
