If you’re looking for an easy way to make money from home, then you’ve probably considered trying YouTube ads. After all, who doesn’t enjoy hunching over a desk or sitting on a couch, tapping on a keyboard whilst listening to relaxing tunes?
YouTube ads can be a lucrative source of income if done correctly. However, if you’re looking to get started you’re in for a rude awakening. Navigating the murky waters of YouTube ads can be challenging, even for experienced marketers. Therefore, in this article, we’ll discuss how you can make money online from home using YouTube ads
Create a Profitable YouTube Channel
Before you can begin your YouTube ad journey, you’ll need to have a YouTube channel. This could be a channel dedicated to documenting your travels, an outfit channel, a food channel, or anything else you can think of. The key thing to keep in mind is that you should establish a channel that will be profitable. You can find free YouTube analytics at https://www.tubule.com/1
If you’re looking to establish a travel vlog, for example, you’ll need to ensure that you’re consistently attracting a healthy audience. You can use YouTube’s audience calculator at https://www.youtube.com/newtab to determine the ideal viewer scope for your channel. Essentially, you want to find the audience that will most likely spend money on your content. When establishing your channel, you should avoid choosing a niche that is too broad. For example, if you’re creating a food channel, ensure that you choose recipes that are readily available to everyone. In a nutshell, make sure that your niche is as specific as possible whilst still covering a wide range of topics.
Decide On Your Niche
Once you have your YouTube channel, you can begin exploring the world of YouTube ads. Before you can begin placing ads on your channel, you’ll need to decide on a niche. This will determine what kinds of ads you’ll be able to run. For example, if your channel is focused on tech, you might want to consider running adverts from companies that are based in the technology sphere. On the other hand, if your niche is fashion, you might want to consider running ads for high end fashion brands.
It’s a good idea to establish yourself as an expert in your chosen niche. By doing so, you can begin monetising your content, whether it’s videos about fashion, food, or tech.
Avoid Free Blogging Platforms Like Blogger
One of the things that often gets beginners stuck in a rut is using free blogging platforms like Blogger. Although it’s a free service, Blogger can be a highly ineffective tool for monetising blogs. The reason behind this is that although it’s a free service, others can still see your content, including your potential audience. For this reason, monetising a Blogger blog can be tricky. If you’re looking for an easy way to make some extra cash, then try a free blogging platform like Medium.
As a rule of thumb, when establishing a blog, always choose a self-hosted WordPress blog over a Blogger blog. The reason behind this is that with a self-hosted WordPress blog, your content is completely hidden from the public eye, which means it’s more difficult for anyone to spot and identify your content. In addition, the popularity of WordPress blogs means that there’s definitely a market for your content and, as a result, you can potentially earn more money from your blog.
Avoid Facebook Advertising
Just like with Blogger, it’s also worth avoiding using free platforms for advertising on Facebook. Although it’s a free service, Facebook advertising is highly targeted and, as a result, highly lucrative. The great thing about Facebook is that you don’t need to have a massive audience to make decent money. As long as you have a decent following, you can launch a Facebook advert and start making cash.
However, a word of caution: never choose paid advertising over earning money from YouTube ads. The reason behind this is that although you may achieve some results from paid advertising on Facebook and other platforms, the key to making money online is through YouTube ads.
Choose Your Video Host
One of the most important things to consider when using YouTube is the video host. As the name would suggest, the video host is responsible for hosting your videos. When choosing a video host, you will want to look for one that is reliable, has a good reputation, and offers a range of features.
YouTube’s preferred partner, for example, offers a wealth of features to creators, including free bandwidth, customised thumbnails, and responsive designs. In addition, creators can monitor, report, and follow-up on their affiliate sales.
Although there are other reputable video hosts, such as Vimeo, for example, these may come with more restrictive features. For instance, Vimeo is completely free but doesn’t offer the same level of customisation as YouTube.
Decide On The Type Of Ads You’ll Need
As previously mentioned, to run ads on your YouTube channel, you’ll need to choose a niche. This will determine what kinds of ads you’ll be able to run. For example, if your channel is focused on tech, you might want to consider running ads from companies that are based in the technology sphere. On the other hand, if your niche is fashion, you might want to consider running ads for high end fashion brands.
It’s a good idea to consult with an experienced marketer or a company that specialises in digital marketing to find the right balance between your audience and the type of ads you’ll want to run.
Understand The Mechanics Of YouTube Ads
Before you begin your YouTube ad journey, it’s important to understand the basic mechanics behind YouTube ads. Essentially, YouTube ads are grouped into three different categories – promoted videos, traditional videos, and safety videos.
The first type are the promoted videos. These are the videos that you’ll see at the top of the sidebar on your YouTube channel. The nice thing about these videos is that they’re usually a bit cheaper to buy than other types of ads. In addition, you don’t need to run many of them to start with and you can easily get rid of them if they aren’t performing well. This is crucial if you want to make money from YouTube.
The second type of ad are the traditional videos. These are the videos that you’ll find in the middle of the sidebar on your YouTube channel. These are mostly created by brands and marketing groups to encourage people to purchase their products or services. For example, a cosmetics brand might create a video reviewing the merits of their products and encouraging people to try them. These videos can be very effective, especially if they’re promoting a specific product or service. They can also last for a long time and receive a lot of engagement.
The last type of ad are the safety videos. These are the educational or safety videos that YouTube recommends you subscribe to. Essentially, these videos teach you how to be safe online and give you tips on how to stay safe whilst using the internet. For example, if you’re a teen, you might want to subscribe to the YouTube Kids channel to receive videos about online safety. In this way, you’ll learn to avoid predators and harmful content.
As a rule of thumb, avoid clicking on links in emails, social media posts, and untrusted websites or apps. This is especially important when using public Wi-Fi. If you do happen to click on a link in an email or social media post, make sure that you verify the email or account before doing anything. This is especially important if you’re exchanging money or personal information.
Get To Know YouTube’s Content Policies
YouTube has a complex content policy that creators must comply with. Essentially, as a content creator, you’re agreeing to abide by YouTube’s rules and policies, which can be found here – https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6006439?hl=en. Essentially, these are the rules and policies that you must follow: